Massachusetts and the Puritans

Massachusetts and the Puritans Nhat Nguyen Now the state of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was established by Puritans (see  Puritanism) fleeing religious persecution in England. Composed of numerous settlements established at various times, the colony had its beginning on June 19, 1630, when John Winthrop stood aboard the ship Arbella and delivered a sermon to a group of sick and weary passengers about to begin a new life in the howling wilderness of New England. Winthrop reminded his listeners that their removal from England did not break their social and political ties, indeed those ties should become tighter and more closely follow the will of God. The colony was to be an ordered community, dedicated to realizing the will of God and to creating a model society for old England to emulate. The rulers of old England however, did not wish to, follow the Puritan lead. Both James I and Charles I were suspicious of the Puritans, especially their rejection of bishops, which they saw as tantamount to rejecting royal authority. James, I had been surfeited with this rejection of episcopal authority while the king of Scotland, having seen the Scottish Presbyterians remove his mother from the throne and place him upon it while still a youth. When he succeeded to the throne of England, James knew that he wanted to retain the Church of Englands bishops and promised to make his Puritan subjects conform or harry them out of the kingdom or worse, as he put it. This anti-Puritanism was continued and expanded by his successor, Charles I. Charles and his archbishop of Canterbury engaged in a process of persecution that led to the great migration of thousands of English Puritans to British North America. This migration, led by the Arbella and accompanying ships, resulted in numerous Puritan colonies in New England, the most significant of which was Massachusetts Bay. The colony was originally organized as a stock company with voting rights limited to stockholders who chose the colonys leaders, but this changed soon after their arrival in America. Winthrop, who held the title of governor, gathered the colonys inhabitants on October 29, 1630, and by a show of hands gave all the freemen of the colony the right to elect assistants or legislators. This action, which soon encompassed nearly all adult males in the colony, gave Massachusetts Bay a much wider franchise than England and most of Europe, despite its limitation to church membership. The Puritans desired to build an ordered community, under the watchful providence of God. This society was not, however, the theocracy that many have claimed it to be. In fact, ministers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony had less formal power than anywhere in Europe and did not constitute a recognized class with special privileges. This absence of inherited privileges was a significant factor in the life of the colony. Although the Puritans firmly believed that there were greater and lesser people, and titles such as Goodwife, Mistress, and Master constantly affirmed these divisions, the range was much less than in England. Sumptuary laws governed the nature of individual dress-limiting the colors, amount of gold, and jewelry a person could wear. These laws both affirmed social distinctions and limited ostentatious displays of wealth and power. When combined with the Puritan doctrine of human sin and of human equality before God, they resulted in much less overt social differences in M assachusetts Bay than the home country. The desire to maintain harmony, stability, and social order was great. The magistrates enforced the laws against blasphemy and punished those who failed to attend church services. The nature of colonial settlement also served to strengthen social stability and cohesion. The land was allocated to each colonist for farming, but people lived in towns, traveling out to their farms each morning and returning in the evening. Towns centered on the meetinghouse, the church building that functioned as the center of the communitys social, political, and religious life. The stereotypical independent settler separated from the community was not acceptable in Massachusetts Bay. Such a settler, separated from the bonds of family, church, community, and government, was bound to lapse into antisocial and irreligious behavior. The godly life could be lived only with others. Conflicts over the nature of that life, however, were such that the harmony desired by the colonys political elite was never realized. These conflicts emerged early in the colonys life. The first was the so-called Antinomian Controversy. Occasioned by the religious instruction thatAnne Hutchinson provided in her home and involving conflicts between the growing merchant class and the colonys political and religious elite, the Antinomian Controversy was typically Puritan in that it was fought over theology and the role of social harmony in theology. Similarly, the expulsion of Roger Williams from the colony was a response to theological differences that authorities viewed as destabilizing. Williamss belief that the government had no right to enforce the first part of the decalogue-the first four of the Ten Commandments dealing with worship-was seen as an assault upon the social stability of the colony. Indeed, many viewed any failure of the state to enforce these laws as an invitation to divine destruction. To outlaw blasphemy was not only an act of religious faith but also helped ensure social survival. Such conflicts, like those with other socially disruptive groups such as Baptists, Quakers (seeFriends, a Religious society of [Quakers]), and witches (see Salem witchcraft trials) recurred as the Puritans attempted to build a viable society in a hostile land. They struggled mightily to establish the social institutions that would provide for the colonys stability. Churches and towns were the first to appear, then came a college (Harvard, 1638), printing presses, and schools. Soon Massachusetts Bay was an expanding and successful colony, kept alive by fishing, agriculture, timber harvesting, and even the slave trade. Prosperity did not, however, ease the difficulties of creating an ordered society pleasing to God. Tensions emerged within the New England way among not only those outside but those within it as well. The first concern was the perception that piety was declining within the colony. From the heroic period of settlement, when the colony seemed to have been dominated by great men and high religious concern, many saw a decline by the mid-17th century. Religious interest appeared to have waned and the number of visible saints to have declined. This concern became so prevalent that the sermons preached about it have received their ow n name. Jeremiads, as they are known, were directed against this perceived declension. Whether the decline was as great as the ministers claimed is debatable, but it is true that the colony experienced the shift from a time when people immigrated from religious conviction to a period when people simply were born into the society. A telling anecdote, probably apocryphal, illustrates this change well. A Puritan minister once berated a man he caught unloading fish on Sunday, reminding him of the religious nature of the colony and its founders. The fisherman quickly responded, My grandfather came here from God, I came here for cod. The colony faced other challenges. Chief among these were the local Indians and the French who, from their outposts in Canada, occasionally harried the colonys more distant settlements along with their Native American allies. These challenges ended with the eventual British conquest of Frances North American colonies in 1759. The removal of this external threat only exacerbated the internal one, the ongoing conflicts between the colonists in America and the mother country. This conflict was not to be taken lightly, and in Massachusetts, it had a religious dimension. The late 17th century had seen an apparent victory of the Puritan party in its monarchical form in England. The Glorious Revolution of 1688 had removed the Catholic king, James II, and with it the threat to the colonys independent existence under James, who had revoked the colonys charter and established an Anglican foothold at Kings Chapel in Boston. But this was not the only religious threat that England presented to the colony. If some contemporary writers are to be believed, the most significant conflicts and the true start of theAmerican Revolution began with the rumor that England would send a bishop to the colonies. The imposition of a bishop was seen by many colonists as an inherent threat to their liberties. InMassachusetts Bay, where stories of episcopal persecution of Puritans were still remembered, this was the final assault on everything they had tried to create. Already forced to allow toleration to other Protestants, they now faced the final loss of their religious independence. The Puritan tradition of self-government, the rule of law, and human activity helped to set the stage for the American Revolution. The revolution in the hearts and minds, as John Adams-a Puritan scion-wrote, had already occurred. It was no coincidence that a great deal of the revolutionary leadership came from Massachusetts. The colony and i ts Puritanism had helped to pave the way. Work Cited Timothy Breen Puritans and Adventurers: Change and Persistence in Early America (New York: Oxford University Press, 1980) Cedric B. Cowing, The Saving Remnant: Religion and the Settling of New England (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1995) David Hall, Worlds of Wonder, Days of Judgment (New York: Knopf, 1989) Perry Miller, Errand into the Wilderness (Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1956) Edmund Morgan, The Puritan Dilemma: The Story of John Winthrop (New York: Longman, 1999) Samuel Eliot Morison, Builders of the Bay Colony (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1930)

The Starbucks Company

In the community that this generation lives in today, there are numerous essentials that are now considered as a necessity. Coffee is somehow considered as an essential to the society. It is used by the people to either keep them awake or just to give them energy to hopefully last the whole day. One of the acknowledged coffee companies in the world is Starbucks. This coffee company started in the year of 1971 in Seattle, Washington. Various drinks were produced by Starbucks for the benefit of their customers. With this marketing maneuver, Starbucks was able to gain the trust and loyalty of its customers. In the year 2000, Starbucks had branched out of United States and expanded into Australia. According to Brook (2016), Starbucks had opened for about 84 stores in the country. However, with the coffee company trying to enter the market in Australia, Australians were hesitant with the new company present in their market. Apparently, Starbucks had apparently â€Å"more than 70 percent of its underperforming locations, leaving only 23 Starbucks stores throughout the entire continent† (Turner, 2018). Moreover, Starbucks had accumulated a lost of $143 million that obliged Starbucks to close and pull out most of its stores in Australia (Hurst, 2014). Another problem that Starbucks had encountered was the loyalty of the Australians because they are accustomed to the bitter-tasting coffee that their local coffee stores offer (Turner 2018). Since Starbucks sells and offered their customers a sweeter kind of coffee that is foreign to their taste, Starbucks was not able to gain popularity as compared to the popularity they have in other countries. The starbucks company could use two (2) strategic analysis tool known as the S.W.O.T and the P.E.S.T analysis. With the aid of these strategic tools, the company may be aware of the risks and opportunities that they may encounter under certain circumstances. The SWOT analysis is a strategic tool used for identifying the company's strengths and weaknesses alongside with the opportunities and threats that may accompany it. With the usage of the S.W.O.T analysis, the company would be able to identify their strengths and weaknesses, as well as the possible opportunities and threats that the company might face. It could be noted that Starbucks had somehow disregarded the research and survey procedure for introducing new products to a new community. Instead, the company of Starbucks assumed that the goods and services they offer caters to everyone in the world– which, in this case, Australia was not delighted about. If the company of Starbucks had just researched more and surveyed more people concerning the sweet tasting coffees they serve, they would be able to identify that Australians prefer their coffees either brewed or bitter. Since Australia is one of the countries to have a different preference in coffee– along with some parts of Europe, as compared to the rest of the world, Starbucks could have seen the risk of losing customers when entering the market of Australia as Australians were not as accustomed to Starbucks back in 2000. Meanwhile, their decision to pull out 61 branches out of their 84 built establishments and leaving only about 23 establishments was a good call to somehow cut the overhead cost that they would have to pay such as rent, labor, and assets that in the end did not prosper. The company was somehow able to also salvage their name even though there are articles about their ‘failed endeavor'. This could be seen as a learning opportunity to Starbucks as they would try to re-enter the market in Australia, and hopefully, by this time, as they have left some establishments in the Australian community, Starbucks would not have that much of a hard time as they would have known the strategies and preferences that Australians want. Moreover, since Australia is one of the tourist destinations of the world, people from all around the world would sometimes visit Australia and with Starbucks known internationally, this company would be the preferred coffee branch of these tourists. Aside from S.W.O.T, another tool used for strategic planning is the P.E.S.T analysis. PEST stands for Political, Economical, Social, and Technological factors that are being considered when planning for a business endeavor. The P.E.S.T analysis is being used by businesses to identify the risks and opportunities of a business at a macro level as it not only determine the advantages and disadvantages of the business, but also the external aspects of the business. It could be noted that Starbucks had a good relationship with its external factors like their suppliers, and some of the customers in their community because of the service they offer. However, when Starbucks had expanded their company in the year 2000, they also had to pull out most of their establishments in the year 2008, as the company noticed that they are no longer earning profit from the said branch. Moreover, there was a high turnover rate during this time as 700 hundred employees were left jobless after the pulling out of the branches. (Prepare for Australia, n.d) In terms of the social factors that Starbucks might have considered is the preference of Australians with their coffees. As majority of the Australian population are somehow meticulous with the way they want their coffees prepared and served, Starbucks somehow was not able to impress their customers. According to a statement of staff in Sydney's Mecca Espresso named Tuli Keidar (2014, as cited in Hurst, 2014), â€Å"†¦ Australia already had a well established cafe culture based on espresso when Starbucks arrived. It had to compete with cafes that provided a similar product of equal or better quality.† This means that Australians are very much accustomed to the local coffee stores in the country that they are able to identify which serves the best beverages in their town. However, aside from the country's expertise in coffees and teas, they also take into account the ambience and atmosphere of the establishments. In line with the two strategic planning tool that was used to assess the possible risks and opportunities of the Starbucks brand in Australia, it could be noted that in terms of internal assessment, it is best to use the SWOT analysis as it is mostly focused on the internal cases of situations that could be avoided or taken into account. The business could use this planning tool for its convenience and it still gets the work done. On the other hand, when a company would want to focus on the external factors as they would want to research on the country or community they are planning to cater to, it is best to use the PEST analysis as it is mostly focused on external cases with a hint of internal cases. With the data gathered and analyzed with the aid of two commonly used planning tools in a business, it could be noted that one of the mistakes that Starbucks had done was that it barged in a competition without introducing itself to its customers and community. However, with the advancement of technology and the variations of the preferences of people, Starbucks may have a chance to gradually expand in Australia if they still wish to do so. If ever the plan for expansion would commence, the popularity of Starbucks would increase, alongside the increase in profit as people who travel or migrate to Australia might have been accustomed to Starbucks and somehow want a piece of home to remind them of their roots.

Candide Essay

Candide Essay Voltaire uses literary techniques such as satire and critique to demonstrate the cruelty and folly of humanity. He focuses on serious topics that include sexism, and reduces it to absurdity so that it is comical to the audience. Despite the fact that Voltaire constantly over- exaggerates this subject, he does not trying to reinforce them. Some might say Voltaire portrays women as objects of desire and is capitalizing on the subject but to get his point across using satire, some people will have to get offended.In Candide, Voltaire is critiquing and satirizing sexism. An example of how sexism and rape were satirized and critiqued in chapter 11 on pg 40 â€Å"I was beauty and grace itself, and I was a virgin. I was not so for long; that flower that had been reserved for the handsome Prince of Massa-Carrara was ravished from me by the pirate captain. Indeed My Lady the Princess of Palastrina and I had to be very strong to endure all we underwent until we arrived in Morocc o. But let’s get on; these things are so common that they are not worth speaking of. † Rape is a very sensitive subject.The old woman talked about the incident in a nonchalant tone and said that it was so common that it was not worth talking about. Voltaire did this to satirize what were becoming society’s â€Å"normal† views on such brutal acts. He was letting us know that rape was such a frequent thing in the time period in which he lived, that it was being viewed by society as â€Å"normal â€Å". In order to understand the book properly, it is important to recognize that Voltaire was attempting to portray the problems within society such as sexism, by using satire to help the people this era realize what they were doing was wrong.

What Does Niche Mean in Ecological Biology

The term niche, when used in the science of ecological biology, is used to define an organisms role in an ecosystem. Not only does its niche include the environment that a given organism lives in, but it also includes the organisms job in that environment. A niche may also encompass what the organism eats, how it interacts with other living (biotic) elements, and also how it interacts with the nonliving (abiotic) aspects of the environment, as well. Fundamental Niche vs. Realized Niche All living organisms have what is called a fundamental niche. The fundamental niche includes all possibilities open to the organism within that environment: all possible sources of food, all open behavioral roles in the environment, and all suitable habitats available to it. For example, a black bear (Ursa americanus) is a broadly distributed, omnivorous species that has a sizeable fundamental niche, since it can eat meat as well as a broad range of vegetation, and can thrive in low woodlands as well as grassy mountain regions. It thrives in the deep wilderness but is also highly adaptable to areas near human settlement. In reality, though, an organism cannot use all suitable resources in an environment at the same time. Instead, the organism will have a narrower range of foods, roles, and habitats that it makes use of. This more specific role is called the organisms realized niche. For example, circumstances or competition may reduce a black bears realized niche into one where foods consist exclusively of berries and carrion meats, and shelter is limited to earthen burrows. Rather than a hunter, its niche may become that of a browser.   Relationships With Other Organisms Symbiotic relationships also come into play to determine an organisms niche. Predators that are in the area can limit an organisms niche and particularly where it can find safety and shelter. Competitors will also limit food sources and other nutrients, so they can also affect where an organism makes its home. For example, the black bear and brown bear (Ursus  arctos) overlap over much of their ranges, and where this occurs, the more powerful brown bear will generally have its pick of shelter and game, limiting the niche available to the black bear.   Not all relationships are competitive. An organism may also seek out other species to have positive interactions with to define its niche. Commensalism and mutualism with other species in the area can make an organisms life easier. Commensalism is a relationship in which one species benefits while the other is unaffected; mutualism  is a relationship in which both species benefit. A black bear that learns to feed on an abundance of raccoons killed along a highway is practicing commensalism; a bear that devours large quantities of blackberries, then plants new berries by distributing them through its scat deposits  is practicing mutualism. Relationships with Non-Living (Abiotic) Factors Abiotic factors, such as water availability, climate, weather—and in the case of plants, soil types, and amount of sunlight—can also narrow an organisms fundamental niche to its realized niche. Faced with a prolonged forest drought, for example, our black bear may find its realized niche redefined as favored plants dwindle, game  species become more scarce, and as water shortages force it to seek shelter in other locations. To some degree, an organism can adapt to its environment, but its basic needs must first be met in order in order for it to establish a niche.