Californias Cultural Evolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Californias Cultural Evolution - Essay Example There are many literatures romanticizing the richness of its civilization but the fact remains that these social groups were hunters and gatherers with some already having some semblance of agricultural knowledge. When the Spaniards came with their swords and their cross, the bow and arrow wielding natives were forced to become 'civilized' which stood for adapting and tailoring their customs and habits according to European culture. The Native Americans who were conquered soon became mini Spaniards because they shifted their beliefs and customs to mimic those of the colonizers and most importantly, they traded their native tongue for Spanish words. Although many native groups which were left alone resumed their hunting and gathering orientation, most of the inhabitants of California have become agriculturally oriented especially with the establishment of Ranchos. These areas were the land where cattle and sheep were raised. It was granted by the Spanish and Mexican regimes to encourage settlement. The domestic animals soon became important exports such as cow hides and fat used to make candles and soaps. Not only were they affected in language and way of subsistence, they also experienced the religious transformation that had become the mark of Spanish colonies. This was due to the California Missions which saw the construction religious outposts of major sects of Christian religion such as the Dominicans and the Jesuits. These missions were also the avenue thru which European livestock, fruits, vegetables and industry entered the California region. From their old set of animistic beliefs, which others in the past would call as pagan, the Native Americans became Christian primarily because they had no choice but to wield to the interests of the colonizers who had superior arms. The Gold Rush Mexicans broke the Spanish rule only to be replaced by Americans during the Mexican-American War in 1846. American domination paved the way for the occurrence of events which would radically transform the society of California. Two years after the American conquest of California, gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill in the Sierra Nevada foothills. The discovery led to a remarkable event in California's history and is aptly termed as the Gold Rush. With the discovery came an exodus of miners, merchants and bankers into the region. It was estimated that in 1855, about 300,000 Forty-Niners or those hoping to get a piece of gold arrived in the region. California saw a precipitous rise in settlements especially along San Francisco Bay. The significance of the Gold Rush was that it transformed the formerly agricultural region to a mining and profit oriented society though agriculture was still an integral part. This had the effect of bringing in capital to the region thereby sponsoring a boom in infrastructures and developments in housing and education. The immigrants were by no means illiterate and untrained. In fact, they were highly skilled and trained in their profession. The immigrants had knowledge as teamsters, draymen, lighter men, riggers, stevedores, bakers,

Guns and Other Weapons in Schools Research Paper

Guns and Other Weapons in Schools - Research Paper Example The origins of capital punishment date back to ancient times, where it was used to punish and deter crime; and as a political tool, to suppress rebellion and dissent among the masses (Aiken 207). One of the most famous examples of capital punishment is the death of the philosopher Socrates, who was required to drink poison for heresy (Schabas, â€Å"The Death Penalty† 164). Seventh century Athens, meanwhile, decreed capital punishment for any and all proven crimes (Murrie, Anumba and Keesler 125). Regio cites that ancient Babylon also decreed capital punishment for certain crimes - though it is surprising that murder was not among these. Research also highlights the role of religion in the origin of capital punishment - Islam, for example, commanded capital punishment for offenses such as treason and rape; while Mosaic Law did the same for other crimes (Regio). By the eighteenth century, British colonies were enforcing the capital punishment for over two hundred different crim es (Murrie, Anumba and Keesler 125). This shows a varied and liberal use of the death penalty; it is possible to infer from this kind of use that the barriers to putting someone to death for crime till the nineteenth century, were anything but great. Reviewing literature on capital punishment highlights two striking features of capital punishment in ancient and medieval times: the lack of due legal process preceding it, and the brutality characterizing it. Burns demonstrates how the witch hunts of Europe are a classic example of both these features - between the thirteenth and seventeenth centuries, thousands were tortured and burned alive for practicing witchcraft, often after trials by ordeal - in a large number of cases, guilt was decided by submerging the accused in a body of water, and seeing whether the accused sank or floated (95). Jewish traditions included execution through stoning, crucifixion and sawing through convicts (Regio). The absence of an objective legal process i s also seen in the norm of torturing people who would not confess to their crimes; and executing criminals by boiling them - some for several hours - until they died (Regio). Researchers have argued that it is important to see all of this in context - olden times were different from the modern era, their societal laws and values built in an environment of fear, hardness and suspicion that had resulted from uncontrolled and rampant disease and death, as well as the difficulty of finding practical evidence (Schabas, â€Å"The Abolition of Death Penalty,† Burns 94) - but, whatever the debate on why capital punishment was so executed may be, what all researchers can agree on is a general lack of regulation and fairness in capital punishment before the modern era. With humankind’s progress towards civilization, both of these things have changed. Schabas believes this is because the advance towards civilization has changed the nature of human motivation - the author argues t hat the socialization and interdependence that characterize the modern era, also lead to a legal system where the promotion of ethics - and not harsh deterrence - becomes the core function of criminal law (â€Å"The Abolition of the Death Penalty†). Over the centuries, then, societies around the globe have moved towards a legal system which regulates the nature of capital punishment, and the reasons and processes for awarding it (Schabas, â€Å"The Death Penalty† 159). One of the first steps towards this was made in the 1966