The Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence Free Online Research Papers It was the 4th of July in 1776 when delegates from all thirteen colonies assembled at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Not knowing the full significance of what was about to take place that day, the delegates would do something that would forever change the course of the American people. Throughout history, only a few documents have changed the way we as a nation view politics and carry out our everyday lives. The document mentioned above was the Declaration of Independence. It changed the course of history because it granted America its freedom from Great Britain. Originally, there was a committee created to compose the document which consisted of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert R. Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson. After conversing with one another, the committee decided that Thomas Jefferson would be the one to write it with the final approval coming from the other four. After writing it and receiving approval from the committee, Jefferson presented it to the House. What happened here was not what the committee originally expected. Not all of the delegates attending the convention approved the document. However, through compromising for the greater good of the â€Å"New Nation† and editing to accommodate everyone’s preferences, th e document was finally approved by all thirteen colonies. In today’s society, The Declaration of Independence is still a living document. Many ingredients are still an enormous part of our lives and the way our government handles diverse matters. One of the clauses, however, is being completely taken out of context and should be addressed immediately. The United States’ Foreign Policy is an ongoing problem and will continue until we as nation get back to our roots and foundation before we eventually lose track of our own problems and affairs, inevitably leading to our destruction. Having said this, it is helpful to know the origins of this belief. In the following paragraphs, a brief history of The Declaration of Independence will be discussed so the origins of this idea are clear. Although Thomas Jefferson gets credit for writing the Declaration of Independence, one must first understand where most of the ideas came from. According to Dr. Vaughn Huckfeldt during a class lecture, an English philosopher by the name of John Locke developed his own political views and published them in the late 1600’s in his Two Treatises of Government. At the beginning of the Declaration, it is mentioned that all men are entitled with â€Å"certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.† In Locke’s 2nd Treatise of Government, he begins by using his theory of the state of nature in order to define the nature of power. Locke describes the state of nature as a place of equality in which no one person has any power over another and all people are free to do as they please. He argues that although the state of nature is a place of perfect freedom, it is still governed by natural law. When discussing law, the Declaration sets a foundation which the United States government is based on. The Declaration states to secure the rights of the people, governments have to be instituted among the people; however, when a government rules without consent, it is considered to be unjust. Even when being just, no one has the right to rule the other without the other’s consent (West 75). When given consent, political leaders are usually appointed through elections to ensure that the public has the right to self-rule so that they can make their own decisions or appoint representatives that reflect their views on politics. The reason for drafting the Declaration was because of the tyrannical rule of the British over the American colonies. Sheldon mentions in his work, â€Å"The Political Theory of The Declaration of Independence,† that a list of â€Å"injuries and usurpations† had been brought against the American colonies. The Declaration contains a list of these injustices. Sheldon goes on to explain some of the various hardships placed on them such as the British Parliament destroying the democratic institutions of the colonies. The Founding Fathers did not want this to become a problem in the newly created United States. Because of this fear, Thomas Jefferson placed a clause in the Declaration saying, â€Å"that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government.† Trying to prevent ever having to deal with tyranny, the Founding Fathers constructed a way to check the governm ent internally which is know as the separation of powers. They devised three separate branches which were the Legislative, Executive, and the Judicial branches. These branches would have separate duties, different sizes and tasks, and sometimes different terms of office so that each of them could serve as a system of checks and balances for the government. Each branch would be given enough constitutional power so that it could resist any unnecessary impingement on one another (West 81-82). In today’s society, many countries experience problems dealing with tyrannical rulers. As a nation, we Americans deem it necessary to not only deal with our problems but also get involved with other countries’ problems as well. As we all know, we have been in Iraq for a number of years dealing with there governmental problems. According to Margaret Griffis at Antiwar.com, over 3,000 American men have lost their lives since the war began in March of 2003 due to our decision to enter the Iraqi nation and try and sort their problems out. This is not right. Many innocent lives have been taken having nothing to do with the American idea of â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.† When talked about in the Declaration on unjust governments needed to be overthrown, it was eluding to our problems if any presented themselves. In his last attempt to communicate with the American people, George Washington gave his Farewell Address stating that the United States sh ould be open to commerce with all nations, but they should avoid entangling themselves with foreign wars which were not directly threatening the nation. As a nation, we should be setting an example for other nations just as Governor John Winthrop said in his speech referring to America as a â€Å"City on a hill.† This theme shows the American idea that the nation must be set apart as an example for others to follow. Americans generally see the nation in this context. So if others see America as a â€Å"City on a hill,† we should not have the arrogance to try and think just because we are the current superpower in the world, we can act as a peacemaker for everyone’s problems. To many other nations, America is often referred to as somewhat of a bully. No other nation in history has even come close to equaling the power of the United States of America. This simple fact alone frightens people. They believe that no nation should have that much power at their disposal. It is also scares people around the world to think that America can act alone militarily at any given time. These powers which the American possesses are giving us an appearance of arrogance to other nations. We have become so self-righteous in our pursuits that we refuse to attempt to see an issue from another countries’ vantage point if it differs from our own. Even the president alienates people on national television with his claim that, â€Å"You are either with us or against us.† This takes a step back as far as diplomacy goes. Perhaps instead of writing the differing opinions of other countries off as ignorant or evil, we should try to understand the rationale behind other countries’ positions when they differ from ours. The document that the Founding Fathers presented us with that day in 1776 will forever be engraved in history. The genius in there writings somewhat foreshadowed the future of the American Government and possesses themes which are still present in today’s society. Over time, American political leaders and American people have lost the underlying meaning of some of these themes. It was not intended by the Founding Fathers to entangle ourselves in many foreign affairs in fear of creating unwanted problems for the nation in which they made so many sacrifices for. America should remember where it came from and who gave there lives to have the freedoms such as â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness† in which they possess today and be the example that it should be for all other nations. I believe that America can still be this citadel, but it must make changes in order to better represent the country among the international community. Griffis, Margaret, Ed. â€Å"Casualties in Iraq.† 25 March 2007. 25 March 2007. < antiwar.com/casualties/> Huckfeldt, Vaughn. Class lecture. Philosophy 243. 18 January 2007. Jefferson, Thomas. â€Å"The Declaration of Independence.† The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Baym, Nina. 6th Edition. New York: W.W. Norton Company, Inc, 2003. 727-732. Sheldon, Gerard Ward. â€Å"The Political Theory of the Declaration of Independence.† The Declaration of Independence Origins and Impacts. Ed. Gerber, Scott Douglas. Washington D.C: CQ Press, 2002. 16-27 United States. Dept. of State. Farewell Address by George Washington (1796). 19 March 2007. West, Thomas G. â€Å"The Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.† The Declaration of Independence Origins and Impacts. Ed. Gerber, Scott Douglas. Washington D.C: CQ Press, 2002. 72-95 Research Papers on The Declaration of IndependenceAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeQuebec and Canada19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationBringing Democracy to AfricaEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenPETSTEL analysis of IndiaStandardized TestingCapital Punishment

Evolution Labs - Coacervates Lab

Evolution Labs - Coacervates Lab Coacervates are a life-like creation that prove that life may have formed from simple organic substances under the right conditions that eventually led to the formation of prokaryotes. Sometimes called protocells, these coacervates mimic life by creating vacuoles and movement. All it takes to create these coacervates is protein, carbohydrates, and an adjusted pH. This is easily done in the lab and then the coacervates can be studied under a microscope to observe their life-like properties. Materials: goggleslab coats or protective covering for clothescompound light microscopemicroscope slidescoverslipstest tube racksmall culture tubes (one tube per student)rubber stopper or cap that fits the culture tubeone medicine dropper per tube0.1M HCl solutionpH papercoacervate mix Making the coacervate mix: Mix 5 parts of 1% gelatin solution with 3 parts 1% gum acacia solution on the day of the lab (the 1% solutions can be made up ahead of time). Gelatin can be purchased at either the grocery store or a science supply company. Gum acacia is very affordable and can be bought from some science supply companies. Procedure: Put on the goggles and lab coats for safety. There is acid used in this lab, so extra precautions should be taken when working with the chemicals.Use good lab practices when setting up the microscope. Make sure the microscope slide and coverslip are clean and ready for use.Obtain a clean culture tube and a test tube rack to hold it. Fill up the culture tube about half way with the coacervate mix which is a combination of 5 parts gelatin (a protein) to 3 parts gum acacia (a carbohydrate).Use a dropper to put a drop of the mix onto a piece of pH paper and record the initial pH.Add a drop of acid to the tube and then cover the end of the tube with a rubber stopper (or culture tube cap) and invert the entire tube once to mix. If this is done properly, it will turn somewhat cloudy. If the cloudiness disappears, add another drop of acid and invert the tube once again to mix. Continue adding drops of acid until the cloudiness stays. Most likely, this will not take more than 3 drops. If it t akes more than that, check to be sure you have the right concentration of acid. When it stays cloudy, check the pH by putting a drop on pH paper and record the pH. Place a drop of the cloudy coacervate mix on a slide. Cover the mix with a coverslip, and search under low power for your sample. It should look like clear, round bubbles with smaller bubbles inside. If you are having trouble finding your coacervates, try adjusting the light of the microscope.Switch the microscope to high power. Draw a typical coacervate.Add three more drops of acid, one at a time, inverting the tube to mix after each single drop. Take a drop of the new mix and test its pH by putting it on the pH paper.After washing your original coacervates off of your microscope slide (and the coverslip, too), put a drop of the new mix on the slide and cover with the coverslip.Find a new coacervate on low power of your microscope, then switch to high power and draw it on your paper.Be careful with clean up of this lab. Follow all safety procedures for working with acid when cleaning. Critical Thinking Questions: Compare and contrast the materials you used in this lab to create coacervates to the supposed materials available on the ancient Earth.At what pH did the coacervate droplets form? What does this tell you about the acidity of the ancient oceans (if it is assumed this is how life formed)?What happened to the coacervates after you added the extra drops of acid? Hypothesize how you could get the original coacervates to come back into your solution.Is there a way coacervates may be more visible when looking through a microscope? Create a controlled experiment to test your hypothesis. Lab adapted from original procedure by the University of Indiana