Political Career Timeline of US President Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II graduated high school with honors in 1979 and was president of the Harvard Law Review long before he ever decided to enter politics. When he decided he wanted to run for the Illinois Senate in 1996, he ensured his candidacy by successfully challenging the nomination petitions of his four competitors. This marked his entry into politics.   Timeline of Obamas Political Career 1988: Obama is a summer associate at the Chicago law firm Sidley Austin.1992: Obama graduates from Harvard and returns to Chicago.1995: In July, Obama—at age 34—publishes his first memoir, Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. In August, Obama files paperwork to run for incumbent Alice Palmers Illinois Senate seat.1996: In January, Obama has his four competitor petitions invalidated; he emerges as the only candidate. In November, he is elected to the Illinois Senate, which is controlled by Republicans.1999: Obama begins running for Congress.2000: Obama loses his challenge for the congressional seat held by Rep. Bobby Rush.2002: In November, Democrats usurp Republican control of the Illinois Senate.2003–04: Obama amasses his legislative record and serves as chair of the Health and Human Services Committee.2003: Obama begins running for U.S. Senate; the leading Democratic candidate withdraws in 2004 due to a sex scandal.  David Axelrod begins h aving camera crews video virtually everything Obama does in public. He uses this footage to create a five-minute online video for the Jan. 16, 2007, announcement that Obama is running for president.2004: In March, Obama wins the primary with 52% of the vote. In June, his Republican opponent Jack Ryan withdraws due to a sex scandal. He delivers the Democratic National Convention address in July 2004, and in November he is elected to the U.S. Senate with 70% of the vote.2005: Obama files paperwork for his leadership PAC, The Hope Fund, in January. Shortly after his election to the U.S. Senate, he delivers a well-received address arguing faith should have a greater role in public discourse.2006: Obama writes and publishes his book The Audacity of Hope. In October, he announces he is considering a run for the presidency of the United States.2007: In February, Obama announces his candidacy for U.S. president.  2008: In June, he becomes the Democratic Partys presumptive nominee. In Nove mber, he defeats Republican presidential nominee John McCain to become the first African-American president of the United States of America and the 44th president of the country.2009: Obama is inaugurated in January. In his first 100 days in office, he expands health care insurance for children and provides legal protection for women seeking equal pay. He gets Congress to pass a  $787 billion stimulus bill  to promote short-term economic growth, and he also cuts taxes for working families, small businesses and first-time home buyers. He loosens the ban on embryonic stem cell research and improves relations with Europe, China, Cuba, and Venezuela. The president is awarded the  2009 Nobel Peace Prize  for his efforts.2010: Obama delivers his first State of the Union speech in January. In March, he signs his health care reform plan, known as the Affordable Care Act, into law. Opponents of the act claim that it violates the U.S. Constitution. In August, announces the partial wit hdrawal of troops from Iraq, declaring an end to Americas combat mission. The full withdrawal will be completed the next year.2011: Obama signs the Budget Control Act to rein in government spending.  He also signs a repeal of the military policy known as Dont Ask, Dont Tell, which prevents openly gay troops from serving in U.S. Armed Forces. In  May, he green lights a covert operation in Pakistan that leads to the killing of al-Qaeda leader  Osama bin Laden  by a team of U.S. Navy SEALs.2012: Obama begins running for his second term, and in November, he wins with nearly 5 million more votes than Republican Mitt Romney.2013: Obama gets a legislative victory with a bipartisan agreement on tax increases and spending cuts, which is a step toward keeping his reelection promise of reducing the federal deficit by raising taxes on the wealthy. In June, his approval ratings tank because of an alleged cover-up of events in Benghazi, Libya, that left U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and two other Americans dead; because of allegations that the IRS is targeting conservative political organizations seeking tax-exempt status; and due to revelations about the U.S. National Security Agencys surveillance program. The Obama administration struggles with many domestic and international problems.2014: Obama orders sanctions on Russia because of its annexation of Crimea. House Speaker John Boehner sues the president, claiming he has overstepped his executive powers regarding some parts of the Affordable Care Act. Republicans gain  control of the Senate, and now Obama has to contend with the fact that Republicans control both houses of Congress during the final two years of his second term.2015: At his second State of the Union address, he claims that the United States is out of the recession. With Democrats outnumbered, he threatens to use his executive powers to stave off any potential Republican interference in his agenda. Obama has two major Supreme Court victories in this year: The Affordable Care Acts tax subsidies are upheld, and same-sex marriage becomes legal nationwide. Also, Obama and the five world powers (China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom) reach a historic nuclear deal with Iran. And Obama launches his Clean Power Plan to reduce greenhouse gases and emissions.2016: In his final year in office, Obama tackles gun control but is met with strong opposition from both parties. He delivers his final State of the Union address on January 12, 2016. In March, he becomes the first sitting U.S. president since 1928 to visit Cuba.2017: Obama delivers his farewell address in January in Chicago. During his last day in office on January 19 he announces that he will commute the sentences of 330 nonviolent drug offenders. Also in his final days, Obama  presents Vice President Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction.

The Rediscovery And Emergence Of Humanism - 876 Words

ori Horton The Rediscovery and Emergence of Humanism The transition from medieval times to the Renaissance can be seen through the change in art across the western world. Many aspects of art changed between these time periods including the introduction of humanism as well as the new idea of perspective. These are only a few elements that changed art between the Medieval and Renaissance eras. By using perspective many artist were able to make depth apparent by changing sizes of objects in the fore, as well as the background. Humanism allows the idea of humans being higher than the divine. With artists being able to use new artistic aspects, such as humanism and the idea of rebirth, they are able to change the views and ideas of art during the Italian and Northern Renaissance. Humanism was first brought to the Renaissance by a small group of elites consisting of artists, scholars, and many other trade group members (Johnson p.5). This new idea that humans were more important than the divine was not something that was instantly accepted. Up until this time period of the Italian and Northern Renaissance it was always believed that the divine trumped humans in everyway. This idea of humans being more important, although not widely accepted, changed art as a whole. One example of an artist who used this idea of humanism was Raphael in â€Å"The Alba Madonna† of 1511. He used perspective to take the importance and beauty and point the viewer back to the cross and baby Jesus. In manyShow MoreRelatedHistorical And Philosophical Movement Of The Renaissance1596 Words   |  7 Pagesmodern philosophy. By focusing, on ideas presented by Southern, Petrarch, and Burckhardt I will argue that the historical and philosophical movement of the renaissance progressed the writings and concerns of the medieval times through the emergence of humanism and free will, the revival of antiquity, natural philosophy and enlightment of knowledge. To understand why the Renaissance played a significant role in this transition, it is important to first consider how the medieval times differed fromRead MoreThe Religious Authority Of The Catholic Church917 Words   |  4 Pages2000). The Renaissance witnessed other historical events such as the the discovery of North America, the emergence of the Ptolemaic astronomy system, and many inventions.The Renaissance was a time of rebirth in classical ideas and science, which led to people beginning to think and reason apart from the Church. 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Gutenbergs invention of the printing press allowe d for an explosion in the intellectual life of Europe, a rediscovery of the ancient classics, and the development of a new philosophy called Humanism. This new emphasis on the classics allowed for the development of artistic and architectural advances, like symmetry, proportion, and shape, which completely transformed art and building. And finally, theRead MoreA 12th Century Renaissance Essay1883 Words   |  8 Pagestwelfth century and ideas still proposed today. This stems from the 12th century trend of the revival of Roman law. An example of our modern day legal system can be found from this time: Growing procedural complexity and formalityÂ…encouraged the emergence of legal specialists, as judges, and as lawyers employable for their knowledge. Greater emphasis on record keeping, on precedent and rules, also aided the transition (Swanson 80). This is indicative of the world of modern law, stemming from theRead MoreHow the Renaissance, Reformation, and Scientific Revolution L ed to a More Secular and Democrtatic Society1437 Words   |  6 Pagesbeginning of the liberal arts as we know it today. Petrarch, the first true poet of the Renaissance, studied Latin and is credited to have rediscovered Greek (Renaissance I.E.P.). This rediscovery led to textual criticism of the Church when forgeries were found which placed their power in question (Lecture, 1). Humanism dared artists like Leonardo da Vinci to defy the church and dissect cadavers to study the physical form. A more secular outlook can be seen in Raphaels The School of Athens (LectureRead More leadership theories and analysis Essay2506 Words   |  11 Pagesideas of Ancient Greece and Rome. The most important idea of rebirth stays with the belief that through learning of intellectual and artistic treasures of the Greco-Roman antiquity could reach the artistic greatness, wisdom and enlightenment. The rediscovery of classical world drastically changed the art of painting. By the year 1500, the Re naissance revived ancient forms and content. The spiritual content of painting changed - subjects from Roman history and mythology were borrowed. Devotional artRead MoreThe End Of The Medieval Period Essay1947 Words   |  8 Pages There are many factors that led to the end of the medieval period and brought about the emergence of the Renaissance period, otherwise known as, â€Å"the age of rebirth.† Some of these factors would have a devastating impact on Europe, which we can still see to this very day. During the Medieval period, the feudal aristocracy and the Catholic Church emerged as the dominant political forces and were instrumental in imposing social and economic order on the people. Peasants were organized within theRead MoreJean Hey’s Annunciation Essay examples2174 Words   |  9 Pagesadvancements in the portrayal of the human form—particularly that of hands and anatomical dimensions—human emotion, and artistic balance. The Renaissance can be characterized in general by the rebirth of art in conjunction with a rediscovery of philosophy, literature, science, and empirical investigation from antiquity. The new emphasis on learning, especially via direct observation of the natural world, led to new artistic techniques that allowed artists to mimic those of the ancientsRead MoreBranches of Philosophy8343 Words   |  34 Pagesphilosophy is the philosophy of Western Europe and the Middle East during what is now known as the medieval era or the Middle Ages, roughly extending from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Renaissance. Medieval philosophy is defined partly by the rediscovery and further development of classical Greek and Hellenistic philosophy, and partly by the need to address theological problems and to integrate sacred doctrine (in Islam, Judaism and Christianity) with secular learning. Some problems discussed throughout

Founding Fathers Free Essays

string(69) " she was wishing there was something she could do to help the cause\." When you think of the Founding Fathers, the common names George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin often come to mind. What many people don’t realize, is there were many more significant people besides them that helped make America free and independent. Even more than this, there were many women and minorities that contributed to this change. We will write a custom essay sample on Founding Fathers or any similar topic only for you Order Now The women and minorities males that I am going to talk about in this paper show true drive, determination, and passion. These people prove that it doesn’t matter what your gender or race is for you to make a difference and have extraordinary triumphs. There were countless women throughout history whose actions and sacrifices helped to establish our independence. The first story of these brave women is about Molly Pitcher in the Revolutionary War. From a young age, Mary Ludwig, nicknamed Molly, had wanted to be a soldier. This goal was looked down upon in girls, and would have been expected from a man or boy. She grew up on a farm, and in any weather condition, would be found outside working hard. This sense of determination gave Molly strength, and the ability to do whatever she attempted quickly and efficiently. Wanting to utilize this quality usefully, she went to live with a family friend, assisting her in household work. Molly then learned how to use her hand for anything, but her need for helping was not yet fulfilled. Molly eventually married a comrade, John Hayes, who joined the Continental army when the battle of Lexington began. Proudly, Molly stood by her husband excited that he was able to serve his country. On January 3, 1777, the Continental army fought the British at Trenton, loosing thirty men, and then retreating to Morristown, New Jersey. When she was aware of this, she went to the fields to make sure there were no hurt men. Unfortunately, she found a wounded soldier, but was able to nurse him back to health. When June occurred, temperatures began to rise, scorching the fighters. Because of the heat and long hours of fighting on June 28, 1778, many of the man’s tongues became swollen, and their bodies became exhausted. Molly decided to spend her time through the blistering heat going back and forth carrying water to the soldiers. â€Å"Molly Pitcher! † was a frequent exclamation they would say, thankful to see the water. The heat did get to her husband, causing him to pass out, but Molly was right by his side to help him in any way possible. Since her husband was not able to use the cannon, Molly took his place, loading and firing the gunner. The courageous acts displayed by Molly played an important part of the soldiers’ victory. General Washington praised her, and even awarded her â€Å"one of his gallant men†. Sticking by her husband’s side, fighting for him when he couldn’t, and even bringing water for the thirsty soldiers were valiant acts Molly portrayed. Molly was a prominent part in this battle and earned a spot in American history. One year later another brave female helped gain America its independence, Penelope Barker. Back in their time, women were expected to stay home, cook, clean, and take care of their family. Penelope lived with her husband in North Carolina. Unlike how female were supposed to act, Penelope had a mind of her own and was interested and engaged in politics. Even though her husband was an agent of the English crown, Penelope believed that England had gone too far with the Tea Act of 1773. Once she learned about the Boston Tea Party, Penelope decided to have her own. Door to door Penelope went speaking with and convincing other women to boycott all British tea and clothing. Penelope was able to convince fifty other women to attend a meeting he held on October 25, 1774. By the end of the meeting, they wrote a letter proclaiming about their boycott, signed it, and published it in a London newspaper. The better known Boston Tea Party was conducted by men, wearing costumes to protect their identity, yet she rejected the notion of hiding and instead made it public. Penelope Barker went on to say, â€Å"Maybe it has only been men who have protested the king up to now. That only means we women have taken too long to let our voices be heard. We are signing our names to a document, not hiding ourselves behind costumes like the men in Boston did at their tea party. The British will know who we are. † This turned into the first women’s political activity in colonial American History. She took a stand in what she believed in and did something about it. Once this reached the newspaper in London, it received a lot of negative feedback. The crown did not take the women colonists seriously, and many citizens laughed at their attempts. Because women’s views on matters politic were not considered worthy of consideration, the British laughed and their cartoonist’s had a fun day being able to make fun of them. Others called the women bad mothers or â€Å"loose† women. This shortly stopped though, when other women in the colonies started to boycott the goods and listening to what these ladies had to say. More and more people started to join and boycott which eventually got the crown’ attention. Although this movement may not seem like a huge deal, we have Penelope Barker to thank for advancing the cause of women’s rights to engage in politics, and gaining more independence. Stepping out of the norm, and doing what you believe is right is the most courageous act. By making a petition and boycott, Penelope was able to bring attention to something that wasn’t right with America. Sybil Ludington is the next American female hero on the list. It was 1977 and America was fighting with England to claim our independence. As she was lying in bed, she was wishing there was something she could do to help the cause. You read "Founding Fathers" in category "Papers" She already used spun wool instead of England’s fabric, and refused to drink the English tea. Sybil felt as if that was all women were doing, and she wanted to do more. From outside she heard someone yelling, â€Å"Colonel Ludington! Colonel Ludington! The British are burning Danbury, Sir! You must gather your men and march against the British! † Sybil’s father then said that their supplies were in Danbury, so all their weapons would be destroyed and they would need to muster the men. Sybil already knew that the men in her father’s militia lived in farms scattered all over the country, being released from their duty to spring plant. They needed to be called out to form their fighting unit. Sybil offered to help and to go get the men since she knew the roads but her father said that it would be far too dangerous, that she could be attacked. As she pleaded that she really wanted to help, that there was no one else to do it her father saw the determination and strength in her and let her go. As Sybil started to leave on her horse, Star, the sky was bright red, meaning the British were currently burning Danbury. Her father gave her detailed instructions right before she left to take a stick and knock on the men’s farmhouse doors with it. He also told her to go as far south as Mahopac Falls and then north to Stromyville. Finally she was off, and started at Alder place charging up to the farmhouses, yelling that the British were burning Danbury and where to meet. As Sybil went from farmhouse to farmhouse it was also continuously raining, resulting in her getting drenched. Also at one point she had to fight off a â€Å"highway man†. Finally, she reached all of her destinations, a distance of 40 miles and gathered all 400 men to her father. At the time Sybil Ludington was only 16 years old. Her sense of stability, audacity, and determination was enough to get 400 of her father’s men to fight in the war. If it wasn’t for her, there would be no men, and America would have lost the war. Sybil significantly impacted the result of that war, which is what caused us to become free. The last female who helped participate in the Revolutionary War and earn America independence was Deborah Sampson. From a young age, she learned to work hard because her father died, and her mother sent her away to work on a farm. Deborah was best known for her eagerness to learn, begging her new family to teach her anything the boys knew. One of her passions was to help the men in the Revolutionary War, although this seemed impossible because girls were not allowed to fight. Disregarding that rule, Deborah dressed up like a man called â€Å"Robert† and became a soldier at the age of 19. Her dedication, braveness, and willingness to sign up for dangerous missions, made the other soldiers proud of her, and landed her a spot to be an aide for the general. When Deborah was sent to West Point, New York, she got wounded in the leg. She didn’t tell anyone and tended the wounds herself so no one would find out her secret. After serving another eighteen months and a few battles at West Point, she was wounded again, and her identity was discovered by the doctor. On October 25, 1783, Deborah was â€Å"honorably discharged† from the army. Although this was discouraging, she received a letter from Paul Revere , granting her a pension. On January 20, 1792, Massachusetts General Court recognized Deborah as a hero. They decided that she did â€Å"perform the duty of a soldier† and exhibited extraordinary heroism. It didn’t matter what gender, Deborah Sampson was a faithful, gallant soldier that impacted America in a huge way. Besides just women who helped in making America independent and free, there were minorities. The actions of black men for our nation’s founding have often been ignored. There were many slaves who joined the army to gain their freedom, but there were thousands of other African Americans who served America just because it was the right thing to do and we as a nation needed it. These hero’s deeds are no less important than any white man’s deeds. They have also fought and died, held office, wrote in support of independence, and led their communities. There were many black men, about 12,00- 15,00 that became soldiers in the American Revolution. They fought in an integrated army. By 1779, fifteen percent of the Continental Army was black, getting to fight in the first Battle of Lexington and Concord, and the last battle at Yorktown. Besides integrated units, there were three all black units: Rhode Island First regiment, the Black Bucks of America, and Volunteer Chasseurs. Caesar Augustus was enlisted in the Continental Army at the age of 14. He was of mixed race and from Dorchester, Massachusetts. Augustus was able to serve the entire length of the war. For the first two years he spent in the service of an officer but then he reenlisted to be able to fight. Although Augustus didn’t do anything extraordinary, he was an African American who fought in the war, and eventually died fighting for our country. Another African American was Cyrus Bustill. He was born in 1732, with his father being a lawyer but his mother being a slave. Since the child takes the mother’s job, he had to be a slave. Cyrus was trained how to bake and once he got his freedom at the age of 36, he helped out by making bread for the solider. It was something that the soldiers during the American Revolution needed. George Washington even gave his a silver piece and commended him for his service. Cyrus also became a member of the Free African Society. Next was Prince Hall. He was the slave of William Hall, a Boston Family. A month after the Boston Massacre, he was freed by his master and worked as a peddler, caterer and leather dresser. He eventually served in the Battle of Bunker Hill. Hall was able to supply leather drum heads to the Continental Army. Before the war even began he joined the British Army Lodge of Masons, and once the British retreated they took over. It was the first African America Lodge, and was named after Hall. He became one of Boston’s most prominent citizens and a leader in the black community. Prince Hall was able to speak out against slavery and the rights of blacks. Because of the lack of schools for black children, he set one up in his own home. He also in 1797 spoke out against violence. â€Å" How, at such times, are we shamefully abused, and that to such a degree, that we may truly be said to carry our lives in our hands, and the arrows of death are flying about our heads†¦tis not for want of courage in you, for they know that they dare not face you man for man, but in a mob, which we despise†¦Ã¢â‚¬  During a harsh winter at Valley Forge, there was a new regiment created, the Rhode Island First. This was made up of all African Americans, 125 men, some were free and some were enslaved. Their first fight was at the Battle of Newport in 1778, resulting in the Continental Army forcing to retreat. The regiment put itself between the retreating Americans and the British and were able to hold the line when the British attacked, causing the British to have many casualties. These men’s bravery helped save many lives not only there, but in other battles like the Battle of Croton River. Eventually, there was a statue in honor of the Black soldiers. It read, â€Å"? When the Constitution of the United States was framed, colored men voted in a majority of these States; they voted in the State of New York, in Pennsylvania, in Massachusetts, in Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware and North Carolina; and long after the adoption of the Constitution, they continued to vote in North Carolina and Tennessee also. The Constitution of the United States makes no distinction of color. † These men that I have mentioned above risked their own lives to help make America free. Sometimes when we hear the big named, popular people, we tend to forget about everyone else that was involved. Top of Form How to cite Founding Fathers, Papers

Marxism and Brave New World free essay sample

Theory Analysis- Marxism Based on â€Å"Brave New World† by Aldous Huxley In the story â€Å"Brave New World† by Aldous Huxley, one can see that the author truly wishes his readers to analyze the book via the subsets of Marxism. The first and foremost rationale of the text lending itself to a Marxist analysis comes from the symbolism portrayed by the surname of the main character in the book. Bernard Marx seems to be such a unique and peculiar name that one can with certainty assume that there must be reasoning for it, especially considering the context of this novel. In the first few introductions to Bernard, he narrates his distaste towards his fellow colleagues for â€Å"talking about [Lenina] as though she were a bit of meat. Have her here, have her there. Like mutton. Degrading her to so much mutton† (Huxley 39). In the mind of Bernard, his colleagues do not treat Lenina as an equivalent human being who belongs to the same and equal faction as his colleagues. We will write a custom essay sample on Marxism and Brave New World or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Instead, through the eyes of Bernard she is seen simply as ‘degrading’ meat. Bernard’s hatred towards this subject matter exemplifies conceivably the similarities between the thoughts of Karl Marx and Bernard. From this, one can easily anticipate that Bernard Marx will play a pivotal role that maybe shadows the thoughts of the real Karl Marx in around the period of Huxley’s era. One can even go about saying that perhaps the vast popularity of Marxism at the time of this novel’s publication posed a direct influence on Huxley’s perception of society, which he then applied to the story. Quite ironically however, later on in the novel while Bernard watches the clear ocean, â€Å"it makes [him] feel as though [he] was more [him]†¦ More on [his] own, not so completely a part of something else. Not just a cell in the social body† (Huxley 78). In these more updated and comprehensive thoughts of Bernard Marx, one can realize that his aversion towards the collective society of the World State shatters the previous anticipations about him. Where Karl Marx would have appreciated this specific unity of the World State, Bernard hates it. It can be argued that Huxley portrayed this unique irony for humor to show his revulsion towards the design of Marxism as he was an Englishman himself living in such a heavily Capitalist country as England. Perhaps being a capitalist, Huxley wanted to make his audience understand that the popularized Marxist approach alone could not possibly lead to a Utopian civilization, and therefore modified his society in the novel accordingly. Such a thought results in the existence of both pro- and anti-Marxist ideals within the World State all throughout the novel. The world of the novel presents itself with pro Marxist ideologies largely in accordance to the basic psychology of the World State itself: â€Å"Everyone belongs to everyone else† (Huxley 34). There is no individualization in the World State, and everyone achieves tasks only for society and the people around them. On the contrary, Huxley also employs the use of anti-Marxist ideals within the text by allocating talks of false consciousness of the inhabitants of the World State in addition to the presence of a caste system: Alpha children wear grey. They work much harder than we do because theyre so frightfully clever Im really awfully glad Im a Beta, because I dont work so hard† (Huxley 22). The social groups below the upper caste have no problem with being less important in society. Through genetic and cultural conditioning they believe that they are perfectly happy where they are. Epsilons, Deltas, and even Beta’s are marginalized compared to the Alphas, yet are fine with having a lower cast allotment. Thus, the continuous revolutions of the novel going into pro and anti-Marxist modes of ideologies may prove that the text lends itself to an analysis correlating around Marxism in general.