Abstract
The paper examines Captain John Smith's "Narratives of Early Virginia" on the New World and the Virginia colony. The paper highlights the tone of the author's narrative and shows how it is hugely influenced by its author's personality and intent, as well as by the time period in which it was created. The paper explains how the text was written for several different purposes and asserts that because of these ulterior motives, this text cannot be entirely trusted. However, the paper points out that if the document is read with knowledge of Smith's background and intentions, it can be very useful.

From the Paper
"Captain John Smith's "Narratives of Early Virginia" in his General History are much more--and in some ways much less--than a simple history of Jamestown and the issues that the early European settlers faced. They also reveal much about the time period and attitudes that existed among the people there, and a great deal about the author and the circumstances surrounding the writing and publication of this work. Though all texts can reveal certain aspects of their authors' beliefs and attitudes, as well as providing contextual insight into the historical period in which they were created, this is especially true of this history."

Tags:Native, Americans, New, World, Europeans, settlers, Jamestown

Abstract
This paper begins with a general discussion of the history of Buddhism in and then goes on to discuss the specific history of Tantric Buddhism. The paper briefly discusses the life of Buddha and how, after his death, several different sects within Buddhism arose, including Tantric Buddhism. The paper explains that Tantric (esoteric) Buddhism arose in the seventh and eighth centuries in India and the Himalayas and still survives today, in the twentieth century, as a living tradition of the Buddhism found in Nepal and Tibet. The paper also discusses early Tantric scriptures, Tantric practices and beliefs and its spread to other countries. In addition, the paper examines Western acceptance of Tantric Buddhism and the modern expression of this ancient religion and philosophy.

From the Paper
"The historical Buddha spoke a language of Sanskrit, the classical language of ancient India, although it is not clear which specific dialect he spoke. Sanskrit was a formal literary language used almost exclusively by the elite of society. There is an extensive record of the Buddha's teaching that survives today; it is written in an ancient Indian dialect known as Pali. This record forms the scriptural basis for one of two forms of contemporary Buddhism, the Theravada; this is practiced in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia."

Tags:buddha, india, lived, taught, eastern, cultures, southeast, asia, lubini, nepal, gotam, siddharta

Abstract
The writer of this paper supplies a brief yet concise look at Russia's population which currently boasts more than 160 different ethnic groups that call the Russian Federation home. This paper details the makeup of the Russian Federation, which is comprised of 89 constituencies and 21 republics, that enjoy a high degree of autonomy that correspond to some of Russia's ethnic minorities. This paper examines the events that led to the fall of the U.S.S.R. and the collapse of the communist government in 1991. This paper delves into the various leaders of Russia including Joseph Stalin, Vladimir Lenin, Boris Yeltsin who banned the Communist party and Vladimir Putin. This paper discusses the circumstances surrounding the Russian Civil War which claimed 9 million lives. This paper also contains pertinent facts and statistics relating to this particular topic.

From the Paper
"After Stalin's death in 1953, Nikita Khrushchev became the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and Georgi Malenkov as Premier of the Soviet Union. Under this new leadership, an amnesty was declared for some who were serving prison sentences for criminal offices, price cuts were announced, and a relaxation of restrictions on private plots, ending the role of large-scale forced labor in the economy. From 1958 to 1964, Khrushchev was also the Premier of the Soviet Union. The ten years following Stalin's death saw the reassertion of political power over the means of coercion, thus the party became the dominant institution over the secret police and army."

Tags:russia, history, u.s.s.r, communism, political, putin, lenin, stalin

Abstract
This paper describes the history of Hong Kong and its historic role as an crossroads between China and the west. First, the paper presents a brief overview of the general history of Hong Kong since the middle-nineteenth century. From there, it delves into what the British planned to do with Hong Kong in the 1840s as soon as they had wrestled control of it away from Chinese hands. Finally the paper notes that Hong Kong was a popular destination for British trading businesses after 1842.

From the Paper
"The following paper discusses the history of Hong Kong and its historic role as an entrepot between China and the west - an entrepot that saw more than just physical commodities exchanged. The paper will begin by offering a brief overview of the general history of Hong Kong since the middle-nineteenth century. From there, the paper will delve into what the British planned to do with Hong Kong in the 1840s as soon as they had wrestled control of it away from Chinese hands. With that taken care of, the essay will subsequently note that although Hong Kong was a popular..."

Tags:historic, entrepot, china

Abstract
The paper relates that the general strike in Winnipeg in the late spring and early summer of 1919 is considered by historians to be the largest and most significant general strike in all of Canadian history. The paper discusses how it began when worker's rights leaders and activists in a labor organization known as the Central Strike Committee called for a strike, which prompted sheet metal workers to walk off the job on May 1st because of low pay, unsafe working conditions, and other labor grievances generated by inflation and rising unemployment. The paper describes how other workers soon joined the strike and within a few days the initial walkouts triggered a general strike involving more than 30,000 workers that lasted for six long, tense, and violent weeks.

From the Paper
"The general strike that occurred in Winnipeg in the late spring and early summer of 1919 is considered by historians to be the largest and most significant general strike in all of Canadian history. It began when worker's rights leaders and activists in a labor organization known as the Central Strike Committee called for a strike, which prompted sheet metal workers to walk off the job on May 1st because of low pay, unsafe working conditions, and..."

Tags:winnipeg, general, strike

Abstract
This paper argues that Prince Machiavelli's outlook on politics and history is as valid today as it was in his time. According to the paper, he contends that the lessons of history, general political rules or maxims retain their validity over time within roughly similar political contexts.

From the Paper
"Prince Niccolo di Bernardo Machiavelli was born in 1469 in Florence, in the midst of the Italian Renaissance. It was a time of great geniuses and great monsters - of Leonardo da Vinci and Cesare Borgia - and Machiavelli's career as a bureaucrat and diplomat attached to the Florentine chancery allowed him to see it in a way few people could. In the dedication of his most famous work, The Prince, Machiavelli describes the work as being a critical analysis of the "knowledge and deeds of great men" within the context of the author's "long experience in modern affairs and a..."

Tags:machiavelli, politics, history

Abstract
This paper encompasses two papers that explore the origins of religion and religious practices. The first paper provides a very general overview. The second paper references sources that suggest how religion is created from historical artifacts and practices, as well as the practices originating from faith. The implication is that religion can and should be studied in this context for better understanding.

From the Paper
"We feel as though religion should be taken on faith, for it is both inappropriate and impossible to quantify God. However, the emergence of science as promoting new modes of understanding in the Eighteenth Century - and in many respects prior to this era - suggests that there are better ways of understanding the world around us. The religious artifacts and written evidence left in books and in the historical sanctuaries indicate that religions all have pasts, and that many of the initial practices and behaviors in a given religion can be attributed to specific origins. It is through knowing such origins that we better understand how and why our existing religions have come to pass, as well as the purpose they serve in modern society. In the study of historical evidence and markers in text, we learn that religion is highly psychological."

Tags:religion, history, comparative

Abstract
This paper provides a complete overview of the development of the science of sociology. It focuses on three major players - Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim and Max Weber and their influence on the early stages of the science. It shows how they they helped form the basis for the three general perspectives in sociology: conflict theory, functionalism, and interactionism.

From the paper:

"It was Auguste Comte (1789-1857) who coined the term ?sociology.? He believed this new science should study the question of ?how is society possible?? (Bartek/Mullin14) He based his own science on the idea that society is composed of individuals in the same way as a line is composed of points. The focus must be on observations of society and the collections of those individuals. Because of Comte?s work, other sociologists began to study the changes in society."

Tags:conflict, theory, functionalism, interactionism, development, history

Abstract
This paper ponders the argument that the secondary characteristics of a historian has more impact on his or her writing, than gender alone. The writer contends that these secondary characteristics, such as race, socio-economic status, religious and political affiliations are what determine a writer's personal beliefs and biases. This paper explores the contributions of Sarah Bolton, one of America's leading feminist historians, who brought women in history to the forefront. Bolton's writings of history openly advocated the role of women in history and the change in social norms. The writer of this paper contends and explains that historians generally have agendas and that their writings are used to further these agendas. The writer also asserts that if history is written only by men, it is logical to assume that women's contributions to historical events will be lacking. The same holds true for history written by only one particular race.

From the Paper
"Take, for example, the different perspectives that could be taken by two writers, both women, about women being granted access to higher education in the 20th Century. The first woman writer is a member of the middle-class, and she and her husband both have to work in order to keep their family in the middle class. That historian may begin her history with women getting equal access to higher education, which led to more women entering the workforce in higher-paying jobs. In addition, that historian could accurately show that, traditionally, as women have entered an occupation, it has become devalued by society, and the members of the occupation have then suffered a relative decline in pay. As a result, the historian could conclude that women's access to higher education has led to a society of families that cannot maintain a middle-class lifestyle without two incomes."

Tags:history, literature, gender, bias, feminism, women, race

Abstract
The writer of this paper defines the term Orientalism, which comes from the Latin word oriens, as the rising sun, which generally implies, 'the East.' This paper focuses on the culture, religion, art and history of Orientalism. This paper explores the European view of Islam throughout history. The writer explains that during the birth of Christianity and Islam there was a distinct difference between European Christian cultures and those of East and North Africa, which are detailed at length in this paper. During the Middle Ages the European Christians denounced the Islamic people as the enemies of Christendom, due to their lack of knowledge of Eastern culture. This paper discusses how the Enlightenment thinkers of the 18th century viewed the Eastern culture as being superior to that of the Christian west. This paper illustrates that Islamic societies were praised for their religious tolerance when compared with Christian west. This paper also delves into those who opposed the Orientalist culture, such as James Mill, who believed that Eastern civilizations were stagnant and corrupt and Karl Marx who believed that Eastern methods of production were static. Christian evangelists further maligned Eastern traditions as superstitious nonsense. This paper also examines the rich artistic history of the Oriental culture. Depictions of Islamic Moors were found in Medieval and Renaissance art, but it wasn't until the 19th century that Orientalism became recognized in the arts. This paper also details the outspoken views and opinions of political activist and author Edward Said.

Table of Contents:
Definition of Orientalism
History of Orientalism
Orientalism in the Arts
History of Orientalism in the Arts
Edward Said and Orientalism
References

From the Paper
"Photography was still in its infancy and did not allow for the capture of the sunlight, the colors and the mood in which a painter could. With the iconoclastic nature of Islam, and the forbidding of the depiction of the prophet Muhammad, there was little representational art in Islam. Most of their artwork was centered on pattern and design. For this reason, the Muslim world had very little visual record of their history, including the people and the cities that existed prior to modern photography. Today, still, the best visual record of exotic cities like Cairo or Damascus, prior to the advent of modern photography, exists in 19th century paintings by Europeans and Americans. In the mid to late 19th century, painters from every country in Europe and from across the oceans in America, came to the East."

Tags:art, islam, africa, north, europe, christianity, conflict, culture, history, edward, said