Measles: Symptoms and Treatment

Measles: Symptoms and Treatment Katie James Measles are very contagious disease. They are spread by someone coming in contact with infected mucus and or salvia. An Infected piece of the virus can go through the air and settle on anything and any person in close contact will become infected. Children are more common to get the disease especially if they are not vaccinated. Some basic symptoms of measles include rash, watery eyes, dry cough and fever. It takes more than one week for the virus to get comfortable in the body. That means in can take several days for the symptoms to effect someone. The virus has no treatment. So its best to get the vaccine to protect oneself. If one does get the measles virus, limit the interactions with others, to prevent spreading the disease to someone else and contaminating surfaces. Doctors can usually diagnose a patient with measles disease when they find out the symptoms. Complications from measles can happen to people. There are common less severe complications, ear infection and more seriou s complications like brain damage. Once a person gets measles the can not get them more than once. The body will be immune from the measles for life. Measles are a viral infection located in the respiratory system (Dawn M. 2013). Measles are a disease in which it is very highly contagious when in contact or exposed to. The measles virus can live on surfaces for many hours. Measles are mainly a childhood disease but it has no limit on age and people of any age can get measles. Measles can be described as an endemic disease which means it is frequently existing in a community and peoples body are able to put up a fight against the disease (Dawn M. 2013). The opposite would happen if measles go to a place where people have never been exposed, death and serious illness may affect the people who get the virus. Its important to identify the symptoms measles have on people and know the treatments and preventions available to people. How would someone be able to identify or know that they have the measles? The measles virus will enter the body and not show any signs of the body being affected by the disease until nine to even 14 days after the virus has entered (Mayo clinic staff, 2014). The most noticed sign of the measles is a skin rash. The rash look red and has itchy bumps. The rash can last up to seven days (Measles, 2016). The measles rash can show signs on the body within three to four days after the body has been exposed to the virus (Measles,2016). Most of the time the rash will begin on the head and behind the ears and it will slowly spread all over body, it may take two to three days for the rash to spread all over the body (Measles, 2016). The rashes red spots will eventually grow and combine together this will make the skin look very red and irritated. As time goes on the rash turns a brownish color (Measles, 2016). Measles rash can be very serious and cause a great amount of illness. Its important u nderstand measles rash versus a rash caused by a different disease. The rash is only part of the measles virus. Fever is also a symptom of measles (Mayo clinic staff, 2014). The fever could be sever or just a mild one. The fever may drop and then rise again as the rash is spreading. Other symptoms of measles may include a running nose, body aches, tiredness, loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting, a cough and a sore throat.(Measles, 2016) When a person has the measles they may be sensitive to the light. Red eyes, swollen eyes, the feeling of inflammation in the eyes and watery eye are all symptoms of having the measles (Mayo clinic staff, 2014). Also kopliks spots will develop in side the mouth, cheeks and throat are all signs of measles (Measles, 2014) The spots in the mouth have a greyish, white color tent to them (Measles, 2014). If the symptoms of measles virus do not improve after a number of days, or all symptoms have went away except the fever if may very serious and a doctor s hould be contacted. Normally once the body is exposed to the virus, the immune system will make start making antibodies and help fight off the virus as well as give the body lifelong immunity against the measles virus. It is not highly expected for a person to get measles more than once. (Pommerville. J.C, 2016) Diagnosing measles for a doctor is usually fairly easily if the signs and symptoms discussed are present in and on the body (Ryan K.J, 2010). If the doctor can not diagnose with certainty. They can order a blood test and this will be able to check the blood for the measles virus. Since measles are highly contagious, children should not return to school at least until five days have passed since the rash has appeared or longer if needed (Knott. D.L, 2014). How does the measles virus and develop? How are the measeles transmitted? Right after the virus enters the body, the virus multiplies in the back of throat, lungs and the lymphatic system (Dawn. M, 2013). The virus likes to live in throat mucus and nose of the infected person (Dawn. M, 2013). A person is contagious usually four days before the measles rash will appear and is still contagious four to five days after the rash is on the body (Measles, 2014). It is not likely that a person will get measles twice. If a person has not been infected by measles before or if they have not been vaccinated, as soon as they come in close contact with an infected person they are really pushing it and are more then likely going to become ill (Mayo clinic staff, 2014). About ninety percent of people who are not vaccinated and live in the same house as someone who has measles will develop the measles virus (Dawn. M, 2013). The measles virus will spread from one person to many others. If a non infect ed person comes in physical contact with a person you is, they will get the virus. As well as if the non infected person touches anything that has been infected by the virus and then putting the hand in the mouth, rubbing nose and or mouth (Dawn. M, 2013). It can also be spread by a infected person coughing or sneezing around others who are not infected. The virus can stay active on surfaces for about two hours (Mayo clinic staff, 2014). Measles is disease the affects only humans, animals cannot spread or get the measles virus (Knott. D. L, 2015). Measles are very contagious and its important to get the measles vaccine because measles can lead to serious complications. What are some complications of measles? More common complications can lead to eye infections, laryngitis and an ear infection causing earaches (Mayo clinic staff, 2014). Other complications include bronchitis, and decrease in blood platelets (Mayo clinic staff, 2014). These ones so far are not life threating but are still something to be aware of when having the measles virus. Less common but more serious illness that could come from measles could be brain inflammation and this can cause brain damage and death, it is not that likely but it is still a possibility (Ryan K. J, 2016). Difficulty breathing or having chest pains can be a complication (Ryan K. J 2016). The measles virus can affect nerves or muscles that lead the to eyes. If this happens a person may squint as a complication from the virus (Ryan K. J, 2016). Other serious complications could be blindnes s and having a preterm baby or even a miscarriage (Mayo clinic staff, 2014) Once a person becomes infected by the measles virus, how is it treated? When it comes to the measles virus there is no certain treatment. There is no prescriptions of medication to give to a person infected by the measles virus. The virus symptoms will usually go away in two to three weeks ( Dawn M, 2013). Thought there is no way of treating the measles virus there are ways help relieve some of the symptoms. Getting plenty of rest will help your immune system. Taking an appropriate amount of Tylenol or I ibuprofen can help keep the fever down and relieve any body aces. Drinking a lot of fluids will help keep the fever down ( Mayo clinic staff, 2104). To help a sore throat or cough, a humidifier may give an ease to the throat. A person should stay in places that are not super bright to keeps they eyes from getting to inflamed. Taking vitamin A supplements are shown to help prevent serious complications from the measles virus (Measles, 2016). The treatment for the measles virus only ea ses the symptoms until the immune system of the body takes care of the infection. Measles virus is not a pleasant virus to get. The best way someone can be preventive in not getting the measles virus is by getting the MMR vaccine. The MMR vaccine is a three in one vaccine that prevents you from getting measles, as well as mumps and rubella (Pommerville. J.C, 2016). The immunizations people get help prevent an outbreak of the measles virus. Children are able to get the first MMR vaccine at the age of 1 years old ( Mayo clinic staff, 2014). They can get a second dose between the ages of four and six (Mayo clinic staff, 2014). If adult has not received the immunization they can always get vaccinated by a doctor. People who should not take the vaccine are women who are pregnant (Knott D.L,2015). Since measles are extremely contagious and there are no specified treatments to cure the measles virus, the most important and best way to stay clear of the virus is by prevention (Measles, 2016). Which is by a person getting a vaccine and eliminating the chance of becoming in fected by the measles virus. References Dawn, M. (2013). Measles: History, Symptoms, Treatment, and Effects of the Vaccine.  CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. Knott, D. L. (2015, March 02). Measles | Health. Retrieved March, 2017, from  https://patient.info/health/measles-leaflet Mayo Clinic Staff. (2014, May24). Measles. Retrieved March, 2017, from  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/measles/DSOO331 Measles (2016, March). Retrieved March, 2017, from  http://who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs286/en Pommerville, J. C., Alcamo, I. E. (2016). Fundamentals of microbiology (3rd ed.). Burlington,  MA: Jones Bartlett Learning. Ryan, K. J. (2010). Sherris medical microbiology (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Medical.   Ã‚  

Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds Education Essay

Many issues that become about in a kid ‘s instruction bend into tough challenges for instructors, kids, and besides households. These issues fall under the class of â€Å" Children ‘s Oral Language Learning † and these issues are simply a trial to see merely how far instructors, kids and parents will travel to supply the critical instruction that a kid needs, and in the procedure, larning something new themselves each twenty-four hours. The subject and its issues that will be outlined and analysed that is related to kids ‘s unwritten linguistic communication acquisition is Second Language Learning. Three issues that are associated with 2nd linguistic communication acquisition will be outlined, analysed and theorised. Following that will be the recommendations and suggestions for pedagogues of immature kids in respects to 2nd linguistic communication acquisition. The first issue that is associated with 2nd linguistic communication acquisition is that kids who come from culturally and linguistically diverse ( CALD ) backgrounds may happen it hard to set in a new school and may experience left out and/or stray amongst other equals and instructors. As a consequence they may happen it nerve-racking to larn English and may show hurt or defeat in school. The 2nd issue associated with this subject is that parents who come from a CALD background may experience uncomfortable and unaware of what is traveling on in the school and with their kids ‘s acquisition because they are disadvantaged by being unable to talk or understand English. They may besides experience as if their demands and more significantly their kids ‘s demands are being neglected and non met due to their inability to talk English. The 3rd issue that is associated with this subject is that instructors should guarantee that during the 2nd linguistic communication larning procedure that they maintain the kid ‘s first/home linguistic communication, guaranting that it does non go lost in the procedure. The first issue that is associated with 2nd linguistic communication acquisition is that kids who come from a CALD background may hold trouble seting to a new school or in an environment that they are non comfy in, and holding to larn a 2nd linguistic communication can do it more nerve-racking for the kid. The key to larning a 2nd linguistic communication, particularly when it is a kid that is larning the 2nd linguistic communication, is to take it one measure at a clip. Rushing the kid through the procedure will merely do it more nerve-racking for both the kid and the pedagogue. The kid may meet feelings of defeat and hurt, hence doing it harder for the kid to set to the school ‘s environment and besides to acquire along with other equals. Educators should besides maintain in head that marginalizing and/or pretermiting CALD kids should n't take topographic point in the schoolroom. CALD kids could perchance meet similar experiences from schoolmates, such as negative behavior and attitudes including racism. Everyone has their ain sentiments and some may experience stronger about peculiar issues so others. ( Newman & A ; Pollnitz, 2005 ) . The ground as to why everyone has different beliefs and sentiments is due to their upbringing, that is, what their parents believed and taught them, their environmental milieus and the people in their community holding certain beliefs and ethical motives, hence impacting others. Whether their sentiments and ethical motives are right or incorrect, it has become a portion of who they are. Nevertheless, when people express their feelings towards certain issues, they seldom take into history how another person may experience about the remarks and sentiments put frontward ( Preston 1996 ) . This can be farther supported by Rizvi ( 1993 ) who mentions that as kids grow older they progressively seek to turn up themselves within contradictory discourses of popular racism. Contradictory discourses of popular racism can besides act upon a individual ‘s subjectiveness and where they place themselves in society, which can so hold a negative impact on CALD kids and their households as they may experience vulnerable and inferior because of how others may comprehend them. Furthermore, kids who do n't come from a CALD background could individual out, or marginalise kids who are from a CALD background, hence doing them experience neglected and isolated, and even insignificant in the schoolroom, therefore doing the 2nd linguistic communication larning procedure more hard for both kid and instructor. To assist with this issue, pedagogues are recommended or suggested to guarantee that all kids are included in category treatments, acquiring them involved in group activities and besides edifice and keeping a good and collaborated relationship between the pedagogues and kids, and besides between the kids from CALD and non-CALD backgrounds. This could include holding CALD kids bring in different resources from place such as books in their ain linguistic communication and so holding groups of kids write or draw their ain reading of the book so discoursing it as a whole about what they have written or drawn. Another illustration to assist kids experience more included and to work collaboratively with other kids is to integrate engineering into the kids ‘s acquisition. Technology such as educational computing machine games can successfully heighten a kid ‘s relationship with other kids and more significantly their literacy accomplishments. This can be supported by Resnyanicsy ( 2001 ) who notes that the new agencies of literacy through engineering opens up new acquisition chances Furthermore, when working closely with kids, households, communities and staff, it is important that early childhood pedagogues recognise the differing values and belief systems that people have in the universe. Furthermore, it is of import to guarantee that people are cognizant of how they perceive difference. It is unjust to consciously or unconsciously exclude and marginalise others based on discourses that place persons in a negative manner The 2nd issue that is associated with this subject is that parents from a CALD background may see feelings of hurt and defeat for their kid ‘s acquisition and may experience as though their kids ‘s demands are n't being met. They may besides experience as though their demands are being neglected and may experience that they and their kids are disadvantaged in some manner due to their inability to talk a 2nd linguistic communication. This can be supported by district attorney Silva and Wise ( 2006 ) who note that parents ‘ perceptual experiences towards quality attention in a school environment depend on the footing of their cognition towards quality attention and kid development. What parents delineate as quality attention depends on what they believe the household needs ( district attorney Silva & A ; Wise, 2006, who cite Emlen, Koren & A ; Schultze, 1999 ) , and besides due to their cultural upbringings, values and rules ( district attorney Silva & A ; Wise, 2006 ) . Harmonizing to Siddiqi et Al ( 2006 ) , the household environment as a domain of influence is an of import facet for kids. Children ‘s development is influenced by their household environment. For this ground household engagement is important to assist kids experience secure, loved and supported, furthermore can be seen as a measure in the right way for inclusion in the early childhood scene. Recommendations for pedagogues who are involved in the 2nd linguistic communication larning procedure in respects to this issue could include constructing collaborative relationships with households who come from a CALD background. Building and keeping collaborative relationships with CALD parents can turn out to an effectual and worthwhile experience, therefore doing the 2nd linguistic communication larning procedure easier for the kid and instructor. This can be supported by Billman et Al ( 2005 ) and Tett et Al ( 2003 ) who note that constructing collaborative and effectual partnerships amongst stakeholders, peculiarly instructors and parents, can turn out to be a worthwhile and efficient relationship between the two groups. For illustration, Billman et Al ( 2005 ) notes that what kids learn in the school environment, will trip on-going conversations with their parents at place. This of class can heighten the kid ‘s 2nd linguistic communication acquisition, every bit good as the partnership between the parents and the staff. This could include instructors holding afternoon tea with the parents, to do them experience more comfy, as an afternoon tea can be less of a formal meeting so that the parents do n't experience tense or awkward in that state of affairs. To let them to go cognizant of the regard and recognition that pedagogues have towards cultural diverseness, instructors could inquire parents to come in and convey in different resources from their background and to demo them to the kids and so leting the kids to research the different resources. Having regular afternoon teas, even if it is one time a month, is important so that pedagogues get to maintain the parents involved in their kid ‘s acquisition, and to do them experience and understand that they are a valuable resource in their kid ‘s acquisition. Another recommendation could be for pedagogues to propose to parents where they could happen topographic points where they can larn English or another 2nd linguistic communication and where they can happen resources in the community to assist them with the whole procedure. Having a multicultural twenty-four hours at the school or other cultural events could besides be another recommendation for pedagogues. This could assist parents experience and understand that their civilization is valued and respected in the school community. Besides in the procedure kids get to larn about the different civilizations of the universe and parents could convey in their cultural nutrients and music to tum it into an eventful twenty-four hours. Parents and pedagogues, from both positions, have identified in the past and at present clip that some instructors have been respectful or cognizant of other civilizations in the school, even more so than others. They normally tend to admit this factor and recognise and raise consciousness towards an issue or concern towards any cultural difference ( district attorney Silva & A ; Wise, 2006 ; Pacini-Ketchabaw & A ; Schecter, 2002 ) . Furthermore, when kids become cognizant of the constructive relationship between their parents and their instructors, so it is likely for the kid to organize a stronger bond with their instructors ( Billman et al, 2005, who cite Elicker & A ; Fortner-Wood, 1995 ) . The 3rd subject that is associated with 2nd linguistic communication acquisition is guaranting that when larning a 2nd linguistic communication, that instructors maintain the place linguistic communication in the school environment, so that it does non go lost or forgotten. It can go rather easy to ignore or bury the kid ‘s first/home linguistic communication, so it is imperative that instructors and kids become cognizant of this factor and guarantee that they do everything that they can to maintain the place linguistic communication acknowledged and remembered ( Makin & A ; Jones Diaz, 2002 ) . By keeping the kid ‘s place linguistic communication, instructors are turn outing that they are admiting and esteeming other diversenesss in the schoolroom. This can be supported by Pacini-Ketchabaw & A ; Schecter ( 2002 ) who note that Teachers ‘ engagements in a kid ‘s lingual and diverse background prove that they value the civilization and are committed to the kid ‘s learning procedure. Furthermore, cultural diverseness can be seen as the chief nexus between the place and the school, every bit good as the stakeholders, that being the parents, the instructors and the community ( Pacini-Ketchabaw and Schecter, 2002 ) This can be fbrther supported by Newman & A ; Pollnitz, ( 2005 ) who believe that â€Å" Culture is seen to compromise the manner people live- their linguistic communication, music, history, art, values and beliefs † ( p.254 ) . Therefore it is of import to include kids ‘s place languages into the school scenes to guarantee they feel valued and self worthy, this will assist observe diverseness in a positive mode. Recommendations for pedagogues for this issue could be affecting parents in their kid ‘s acquisition, as mentioned in the 2nd issue. Besides, similar to the first issue ‘s reconmendations, kids and parents could convey in different resources such as books and images from their cultural background, to heighten the collaborative relationship between the pedagogues and the parents, and besides between the kids and pedagogues, and to a fbrther extent, kids ‘s relationships with their schoolmates. Not merely does this heighten the relationships between the stakeholders, but by conveying in different resources from assorted cultural backgrounds, kids ‘s literacy skills become enhanced in the procedure ( Barratt-Pugh et Al, 2003 ) . Educators should be cognizant that a kid ‘s apprehension of literacy starts in the place. This can be supported by Jones Diaz ( 2007 ) who province that â€Å" Young kids ‘s apprehensions about literacy develop within their sociocultural and lingual communities † . ( p7 ) . Educators can integrate more than one linguistic communication pattern to guarantee kids are acquiring the best possible experience. Children and households will more likely feel that their involvements are valued and worthy. This can farther be supported by Marsh ( 2002 ) who says that kids who come from a CALD background have high opportunities of heightening their literacy accomplishments in the school environment. For illustration, instructors are able to integrate chances into the school, in this instance, heightening a non-English speech production pupil ‘s literacy accomplishments. Overall, cultural diverseness in the place, in the school and in the broader society is an facet of every individual ‘s life that must be valued, treated severally and every bit and must non be disregarded by persons, particularly by pedagogues of kids. Educators should besides be unfastened to new instruction facets, particularly when it is in respects to doing a kid feel included and besides when it involves heightening a kid ‘s literacy accomplishments. As literacy is everlastingly changing, so is the manner that instructors teach and kids learn ( Makin & A ; Jones Diaz, 2002 ) . As mentioned antecedently, engineering can be seen to be a successful tool to integrate into the kid ‘s acquisition when it comes to heightening their literacy accomplishments. However, many instructors will prefer to lodge with their original instruction ways, ways in which they are familiar and comfy with. Nevertheless, Cunningham-Andersen & A ; Andersson ( 1999 ) note that instructors should seek and avoid their ain single rules parallel to their instruction moralss to supply an instruction for kids that will heighten important and good developmental accomplishments in the kid ‘s acquisition.

Abraham Lincoln and American History

Abraham Lincoln was an important part of American history. He ended slavery and helped America through the civil war. Abraham Lincoln was one of the truly great men of all time. Even as a boy, Lincoln showed ability as a speaker. He often amused himself and others by imitating some preacher or politician who had spoken in the area. People liked to gather at the general store in the crossroads village of Gentryville. Lincoln's gift for telling stories made him a favorite with the people there. In spite of his youth, he was well known in his neighborhood. In 1834, Lincoln again ran for the legislature. He had become better known by this time, and won election as a Whig. He served four successive two-year terms in the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. During his first term, he met a young Democratic legislator, Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln quickly came to the front in the legislature. He was witty and ready in debate. His skill in party management enabled him to become the Whig floor leader at the beginning of his second term. He took leading parts in the establishment of the Bank of Illinois and in the adoption of a plan for a system of railroads and canals. This plan broke down after the Panic of 1837. Lincoln also led a successful campaign for moving the state capital from Vandalia to Springfield. While in the legislature, Lincoln made his first public statement on slavery. In 1837, the legislature passed by an overwhelming majority resolutions condemning abolition societies. These societies urged freedom for slaves. Lincoln and another legislator, Dan Stone, filed a protest. They admitted that Congress had no power to interfere with slavery in the states where it existed. They believed â€Å"the promulgation of abolition doctrines tend rather to increase than abate its evils. *1 Their protest arose from the legislature's failure to call slavery an evil practice. Lincoln and Stone declared that â€Å"the institution of slavery is founded on both injustice and bad policy. â€Å"*2 Later, Lincoln continued with his dream to become part of the law. He wanted to become president. On March 4, 1861, Lincoln took the oath of office and became the 16th President of the United States. In his inaugural address, Lincoln denied that he had any intention of interfering with slavery in states where the Constitution protected it. He urged the preservation of the Union. Lincoln warned that he would use the full power of the nation to â€Å"hold, occupy, and possess† the â€Å"property and places†*3 belonging to the federal government. By â€Å"property and places,† he meant forts, arsenals, and custom houses. Lincoln's closing passage had great beauty and literary power. He appealed to â€Å"the mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land. † The attack on Fort Sumter marked the start of the Civil War. Lincoln met the crisis with energetic action. He called out the militia to suppress the â€Å"insurrection. He proclaimed a blockade of Southern ports, and expanded the army beyond the limit set by law. He then led the United States during the Civil War (1861-1865), which was the greatest crisis in U. S. history. During the Civil War, Lincoln's first task was to win the war. He had to view nearly all other matters in relation to the war. It was â€Å"the progress of our arms,† he once said, â€Å"upon which all else depends. † But Lincoln was a peace-loving man who had earlier described military glory as â€Å"that attractive rainbow, that rises in showers of blood–that serpent's eye that charms to destroy. *4 The Civil War was by far the bloodiest war in U. S. history. Lincoln became a remarkable war leader. Some historians believe he was the chief architect of the Union's victorious military strategy. This strategy called for Union armies to advance against the enemy on all fronts at the same time. Lincoln also insisted that the objective of the Union armies should be the destruction of opposing forces, not the conquest of territory. Lincoln changed generals several times because he could not find one who would fight the war the way he wanted it fought. When he finally found such a general, Ulysses S. Grant, Lincoln stood firmly behind him. Lincoln's second great task was to keep up Northern morale through the horrible war in which many relatives in the North and South fought against one another. He understood that the Union's resources vastly exceeded those of the Confederacy, and that the Union would eventually triumph if it remained dedicated to victory. For this reason, Lincoln used his great writing and speechmaking abilities to spur on his people. If the Union had been destroyed, the United States could have become two, or possibly more, nations. These nations separately could not have become as prosperous and important as the United States is today. By preserving the Union, Lincoln influenced the course of world history. By ending slavery, he helped assure the moral strength of the United States. His own life story, too, has been important. He rose from humble origin to the nation's highest office. What did Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation do to help the Civil War? It declared freedom for slaves in all areas of the Confederacy that were still in rebellion against the Union. The proclamation also provided for the use of blacks in the Union Army and Navy. As a result, it greatly influenced the North's victory in the war. The 11 states of the Confederacy seceded from the Union in 1860 and 1861. They seceded primarily because they feared Lincoln would restrict their right to do as they chose about the question of black slavery. The North entered the Civil War only to reunite the nation, not to end slavery. During the first half of the war, abolitionists and some Union military leaders urged Lincoln to issue a proclamation freeing the slaves. They argued that such a policy would help the North because slaves were contributing greatly to the Confederate war effort. By doing most of the South's farming and factory work, slaves made whites available for the Confederate Army. Lincoln agreed with the abolitionists' view of slavery. He once declared that â€Å"if slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. â€Å"*5 But early in the war, Lincoln believed that if he freed the slaves, he would divide the North. Lincoln feared that four slave-owning border states; Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri, would secede if he adopted such a policy. In July 1862, with the war going badly for the North, Congress passed a law freeing all Confederate slaves who came into Union lines. At about that same time, Lincoln decided to change his stand on slavery. But he waited for a Union military victory, so that his decision would not appear to be a desperate act. On Sept. 22, 1862, five days after Union forces won the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln issued a preliminary proclamation. It stated that if the rebelling states did not return to the Union by Jan. 1, 1863, he would declare their slaves to be â€Å"forever free. The South rejected Lincoln's policy, and so he issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863. Lincoln took this action as commander in chief of the Army and Navy of the United States. He called it â€Å"a fit and necessary war measure. † The Emancipation Proclamation did not actually free a single slave, because it affected only areas under Confederate control. It excluded slaves in the border states and in such Southern areas under Union control as Tennessee and parts of Louisiana and Virginia. But it did lead to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. This amendment, which became law on Dec. 18, 1865, ended slavery in all parts of the United States. As the abolitionists had predicted, the Emancipation Proclamation strengthened the North's war effort and weakened the South's. By the end of the war, more than 500,000 slaves had fled to freedom behind Northern lines. Many of them joined the Union Army or Navy or worked for the armed forces as laborers. By allowing blacks to serve in the Army and Navy, the Emancipation Proclamation helped solve the North's problem of declining enlistments. About 200,000 black soldiers and sailors, many of them former slaves, served in the armed forces. They helped the North win the war. The Emancipation Proclamation also hurt the South by discouraging Britain and France from entering the war. Both of those nations depended on the South to supply them with cotton, and the Confederacy hoped that they would fight on its side. But the proclamation made the war a fight against slavery. Lincoln†s decisions and Emancipation Proclamation led to the 15th amendment which freed slaves. Without it, life today would be much different. He changed life for all Americans, black and white. How did the Pacific Railroad Act have an impact on American History? It provided for the building of the nation's first transcontinental rail line. Abraham Lincoln was in office when the Pacific Railroad Act was signed. He made a huge impact by signing the act. It was the first step to trading with other states that were far apart and new ways of transportation. States could now trade meat and states could focus on the products that are most practical for their part of the country. The act gave two companies responsibility for building the railroad. The Union Pacific was to start laying track westward from a point near Omaha. The Central Pacific Railroad was to lay track eastward from Sacramento. Congress granted both railroads large tracts of land and millions of dollars in government loans. Work began on the Central Pacific track in 1863 and on the Union Pacific in 1865. The railroads faced the gigantic task of crossing the rugged Rockies and the towering Sierra Nevada. To obtain the necessary labor, the Central Pacific hired thousands of Chinese immigrants to work on the railroad. Thousands of European immigrants worked on the Union Pacific. On May 10, 1869, the tracks of the two railroads finally met at Promontory, Utah. North America became the first continent to have a rail line from coast to coast. By the end of the 1800's, the United States had five transcontinental rail lines. The Canadian Pacific Railway (now CP Rail) completed Canada's first transcontinental line in 1885. It extended from Montreal, Quebec, to Vancouver, British Columbia. The completion of these rail lines opened vast regions of the continent to settlement and trade. How did the sayings of Abraham Lincoln help people? Abraham gave many speeches in his life that inspired people to be all that they can be and do what is right. Gettysburg Address is a short speech that United States President Abraham Lincoln delivered during the American Civil War at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. He delivered the address on Nov. 19, 1863, at ceremonies to dedicate a part of the battlefield as a cemetery for those who had lost their lives in the battle. The principal speaker was Edward Everett, one of the greatest orators of his day. He spoke for two hours. Lincoln was asked to say a few words, and spoke for about two minutes. Lincoln wrote the address to help ensure that the battle would be seen as a great Union triumph and to define for the people of the Northern States the purpose in fighting the war. Some historians think his simple and inspired words, which are among the best remembered in American history, reshaped the nation by defining it as one people dedicated to one principle–that of equality. Lincoln wrote five different versions of the speech. He wrote most of the first version in Washington, D. C. , and probably completed it at Gettysburg. He probably wrote the second version at Gettysburg on the evening before he delivered his address. He held this second version in his hand during the address. But he made several changes as he spoke. The most important change was to add the phrase â€Å"under God† after the word â€Å"nation† in the last sentence. Lincoln also added that phrase to the three versions of the address that he wrote after the ceremonies at Gettysburg. Lincoln wrote the final version of the address–the fifth written version–in 1864. This version also differed somewhat from the speech he actually gave, but it was the only copy he signed. It is carved on a stone plaque in the Lincoln Memorial. Many false stories have grown up about this famous speech. One story says that the people of Lincoln's time did not appreciate the speech. But the reaction of the nation's newspapers largely followed party lines. Most of the newspapers that backed the Republican Party, the party to which Lincoln belonged, liked the speech. A majority of the newspapers that supported the Democratic Party did not. Edward Everett, the principal speaker at the dedication, wrote to Lincoln: â€Å"I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes. *6 Abrahams two minute speech had more of an impact that a two hour speech. Lincoln touched many hearts and others despised him. It does not matter if they liked him or not, they were still affected by his words and actions. Abraham Lincoln affected the U. S. in many different ways. He led the United States during the Civil War, one of the most brutal battles in history. Lincoln helped end slavery in the nation and helped keep the American Union from splitting apart during the war. Lincoln thus believed that he proved to the world that democracy can be a lasting form of government. Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, second inaugural address, and many of his other speeches and writings are classic statements of democratic beliefs and goals. Lincoln, a Republican, was the first member of his party to become President. He was assassinated near the end of the Civil War and was succeeded by Vice President Andrew Johnson. Lincoln was the first U. S. President to be assassinated. Without President Lincoln life today would be much different. We have him to thank for a lot of the great accomplishments in history.

The Nevada Silver Rush

Some of us keep watching the skies, as the old movie told us to do. Geologists watch the ground instead. Really looking at whats around us is the heart of good science. Its also the best way to start a rock collection or to strike gold. The late Stephen Jay Gould told a story about his visit to Olduvai Gorge, where the Leakey Institute digs up ancient human fossils. Institute staffers were attuned to the mammals whose fossil bones occur there; they could spot a mouse tooth from several meters away. Gould was a snail specialist, and he didnt find a single mammal fossil during his week there. Instead, he turned up the first fossil snail ever recorded at Olduvai! Truly, you see what you look for. Horn Silver and the Nevada Rush The Nevada silver rush, which began in 1858, may be the truest example of a gold rush. In the California gold rush, like those before and after, the Forty-Niners swarmed into the land and panned the easy nuggets from the stream placers. Then the geologic pros moved in to finish the job. The mining corporations and hydraulic syndicates thrived on the deep veins and low-pay ores that the panners couldnt touch. Mining camps like Grass Valley  had a chance to grow into mining towns, then into stable communities with farms and merchants and libraries. Not in Nevada. Silver there formed strictly on the surface. Over millions of years of desert conditions, silver sulfide minerals weathered out of their volcanic host rocks and slowly turned, under the influence of rainwater, to silver chloride. The climate of Nevada concentrated this silver ore in supergene enrichment. These heavy gray crusts were often polished by dust and wind to the dull luster of a cow horn—horn silver. You could shovel it right off the ground, and you didnt need a Ph.D. to find it. And once it was gone, there was little or nothing left beneath for the hard-rock miner. A big silver bed could be tens of meters wide and more than a kilometer long, and that crust on the ground was worth up to $27,000 a ton in 1860s dollars. The territory of Nevada, along with the states around it, was picked clean in a few decades. The miners would have done it faster, but there were dozens of remote ranges to prospect on foot, and the climate was so damnably harsh. Only the Comstock Lode supported silver mining by large combines, and it was depleted by the 1890s. It supported a federal mint in Nevadas capital, Carson City, which made silver coins with the CC mint mark. Mementos of the Silver State In any one place, the surface bonanzas lasted only a few seasons, long enough to put up saloons and not much else. Ultimately producing lots of ghost towns, the rough, violent life of so many Western movies reached its purest state in the Nevada silver camps, and the economy and politics of the state have been deeply marked ever since. They dont shovel silver off the ground anymore but sweep it instead, off the tables of Las Vegas and Reno. Nevada horn silver seems to be gone forever. Scouring the Web for specimens pans out nothing. You can find silver chloride on the Web under its mineral name of chlorargyrite or cerargyrite, but the specimens arent horn silver, even though thats what cerargyrite means in scientific Latin. Theyre little crystals from underground mines, and the sellers seem apologetic about how unexciting they look. Still. Take a moment to imagine  the thrill of stepping back into this period of American history and picking up chunks of silver right off the surface of the ground, like so much gravel... and gaining a fortune.