War of 1812 - Fighting in 1813

War of 1812 - Fighting in 1813 1812: Surprises at Sea Ineptitude on Land | War of 1812: 101 | 1814: Advances in the North A Capital Burned Assessing the Situation In the wake of the failed campaigns of 1812, newly re-elected President James Madison was forced to reassess the strategic situation along the Canadian border. In the Northwest, Major General William Henry Harrison had replaced the disgraced Brigadier General William Hull and was tasked with re-taking Detroit. Diligently training his men, Harrison was checked at the River Raisin and unable to advance without American control of Lake Erie. Elsewhere, New England remained reluctant to play an active role in supporting the war effort making a campaign against Quebec an unlikely prospect. As a result, it was decided to focus American efforts for 1813 on achieving victory on Lake Ontario and the Niagara frontier. Success on this front also required control of the lake. To this end, Captain Isaac Chauncey had been dispatched to Sackets Harbor, NY in 1812 for the purpose of constructing a fleet on Lake Ontario. It was believed that victory in and around Lake Ontario would cut off Upper Cana da and open the way for an attack on Montreal. The Tide Turns at Sea Having achieved stunning success over the Royal Navy in a series of ship-to-ship actions in 1812, the small US Navy sought to continue its run of good form by attacking British merchant ships and remaining on the offensive. To this end, the frigate USS Essex (46 guns) under Captain David Porter, patrolled the South Atlantic scooping up prizes in late 1812, before rounding Cape Horn in January 1813. Seeking to strike the British whaling fleet in the Pacific, Porter arrived at Valparaiso, Chile in March. For the remainder of the year, Porter cruised with great success and inflicted heavy losses on British shipping. Returning to Valparaiso in January 1814, he was blockaded by the British frigate HMS Phoebe (36) and sloop of war HMS Cherub (18). Fearing that additional British ships were en route, Porter attempted to break out on March 28. As Essex exited the harbor, it lost its main topmast in a freak squall. With his ship damaged, Porter was unable to return to port and soon brought to action by the British. Standing off Essex, which was largely armed with short-range carronades, the British pounded Porters ship with their long guns for over two hours ultimately forcing him to surrender. Among those captured on board was young Midshipman David G. Farragut who would later lead the Union Navy during the Civil War. While Porter was enjoying success in the Pacific, the British blockade began to tighten along the American coast keeping many of the US Navys heavy frigates in port. While the effectiveness of the US Navy was hampered, hundreds of American privateers preyed upon British shipping. During the course of the war, they captured between 1,175 and 1,554 British ships. One ship that was at sea early in 1813 was Master Commandant James Lawrences brig USS Hornet (20). On February 24, he engaged and captured the brig HMS Peacock (18) off the coast of South America. Returning home, Lawrence was promoted to captain and given command of the frigate USS Chesapeake (50) at Boston. Completing repairs to ship, Lawrence prepared to put to sea in late May. This was hastened by the fact that only one British ship, the frigate HMS Shannon (52), was blockading the harbor. Commanded by Captain Philip Broke, Shannon was a crack ship with a highly trained crew. Eager to engage the American, Broke issued a cha llenge to Lawrence to meet him in battle. This proved unnecessary as Chesapeake emerged from the harbor on June 1. Possessing a larger, but greener crew, Lawrence sought to continue the US Navys streak of victories. Opening fire, the two ships battered each other before coming together. Ordering his men to prepare to board Shannon, Lawrence was mortally wounded. Falling, his last words were reputedly, Dont give up the Ship! Fight her till she sinks. Despite this encouragement, the raw American sailors were quickly overwhelmed by Shannons crew and Chesapeake was soon captured. Taken to Halifax, it was repaired and saw service in the Royal Navy until being sold in 1820. We Have Met the Enemy... As American naval fortunes were turning at sea, a naval building race was underway on the shores of Lake Erie. In an attempt to regain naval superiority on the lake, the US Navy began construction of two 20-gun brigs at Presque Isle, PA (Erie, PA). In March 1813, the new commander of American naval forces on Lake Erie, Master Commandant Oliver H. Perry, arrived at Presque Isle. Assessing his command, he found that there was a general shortage of supplies and men. While diligently overseeing the construction of the two brigs, named USS Lawrence and USS Niagara, Perry traveled to Lake Ontario in May 1813, to secure additional seamen from Chauncey. While there, he collected several gunboats for use on Lake Erie. Departing from Black Rock, he was nearly intercepted by the new British commander on Lake Erie, Commander Robert H. Barclay. A veteran of Trafalgar, Barclay had arrived at the British base of Amherstburg, Ontario on June 10. Though both sides were hampered by supply issues they worked through the summer to complete their fleets with Perry finishing his two brigs and Barclay commissioning the 19-gun ship HMS Detroit. Having gained naval superiority, Perry was able to cut the British supply lines to Amherstburg forcing Barclay to seek battle. Departing Put-in-Bay on September 10, Perry maneuvered to engage the British squadron. Commanding from Lawrence, Perry flew a large battle flag emblazoned with his friends dying command, Dont Give Up the Ship! In the resulting Battle of Lake Erie, Perry won a stunning victory that saw bitter fighting and the American commander compelled to switch ships midway through the engagement. Capturing the entire British squadron, Perry sent a brief dispatch to Harrison announcing, We have met the enemy and they are ours. 1812: Surprises at Sea Ineptitude on Land | War of 1812: 101 | 1814: Advances in the North A Capital Burned 1812: Surprises at Sea Ineptitude on Land | War of 1812: 101 | 1814: Advances in the North A Capital Burned Victory in the Northwest As Perry was constructing his fleet through the first part of 1813, Harrison was on the defensive in western Ohio. Constructing a major base at Fort Meigs, he repelled an attack led by Major General Henry Proctor and Tecumseh in May. A second attack was turned back in July as well as one against Fort Stephenson (August 1). Building his army, Harrison was ready to go on the offensive in September following Perrys victory on the lake. Moving forward with his Army of the Northwest, Harrison sent 1,000 mounted troops overland to Detroit while the bulk of his infantry was transported there by Perrys fleet. Recognizing the danger of his situation, Proctor abandoned Detroit, Fort Malden, and Amherstburg and began retreating east (Map). Retaking Detroit, Harrison began pursuing the retreating British. With Tecumseh arguing against falling back, Proctor finally turned to make a stand along the Thames River near Moraviantown. Approaching on October 5, Harrison assaulted Proctors position during the Battle of the Thames. In the fighting, the British position was shattered and Tecumseh killed. Overwhelmed, Proctor and a few of his men fled while the majority were captured by Harrisons army. One of the few clear cut American victories of the conflict, the Battle of the Thames effectively won the war in the Northwest for the United States. With Tecumseh dead, the threat of Native American attacks subsided and Harrison concluded an armistice with several tribes at Detroit. Burning a Capital In preparation for the main American push at Lake Ontario, Major General Henry Dearborn was ordered to position 3,000 men at Buffalo for a strike against Forts Erie and George as well as 4,000 men at Sackets Harbor. This second force was to attack Kingston at the upper outlet of the lake. Success on both fronts would sever the lake from Lake Erie and the St. Lawrence River. At Sackets Harbor, Chauncey had rapidly constructed a fleet that had wrested naval superiority away from his British counterpart, Captain Sir James Yeo. The two naval officers would conduct a building war for the remainder of the conflict. Though several naval engagements were fought, neither was willing to risk their fleet in a decisive action. Meeting at Sackets Harbor, Dearborn and Chauncey began to have misgivings about the Kingston operation despite the fact that the objective was only thirty miles away. While Chauncey fretted about possible ice around Kingston, Dearborn was concerned about the size of the Br itish garrison. Instead of striking at Kingston, the two commanders instead elected to conduct a raid against York, Ontario (present-day Toronto). Though of minimal strategic value, York was the capital of Upper Canada and Chauncey had intelligence that two brigs were under construction there. Departing on April 25, Chaunceys ships carried Dearborns troops across the lake to York. Under the direct control of Brigadier General Zebulon Pike, these troops landed on April 27. Opposed by forces under Major General Roger Sheaffe, Pike succeeded in taking the town after a sharp fight. As the British retreated, they detonated their powder magazine killing numerous Americans including Pike. In the wake of the fighting, American troops began looting the town and burned the Parliament Building. After occupying the town for a week, Chauncey and Dearborn withdrew. While a victory, the attack on York did little to alter the strategic outlook on the lake and behavior of the American forces would influence British actions the following year. Triumph and Defeat Along the Niagara Following the York operation, Secretary of War John Armstrong chastised Dearborn for failing to accomplish anything of strategic value and blamed him for Pikes death. In response, Dearborn and Chauncey began shifting troops south for an assault on Fort George in late May. Alerted to this fact, Yeo and the Governor General of Canada, Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost, made immediate plans to attack Sackets Harbor while American forces were occupied along the Niagara. Departing Kingston, they landed outside of the town on May 29 and moved to destroy the shipyard and Fort Tompkins. These operations were quickly disrupted by a mixed regular and militia force led by Brigadier General Jacob Brown of the New York militia. Surrounding the British beachhead, his men poured heavy fire into Prevosts troops and compelled them to withdraw. For his part in the defense, Brown was offered a brigadier generals commission in the regular army. At the other end of the lake, Dearborn and Chauncey moved forward with their attack on Fort George. Again delegating operational command, this time to Colonel Winfield Scott, Dearborn watched as American troops conducted an early morning amphibious assault on May 27. This was supported by a force of dragoons crossing the Niagara River upstream at Queenston which was tasked with cutting off the British line of retreat to Fort Erie. Clashing with Brigadier General John Vincents troops outside of the fort, the Americans succeeded in driving off the British with the aid of naval gunfire support from Chaunceys ships. Forced to surrender the fort and with the route south blocked, Vincent abandoned his posts on the Canadian side of the river and retreated west. As a result, American troops crossed the river and occupied Fort Erie (Map). 1812: Surprises at Sea Ineptitude on Land | War of 1812: 101 | 1814: Advances in the North A Capital Burned 1812: Surprises at Sea Ineptitude on Land | War of 1812: 101 | 1814: Advances in the North A Capital Burned Having lost the dynamic Scott to a broken collarbone, Dearborn ordered Brigadier Generals William Winder and John Chandler west to pursue Vincent. Political appointees, neither possessed significant military experience. On June 5/6, Vincent counterattacked at the Battle of Stoney Creek and succeeded in capturing both generals. On the lake, Chaunceys fleet had departed for Sackets Harbor only to be replaced by Yeos. Threatened from the lake, Dearborn lost his nerve and ordered a withdrawal to a perimeter around Fort George. The situation worsened on June 24, when an American force under Lieutenant Colonel Charles Boerstler was crushed at the Battle of Beaver Dams. For his weak performance, Dearborn was recalled on July 6 and replaced with Major General James Wilkinson. Failure on the St. Lawrence Generally disliked by most officers in US Army for his prewar intrigues in Louisiana, Wilkinson was instructed by Armstrong to strike at Kingston before moving down the St. Lawrence. In doing so he was to link up with forces advancing north from Lake Champlain under Major General Wade Hampton. This combined force would in turn attack Montreal. After stripping the Niagara frontier of most of its troops, Wilkinson prepared to move out. Finding that Yeo had concentrated his fleet at Kingston, he decided to make only a feint in that direction before advancing down the river. To the east, Hampton began moving north toward the border. His advance was hampered by the recent loss of naval superiority on Lake Champlain. This forced him to swing west to the headwaters of the Chateauguay River. Moving downstream, he crossed the border with around 4,200 men after the New York militia refused to leave the country. Opposing Hampton was Lieutenant Colonel Charles de Salaberry who possessed a mixed force of around 1,500 men. Occupying a strong position approximately fifteen miles below the St. Lawrence, de Salaberrys men fortified their line and waited for the Americans. Arriving on October 25, Hampton surveyed the British position and attempted to flank it. In a minor engagement known as the Battle of the Chateauguay, these efforts were repulsed. Believing the British force to be larger than it was, Hampton broke off the action and returned south. Moving forward, Wilkinsons 8,000-men force left Sackets Harbor on October 17. In poor health and taking heavy doses of laudanum, Wilkinson pushed downstream with Brown leading his vanguard. His force was pursued by an 800-man British force led by Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Morrison. Tasked with delaying Wilkinson so additional troops could reach Montreal, Morrison proved an effective annoyance to the Americans. Tired of Morrison, Wilkinson dispatched 2,000 men under Brigadier General John Boyd to attack the British. Striking on November 11, they assaulted the British lines at the Battle of Cryslers Farm. Repulsed, Boyds men were soon counterattacked and driven from the field. Despite this defeat, Wilkinson pressed on toward Montreal. Reaching the mouth of the Salmon River and having learned that Hampton had retreated, Wilkinson abandoned the campaign, re-crossed the river, and went into winter quarters at French Mills, NY. The winter saw Wilkinson and Hampton exchange letters with Arm strong over who was to blame for the campaigns failure. A Dismal End As the American thrust towards Montreal was coming to an end, the situation on the Niagara frontier reached a crisis. Stripped of troops for Wilkinsons expedition, Brigadier General George McClure decided to abandon Fort George in early December after learning that Lieutenant General George Drummond was approaching with British troops. Retiring across the river to Fort Niagara, his men burned the village of Newark, ON before departing. Moving into Fort George, Drummond began preparations to assault Fort Niagara. This moved forward on December 19 when his forces overwhelmed the forts small garrison. Outraged over the burning of Newark, British troops moved south and razed Black Rock and Buffalo on December 30. While 1813 had started with great hope and promise for the Americans, the campaigns on the Niagara and St. Lawrence frontiers met with failure similar to those of the year before. As in 1812, the smaller British forces had proved adept campaigners and the Canadians showed a willingness to fight to protect their homes rather than throw off the yoke of British rule. Only in the Northwest and Lake Erie did American forces achieve an undisputed victory. While the triumphs of Perry and Harrison helped bolster national morale, they occurred in arguably the least important theater of the war as victory on Lake Ontario or the St. Lawrence would have caused British forces around Lake Erie to whither on the vine. Forced to endure another long winter, the American public was subjected to a tightening blockade and the threat of increased British strength in the spring as the Napoleonic Wars neared an end. 1812: Surprises at Sea Ineptitude on Land | War of 1812: 101 | 1814: Advances in the North A Capital Burned

Birth Of A Nation 2 Essay Research

Birth Of A Nation 2 Essay, Research Paper D. W. Griffith s heroic poem narrative told in Birth of a Nation was a flooring one. The film set box office records, taking in over 18 million dollars. When it was released, it was one of the longest movies of all time made, over three hours in length. Some movie bookmans say that it is the most of import movie of all time released. But despite all of these records and accomplishments, the narrative and the manner that inkinesss of the South were depicted obsessed inkinesss for decennaries to come. Showing the black adult male as a sexual marauder to white females was ask foring the South commence with wide-scale lynchings of guiltless black work forces. If a black adult male looked the incorrect manner at a white adult female, so he could be lynched without a idea of justness. This movie advanced the intuition and contributed to the pattern of Jim Crow in the South. Most shockingly, I discovered that the movie is still used by the Ku Klux Klan today for enlisting intents. The portraiture of the KKK in Birth of a State was one of heroes, alternatively of marauding racialists. This appealed to white Americans positions of the mythic South, and helped to hike rank in the KKK. Griffith subsequently released a version of the film without the KKK, but the harm had already been done. Of class, the NAACP attacked the movie, and it was met with picketing upon its release. The elevation of the KKK as heroes while portraying black work forces as sexual marauders was disgusting, and it is astonishing to me that the film is praised as it is. Though the portraiture of both inkinesss and the KKK were highly off path, the film itself was an astonishing work of film for its clip. This was likely the first film to utilize 100s of excess in a conflict scene. These scenes were good crafted by the film maker, and while non to the flawlessness of more modern movies such as Braveheart, the engineering and mastermind that the film maker used rival such movies. To th ink that the film was released merely 50 old ages after the terminal of the Civil War makes the effort seem even more unbelievable. In seeing the immense conflicts, I did non necessitate sound to hear the sounds of conflict in my imaginativeness. It would hold been unbelievable if the film had been made in the epoch where sound came into films. The rubric of the movie is an interesting 1. It is unknown whether the rubric refers to the birth of the reunited provinces, or the birth of the Ku Klux Klan. I tend to believe that the movie has a dual significance. In demoing the KKK as good cats, it is obvious that Griffith was seeking to demo their birth as a positive event for the United States. Besides, he was demoing that the U.S. was one time once more reunited after the war, taking to the strengthening of the state. It forebodes the hereafter, when the South and the inkinesss populating there are kept in cheque by the KKK, doing the U.S. that much greater. Though it would be better to disregard this impression of the birth of the KKK, it can non be due to the movie s content, although the movie does demo a genuinely united provinces. The movie is an unbelievable piece of propaganda for both the KKK and the Jim Crow system. Peoples who knew nil about the KKK or thought of them as white scoundrels before Birth of a State likely changed their heads and donned goons of their ain upon seeing the movie. The mainstream image was likely the best advertizement that the KKK could hold had. The vilifying of inkinesss besides led to the Jim Crow system. When it was portrayed in this film as acceptable, people in the South felt much better about making atrocious workss to black citizens, denying inkinesss their civil rights. Birth of a Nation was a powerful movie that was a technological promotion, but it lacked the right historical prospective. Anyone who made such a film now would be branded a racialist and likely would be hung in image in many black communities.

Sahel Nutrition Development Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sahel Nutrition Development - Assignment Example used in assessing the nutritional situation of children in the region, Countries most affected by this crisis include Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Chad, Mali, Senegal, northern Cameroon, and Gambia. This situation has deteriorated rapidly throughout this year. Research has clearly outlined that most of the areas stand to experience acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3) from April to September this year. The nutrition status is quite catastrophic in areas worst affected with severe malnutrition with rates ranging between 10-16%. The drivers of this crisis are eroded resilience, compounded by the sporadic rains, prices increases and insufficient harvests. The agro-pastoral returns of production is reported to have decreased by 50% in the areas that are affected by poverty, and agricultural products market prices, as well increased up from sixty percent to eighty percent for maize and 100 percent for dry cereals. Increased levels of drought in Sahel have caused a reduction in cereal production on average 26% relative to the previous year. Most notable is the fact that Gambia, as well as Chad realized a 50 percent decrease with other countries still experiencing serious localized deficits. The 2012 Sahel’s strategic plan was aligned as a serving response plan to addressing the Food and Nutrition Crisis in the region. This has been developed by the Working Regional Group on Food Security and Nutrition mainly composed of among other organizations, the Red Cross, Crescent Movement, United Nations agency, Non Governmental Organizations and donors. In 2011, IASC (Inter-Agency Standing Committee) launched a strategy that effectively responds to food shortage and nutritional crises in Sahel. The document was done in consideration of joint efforts of the organization of Food and Agriculture of United Nations (FAO), Action against Hunger, the United Nations Child Fund (UNICEF), the United Nation Humanitarian Affairs Coordination Office (OCHA), and the WWP (Word Food

The Abolitionist Movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Abolitionist Movement - Essay Example    How successful were they in accomplishing their goals?  Ã‚   The Abolitionist Movement was a broad movement that had a variety of ideas about how to free slaves and end slavery in the United States. Different individuals and groups used different methods to work toward abolition, and had their differences despite a common goal. Many abolitionists were Quakers, some were white politicians, and many others were freed slaves. They all had some sort of effect on slavery and its end, but in their own ways. The abolitionist movement existed since the time of British colonization, and began mostly with the Quakers who believed that slavery was very wrong. Abolitionism was supported more and more in the northern United States, while its efforts were directed towards the southern states who relied on slavery for their agricultural economy. Many states began to make laws banning slavery in their own state, though it was often a gradual ban. The federal government had established that th e import of slaves would be illegal by 1808, but this did not ban the owning and trading of slaves. To end slavery as a whole would be much tougher. While many slaves were freed due to state laws being enacted as well as efforts by Quakers to plead for their release, the southern states would require much more convincing and pressure. Some of the most famous white abolitionists include some American presidents. ... He was a Quaker and spent much of his later life working on petitions, letters to the press, and distributing pamphlets against slavery. He helped make slavery illegal in Rhode Island, and would help slaves to get on their feet after being freed. Harriet Beecher Stowe was the author of â€Å"Uncle Tom's Cabin†, and she worked toward abolition by raising awareness of slavery but also by helping slaves to escape at the loss of their owners. Black abolitionists tended to be freed slaves who knew the hardships of slavery, and fought to end it. Many of them focused on writing as a way of raising awareness, as well as helping slaves to escape on the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman was always voicing her opposition to slavery, and after she escaped became well known for helping hundreds of other slaves escape on the Underground Railroad. Frederick Douglass was also very important, because he used his ability to read and write to make slavery a well known issue and to help give m ore voice to slaves. He wrote about his own escape from slavery, and was a leading abolitionist by the Civil War. The abolitionists were overall very successful in accomplishing their goals, but different methods worked better than others. White abolitionists succeeded mostly in working to make new laws that helped curb slavery and gradually bring it to an end, but the laws only worked so much and it took the Civil War to really bring change. The idea of colonization didn't work as well because it led to many slaves dying of disease and was not a good solution for actually bringing rights and freedom. The publication of â€Å"Uncle Tom's Cabin† was very successful, however, because it helped change opinions. Black abolitionists saw more success, because they spread

Rainman Essay -- essays research papers

Barry Levinson brings us a Raymond, very moving character in the movie Raymond Babbitt. Raymond is a grown man that is Autistic. Raymond may be grown up but he lacks certain sociable skills, making communication very difficult. He has a hard time understanding and answer questions. Because of Raymond’s handicap he is unable to progress into a new person. Raymond’s limitations give the movie boundaries. Levinson uses the idea of not allowing this character to change to affect the other characters in this story. The character that is most affected is Raymond’s brother, Charlie. At the beginning Charlie is frustrated and short on cash, his father has died and Charlie received no inheritance, his father had left it all to Charlie’s unknown brother, Raymond. When Charlie first meets Raymond he thinks it is a big joke, the way Raymond acts. Although, all he can seem to think about is why no one ever told him that he had a brother. Charlie makes it out to seem li ke he really wants to take Raymond in with him and take care of him, at this point Charlie is taking Raymond from the institute where he is being taken care of in hopes of trading Raymond back for part of his inheritance. When he is refused, Charlie runs off with Raymond beginning a cross-country journey that would change Charlie completely. The beginning of the movie shows Charlie as a money motivated guy. He was only in it for the quick buck, you soon find out that his business is suffering and is having many problems. T...

The Defination of Music

Music. I spend more than two hours playing, singing, or listening to music everday. Almost everything I do involves music. I love it; it can lift my spirits, or tell me a story. But, what is music? Is it something you can dance to? Something that is played or sung? Is it something that has balance, or sounds pleasant? What is music? It is defined as â€Å"An art form consisting of sequences of sounds in time, including tones of definite pitch organized melodically, harmonically, and rhythmically. † To me, music means expression. When I was six years old, I acquired my first CD player.I didn’t get any CD’s with it, so I used my parents. One CD that I picked up was by Mindy McCready. I didn’t understand what the songs were about, but I knew I really enjoyed the â€Å"beat† of the songs, the instruments in each piece, and the sound of her voice. I would always be singing my own words to her songs and I wanted to learn how to make music like she did. Sh e influenced me in a way I didn’t understand at the time, but I knew I wanted to know more about the way her songs worked. I wanted to know how to make something that sounded similar to her songs, and how to make it my own.That CD is what made me fall in love with the concept of, and the idea itself, known as music. In third grade, only two years after I realized how much I liked music, I started piano lessons with the keyboard player from my church. His name was Larry, he was a great inspiration to me. Larry asked me on my first lesson if learning piano was something I really wanted to do, or if it was just something my parents were having me do. I told him, much more seriously than a third grader should be able to, it was something I needed to do to be able to more clearly understand music; and that I was looking forward to every lesson we would have.One week later, on my next lesson, I stared to learn my scales. Normally, it takes students months to learn and memorize all of the scales, but it took me only a few weeks. I was much more musically gifted then anyone realized and I quickly took on many other instruments. From third to seventh grade, I learned how to play the piano, guitar, bass, saxophone, french horn, trumpet, clarinet, and flute. I also took choir, training my voice to be the best it could be. The way I could express myself differently through every one of these instruments, made everyday a joyous adventure.I used the instruments as an outlet; when I was happy, the music would be loud and bouncy. Yet when I was upset, the music would be mournful, slow, and quiet. I conveyed my feelings through the music. The more I learned about music, the more open I became with choices. Before I became a â€Å"band geek†, I was quiet and refined. I didn’t talk to many people and I didn’t have any intention on changing that. After I joined two bands though, my life changed drastically. Both classes would result in a â€Å"differe nt me†.When I would play music in my jazz band, I would leave the class excited and ready to try new things. When I would go to symphony, my choices would be more thought out, longer, and with more depth to them. Every piece I played would change my day; depending on how much I enjoyed the piece, and who I was playing it with. The people in band are a big reason why I love music. If you’re sitting alone in a room, playing a keyboard, you are not going to be having nearly as much fun, or being as artistic with your musical choices, then if your with a few of your best friends, all who play instruments or sing.An instance of this is from a year ago, when I had a mentor in symphonic band. He was an amazing saxophone player who loved people. I was his second in command, and for being that, he taught me a few of his tricks on how he became such a beloved musician and person. He showed me how to play music with more expression in singular notes instead of looking at the piece as a whole. He helped me on improvisation and on making a piece personal. He also showed me how to fine tune a musical piece; how to make the different parts work together harmoniously, and how to then play it correctly.He was a great inspiration to me and I am sad he graduated, but overjoyed I had the opportunity to be taught by such a talented musician for our time. After learning so much from such a great mentor, I began to question how my music could be improved and how I could express myself better. I knew about harmony and melody, and how to balance them; I knew about all the different instruments in different kinds of bands. Yet, I wanted to push my boundaries and become a better instrumentalist.A great musician once said, â€Å"Then let us all do what is right, strive with all our might toward the unattainable, develop as fully as we can [with] the gifts God has given us, and never stop learning† (Beethoven). To me, this means you shouldn’t stop when you think you’re at your best. Always push forward, creating your own limits and don’t fall into society’s expectations. This is how I viewed music; it was something I could never put a limit on and striving for perfection was the only way to be successful with it. To this day, I try my best with music, I make it my own, and I love to play it.There is nothing else like it, for music is everywhere; all people know some type of music, and it affects every person in a different way. I enjoy music greatly, and hope I will be able to continue learning about it for the rest of my life. The expression used to create music is an unexplainable talent that anyone could utilize, and without it, the days of life would be dull and boring. The way I view it, and as my band director tells me daily, music equals life. SAU Library, + Beethoven, the Music and the Life. + by Lewis Lockwood. Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 1st edition (December 16, 2002) + October 1st 2011

What Is the CSS Profile for Financial Aid

The CSS Profile is a non-federal application for college grants and scholarships. The profile is required by roughly 400 colleges and universities, most of which are private. Any college that requires the CSS Profile also requires the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Key Takeaways: The CSS Profile The CSS Profile is an application for non-federal financial aid (such as institutional grant aid).Approximately 400 colleges and universities require the CSS Profile. Most are selective private institutions with expensive tuitions and significant financial aid resources.The CSS Profile is a more detailed form than the FAFSA. However, any college that requires the CSS Profile also requires the FAFSA.The CSS Profile is typically due on or around the admission application deadline. Be sure to submit it on time or early in order to ensure your financial aid application is processed. What Is the CSS Profile? The CSS Profile is a financial aid application used by approximately 400 colleges. The application provides a holistic portrait of financial need so that non-federal financial aid (such as institutional grant aid) can be awarded accordingly. Unlike the FAFSA, which is based on just a few income and savings data points, the CSS Profile considers current and future expenses that arent always captured by tax documents. The CSS Profile is a product of the College Board. To fill out the CSS profile, youll use the same log-in information you created for the PSAT, SAT, or AP. Information Collected by the CSS Profile The CSS Profile overlaps with the FAFSA when it comes to income and savings. The student—and their family, if the student is a dependent—will need to submit personal identification information, income information from both employers and personal businesses, and non-retirement savings from bank accounts, 529 plans, and other investments. Additional information required for the CSS Profile includes: Your current high school and the colleges to which youll applyYour home value and the amount you owe on your homeYour retirement savingsChild support informationSibling informationExpected earnings for the coming yearInformation about any special circumstances that may not be reflected in the prior years tax forms (such as a loss in income, exceptional medical expenses, and eldercare expenses)Contributions towards college from anyone other than the students parents The final section of the CSS Profile includes questions that are specific to the schools to which you are applying. Much like supplemental essays on the Common Application, this section allows colleges to ask questions that arent covered by the standard part of the application. These questions might be used be schools for calculating grant aid, or they might be geared towards specific scholarships available at the school. Keep in mind that some colleges require an additional step. About a quarter of all schools that require the CSS Profile also require students to submit tax and income information through IDOC, the Institutional Documentation Service. IDOC typically requires you to scan and submit your federal tax return, including W-2 and 1099 records. When to Submit the CSS Profile The CSS Profile, like the FAFSA, is available for the next school year beginning on October 1st. If youre applying to a college through an Early Action or Early Decision program, youll want to complete the profile in October (possibly early November) to make sure you can be considered for financial aid when your application is evaluated. In general, the CSS Profile will be due on or near the same date that the college application is due. Dont put off completing the profile or you might be jeopardizing your financial aid award. Also, keep in mind that it can take a couple weeks for all of the CSS Profile information to reach colleges once you submit the document. The College Board recommends that applicants submit the CSS Profile at least two weeks before their earliest application deadline. Time Required to Complete the CSS Profile The CSS Profile is said to take between 45 minutes and 2 hours to complete. The reality, however, is that it will take several additional hours to gather the necessary documents, including tax returns, savings and invest account information, mortgage information, health and dental payment records, 529 balances, and more. If both the parents and the student have income and savings, the profile will take longer to complete. Similarly, families with numerous sources of income, multiple residential properties, and contributions from outside the family will have more information to enter into the CSS Profile. Parents who are divorced or separated will also have a less stream-lined experience with the profile. Keep in mind that you do not need to complete the CSS Profile in one sitting. Your answers can be saved regularly, and you can return to the form without losing your progress. Cost of the CSS Profile Unlike the FAFSA, the CSS Profile is not free. Applicants will need to pay a $25 fee to set up the profile, and another $16 for each school that will receive the profile. Fee waivers are available for students who qualified for SAT fee waivers. If youre planning to apply to a school through an Early Action or Early Decision program, you can save some money by submitting the CSS Profile to your early application school first, and then adding other colleges to your profile only if you dont get into your top-choice school early. Schools That Require the CSS Profile Roughly 400 colleges and universities require the CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA. Most CSS Profile participants are selective private colleges and universities with high tuition fees. They also tend to be schools with significant financial aid resources. The CSS Profile allows these institutions to determine a familys financial need with greater precision than is possible with the FAFSA. Participating institutions include most of the Ivy League Schools, top liberal arts colleges such as Williams College and Pomona College, top engineering schools such as MIT and Caltech, and other highly selective private universities such as Stanford University and Northwestern University. A few scholarship programs also require the CSS Profile. Youll find that a handful of public universities such as Georgia Tech, UNC Chapel Hill, the University of Virginia, and the University of Michigan use the CSS Profile. Not all colleges find that the CSS Profile serves their needs, and a few top schools have created their own financial aid applications rather than using the College Boards product. Princeton University, for example, requires the Princeton Financial Aid Application as well as copies of the parents federal income tax return and W-2 statements. Please note: if you are not applying for financial aid, you will not need to fill out the CSS Profile for any school. A Final Word About the CSS Profile As college application deadlines approach, most students are entirely focused on writing essays and making their applications as strong as possible. Realize, however, that you (and/or your parents) need to be working on financial aid applications at the same time. Getting into college is important, but being able to pay for it is equally important. When the FAFSA and CSS Profile go live in October, dont procrastinate. Completing them early can help guarantee youll get full consideration for all available grants and scholarships.