Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Haym Salomon, American Revolution Spy and Financier

Haym Salomon, American Revolution Spy and Financier Born to a Sephardic Jewish family in Poland, Haym Salomon emigrated to New York during the American Revolution. His work in support of the American Revolution- first as a spy, and later brokering loans- helped the patriots win the war. Fast Facts: Haym Salomon Also Known As: Chaim SalomonKnown For: Former spy and financial broker who worked in support of the American Revolution. Born: April 7, 1740 in Leszno, PolandDied: January 6, 1785 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Early Years Haym Salomon (born Chaim Salomon) was born on April 7, 1740 in Leszno, Poland. His family was part of a group of Sephardic Jews descended from Spanish and Portuguese immigrants. As a young man, Haym traveled all over Europe; like many Europeans, he spoke several languages. In 1772, Salomon left Poland, following the country’s partitioning that essentially removed its status as a sovereign nation. He decided to try his luck in the British colonies, and he emigrated to New York City. War and Espionage By the time the American Revolution broke out, Salomon had already established himself as a businessman and financial broker in New York City. At some point in the 1770s, he became involved in the patriot movement and joined the Sons of Liberty, a secret organization that fought against British taxation policies. Salomon had a supply contract with the patriot army, and at some point in 1776, he was arrested in New York by the British for espionage. Although it is not known for certain that Salomon was a spy, the British authorities seem to have thought so. However, they decided to spare him from the traditional death sentence for spies. Instead, they offered him a pardon in exchange for his linguistic services. The British officers needed translators to communicate with their Hessian soldiers, most of whom spoke no English at all. Salomon was fluent in German, so he served as an interpreter. This didn’t exactly work the way the British wanted it to, as Salomon used his translating as an opportunity to encourage as many as five hundred German soldiers to desert the British ranks. He also spent a lot of time helping patriot captives escape from British prisons. He was arrested for espionage again in 1778, and sentenced to death once more. This time, there was no offer of pardon. Salomon managed to escape, fleeing to Philadelphia with his wife and children. Although he was virtually penniless when he arrived at the rebel capital, within a short amount of time he re-established himself as a merchant and financial broker. Financing the Revolution Once he had settled comfortably in Philadelphia and his brokerage business was up and running, Salomon was appointed to the role of paymaster general for French troops fighting on behalf of the colonists. He was also engaged in selling securities that supported Dutch and French loans to the Continental Congress. In addition, he advanced funds personally to members of the Continental Congress, offering financial services below market rates. Over a three year period, Salomon’s financial contributions to George Washington and the war effort totaled well over $650,000, which translates to upwards of $18M in today’s currency. Much of this money was funneled into Washington’s accounts in the latter part of 1781. In August of 1781, British general Charles Cornwallis and his troops were penned in near Yorktown. Washington’s army had Cornwallis surrounded, but because Congress was essentially out of money, the continental troops hadn’t been paid in some time. They were also low on rations and crucial uniform components. In fact, Washington’s soldiers were close to staging a coup, and many were considering desertion as a better option than staying in Yorktown. According to legend, Washington wrote to Morris, and asked him to send Haym Salomon. Bruce Leighty / Getty Images Salomon managed to secure the $20,000 in finances that Washington needed to keep his men fighting, and ultimately, the British were defeated at Yorktown, in what would be the final major battle of the American Revolution. After the war ended, Salomon brokered numerous loans between other nations and the newly formed United States government. Final Years Sadly, Haym Salomons financial efforts during the war led to his downfall. He had loaned out hundreds of thousands of dollars during the Revolution, and because of the unstable economy in the colonies, most private borrowers (and even government entities) were unable to repay their loans. In 1784, his family was nearly penniless. Salomon died on January 8, 1785 at the age of 44 from complications from tuberculosis, which he had contracted while in prison. He was buried at his synagogue, Mikveh Israel, in Philadelphia. In the 1800s, his descendants unsuccessfully petitioned Congress for compensation. However, in 1893, Congress decreed that a gold medal be struck in Salomons honor. In 1941, the City of Chicago erected a statue featuring George Washington flanked by Morris and Salomon. Sources Blythe, Bob. â€Å"The American Revolution: Haym Salomon.†Ã‚  National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/revwar/about_the_revolution/haym_salomom.html.Feldberg, Michael. â€Å"Haym Salomon: Revolutionary Broker.†Ã‚  My Jewish Learning, My Jewish Learning, www.myjewishlearning.com/article/haym-salomon-revolutionary-broker/.Percoco, James. â€Å"Haym Salomon.†Ã‚  American Battlefield Trust, 7 Aug. 2018, www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/haym-salomon.Terry, Erica. â€Å"Haym Solomon: The Man Behind the Myth of the Dollars Star of David.†Ã‚  Jspace News, 12 Dec. 2016, jspacenews.com/haym-solomon-man-behind-myth-dollars-star-david/.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

5 Field Trip Ideas for Elementary School

5 Field Trip Ideas for Elementary School Field trips are a wonderful way for children to connect what they are learning in class to the outside world. For instance, if you are teaching your students about dinosaurs, the best way to wrap up the unit is to bring the class on a field trip to your local dinosaur exhibit at the museum. This way they can get a hands-on view of everything they learned and help them connect what they learned to what they are seeing at the exhibit. Here are 5 fun and exciting educational field trip ideas for your elementary school class. Post Office A field trip to your local Post Office is a great way for students to compare the history of the postal service with the technology they use today. Students will leave the Post Office with a better understanding of how the mail connects everyone in the world. Pick Your Own Farms A unique field trip idea is to take students on a trip to pick their own fruits and vegetables. Children will be exposed to agricultural topics and experience nature and how food grows. A hands-on trip to your local farm is the perfect way to end your nutrition unit. Bank What child isnt fascinated with money? If you want to see your students participate in class and really be engaged, then take them on a field trip to your local bank. Children are always asking, Why do I have to learn math? and When I am really going to use these math skills? Well, a trip to the bank will show your students how the math skills they are learning in school can be applied to everyday life when they grow up. Bank tellers can show students how to write a personal check and withdrawal slips, and how to open a bank account and use a debit card. The information they learn on this trip will help them realize how important paying attention in math really is. A fun idea beforehand is to teach students about PayPal and how with technology today you can send money online. Grocery Store With the child obesity rate as high as it is today, the local grocery store is a great place for a field trip. There are a variety of topics that can be focused on at the grocery store, like nutrition, math, health and wellness, and home economics. Children can learn about healthy food choices and go on a food scavenger hunt. They can study measurements and, on the day of the trip,  buy appropriate ingredients for a specific recipe you give them. They can learn how to budget their money, group foods into food groups, and learn important life skills. Amusement Park How is a field trip to an amusement park educational? Students can determine the speed of roller-coasters or see behind the scenes of how a stage show works. Students can learn about the animals in the on-site zoo, or see how the actors transform into characters. A field trip to an amusement park can take some of the concepts students are learning in school into a real-world experience. Additional Field Trip Ideas Worth Considering Here are a few more field trip ideas that are worth thinking about it. Any of the following ideas would make for a perfect field trip with your students: Water parkBakerySkating RinkLocal HospitalMoviesCollegeTV StationNewspaperAquariumZooBotanical GardensTrain RideSoup KitchenLocal FestivalNursing HomeLocal MonumentFarmers MarketMuseumA Virtual Field Trip

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Pippin II of Herstal - Mayor of the Palace - Pippin the Younger

Pippin II of Herstal - Mayor of the Palace - Pippin the Younger Pippin II was also known as: Pippin of Herstal  (in French, Pà ©pin d’Hà ©ristal); also known as Pippin the Younger; also spelled Pepin. Pippin II was known for: Being the first Mayor of the Palace to take effective control of the kingdom of the Franks, while the Merovingian kings ruled in name only. Occupations: KingMilitary Leader Places of Residence and Influence: EuropeFrance Important Dates: Born: c. 635Becomes Mayor of the Palace:  689Died:  Dec. 16, 714 About Pippin II : Pippins father was Ansegisel, the son of Bishop Arnulf of Metz; his mother was Begga, the daughter of Pippin I, who had also been a mayor of the palace. After King Dagobert II died in 679, Pippin established himself as mayor in Austrasia, defending the autonomy of the region against Neustria, its king Theuderic III, and Theuderics mayor Ebroà ¯n. In 680, Ebroà ¯n defeated Pippin at Lucofao; seven years later Pippin won the day at Tertry. Although this victory gave him power over all the Franks, Pippin kept Theuderic on the throne; and when the king died, Pippin replaced him with another king who was, essentially, under his control. When that king died, two more puppet kings followed in succession. In 689, after several years of military conflict on the northeastern border of the kingdom, Pippin conquered the Frisians and their leader Radbod. To solidify the peace, he married his son, Grimoald, to Radbods daughter, Theodelind. He secured Frankish authority among the Alemanni, and he encouraged Christian missionaries to evangelize  Alemannia and Bavaria. Pippin was succeeded as mayor of the palace  by his illegitimate son, Charles Martel. More Pippin II Resources: Pippin II in Print The link  below will take you to a site where you can compare prices at booksellers across the web. More in-depth info about the book may be found by clicking on to the books page at one of the online merchants. by Pierre Richà ©; translated by Michael Idomir Allen Early Carolingian RulersThe Carolingian EmpireEarly Europe Whos Who Directories: Chronological Index Geographical Index Index by Profession, Achievement, or Role in Society The text of this document is copyright  ©2000-2016 Melissa Snell. You may download or print this document for personal or school use, as long as the URL below is included. Permission is   not  granted to reproduce this document on another website. For publication permission,  please   contact  Melissa Snell. The URL for this document is:http://historymedren.about.com/od/pwho/fl/Pippin-II.htm

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Financing Plan to Raise Capital Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Financing Plan to Raise Capital - Research Paper Example The Marina Restaurant was blessed with an interest from very influential people and customers even from the beginning. It usually hosts live bands apart from food and this has helped it solidify its image as the premier casual rock and roll diner. With all the success, the company has grown globally. The vast amounts of locations reflect the effective and efficient management which has led a small investment in a single cafe into an internationally recognized business expanding in just over 18 years. Marina Restaurant revenues are mainly from cafes, selling memorabilia and hotels. To ensure customers keep coming back they ensure they provide excellent value in the form of good food and entertainment. With such growth, the management has decided to open more outlets for the restaurant. However, it needs capital to start up the investment. Start-up Funding The Marina Restaurant seeks funding of $900,000 for the new venture and it will get it from three investment groups or under equity offering which entails raising capital through the issue of stock. This approach is preferred at this stage since there are no repayment schedule or debt service repayments. The shareholders will only get their returns when the company makes profits. The shareholders also have a right to vote during annual general meetings and can elect the board of directors (Owen 2003). The ordinary shareholders are the owners of the business and can receive dividends from profits. However, it is a costly process as there are floatation costs incurred and it can lead to dilution of shares held by existing shareholders. It is also risky if there are no dividends payable at year end thus shareholders end up bearing the operational risk. The investment documents will be prepared by legal firms representing each party and will not be limited to Form D Security Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, Subscriptions agreement and the Private Placement Memorandum (PPM). The subscriptions agreement reflects the terms and conditions of the investment. In other words, it is the sales contract for buying securities. Form D SEC filing notifies the commission that the company is using Regulation D program and also gives the basic information of the company. It is vital to note that this form is not an approval document but a mere notification that the company has an offering in the place. It is a violation of the security laws under the federal government to raise capital without this document. The PPM discloses all the company’s information to investors. The information maybe whether the company is raising debt or equity, the risk the investors may face and the terms of the investment( share price, maturity dates or note amounts). Financial projections Financial projections will be on the income statement, statement of financial position, statement of cash flows as well as on the financial ratios. Projections will be on years ranging from 1 to 5, and they are based on historical inform ation already available from the company (Owen 2003). Apart from the forecast, the break-even analysis will be carried out. Break even analysis Break even analysis shows the relationship between selling prices, sales volume, variable costs, fixed costs and profits at various levels of activity. It is also referred to as cost-volume profit analysis. It used in determining the break-even point where the total revenue equals the total costs. This means that at BEP, the profits are zero. Fixed costs include rent,

Movie Review of Julie and Julia(2009, Ephron, USA) Coursework

Movie Review of Julie and Julia(2009, Ephron, USA) - Coursework Example She thus develops a simple story line that touches on themes that typically everyone is familiar of. She makes the humorous natures of her story line appear more natural and free flowing. The planning and the design of the comedy drama are simple but funny in its own right. The lead character, Adam, is obsessed by food and cooking. She sets out to cook over five hundred recipes in the three hundred and sixty days in a year which is logically impossible. Adams is employed in a very busy firm where she serves at the call center; possibly she is free on the weekends. This is coupled to the fact that some of the recipes she intends to prepare are very complex and will require a lot of time to complete (Penz and Andong 210). This way, Ephron easily develops a conflict from things that people have and still consider hobbies. Adam gets literally torn apart by the amounting pressure. The recipes are expensive and eat into her finances. The pressure from work coupled with her funny social lif e does not let her settle down to follow the recipes properly. She thus ends up spoiling most of them which is really a waste given the fact that she invested in them. She wines and complains most of the time, a feature that Ephron further uses to create humor. She is a fully-grown adult but the voice she posses can easily pass for a twelve year old. Ephron further uses the structure of the society to add to the humor; marriage is a very sacred institution in which religious adherents believe is ordained by God. Everyone is therefore aware of the institution’ existence and understands how basic it is in the creation of a peaceful and cohesive unity in the society. However, despite the peace that the bible and other holy books preach, families have structural problems some of which are humorous. The play addresses some of the rib cracking decisions that people make in life and how they are later humorously solved. Adam’s obsession with her cookery irritates her husband who tries so much to appear supportive. In a show of love and unity within their marriage, Adam and her husband visit a book fair in Paris where she meets food enthusiasts. The two shares a number of things which makes them develop quite a strong bond. The friendship between the women goes to the men who could have otherwise never noticed each other and they too became close. When Adam’s love for cooking turns into what her husbands calls an obsession, he leaves her. This has been the trend in very many families; when one partner irritates the other, the easiest way is normally to avoid them by possibly walking out of the marriage. Very few people sit down and address the issues in their marriages because boredom sets in among the married very fast. Powell’s husbands considers himself very enduring for the time he spends with Her despite her wining attitude and her little obsessions that deny them time together. Left alone, the lady concentrates on her cooking and her new friend, they write books and try out new recipes and before long, they receive recognition and are about to become famous. In a very interesting twist, the husband who had deliberately left shows up again and Adam accepts him. The society is structured funnily and nobody takes notice of these every quite often. This is the rationale of

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Questions in a case study in theCorporate Governance & Social Essay

Questions in a case study in theCorporate Governance & Social Responsibility field - Essay Example None among the management should have the ultimate power during the decision-making process (FRC, 2003) This is because when this happens, the company will have a chairman who will be the leader to the board making sure it is effective in its roles and sets the board’s agenda. He will make sure the directors have accurate, clear and timely information. Since no governance structure exists, this principle will help to promote efficient and transparent markets, ensuring the consistency with the law and articulating clearly separation of responsibility among the management. This must be achieved by: Consistent, enforceable and transparent regulatory and legal requirements affecting governance should be provided. The framework should be developed to generally impact integrity of market, economic performance and promote participation (OECD, 2004). According to OECD (2004), the corporate governance is expected to safeguard and facilitate the expression of shareholders’ rights and so by applying this principle, the extractive industry will be aiming to put in place structures in order to achieve the following: Firstly, it gives the shareholders their basic rights which include but not limited to; obtaining a means of ownership by registration, be able to transfer shares, be able to obtain information regarding the corporate regularly and on time, obtain participation and voting regularly on AGMs, having a say in electing and voting office bearers serving on the board and finally be able to share the profits of the corporate. Secondly, it ensures that shareholders have the rights for participation and information on key decisions affecting the corporate which could include; proposals to amend the statutes, incorporation articles or any other relevant administration documents of the company, proposals to authorize additional shares and in any decisions to undertake significantly extra ordinary transactions (OECD, 2004). Thirdly, it gives shareholders

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Arrival of Irishmen to Work under Philip Duffy Essay

Arrival of Irishmen to Work under Philip Duffy - Essay Example This discrimination along with a lot of other reasons, economic and social should have prevented the journey of fifty-seven Irish laborers to the United States of America to assist in the construction of a railroad by an American contractor named Philip Duffy. All of them succumbed to death by cholera; recent evidence indicates that many of them may have been murdered (O’ Carroll). Most of them were not granted proper funerals, an event which highlighted the low esteem in which people of Ireland and Catholic nations, in general, were held, in the early nineteenth century. These forms of discrimination along with the spread of Asiatic cholera, a disease which had turned into a pandemic affecting large areas of Europe and America in the 1830s and the subsequent decades, was reason enough for the laborers to not have gone to the United States of America. A lasting cure for this was found out later on (Thomas), but the condition of cheap labor in America would have been the reason for anybody to be cautious. Proper medical facilities were not provided to this man and their lives were often at the risk of being taken by cholera. The condition of the Irish laborers in America was often worse than that of the slaves in America since their wages hardly sufficed for them to afford decent lodgings and good food (Watson, 32). This, along with the threat of disease, meant that the journey to the United States of America was fraught with danger for the Irishmen who worked for Duffy and they undertook it with great peril to their health and eventually, their lives. This alone should have deterred them from their journey to America. The journey that was undertaken by these people should not have materialized, if they had considered the immense risks that it involved, to their lives. The socio-political concerns of the American state were not humanitarian enough to provide safety to these laborers. During this phase, the United States of America, along with other states in Europe, were engaged in improving the state of infrastructure in their countries. Therefore, the safety and well-being of their workers, poor Catholic immigrants at that, was not of primary importance to the American state. It is probably because of this reason that enough payments were not made to Duffy for the building of the railroad that was assigned to him, a part of the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad. In a situation where he did not have sufficient resources, it is believed that he chose to let the laborers bear the brunt of the lack of money, that is, to place them in circumstances that were more likely to push them into being victims of cholera, which they eventually did (ibid, 65). The 1830s was also the decade which saw a raging debate in England regarding the reform bills that were to give more rights to the Catholics of Ireland. This created a polarizing effect in other parts of the world, especially in America, which still was close, politically to England (Robe rts, 689-90). This led to the prejudices against the Catholics to deepen and take a more aggressive turn.