AcharyaChanakya/simple-wikipedia huggingface dataset:
A ventilation system is a structure that controls airflow inside buildings. Its main function is to constantly supply fresh air, usually from the outside, while sending stale air back out. Fans and pumps, vent grates and air flow tunnels are common in these structures.
The simplest systems are called “natural ventilation,” which usually means that they get their airflow through vents opening to the outside. Mechanical systems are more popular for industry. Mechanical systems are able to regulate other things, including temperature, relative humidity, and oxygen levels.
Fresh air prevents issues like mold and bacteria growth, as well as the spread of disease. It helps eliminate dust, which can lead to cleaner living standards. Single rooms can sometimes be ventilated by opening a window or door, but this isn’t as successful for larger structures.
Ventilation usually collaborates with heating and cooling systems, but not always and they aren’t only limited to buildings. Vehicles frequently have ventilation systems that control air circulation and air quality.
In ancient Persia, structures called windcatchers were built to create natural ventilation. These structures are a traditional method in Persia. They became very popular and are still in use across the Middle East.
African Americans in the American Civil War
The history of African Americans in The American Civil War includes the over four million slaves and approximately 500,000 free African Americans who were living in the United States at the beginning of the war. Altogether they made up 14% of the population of the country. Many served as soldiers in the Union Army.
Slavery began in the English colony of Jamestown in 1619. It started with the purchase of 20 Africans—not as reported by John Rolfe from a Dutch ship—but rather from an English warship named the "White Lyon." The Colonists in the Virginia Colony bought the contracts of the Africans as indentured servants. Not long after this it became a custom to hold slaves for life in the colonies. During the 17th and 18th centuries, slaves were used to raise crops of tobacco and food crops. After the invention of the cotton gin in 1793, cotton became the most important crop. At this point slavery became a critical part of the South's economy. With westward expansion, the question of slavery in the new territories became a subject of great debate. It polarized the nation between the interests of the Northern industrial economy and the South's agricultural economy.
This led to the American Civil War. Millions of slaves were brought to America between the 17th and 19th centuries. Slavery was one of the main issues that led to the outbreak of the Civil War.
The United States Navy, during the Civil War termed the Union Navy, had separate traditions regarding African Americans. The Militia Acts of 1792 excluded black men from serving in the United States Army. This policy remained in place until the second year of the Civil War. The Navy, however, never had such a policy. In the 1840s they limited the number of blacks serving to 5 percent of the enlisted force. But before and after, black and white men served together often performing the same duties. Up to the start of the Civil War, several hundred black men were serving in the Navy. After Fort Sumter was captured by Confederates, a large number of men enlisted in the Navy. The percentage of black men in the Navy rapidly increased. In 1861, they made up about 6 percent of the force. By the summer of 1862 they made up about 15% of the enlisted men.
Many of the African Americans who joined the Navy were from the East Coast of the United States. Many were experienced sailors. Others had worked on the docks and in other related jobs in the shipping industry. The largest number came from Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay area. Also, a large number were transferred from the Army to the Navy in 1864.
African Americans fought in every major campaign and naval battle of the Civil War. They served in the blockading squadrons on the South and Gulf Coasts and in the brown-water navy in the tributaries in the South. African American women served also, most as nurses aboard the "USS Red Rover (1859)", a hospital ship on the Mississippi River. African Americans served in the Navy with great distinction and eight were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation's highest honor.
Unfortunately, this was exactly what President Abraham Lincoln did not want at the time. He was afraid that if he armed African Americans, especially escaped or former slaves, the border states would secede. This would only make the situation worse for the Union than it already was. But after two years of war, Lincoln began to reconsider the idea. The war was not going well for the North and they badly needed soldiers.
The Militia Act of 1862 allowed the army to use African Americans as laborers and soldiers for the first time since 1792. It did not invite blacks to join the Army but it did cause some blacks to form private militia units. In New Orleans three all-black Louisiana Native Guard units were formed (they later became the 73rd, 74th and 75th U.S. Colored Infantry). In Kansas the First Kansas Colored Infantry was formed (later officially becoming the 79th U.S. Colored Infantry). They fought in a skirmish at Island Mound, Missouri in November 1862. The First South Carolina Infantry, African Descent, fought for the first time in November 1862 (later becoming the 33rd U.S. Colored Infantry). In January 1863, these unofficial units were allowed to become part of the Union Army.
Probably the most famous unit was the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. In February 1863, Massachusetts governor John Albion Andrew, issued the first call for black soldiers in the North. Over 1,000 men joined, many from as far away as Canada and even the Caribbean. To lead them the governor chose Robert Gould Shaw, a young white officer. On July 18, 1863, they attacked Fort Wagner guarding the southern approach to Charleston Harbor. The 54th lost 600 men in the attack including Colonel Shaw—nearly half of the regiment. The fort was defended by 1,700 Confederates.
Black soldiers did not receive equal pay to the white soldiers. They also did not receive the same treatment. Their pay was $10 a month, less $3 for uniforms. White soldiers received $13 a month and had no deductions for uniforms. This was changed in June 1864 when Congress voted to grant black soldiers equal pay and made the change retroactive. While black soldiers were allowed to fight for their country, they were not treated as equals to white soldiers. Their units were racially segregated and were commanded by white officers. Some of their officers had very low opinions of black soldiers and did not train them well.
Captured black Union soldiers were a problem for the Confederacy. They could not treat them the same as captured white soldiers or they would be legitimizing them as being equal. It would also imply they accepted Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, which they did not. Three days before the Emancipation Proclamation was to take effect, Jefferson Davis stated: “All negro slaves captured in arms be at once delivered over to the executive authorities of the respective States to which they belong.” The Congress of the Confederate States decided to take it a step further. They later adopted a resolution that any negroes taken in arms would be put on trial for "inciting servile insurrection" and would be punished by the death penalty.
Lincoln declared that “the law of nations … permit no distinction as to color in the treatment of prisoners of war." He stated that if the Confederacy executed any Union soldier, the Union would do the same to a Confederate soldier. If the Confederacy enslaved a Union soldier, a Confederate soldier would be put to hard labor. While Davis publicly denounced Lincoln's order, it did have the desired effect on black prisoners of war. No more were executed or sent into slavery. But, afterwards it depended on the commander of the Confederate units as to what to do about taking black prisoners. Many simply did not take prisoners of war but shot them as they were surrendering. This happened at the Battle of Poison Spring, the Battle of Fort Pillow and at the Siege of Petersburg.
African Americans did serve with the Confederacy. Some went with their masters or were used as labor behind the front lines. They also worked as teamsters and cooks. But for most of the war black men were not allowed to serve as soldiers.
There are, however, nine known photographs of African American men dressed in Confederate uniforms. But the photos do not come with explanations. Of the men in the photos, four are known by name and were slaves who went with their masters to the front lines.
Near the end of the war the idea of using black soldiers was debated. In 1864, General Patrick Cleburne suggested enlisting black slaves into the army. The idea was considered, but it raised the question by at least one Southern politician: "What did we go to war for, if not to protect our property?" Another said: "If slaves will make good soldiers, our whole theory of slavery is wrong." General Robert E. Lee knew he needed soldiers. He stated: "We must decide whether slavery shall be extinguished by our enemies and the slaves be used against us, or use them ourselves." Lee suggested the slaves be freed in exchange for their service as soldiers. But that condition was not in the bill that was approved by the Confederate Congress on March 13, 1865. Only a few thousand blacks enlisted before the war ended. By that time over 200,000 African Americans had served with the Union army.
Arrondissements of the Ardennes department
There are 4 arrondissements in the Ardennes department. The French departments, and in other countries, are divided into "arrondissements", which may be translated into English as districts (in some cases, as boroughs). The capital of an arrondissement is called a subprefecture.
The 4 arrondissements of the Ardennes department are:
Since its creation, the Ardennes department has had some changes:
Gwen Ifill
Gwendolyn L. "Gwen" Ifill (; September 29, 1955 – November 14, 2016) was an American journalist, television newscaster, and author. She was the moderator and managing editor of "Washington Week" and co-anchor and co-managing editor, with Judy Woodruff, of "PBS NewsHour", both of which air on PBS.
Ifill was a political analyst and moderated the 2004 and 2008 American vice-presidential debates. In 2016, she moderate the New Hampshire Democratic Primary debate between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton.
She was the author of the best-selling book "The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama".
Ifill died of endometrial cancer while under hospice care in Washington, D.C. on November 14, 2016, at age 61.
Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter. He recorded as a session musician and sideman. He had a solo career. He had 31 albums to his credit and recorded about 430 songs.
He wrote the song "Delta Lady", recorded by Joe Cocker. He also organized Cocker's "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" tour in 1970. More than 100 artists have recorded his "A Song for You" (1970).
Russell produced and played in recording sessions for Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, Ike & Tina Turner, the Rolling Stones, and others. He wrote and recorded the hits "Tight Rope" and "Lady Blue". In 2011 he was added into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and introduced by longtime friend Elton John.
Russell died in his sleep at his home in Nashville, Tennessee, on November 13, 2016 from heart failure while recovering from heart surgery, at the age of 74.
Lincolnshire, Illinois
Lincolnshire is a village in southern Lake County, Illinois.
Arrondissement of Charleville-Mézières
The arrondissement of Charleville-Mézières is an arrondissement of France in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region. Its capital is the city of Charleville-Mézières.
It is the most northern of the "arrondissements" of the department. It has an area of , the largest "arrondissement" of the department. It is the "arrondissement" with more people living in it, with 160,939 inhabitants and a density of inhabitants/km².
When the Ardennes department was created on 1800, the "arrondissement" of Charleville-Mézières was part of that original department, sometimes we the name of Charleville and other times with the name of Mézières until 1966 when the two "communes" of Charleville and Mézières were joined to form the "commune" of Charleville-Mézières.
The "arrondissement" of Charleville-Mézières is bordered to the northwest and north by the Namur province (Belgium), to the northeast by the Luxembourg province (Belgium), to the east by the "arrondissement" of Sedan, to the southeast by the "arrondissement" of Vouziers, to the southwest by the "arrondissement" of Rethel and to the west by the Aisne department.
There are 11 cantons in the "arrondissement" of Charleville-Mézières; they are (with their INSEE codes):
The "arrondissement" of Charleville-Mézières has 160 "communes"; they are (with their INSEE codes):ː
Ricardo Rosselló
Ricardo Antonio "Ricky" Rosselló Nevares (born March 7, 1979) is a Puerto Rican college professor, scientist, and politician. He was the Governor of Puerto Rico and President of the New Progressive Party.
In mid-July 2019, Rosselló faced controversy after his phone messages were leaked which revealed homophobic messages, plans to create troll accounts for Facebook, evidence of corruption and death threats towards Mayor of San Juan Carmen Yulín Cruz. In July 21, he announced that he would not seek re-election in 2022. On July 24, Rosselló announced his resignation on August 2.
Charles Wesley Turnbull
Charles Wesley Turnbull (born February 5, 1935), was the 27th Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands serving from 1999 through 2007. During his tenure as governor, Turnbull served as a member of the National Governors Association, the Southern Governors' Association, and the Democratic Governors Association.
Pedro Tenorio
Pedro "Teno" Pangelinan Tenorio (April 18, 1934 – May 21, 2018) was a Northern Mariana Islander politician. He was the second and fifth elected Governor of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. With 12 years in office, Tenorio is the longest-serving Governor in CNMI history.
Tenorio died on May 21, 2018 at the Commonwealth Health Center in Saipan of complications from a stroke at the age of 84.
Paul McDonald Calvo
Paul McDonald Calvo (born July 25, 1934) is an Guamanian politician. He was the third elected Governor of Guam from January 1, 1979 to January 3, 1983. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Calvo was born in Agana, Guam. He studied at Santa Clara University. His son, Eddie Calvo, was elected governor of Guam in 2011.
Carlos G. Camacho
Carlos Garcia Camacho (November 16, 1924 – December 6, 1979) was a Guamanian politician and member of the Republican Party. He served as the last appointed Governor of Guam from 1969 to 1971 and the first elected Governor of Guam from 1971 to 1975.
Camacho died on December 6, 1979 in Tamunimg, Guam from a heart attack, aged 55.
Carlos Camacho
Carlos G. Camacho is the former Governor of Guam.
Carlos Camacho may also refer to:
Carlos S. Camacho
Carlos Sablan Camacho (born February 27, 1937) was the first elected Governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a commonwealth of the United States. He served as governor from January 9, 1978 through January 11, 1982. He was a member of the Democratic.
Camacho was born in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. He studied at the University of Hawaii and at the Fiji School of Medicine.
Peter Tali Coleman
Peter Tali Coleman (December 8, 1919 – April 28, 1997) was an American politician. He was the first person of Samoan descent to be appointed Governor of American Samoa and later became the territory's first popularly elected governor.
He was a member of the Republican Party, he is the only U.S. governor whose service spanned five decades (1956–1961, 1978–1985 and 1989–1993) and one of the longest-serving governors of any jurisdiction in American history.
Coleman died in Honolulu, Hawaii on April 28, 1997 from complications of liver cancer, aged 77.
A. P. Lutali
Aifili Paulo Lauvao (December 24, 1919 – August 1, 2002) was an American politician. He served twice as governor of American Samoa from 1985 through 89 and again from 1993 through 1997. He was the founder of the U.S territory's Democratic Party. He had a long career in the legislature and the judiciary in American Samoa.
Lutali was born in Aunu'u Island, American Samoa. He was elected to the American Samoa House of Representatives in 1955 and served as its speaker from 1955 through 1958. Lutali died on August 1, 2002 from complications of a stroke at a hospital in Pago Pago, American Samoa, aged 82.
Kay Starr
Katherine Laverne Starks (July 21, 1922 – November 3, 2016), known as Kay Starr, was an American pop and jazz singer. She was popular in the 1940s and 1950s. She is best remembered for introducing two songs that became #1 hits in the 1950s, "Wheel of Fortune" and "The Rock And Roll Waltz".
Starr died on November 3, 2016 at her home in Beverly Hills, California from complications of Alzheimer's disease at the age of 94.
Blinky Bill (2015 movie)
Blinky Bill the Movie is a 2015 Australian computer-animated adventure movie based on the Blinky Bill character, an anthropomorphic koala created by Dorothy Wall for a children's book series in 1933. The film was produced by Flying Bark Productions (formerly known as Yoram Gross Films Studio, which also produced "Blinky Bill: The Mischievous Koala", a 1992 traditional-animated film featuring the character), and co-produced by Assemblage Entertainment (India) and Telegael (Ireland).
Blinky Bill is a koala with a big imagination. An adventurer at heart, he dreams of leaving the little town of Green Patch and following in his explorer father's footsteps. Mr Bill went missing in the Outback sometime ago and Blinky is the only one who believes his father is still alive. When Blinky discovers a mysterious marker that hints at his Dad's whereabouts, he embarks on a journey that takes him beyond the boundary of Green Patch and into the wild and dangerous Outback. He quickly makes friends with Nutsy, a zoo koala, and Jacko, a nervous frill-necked lizard. Pursued relentlessly by a vengeful feral cat who has a personal score to settle with Blinky, the trio must learn to work together if they ever want to survive the rugged Australian landscape and find Blinky's father!
Ryan Kwanten
David Wenham
David Wenham (born 21 September 1965) is an Australian actor who has appeared in movies, television series and theatre productions. He is known in Hollywood for his roles as Faramir in "The Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy, Carl in "Van Helsing", Dilios in "300" and its sequel "", Al Parker in "Top of the Lake", and Lieutenant John Scarfield in "". He is known in his native Australia for his role as Diver Dan in "SeaChange". Wenham was born in Marrickville, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Robin McLeavy
Robin McLeavy (born 19 June 1981) is an actress from Sydney, Australia.
In 2012, McLeavy was nominated for the Fangoria Chainsaw Award for Best Leading Actress for "The Loved Ones", but lost against Elizabeth Olsen for "Silent House".
Deborah Mailman
Deborah Mailman (born 14 July 1972) is an Australian television film actress, and singer. She was the first Aboriginal actress to win the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role and had gone on to win four more both in television and film. The awards are now known as the AACTA Awards.
She is well known for having played the character Kelly Lewis on successful Australian television series, "The Secret Life of Us". She is also well known for her current role as Cherie Butterfield in the successful Australian drama series "Offspring". She also portrayed the role of Lorraine in the rotating cast of the acclaimed Australian TV series about Aboriginal life "Redfern Now".
She starred in lead roles in the acclaimed films "Rabbit-Proof Fence", "Oddball", "The Sapphires", "Blinky Bill", and "Paper Planes".
Enantiornithes
Enantiornithes is a group of extinct avialans ("birds" in the broad sense). They are the most abundant and diverse group known from the Mesozoic era.
Most had teeth and clawed fingers on each wing, but otherwise looked much like modern birds. Over 80 species of enantiornitheans have been named, but some names represent only single bones, so probably not all are valid species.
Enantiornitheans became extinct at the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary, as did the hesperornithids and all other non-avian dinosaurs. The Enantiornithes are thought to have left no living descendants.
The name "Enantiornithes" means "opposite birds", from Ancient Greek "enantios" ("ἐνάντιος") "opposite" + "ornithes" ("όρνιθες") "birds" . The name was coined by Cyril Alexander Walker in a landmark paper which established the group. In his paper, Walker explained what he meant by "opposite":
This refers to an anatomical feature. The articulation of the shoulder bones has a concave-convex socket joint which is the reverse of the joint in modern birds.
Barry Otto
Barry Otto (born 1941) is an Australian actor and voice artist, primarily of cinema. He is also an amateur artist.
Otto received an AACTA Award for Best Supporting Actor in "Strictly Ballroom". He was also nominated for "Bliss", "Cosi" and "The More Things Change...". Otto portrayed Administrator Allsop in Australia in 2008. He has appeared in "The Dressmaker", "Kiss or Kill", "Dead Letter Office", "The Visitor", "The Great Gatsby", "", "Love's Brother", "Blinky Bill".
An amateur artist, he often paints members of his family. Otto has twice entered the Archibald Prize. He is the father of actresses Gracie and Miranda Otto.
History of the automobile
The early history of the automobile can be divided into a number of eras, based on the method of propulsion. Later periods were defined by trends in exterior styling, size, and utility preferences. The question of who invented the first automobile depends on how automobiles are defined.
This is the period starts with the car made by Karl Benz in 1885. There were earlier inventions that used mainly steam-power to move the vehicles but the Benz car was the first to use a gasoline powered internal combustion engine in what could be called an automobile. The period goes up to the start of the production of Henry Ford's Model T.
This period dates from 1908 to 1914 and the beginning of World War I. While earlier designs were more ornamental, vehicles from this period are simpler and more affordable. It is the time when hundreds of smaller automobile manufacturers were trying to compete for attention and sales. A number of improvements were developed during this time. These include the electric ignition system, four-wheel brakes and the independent suspension. Transmissions were adopted. Along with throttle controls, these allowed the vehicles to travel at a number of speeds depending on conditions.
From about 1920 to 1930, car manufacturers began creating a closed body on the vehicle. This protected the driver and passengers from the weather. Vehicles began using curved glass and the new enclosed bodies gave a sense of privacy. Heaters were added for comfort. Many of the features of modern cars came from this period. These include four-wheel drive, front-wheel drive, and hybrid electric vehicles. Safety glass protected those inside the car from sharp glass in cases of an accident. By the end of the 1920s cars were becoming faster and were showing a level of style and beauty.
The classic era began about 1930 during the Great Depression and ended just before World War II. The Great Depression was a time when many in the United States were just trying to survive. But it is also the era of some of the most significant improvements to the automobile. Cars took on a great deal of style and sophistication. They became works of art in many cases.
Many new features were introduced during this era including the automatic transmission, the V-8, the V-12 and the V-16 engines. The gearshift lever moved to the steering column, hydraulic brakes were introduced for faster stopping and cars got trunks to carry luggage and cargo.
The car industry changed during the 1930s. It saw the rise of the Big Three automakers. These were General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Chrysler. They were able to successfully design and sell cars during the Great Depression when fewer people could afford a new car.
In 1949, the automobile industry finally got back on its feet after World War II. This same year General Motors, Cadillac and Oldsmobile introduced the integrated one-piece automobile body. The process joined all the different parts of the body into one body shell. Cars produced during this period concentrated on safety. Cars were big during this time. But in the late 1960s carmakers tried to market much smaller cars. The attempts by General Motors, Chrysler and Ford were all marketing failures. Instead, what sold was the performance car. Cars like the Ford Mustang and the Plymouth Barracuda were very successful. During the late 1950s, many smaller countries began producing cars. Both India and Iran were making cars from about 1959. The first Indian car design from 1950 was very similar to the Opel Kapitän. The first Iranian cars were very similar to several American cars. Both were designed in the United Kingdom.
This period started about 1968 and continues to today. Body styles changed dramatically. The three most popular are the hatchback, the Minivan and the Sport utility vehicle (SUV). Starting in the Integration period, car manufacturers began designing cars for men while others are designed to attract women. The body shapes, colors and other cues are designed to appeal to a particular sex.
Today, women tend to prefer crossovers more than men. Examples are the Kia Sportage and the Honda CR-V. Men seem to prefer powerful cars like the Chevrolet Camaro and the GMC Sierra pickup truck. In car colors, men seem to prefer brighter colors while more women seem to prefer traditional neutral colors.
Arrondissement of Rethel
The arrondissement of Rethel is an arrondissement of France in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region. Its capital is the city of Rethel.
It is found in the southwest of the department with an area of , the second smallest "arrondissement" of the department. It has 37,142 inhabitants and a density of inhabitants/km².
When the Ardennes department was created on 1800, the "arrondissement" of Rethel was part of that original department.
The "arrondissement" of Rethel is bordered to the north by the "arrondissement" of Charleville-Mézières, to the east by the "arrondissement" of Vouziers, to the south by the Marne department and to the west by the Aisne department.
The cantons in the "arrondissement" of Rethel are (with their INSEE codes):
The "arrondissement" of Rethel has 101 "communes"; they are (with their INSEE codes):
Arrondissement of Sedan
The arrondissement of Sedan is an arrondissement of France in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region. Its capital is the city of Sedan.
It is the most eastern of the "arrondissements" of the department and has an area of , the smallest "arrondissement" of the department. It has 59,584 inhabitants and a density of inhabitants/km².
When the Ardennes department was created on 1800, the "arrondissement" of Sedan was part of that original department.
On 10 September 1926, the "arrondissement" of Sedan was eliminated but in 1942 it was made again an "arrondissement".
The "arrondissement" of Sedan is bordered to the north by Belgium (Luxembourg province), to the east by the Meuse department, to the south by the "arrondissement" of Vouziers and to the west by the "arrondissement" of Charleville-Mézières.
There are 5 cantons in the "arrondissement" of Sedan; they are (with their INSEE codes):
The "arrondissement" of Sedan has 73 "communes"; they are (with their INSEE codes):
Antero de Quental (1842-1891) - Portuguese thinker and poet, leader of generation of seventies.
Antero Tarquínio de Quental was born on 18 April 1842 in Ponta Delgada in the islands of Azores. He was a son of Fernando de Quental, a former soldier, and his wife Ana Guilhermina da Maia. He studied at the University of Coimbra and soon became a leader of his fellow students. He protested against the shape of Portuguese poetry of the time.
He shot himself on 11 september 1891 in his native town.
During his stay at the university he wrote "Raios de Extincta Luz" ("Rays of Vanishing Light") and "Primaveras Românticas" ("Romantic Springtimes"). Antero de Quental's most famous work however is "Odes Modernas", published in 1865. He wrote in the first place sonnets. They were translated into English in 1922 by Sylvanus Griswold Morley as "Sonnets and poems of Anthero de Quental". He wrote essays, too, for example "Bom Senso e Bom Gosto" ("Good Sense and Good Taste").
Arrondissement of Vouziers
The arrondissement of Vouziers is an arrondissement of France in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region. Its capital is the city of Vouziers.
It is found in the southeast of the department with an area of , the second largest "arrondissement" of the department, but the one with fewest people living in it with 22,050 inhabitants and a density of inhabitants/km².
When the Ardennes department was created on 1800, the "arrondissement" of Vouziers was part of that original department.
The "arrondissement" of Vouziers is bordered to the northwest by the "arrondissement" of Charleville-Mézières, to the north by the "arrondissement" of Sedan, to the east by the Meuse department, to the south by the Marne department and to west by the "arrondissement" of Rethel.
There are only two cantons in the "arrondissement" of Vouziers:
The "arrondissement" of Vouziers has 118 "communes"; they are (with their INSEE codes):ː
Mose Allison
Mose John Allison, Jr. (November 11, 1927 – November 15, 2016) was an American jazz blues pianist, singer and songwriter. It was not until 1963 that his record label allowed him to release an album entirely of vocals. He was known for his songs "Parchman Songs" and "Young Man Blues".
Allison died on November 15, 2016 at his home in Hilton Head, South Carolina from natural causes, ages 89.
Robert A. McDonald
Robert Alan McDonald (born June 20, 1953) was the eighth United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He is the retired chairman, president, and CEO of Procter & Gamble. On July 29, 2014, the U.S. Senate voted 97-0 to confirm McDonald as President Barack Obama's choice to succeed General Eric Shinseki as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. On July 30, 2014 he was sworn into office.
Steven Mnuchin
Steven Terner Mnuchin (born December 21, 1962) is an American banker, movie producer and political fundraiser. He was the 77th United States Secretary of the Treasury, under the Trump Administration from February 13, 2017 to January 20, 2021.
Mnuchin was born to a Jewish family, circa 1963. He is the son of Elaine Terner Cooper and Robert E. Mnuchin. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Yale University.
Mnuchin had a fortune estimated at over $40 million while working for Goldman Sachs. In 2002, Mnuchin left Goldman and worked briefly for his Yale roommate Edward Lampert, chief executive of Sears. He also briefly worked for Soros Fund Management.
In Hollywood, Mnuchin, along with movie producer Brett Ratner and financier James Packer, working with RatPac-Dune Entertainment, produced "American Sniper" and "".
Mnuchin supported Mitt Romney during the 2012 U.S. presidential election.
In May 2016, he was named finance chair of the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign. After Trump won the presidency, he is seen as Trump's top pick for United States Secretary of the Treasury.
On November 30, 2016 it was announced that Mnuchin would be nominated as Secretary of the Treasury in the coming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
On February 13, 2017, Mnuchin was confirmed by a 53–47 vote in the U.S. Senate. He was sworn-in by Vice President Mike Pence the same day.
As Secretary of the Treasury, Mnuchin has been a supporter of proposed tax reform, and for reducing corporate tax rates. Mnuchin supports a partial repeal of Dodd-Frank. Mnuchin's use of government aircraft for personal usage has come under fire from watchdog groups.
In 1999, he married Heather deForest Crosby, who was his second wife, and they had three children together. They divorced in 2014. He married actress Louise Linton in 2017. They lived in Los Angeles, California and currently lives in Washington, D.C..
Fugitive slave laws
The Fugitive Slave Acts were two federal laws that concerned runaway slaves in the United States. The two acts were passed in 1793 and in 1850. They required federal involvement in catching runaway slaves in Northern States. The laws were designed to protect Southern slave owners. They required those states and jurisdictions to help in the capture and delivery of fugitive slaves. The laws were very unpopular in the North. They caused a great deal of resentment in the years leading up to the American Civil War.
Slavery in America began in the English colony of Jamestown in 1619. It started with the purchase of 20 Africans from an English warship named the "White Lyon." The Colonists in the Virginia Colony bought the contracts of the Africans as indentured servants. Not long after this it became a custom to hold slaves for life in the colonies. During the 17th and 18th centuries, slaves were used to raise crops of tobacco and food crops. After the invention of the cotton gin in 1793, cotton became the most important crop. At this point slavery became a critical part of the South's economy.
The issue of slavery caused difficulties for the United States almost from its beginning as a country. The framers of the Constitution used ambiguous language regarding the holding of slaves. Neither the word "slave" or "slavery" were used in the Constitution. The problem was in creating a democracy that ensured its citizens freedom while keeping a considerable part of the population in slavery without any freedoms.
In the United States, up to the 1860s, slaves and indentured servants were treated as personal property. They were subject to the property laws of the individual states. At first, most of the laws concerned indentured servants. But the laws began to differentiate between indentured servants and slaves around the middle of the 17th century. They also began to differentiate between races. People of African descent began to be held as slaves for life.
Men and women slaves were generally treated the same under most state laws. However, some states had laws that applied only to women slaves. For example, Virginia passed laws punishing women who had children by their masters. They also confirmed the slave status of any children born of a "Negro or mulatto women". Great Britain had a structured system whereby children claimed their lineage through their father. This also applied to illegitimate children (parents were not married). Virginia was the first colony to change this. Slave children were considered the same race and status as the mother, even if the child was fathered by a white man. Laws concerning rape did not apply to black and Indian women. A slave woman could not defend herself against the attack by a white person. If she did, she was subject to beatings. While it was illegal to have relations with a slave woman, the laws were not usually enforced. This system increased the wealth of slave owners. They did not have to buy slaves if they could breed their own.
Slaves, whether born into slavery or purchased as a slave, had no legal rights. The United States Supreme Court decision "Dred Scott v. Sandford" (1857) confirmed that slaves were not citizens of the United States nor of any state they reside in. In 1868 the Fourteenth Amendment overturned the Dred Scott decision.
The Northwest Ordinance (1787) was an act of the Congress of the Confederation of the United States (before the United States Constitution). It created the Northwest Territory, the first organized territory of the United States. The Ordinance provided that the territory would be formed into "not less than three nor more than five States".
The territory was made up of lands beyond the Appalachian Mountains. It was south of British North America and the Great Lakes. It was north of the Ohio River. Article VI of the Northwest Ordinance prohibited slavery in the new territory. However, it contained a provision that any fugitive slaves caught in the territory would be returned to their owners. It also did not place any restrictions on slavery within any new states formed from the Northwest Territory. Southerners had no problems with the ban on slavery. They thought that most of the new settlers would come from Southern states. Once a state was formed, the former Southerners would vote to allow slavery. However, none of the states formed from the Northwest Territory ended up allowing slavery.
When the United States Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation in 1789, Article Four of the United States Constitution contained the Fugitive Slave Clause. It states:
While Article IV, Section 2 of the United States Constitution did guarantee the right of slave owners to reclaim fugitive slaves. However, it did not set up the legal mechanism. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 passed by the second Congress added that mechanism. It authorized the arrest of runaway slaves and gave any magistrate of a town, city or county to rule on the arrest. The slave hunter only had to state the person captured was a runaway slave. No proof was required and there was no trial. It added a fine of $500 to any person who helped a runaway slave. It was passed in response to the rise of abolitionism in the North and also to the Underground Railroad that was set up to help slaves escape the South.
The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was a controversial part of the Compromise of 1850. The 1850 slave law added penalties for officials who did not arrest alleged runaway slaves. It fined them $1,000. Any law enforcement official was required to arrest anyone suspected of being a runaway slave. All that was required was a persons sworn testimony of ownership. As before there was no trial and the suspect could not testify on their own behalf. Anyone who provided food or shelter to any suspected runaway slave was subject to six months in prison and a fine of $1,000. An officer who captured a runaway slave would get a bonus or a promotion. The 1850 law provided for special commissioners to decide if the alleged fugitive was to be returned to slavery. He received $10 if the fugitive was returned, but only $5 if the fugitive was freed. This amounted to a legal form of bribery. This caused a large number of free blacks to be sent into slavery.
The 1850 Fugitive Slave Law caused outrage in the Northern States. It caused thousands of Northerners to be convinced slavery should not be allowed in the western territories. Eight states in the North passed "personal liberty" laws. These prevented any official from helping to return a runaway slave. Southerners regarded these laws as being illegal attempts to prevent the return of their slaves. In the North, free black communities provided runaway slaves with sanctuary and hid them from the hired kidnappers searching for them. About 15,000 free blacks emigrated to Canada, the Caribbean and Africa after the 1850 law was passed. Thousands of others including free blacks were not so lucky and were sent South.
In 1851, a gun battle broke out between abolitionists and slave catchers in Christiana, Pennsylvania. In Wisconsin a fugitive named Joshua Glover was forcibly freed from a jail. In Boston, a mob tried to free a fugitive named Anthony Burns. It took 22 companies of state troopers to stop them. The Southern states were completely convinced the North would not follow the slave laws.
Jack Vettriano, OBE (né Jack Hoggan, born 17 November 1951), is a Scottish painter. His 1992 painting, "The Singing Butler", became a best-selling image in Britain.
Jack Vettriano grew up in the industrial seaside town of Methil, Fife. He was raised in poverty, and lived with his mother, father and older brother in a spartan miner’s cottage, sharing a bed with his brother and wearing hand-me-down clothes. From the age of 10, his father sent him out to earn money. His father took half his earnings. Vettriano left school at 16.
Much of his art education came from studying paintings at the Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery.
It is fair to say that Vettriano is controversial. Professional art critics do not seem to like his work, but the public does. He is one of at least three modern British artists to make a great deal of money from his works.
In 1989 Vettriano had two canvases in the Royal Scottish Academy annual show. Both paintings sold on the first day and Vettriano was approached by several galleries. Further exhibitions followed in Edinburgh, London, Hong Kong and Johannesburg. In November 1999, Vettriano’s work was shown for the first time in New York City, when 21 paintings were displayed at The International 20th Century Arts Fair at The Armory. More than 40 collectors from the UK flew out for the event and 20 paintings were sold on the opening night.
His easel paintings cost between £48,000 and £195,000 new. According to "The Guardian" he earns £500,000 a year in print royalties. Vettriano's 1992 painting, "The Singing Butler", has been the best-selling image in Britain. On 21 April 2004 the original canvas of "The Singing Butler" sold at auction for £744,500. It had been rejected in 1992 by the Royal Academy summer exhibition.
In March 2010, "Days Of Wine And Roses" was opened by Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond at the Kirkcaldy Museum. The exhibition then transferred to Vettriano's gallery in London.
In February 2011, it was announced that Vettriano's self-portrait "The Weight" would be displayed at the re-opened Scottish National Portrait Gallery from November 2011, the first time he had exhibited at a national gallery. Deputy director Nicola Kalinsky said Vettriano was "a figure we have wanted on our wall for a while for obvious reasons". First Minister, Alex Salmond said of Vettriano, "He is a wonderful artist of considerable talent and achievement and this is a magnificent tribute to the special place he holds in the hearts of people in Scotland."
In September 2013, a major retrospective of Vettriano's work opened at Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. 'Jack Vettriano: A Retrospective' ran until 23 February 2014 and featured over 100 works.
Devendra Jhajharia
Devendra Jhajharia (born 10 June 1981) is an Indian Paralympic javelin thrower competing in F46 events. The first Indian Paralympian to win two gold medals at the Paralympics, he won his first gold in the javelin throw at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, becoming only the second gold medalist at the Paralympics for his country. At the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, he won a second gold medal in the same event, bettering his previous record. Devendra is currently being supported by the GoSports Foundation through the Para Champions Programme.
Umayyad conquest of Hispania
The Umayyad conquest of Hispania was the expansion of the Umayyad Caliphate over Hispania, from 711 to 788.
The conquest destroyed the Visigothic Kingdom and set up the Emirate of Cordova under Abd ar-Rahman I. This completed al-Andalus, the unification of Muslim-ruled Iberia (756–788). The conquest was the westernmost expansion of the Umayyad Caliphate and Muslim rule into Europe. Charles Martel defeated them in the Battle of Tours, so they did not conquer France.
The conquering army was made up mainly of Berbers (north-western Africa). They had only recently come under Muslim influence. They arrived in early 711 at Gibraltar.
The Umayyad Caliphate in Damascus was overthrown around 750 AD, but continued in al-Andalus until 1031.
The period from 710 to the fall of the last Islamic state in the Battle of Granada in 1492 is called the "Reconquista".
John Brown's Body (epic poem)
John Brown's Body is an epic poem by American poet Stephen Vincent Benét.
In 1925 Stephen Vincent Benét decided to write a long poem. With this proposal he approached the Guggenheim Foundation. He asked for 2 500 dollars and got it. Then he went to France. He settled in Paris and began to write. The poem was published in 1928. At once it became very popular. No American poem gained such popularity earlier. Ever Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's works were not so widely read. 130 000 copies of the book were sold during two years. For this poem the poet received the Pulitzer Prize in 1929. Many years later he got the second Pulitzer Prize for the poem "Western Star".
The poem in written in many measures. The poet employs both regular blank verse, free verse and different stanzas. This fragment is an example of classical blank verse.
From time to time the poet uses alliteration.
John Brown's Body is a poem about Civil War in America. The story begins with John Brown and his deeds. It ends with general Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. In this work historical and fictional persons are presented together. In 1953 Charles Laughton turned the poem into a play. It was performed in many theatres in America.
Slave Power
Slave Power, also called the Slave Power conspiracy and Slaveocracy, was a term first coined by abolitionists in 1839 and was in common use by the 1850s. It referred to the economic, social and political influence held by slaveholders in the South. Southern slaveholders had a great deal power in Congress and many other federal offices up to and including the presidency. This is in spite of the fact they made up only a small minority of the population of the nation. These few very powerful men used their influence to maintain the institution of slavery. The fear in the North was that the slave power conspiracy intended to not only to spread slavery to the Western territories but to all the states in the North.
By the late 1850s, there was a widespread belief that a slaveholding oligarchy ran the country. That they ran it for their own benefit to spread slavery was also a popular belief. It was what Abraham Lincoln and the new Republican Party used to gain political power. It was also popular among conspiracy theorists, which pro-slavery opponents tried to use to discredit the idea. But it was members of the Free Soil Party in the 1840s and the Republicans in the 1850s that gave Slave Power its credibility. On March 12, 1857, the Cincinnati Daily Commercial published an article about Slave Power. The article called the United States "one great homogeneous slave-holding community" and that slavery had removed all state boundaries. It charged that Slave Power had three objectives. These were: to reopen the slave trade; to extend slavery to the entire country and beyond; and to make the white man a slave to the slave-holding Southern aristocracy and the Northern capitalists.
After 1850, Southern slaveholders had been lobbying for the reopening of the slave trade. So that charge seemed valid. Abolitionists had ample evidence Slave Power wanted to extend slavery to all the states and even the hemisphere. The third claim, that white men would become slaves to the Slave Power was harder to prove even though many believed it was true.
Those who defended slavery had a number of arguments to justify the institution. They said it would destroy the economy of the South. Without slave labor they could not raise cotton, tobacco or rice. Freeing the slaves would cause widespread unemployment, it would lead to uprisings, bloodshed and complete chaos. They pointed to the French Revolution as an example. They pointed out slavery had existed all through history. It was in the Bible and even Abraham had slaves. Their legal argument pointed to the Supreme Court of the United States who decided in "Dred Scott v. Sandford" (1857) that blacks were not citizens but were property.