The Civil War Essays - Union, Medal Of Honor, Free Essays

The Civil War Essays - Union, Medal Of Honor, Free Essays The Civil War For minorities, as for other Americans, the Civil War was an opportunity to prove their valor and loyalty. Among the first mustered into the Union Army were a De Kalb regiment of German American clerks, the Garibakdi Guards made up of Italian Americans, a "Polish Legion," and hundreds of Irish American youths form Boston and New York. But in Ohio and Washington, D.C., African American volunteers were turned away from recruiting stations and told, "This is a white man's war." Some citizens questioned the loyalty of immigrants who lived in crowded city tenements until an Italian American from Brooklyn turned that around. In the New York Senate, Democrat Francis Spinola had been a vigorous foe of Republican policies and Lincoln. But now he swore his loyalty with stirring words, "This is my flag, which I will follow and defend." This speech gave great assurance that the masses in the great cities were devoted to the Union and ready to enlist for its defense. More than 400,000 European immigrants fought for the Union, including more than 170,00 Germans and more than 150,00 Irish. Many saw their services as a proud sacrifice. The first officer to die for the Union was Captain Constatin Blandowski, one of many immigrants who earlier had fought for freedom in Europe and then joined Lincoln's army. Born in Upper Silesia and trained at Dresden, Germany, he was a veteran of democratic struggles - a Polish revolt at Krakow, the Polish Legion's battles against Austria, and the Hungarian fight for independence. Some nationalities contributed more than their share of Union soldiers. Some immigrants earned the Congressional Medal of Honor. Italian American officer Louis di Cesnola, was the Colonel of the 4th Cavalry Regiment. At Aldie, Virginia, in 1863, he earned the Medal of Honor and was appointed a general. He charged unarmed at the foe, read his citation, "rallied his men ...until desperately wounded and taken prisoner in action." In 1879 Cesnola became director of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. The museum then became, wrote a critic, "a monument to his energy, enterprise, and rare executive skill." Italian American privates also won the Medal of Honor. Joseph Sova of the 8th Cavalry earned it for capturing the Confederate flag at Appomattox. Private Orlando Caruana of the 51st Infantry won it at Newburn, North Carolina. With bullets whizzing past him, he saved wounded men and rescued the U.S. flag. As 1865 came on, the feel of victory was in the Northern air. And so the Civil War was over. Yet even the ending of the war did not bring real peace. On Good Friday, April 14, 11 days after Union troops had entered Richmond, an actor named John Wilkes Booth assassinated Lincoln as the President watched a play from his box in Ford's Theater, Washington, D.C. The one man who might have brought about a just peace was dead. The Civil War had solved some old problems for the United States. But it created some new problems as well. But many of the problems created by the Civil War have been solved. Towns have been rebuilt, new industries flourish, and new schools have been erected. Most of the damage of war has been long repaired. North and South both enjoy prosperity. But many of the human problems still remain.

Definition of Reliability in Research

Definition of Reliability in Research Reliability is the degree to which a measurement instrument gives the same results each time that it is used, assuming that the underlying thing being measured does not change. Key Takeaways: Reliability If a measurement instrument provides similar results each time it is used (assuming that whatever is being measured stays the same over time), it is said to have high reliability.Good measurement instruments should have both high reliability and high accuracy.Four methods sociologists can use to assess reliability are the test-retest procedure, the alternate forms procedure, the split-halves procedure, and the internal consistency procedure. An Example Imagine that you’re trying to assess the reliability of a thermometer in your home. If the temperature in a room stays the same, a reliable thermometer will always give the same reading. A thermometer that lacks reliability would change even when the temperature does not. Note, however, that the thermometer does not have to be accurate in order to be reliable. It might always register three degrees too high, for example. Its degree of reliability has to do instead with the predictability of its relationship with whatever is being tested. Methods to Assess Reliability In order to assess reliability, the thing being measured must  be measured more than once. For example, if you wanted to measure the length of a sofa to make sure it would fit through a door, you might measure it twice. If you get an identical measurement twice, you can be confident you measured reliably. There are four procedures for assessing the reliability of a test. (Here, the term test refers to a group of statements on a questionnaire, an observers quantitative or qualitative  evaluation, or a combination of the two.) The Test-Retest Procedure Here, the same test is given two or more times. For example, you might create a questionnaire with a set of ten statements to assess confidence. These ten statements are then given to a subject twice at two different times. If the respondent gives similar answers both times, you can assume the questions assessed the subjects answers reliably. One advantage of this method is that only one test needs to be developed for this procedure. However, there are a few downsides of the test-retest procedure. Events might occur between testing times that affect the respondents answers; answers might change over time simply because people change and grow over time; and the subject might adjust to the test the second time around, think more deeply about the questions, and reevaluate their answers. For instance, in the example above, some respondents might have become more confident between the first and second testing session, which would make it more difficult to interpret the results of the test-retest procedure. The Alternate Forms Procedure In the alternate forms procedure (also called parallel forms reliability), two tests are given. For example, you might create two sets of five statements measuring confidence. Subjects would be asked to take each of the five-statement questionnaires. If the person gives similar answers for both tests, you can assume you measured the concept reliably. One advantage is that cueing will be less of a factor because the two tests are different. However, its important to ensure that both alternate versions of the test are indeed measuring the same thing. The Split-Halves Procedure In this procedure, a single test is given once. A grade is assigned to each half separately and grades are compared from each half. For example, you might have one set of ten statements on a questionnaire to assess confidence. Respondents take the test and the questions are then split into two sub-tests of five items each. If the score on the first half mirrors the score on the second half, you can presume that the test measured the concept reliably. On the plus side, history, maturation, and cueing arent at play. However, scores can vary greatly depending on the way in which the test is divided into halves. The Internal Consistency Procedure Here, the same test is administered once, and the score is based upon average similarity of responses. For example, in a ten-statement questionnaire to measure confidence, each response can be seen as a one-statement sub-test. The similarity in responses to each of the ten statements is used to assess reliability. If the respondent doesnt answer all ten statements in a similar way, then one can assume that the test is not reliable. One way that researchers can assess internal consistency is by using statistical software to calculate Cronbach’s alpha. With the internal consistency procedure, history, maturation, and cueing arent a consideration. However, the number of statements in the test can affect the assessment of reliability when assessing it internally.