Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Biography of Peggy Shippen, Socialite and Spy

Biography of Peggy Shippen, Socialite and Spy Peggy Arnold (born Margaret Shippen; July 11, 1760–August 24, 1804) was a Philadelphia socialite during the American Revolution. She was part of a notoriously Loyalist family and social circle, but she became infamous for her role in the treason of her husband, General Benedict Arnold. Fast Facts: Peggy Shippen Known For:  Socialite and spy who helped her husband, General Benedict Arnold, commit treasonBorn:  July 11, 1760 in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDied:  August 24, 1804 in London, EnglandSpouse:  General Benedict Arnold (m. 1779-1801)Children:  Edward Shippen Arnold, James Arnold, Sophia Matilda Arnold, George Arnold, William Fitch Arnold Pre-Revolution Childhood The Shippen family was one of the wealthiest and most prominent families in Philadelphia. Peggys father, Edward Shippen IV, was a judge, and although he tried to keep his political views as private as possible, he was generally counted as a â€Å"Tory† or â€Å"Loyalist† to the British colonials, not an ally of the would-be revolutionaries. Peggy was the Shippens’ fourth daughter, born after three successive older sisters (Elizabeth, Sarah, and Mary) and a brother, Edward. Because she was the youngest of the family, Peggy was generally considered the favorite and was particularly doted upon by her parents and others. As a child, she was educated like most girls of her social class: basic school subjects, as well as accomplishments considered suitable for a wealthy young lady, such as music, embroidery, dancing, and sketching. Unlike some of her contemporaries, however, Peggy displayed a particular interest in politics from a young age. She learned about political and financial matters from her father. As she grew older, she gained an understanding of these topics as they related to the Revolution; she had hardly known a time when the colonies were not at war, since the war began when she was only five years old. A Tory Belle Despite her genuine interest in politics, Peggy was still a young woman concerned with social events, and she tended to move mostly in Loyalist circles. By 1777, when Peggy was seventeen, Philadelphia was under the control of the British, and the Shippen home was central to many social events involving the British officers and Loyalist families. Among these guests was a significant figure: Major John Andre. At the time, Andre was an up-and-coming figure in the British forces, under the command of General William Howe. He and Peggy met often in social settings and were believed to be particularly close. The pair definitely shared a flirtation, and it’s fairly likely that their relationship bloomed into a full-fledged romance. When the British abandoned their stronghold in Philadelphia upon news of French aid coming to the rebels, Andre left with the rest of his troops, but Peggy kept up a correspondence with him in subsequent months and years. The city was placed under the command of Benedict Arnold in the summer of 1778. It was at this point that Peggy’s personal politics began to change, at least outwardly. Despite her father still being a staunch Tory, Peggy began to grow close to General Arnold. Their differences in political background were not the only gap between them: Arnold was 36 to Peggy’s 18. Despite this, Arnold sought the consent of Judge Shippen to propose to Peggy, and although the judge was mistrusting, he ultimately gave his consent. Peggy wed Arnold on April 8, 1779. Life as Mrs. Arnold Arnold purchased Mount Pleasant, a mansion just outside the city, and planned to renovate it for his family. They did not end up living there, however; it became a rental property instead. Peggy found herself with a husband who was not necessarily as much in favor as he once had been. Arnold had been profiting off of his command in Philadelphia, and upon being caught in 1779, he was found guilty of a few minor corruption charges and was reprimanded by George Washington himself. At this point, Peggy’s favoring of the British began to re-emerge. With her husband furious at his countrymen and their social circle increasingly including those with British sympathies, the opportunity arose to switch sides. Peggy had kept in touch with her old flame Andre, now a major and the spy chief for British General Sir Henry Clinton. Historians are divided as to who was the original instigator of communications between Andre and Arnold: while some point to Peggy’s close relationship with Andre, others suspect Jonathan Odell or Joseph Stanbury, both Loyalists affiliated with the Arnolds. Regardless of who started it, the undisputed fact is that Arnold began communications with the British in May 1779, sharing information on troop locations, supply lines, and other vital military intelligence. Espionage and Aftermath Peggy did play some part in these exchanges: she facilitated some of the communications, and some of the surviving letters include portions written in her handwriting, with her husband’s messages on the same sheet, written in invisible ink. In 1792, it would be revealed that Peggy was paid  £350 for handling some messages. Around this time, however, Peggy became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son, Edward, in March 1780. The family moved to a home near West Point, the crucial military post where Arnold had gained command- and where he was slowly weakening defenses in order to make it easy to hand over to the British. In September 1780, the plot fell apart. On September 21, Andre and Arnold met so that Arnold could hand over significant documents related to the West Point plot. As Andre attempted to return to British territory, however, he was persuaded by his go-between that it would be safer to ride in plain clothes; as a result, he was captured on September 23 and deemed a spy instead of an enemy officer. Arnold fled on September 25, leaving Peggy and their son behind. George Washington and his aides, including Alexander Hamilton, were scheduled to have a breakfast with the Arnolds that morning, and they discovered his treason as they arrived to find Peggy alone. Peggy became hysterical upon â€Å"discovering† her husband’s treason, which may have helped buy Arnold time to escape. She returned to her family in Philadelphia and feigned ignorance until a letter between Andre and Peggy was discovered, upon which she was sent to British-occupied New York with her husband, where their second son, James, was born. Andre was executed as a spy. Post-Revolution Life and Legacy The Arnolds fled to London in December 1781, and Peggy was presented at the royal court in February 1782. It was here that she was paid for her services in the war – an annual pension for her children, plus  £350 on the orders of King George III himself. The Arnolds had two more children – a son and a daughter – but both died in infancy in London. Arnold returned to North America in 1784 for a business opportunity in Canada. While he was there, Peggy gave birth to their daughter Sophia, and Arnold may have had an illegitimate son in Canada. She joined him there in 1787, and they had two more children. In 1789, Peggy visited family in Philadelphia, and she was made very unwelcome in the city. By the time the Arnolds left Canada to return to England in 1791, they were unwelcome in Canada, too, where mobs met them with protests as they departed. Arnold died in 1801, and Peggy auctioned off much of their property to cover his debts. She died in London of 1804, possibly from cancer. Although history remembers her husband as the ultimate traitor, historians have also come to conclude that Peggy played a role in that treason. Her legacy is a mysterious one, with some believing she was just a British sympathizer and others believing she orchestrated the whole betrayal (Aaron Burr and his wife, Theodosia Prevost Burr, were among the sources of the latter belief). Either way, Peggy Shippen Arnold went down in history as party to one of the most infamous actions in American history. Sources Brandt, Clare The Man in the Mirror: A Life of Benedict Arnold. Random House, 1994.Cooney, Victoria. Love and the Revolution. Humanities, vol. 34, no. 5, 2013.Stuart, Nancy. Defiant Brides: The Untold Story of Two Revolutionary-Era Women And the Radical Men They Married. Boston, Beacon Press, 2013.

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Dont Underestimate the Value of Your Own Town

Dont Underestimate the Value of Your Own Town Used to be, when I thought about travel writers, while longing to be one myself, I thought only of those lucky few fortunate enough to land all-expenses-paid assignments to produce articles in places like Burma or Bhutan. I never considered the possibilities my own city had to offer in the way of travel-related articles.    My thinking changed, however, when I subscribed to a travel newsletter. Every month the newsletter spotlighted a city, either foreign or domestic, giving a full logistics report. As I lived in Lexington, Kentucky, at the time, I queried the editor of the newsletter and asked would she be interested in a logistics article on Lexington. She said yes.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Even though I’d lived there for several years, I’d been too busy raising four sons and working full time to get around and actually see what Lexington had to offer. Too, Lexington was simply where I lived and worked; as such, I never considered it newsworthy enough to write about. When I received the assignment, however, I saw it in a whole new light.   Endless opportunities for travel articles abounded, not only for the assignment I already had, but for a string of other articlesthe bourbon distilleries, the wineries, the racetracks, the nightlife, the culture, the sports.    From my initial article I was able to pitch other variations to different magazines. I found travel-writing opportunities in Lexington’s surrounding communities also. In Keene, Kentucky, only 15 miles outside of Lexington, for example, I saw the possibility of a travel essay in a rambling wood-frame hotel, once a popular summer resort and place of safety during a cholera panic in the mid-l800s. As a portion of the hotel also currently housed a down-home-type restaurant that featured the best Southern cooking I’d ever tasted, that also became an article. The Wisconsin town I now reside in is so isolated and pitiably small that it really doesn’t offer enough to bring that traffic jam of eager tourists to its city limits. But, Green Bay, home of the Green Bay Packers and historic Lambeau Field Stadium, is only a mere 30 miles away, and I’m already putting together a list of possible travel articles on that city.    If you’re a beginning travel writer, live in a small town and have limited travel money, consider checking out near Also, even though your city or town IS small, perhaps it’s connected to other small towns (Door County in Wisconsin, for example, a string of very small towns, runs along both sides of the peninsula and attracts hundreds of tourists each year). If your town is part of such a string of towns, and barring it has at least one notable attraction, include it as part of a driving-trip travel piece of a larger whole. To get an idea on how to write a travel piece on your city or town, decide on the format you wish to useshort getaway, essay/story, historic place, driving trip, little-known or undiscovered place, etc.   Then, using an example article from the publication you wish to write for, follow the example.   

Friday, February 14, 2020

Strategic Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Management - Assignment Example The company has strategic options like developing strategic alliances with local retailers, offering cost leadership and competitive pricing. Table of Contents Strategic management of TESCO supermarket 14 1 Strategic management of TESCO supermarket 1 Executive summary 2 Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Business environment 5 PEST framework 5 Political factors 5 Economical factors 6 Social factors 6 Technological factors 7 Porter’s five forces 7 Threat of new entrant 7 Bargaining power of suppliers 8 Bargaining power of consumers 8 Threat of substitutes 9 Bargaining power of competitors 9 Internal analysis 9 Swot analysis 11 Challenges facing the organization 12 Strategic options 12 References 14 Introduction Food retail sector in the United Kingdom employs over 3 million people. This makes it the largest industry in the economy. However, a growing number of supermarkets are coming under intense pressure because of unprofessional treatment meted on stakeholders in the supply chain. Tesco and other supermarkets are committed to strategic development networks that lead to increased productivity. This report gives a strategic management analysis of Tesco supermarket. ... United Kingdom is Tesco’s largest market. In this market Tesco operates under Metro, Express, Extra and Superstore banners. The retailer has diversified to non-food lines e.g. clothing. Tesco delivers close to 40,000 food products. The companies label products operate at three levels. Most of the stores contain gas stations. Therefore, it has grown to become of the leading petrol retailers in Britain. Tesco personal finance is a retailing service offered by the supermarket is a bid to expand its market share. Business environment The business environment on a retailer plays a central role in its profitability. Companies are under intense pressure to acknowledge their responsibility to the society. The introduction of taxes that target the increased advertising of fatty food is bound to affect the performance of the supermarket (Stone 2009). The relationship between consumers and supplies has also been affected because of the ‘fat tax’. The presence of powerful com petitors has led to intense price wars. In some instances, the foreign market environment is hostile and governments try to protect the local industries from foreign competition. Government policies that promote monopoly controls have been blamed for limited access to some markets and segments. Such policies have the capacity to reduce the buying power of consumers. Differentiation is increasingly becoming difficult because of unhealthy competition and government interference. Tesco has developed a policy in which it reduces the prices for fuel based on the amount of sales at its groceries. The retailer compensates by raising prices in other stores. PEST framework Political factors Besides the United Kingdom, Tesco operates in six countries in Europe. The legislative and

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Is it over-ambitious to expect spatial planning to deliver better Essay

Is it over-ambitious to expect spatial planning to deliver better health - Essay Example started developing sewer systems in all cities in order to address the outbreak of epidemics such as cholera, influenza and tuberculosis (Jackson 2011, p 23). In the last two decades, there has been considerable interest in the relationship between the fields of urban planning and public health in order to address the major health concerns (Greed, 1999, p 9). Currently, the role of government in urban environment and city planning has been critical in enhancing the health of population since city planners issue built environment regulations and zoning laws that determine the design of the infrastructure, sewer systems, roads, public spaces and social amenities in the neighborhoods (Boone and Modarres 2009, p 30). Spatial planning leads to better health and sustainable communities. Planning concepts such as Spatial Urban Health Equity Indicators (SUHEI) allows the urban planning authorities to determine the relationship between exposure to health hazards and health effects. The initial goal of planning was to offer healthy living conditions for the growing urban populations, but recent planning efforts focus on the importance of space and place in the communities (Cullingworth and Nadin, 2006, p 9). According to environmental research, the surrounding social, biological, chemical and physical factors determine the quality of health of an individual since factors such as unemployment, unsafe neighborhoods, noise and radiation negatively affect the health and wellbeing of an individual. The Driving force-Pressure-State-Exposure-Effect-Action (DPSEEA) model outlines that driving forces push the environmental factors that that ultimately pressure the environment through human exploitation thus exposing human beings to conditions that turn out to be environmental h azards (Jackson, 2011, p 13). The Multiple Exposures-Multiple Effects (MEME) model outlines that contextual factors such as economic development, demographics and social conditions influence the exposure to

Friday, January 24, 2020

At-Risk Students :: essays papers

At-Risk Students Historical Overview Overall â€Å"student performance was lower in the early 1900s than it is today, quite possibly because schools felt much less pressure than they do today to achieve equity and excellence among students† (Rossi, 1994, p.4). While many of the challenges schools encountered during the early 20th century are the same challenges in present day schools, they were not addressed back then because they were not a priority. The focus on equity and excellence that has been developed since the turn of the century is worthy of praise (Rossi, 1994, p.4). Throughout much of U.S. history, the separate and unequal schooling of diverse groups has been reinforced. Ethnicity and class have been perhaps the most obvious basis for discrimination, but other student characteristics, such as gender and disability, have also been used to separate students and place them into appropriate courses regardless of their potential or interest (Rossi, 1994). Soon, reform movements, dating back to the 19th century, to provide all students with a common and equal education that cut across differences in class, ethnicity and religion became a focus. Diversity among students including differences in culture, language and socioeconomic stance is not a new trend. The difference, however, is that today, the school system realizes that all students, including those who differ in some way from the "average" student, or those â€Å"at-risk† must be provided with an equal, opportune education (Morris, 1991). Defining Students At-Risk Sometimes, determining when students are at risk can be a difficult task. The term â€Å"at-risk† has been used to describe a particular category of students who, on the basis of several risk factors, are unlikely to graduate from high school (Land, Stringfield, 2002). Yet educators are also confronted with children who have other at-risk conditions. For example, educators will be responsible for working with students who are at risk due to health problems, substance abuse, disabilities, socioeconomic status and other various reasons. These conditions can make students academically at-risk, or in danger of not meeting their educational potential. The use of the term â€Å"at-risk† to describe learners is often controversial and deserves consideration, as the at-risk label can convey a negative connotation. Causes of At-Risk Conditions Determining the cause of at risk conditions can be helpful and can contribute to the development of reform programs. First, school conditions might actually be creating at-risk conditions. â€Å" Inappropriate instruction, competitive learning environments, ability grouping and hostile classroom environments are just a few ways schools contribute to the problem† (Muller, 2001, p.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Altria Corporation

Altria Group is the mother company of Phillip Morris international (altria, 2007), company known for its dominance in the world of tobacco production. Altria, which means â€Å"tobacco† (Offen, 2006), became the official company name of Phillip Morris Companies since 2003. Today, this company is considered to be the largest tobacco firm in the world market. The company not only caters on the production of tobacco products but also the manufacturing of some food products like Jell-O, Kool-Aid and a lot more since they are part owner of Kraft Foods- ranked second in food production next to Nestle’.Current Situation of the Company By this year, Altria Group is currently ranked 71st in the Fortune Global 500. With a profit of about $12 million and a profit growth rate of 15. 2%, Altria is now playing a good position in the global market (cnnmoney. com, 2007). As compared to other tobacco producers in the market, Altria defeated British American Tobacco, Japan Tobacco and Al tadis. As most of the market analysts, most of the profit of the company is attributed to its international sales.The company sells more abroad than inside US. Based from the company’s quarterly report, on their fourth quarter period sales increased by 13% due to the purchase of Indonesia and Columbia. Last 2006, the total sales of Altria is around 35,000 units and continuously increasing (Burritt, 2006). Currently, some of the bulk of their profits comes from the increase of their tobacco product prices. It is their Marlboro brand that keeps their sales on a smooth track and still remains their â€Å"trade mark†.Marlboro becomes popular in the 1970’s that bring the company on its greatest height. Currently, Altria plans to concentrate solely on the production of tobacco. As of March 30, 2007, Kraft Foods already separated into different business entities, this makes Altria no longer have any interest in Kraft Foods. Impression with the World Wide Operation of A ltria Group Well, the company has indeed a lot of â€Å"right† to claim that they are the best tobacco company internationally.The company has its adequate resources to finance all of its undertaking here and abroad. It is a good thing that this company operates internationally because it supplies the ever increasing demand for tobacco products in other country. If it is not the help of Altria Group, there would be a shortage in the supply of tobacco products giving pressure to its prices to increase significantly harming the consumers since they will have to pay higher price tobacco products that what is socially right.As of now, the existence of Altria Group in the market is beneficial given the current situation of various agents in the market. But for sure, there would come a time wherein the dominance of Altria in the tobacco industry could harm other businesses. It is up to the government to keep track of the performance of the tobacco industry and impose appropriate po licies to equilibrate the market.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Does height matter in the NBA - 2351 Words

Introduction: For the people who dont know, the acronym NBA stands for National Basketball Association. NBAs mission is to be the most respected and successful sports league and sports marketing organization in the world. Basketball popularity has been increasing through out the years and many consider the sport as second most popular in the world. Like every sport basketball, has its share of myths and misconceptions. One of the most popular myths that surround this sport is the height factor. The general population tends to think that height is a key factor when playing this sport. This reports purpose is to clear up the misconception of the height factor that the general population has. Hypothesis: Basketball myths such as You†¦show more content†¦The formula Player Efficiency Rating (PER) sums up a players accomplishments (the statistical ones, anyway) for a season. The ratings are not intended to be the final word on how a player performs, but are designed to inform the debate. (http://www.alleyoop.com). The PER ratings will be taken for the top ten players from the last 3 seasons. This comparison is to show whether height is a factor to become a top-level player or not. There is also a player ranking to show which player fits what category. In this research method, the mean and the standard deviation of the heights and the PER ratings will be taken. The standard deviation of height shows if there is a wide range of variation in the data. If its small then it might indicate that height affects the game. If the range of data is large, then height does not affect it that much. NBA Draft: Picks VS Height: This method is done to find the answer to research question 3. Teams often see good players in college anywhere from 67 to 69 who play in the paint. However, teams are often leery of picking such a player because they are afraid that he will not be able to make the transition from college to the pros. They often label these types of players, tweeners. In other words, they feel that the player does not really have a set position in the pros. This leaves GMs in a bit of a quandary as to what to do.(nbadraft.net) In this research method, the mean and the standard deviation of the heights will beShow MoreRelatedDifferences between Amateur and Professional Basketball Essay658 Words   |  3 PagesCollegiate basketball tends to hold to different rules and regulations than the NBA, but the main facets of the game remains the same. The collegiate game, as opposed to the professional ranks, possesses stricter rules to which the universities, players, and coaches must adhere by. If these entities fail to follow the rules, they stand a good chance of facing harsh punishments. 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