SLABBS
January 6th, 2009, 10:02 PM
look at this essay i typed for social studies
it is perfect!!!
_________________________________________________________________
William Small
1/4/09
Similarities and Differences Between the U.S. and the Roman Empire
The roman civilization and the modern U.S. civilization have many differences and similarities. Rome is practically a foundation that supported and eventually created what is now a digital world full of extreme inventions.
Romulus and Remus founded Rome. It was named after its first king, Romulus.
In 509 B.C., Rome set up a republic. A republic is a government where citizens have the right to choose their leaders. In the U.S., citizens have the right to choose leaders through a vote in a democracy. Everybody had equal power in all elections and nobody was excluded. Rome, on the other hand, was not a complete democracy. Only male citizens with money and property could vote. The more wealth a citizen had, the greater his power. This made the votes unfair because all of the lower class citizens had no say. Only a small portion of the population had say in the election and they practically decided the election themselves. In order to have a real democracy, all citizens must have the right to vote and possess equal power. This makes the elected leader the leader that supports the majority of people’s needs.
Not everyone shared the same rights in the Roman Republic. The Senate was made up of members of rich, powerful families called patricians. There were about 200 families and they were the only ones allowed to become senators. Most people in Rome were plebeians who were farmers, artisans, and merchants. They were free but they couldn’t participate in government and had fewer rights. The plebeians insisted that they were as important as everyone else and deserved equal rights. Their protests led to the creation of tribunes. Tribunes were officials who were elected to protect plebeian rights. Ten tribunes were elected each year by the plebeians. The plebeians continued to protest and won more rights. They were eventually granted the right to write a series of law codes in 451 B.C. giving them virtually “too much” power. These laws and rights were written on 12 bronze tablets and hung on the walls of public buildings for all to see. Some of the laws were essential in a successful society, some were reasonable and understandable but questionable of its results or punishments, and some laws were extremely needless and devastating to many people; especially the offenders. The same can also be said about the stated rights. The laws were “set in stone” and the people had no choice but to live under them. A few of the laws and rights included: all clearly deformed children must be put to death; plebeians and patricians are prohibited to marry one another, and lastly; if a slave commits a crime in the owner’s knowledge, all the blame may be placed on the slave. Luckily, being part of a democratic civilization called the U.S., we’re not forcefully restrained to our unwanted laws, as they are removable and can be voted in or out by the people. We abide by a Constitution that states our laws and rights. Unlike the Twelve Tables, the laws aren’t set in stone and can be voted in or out in a democratic system. We have say in the law which means any laws the citizens find unfair can be abolished. This system keeps leaders from creating laws that do harm to the people or highly benefit a specific group.
Romans built a network of roads netting the whole Roman Empire creating easier transportation of goods and people from one place to another; Even to the outskirts. They built their roads to be durable to last a very long time with sturdy materials and a sturdy arrangement. They built the roads of heavy blocks that were set on top of layers of crushed stones and pebbles making a flat, yet durable surface that would carry millions of people down it in its lifetime. Roman roads were still operating 100 years ago. The Romans, no doubt, built some of the best and most durable roadways in history. Now days we still use roads. We even use them for many of the same reasons the Romans did. The difference is that ours are more high tech, stronger and we use automobiles as the beast of burden for hauling and transportation instead of other various animals the Romans had access to that could carry or haul goods. Our roads are generally the same concept today but our materials are easier to apply, flatter, and more pleasant to travel on. Most of today’s roads consist of a layer of gravel and a rebar grid that is used for support in larger roads, a layer of concrete for durability and resistance to weather and for a foundation for the top layer, asphalt. (Also commonly referred to as black top or street pavement.) Modern roads can be repaired of cracks with tar, or a repeat of the layers to fill in the big holes. Maintenance mainly consists of sealing the surface with a waterproof layer to prevent water from seeping in and freezing. Also today, in some cases, a road’s top layer may consist of a series of bricks or rocks to create a cobble-stone path for strictly appearance factors. We still have roads, they’re still made of almost the same stuff, and we use them for the same reason humans have been using them for thousands of years.
Roman cities were so large that there wasn’t enough water. To overcome this problem, they relied on their technology. They built aqueducts to carry water from wells and springs far away. These aqueducts were capable of moving more water than a human and also faster. It was even able to move water up hill. They had achieved water pressure. The Romans’ materials for their technology consisted of mainly stone, gravel, clay, and wood. The Romans were at a slow progression of inventing new technology. They invented stuff mainly to overcome difficult feats or make certain tasks easier with tools. Now, the Romans’ technology is nothing compared to ours today. Modern technology in the U.S. now works mainly with electricity, coding, signals, orbiting man made satellites, and many digital functions using a numeral coding system. Today’s technology is showing no sign of slowing. On average, our level of technology doubles every 6 months. That means next year your iPod will be half as thin and hold twice as much music and the battery might last twice as long. Note that not everything we use today is digital and electronic. There are still many analog tools and systems in use today. An example of one is the plumbing system. It still uses aqueducts and doesn’t depend on electricity at all. It just uses good old gravity, pressure, and momentum. It’s just an improved model of the Romans’ plumbing. Another advancement of technology we have today is that all of it is mass-produced and everyone can get their hands on it; for instance, a hammer. It’s something you can go to the store and get because they’re being produced at rates up to 2000 a minute, but back in the roman days you’d have to make your own from scratch and find your own materials. Depending on how constructive you were determined how well your tool worked. Now you don’t need any creative talent at all because mostly machines make your stuff so it’s all identical when you buy them from the store. We’ve come a long way from roman technology; from rocks to plastic, wood to steel, and effort to electricity.
Overall, we have come a long way from the primitive systems of the Roman Empire and have many differences, but in a way we’re also quite similar to them and clearly better off because of them and their achievements.
sorry. cant indent on forums.
it is perfect!!!
_________________________________________________________________
William Small
1/4/09
Similarities and Differences Between the U.S. and the Roman Empire
The roman civilization and the modern U.S. civilization have many differences and similarities. Rome is practically a foundation that supported and eventually created what is now a digital world full of extreme inventions.
Romulus and Remus founded Rome. It was named after its first king, Romulus.
In 509 B.C., Rome set up a republic. A republic is a government where citizens have the right to choose their leaders. In the U.S., citizens have the right to choose leaders through a vote in a democracy. Everybody had equal power in all elections and nobody was excluded. Rome, on the other hand, was not a complete democracy. Only male citizens with money and property could vote. The more wealth a citizen had, the greater his power. This made the votes unfair because all of the lower class citizens had no say. Only a small portion of the population had say in the election and they practically decided the election themselves. In order to have a real democracy, all citizens must have the right to vote and possess equal power. This makes the elected leader the leader that supports the majority of people’s needs.
Not everyone shared the same rights in the Roman Republic. The Senate was made up of members of rich, powerful families called patricians. There were about 200 families and they were the only ones allowed to become senators. Most people in Rome were plebeians who were farmers, artisans, and merchants. They were free but they couldn’t participate in government and had fewer rights. The plebeians insisted that they were as important as everyone else and deserved equal rights. Their protests led to the creation of tribunes. Tribunes were officials who were elected to protect plebeian rights. Ten tribunes were elected each year by the plebeians. The plebeians continued to protest and won more rights. They were eventually granted the right to write a series of law codes in 451 B.C. giving them virtually “too much” power. These laws and rights were written on 12 bronze tablets and hung on the walls of public buildings for all to see. Some of the laws were essential in a successful society, some were reasonable and understandable but questionable of its results or punishments, and some laws were extremely needless and devastating to many people; especially the offenders. The same can also be said about the stated rights. The laws were “set in stone” and the people had no choice but to live under them. A few of the laws and rights included: all clearly deformed children must be put to death; plebeians and patricians are prohibited to marry one another, and lastly; if a slave commits a crime in the owner’s knowledge, all the blame may be placed on the slave. Luckily, being part of a democratic civilization called the U.S., we’re not forcefully restrained to our unwanted laws, as they are removable and can be voted in or out by the people. We abide by a Constitution that states our laws and rights. Unlike the Twelve Tables, the laws aren’t set in stone and can be voted in or out in a democratic system. We have say in the law which means any laws the citizens find unfair can be abolished. This system keeps leaders from creating laws that do harm to the people or highly benefit a specific group.
Romans built a network of roads netting the whole Roman Empire creating easier transportation of goods and people from one place to another; Even to the outskirts. They built their roads to be durable to last a very long time with sturdy materials and a sturdy arrangement. They built the roads of heavy blocks that were set on top of layers of crushed stones and pebbles making a flat, yet durable surface that would carry millions of people down it in its lifetime. Roman roads were still operating 100 years ago. The Romans, no doubt, built some of the best and most durable roadways in history. Now days we still use roads. We even use them for many of the same reasons the Romans did. The difference is that ours are more high tech, stronger and we use automobiles as the beast of burden for hauling and transportation instead of other various animals the Romans had access to that could carry or haul goods. Our roads are generally the same concept today but our materials are easier to apply, flatter, and more pleasant to travel on. Most of today’s roads consist of a layer of gravel and a rebar grid that is used for support in larger roads, a layer of concrete for durability and resistance to weather and for a foundation for the top layer, asphalt. (Also commonly referred to as black top or street pavement.) Modern roads can be repaired of cracks with tar, or a repeat of the layers to fill in the big holes. Maintenance mainly consists of sealing the surface with a waterproof layer to prevent water from seeping in and freezing. Also today, in some cases, a road’s top layer may consist of a series of bricks or rocks to create a cobble-stone path for strictly appearance factors. We still have roads, they’re still made of almost the same stuff, and we use them for the same reason humans have been using them for thousands of years.
Roman cities were so large that there wasn’t enough water. To overcome this problem, they relied on their technology. They built aqueducts to carry water from wells and springs far away. These aqueducts were capable of moving more water than a human and also faster. It was even able to move water up hill. They had achieved water pressure. The Romans’ materials for their technology consisted of mainly stone, gravel, clay, and wood. The Romans were at a slow progression of inventing new technology. They invented stuff mainly to overcome difficult feats or make certain tasks easier with tools. Now, the Romans’ technology is nothing compared to ours today. Modern technology in the U.S. now works mainly with electricity, coding, signals, orbiting man made satellites, and many digital functions using a numeral coding system. Today’s technology is showing no sign of slowing. On average, our level of technology doubles every 6 months. That means next year your iPod will be half as thin and hold twice as much music and the battery might last twice as long. Note that not everything we use today is digital and electronic. There are still many analog tools and systems in use today. An example of one is the plumbing system. It still uses aqueducts and doesn’t depend on electricity at all. It just uses good old gravity, pressure, and momentum. It’s just an improved model of the Romans’ plumbing. Another advancement of technology we have today is that all of it is mass-produced and everyone can get their hands on it; for instance, a hammer. It’s something you can go to the store and get because they’re being produced at rates up to 2000 a minute, but back in the roman days you’d have to make your own from scratch and find your own materials. Depending on how constructive you were determined how well your tool worked. Now you don’t need any creative talent at all because mostly machines make your stuff so it’s all identical when you buy them from the store. We’ve come a long way from roman technology; from rocks to plastic, wood to steel, and effort to electricity.
Overall, we have come a long way from the primitive systems of the Roman Empire and have many differences, but in a way we’re also quite similar to them and clearly better off because of them and their achievements.
sorry. cant indent on forums.