Sophia Elahi RPC Blog

During the past 90 lessons I have learned various things, from how to write timed essays to how painful research papers are.  In this essay I am going to recap everything that I have learned from Lesson 1 to Lesson 90.

From Lessons 1 – 20 I read “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” by Jules Verne.  “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” is about a professor who went out on a ship to hunt for a mysterious creature and got thrown overboard with his servant and the harpooner who was also on the ship.  The mysterious creature, which turned out to be a submarine, rescued the men and held them prisoner until the submarine had explored all of the sea.

The writing assignments that were assigned for the first twenty lessons were short and simple.  There was one almost every day.  I learned about mind maps and how they help with essays.  If you do not know, mind maps are like diagrams that you make when you write an essay.  It helps you to choose what topics you want to focus on in your essay. 

I also learned about outlines and how to write good paragraphs.  Outlines are like mind maps, it helps to plan out your essay.  I personally like to think of outlines as mind maps, but in words and not a diagram.   Writing good paragraphs means make things interesting and explain everything so the reader is enjoying your essay and understanding what is going on.

During Lessons 21 – 40 I practiced using mind maps and outlines more and learned how to write timed essays.  We first started with 60 minute essays and gradually brought it down to 30 minute essays.  I also learned that when writing timed essays do not stress and write down your ideas so you do not feel overwhelmed.

For Lessons 41 – 60 I learned about how to write book reports and book reviews.  The two sound the same, bu they are not.  Book reports is a report on a certain book, while book reviews are reviewing and recommending it for other possible readers while not giving away too many details.  It is harder than it sounds.  We practiced these new skills by writing a book report on “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” and a compare and contrast book review on “A Tale of Two Cities” and “The Scarlet Pimpernel”.

In the more recent Lessons (61 – 90), I learned how to write research papers.  I wrote an essay about the life cycle of butterfly, where Mr. Fish gave all of the resources.  I also wrote a research paper about an event in 19^th century American history, I chose the five bloodiest battles of the American Civil War.  For this paper we had to choose our own topic and find the resources on our own.  I also learned about bibliographies and how to use MLA and APA (two different formats).  MLA is used more for the research papers I have been writing.  APA is usually used for scientific research papers.

As you can see, I have learned quite a bit from Lesson 1 all the way to Lesson 90.  I enjoyed learning how to properly reference a site and how to write research papers, even if they were painful to write.  Thanks for reading!

Are simple joys as valuable as complex experiences?  Or are complex experiences more valuable and enjoyable?  For this essay I am going to use the example of receiving a gift and family vacations. 

Have you ever received a random gift from a friend or relative?  It was not for Christmas or your birthday, it was a random gift because the person wanted to do something nice for you.  If that ever happened to you, you may be able to remember the joy and the thrill of opening your present.  This simple joy may be a memory that you hold onto forever.  You could say that this is a valuable memory.

Do you remember the joy when summer vacation rolls around?  School has finally ended and you are doing something fun with your family, like going to Disney or Universal Studios.  This complex experience made you very happy and you will hold onto the memory forever.

Simple joys may be small gestures, while complex experiences are bigger and maybe more fun, but that does not make simple joys less valuable.  Just because something is bigger does not necessarily make it better.  It is always good to hold onto the simple joys and remember the complex experiences.

Thanks for reading!

People who are enthusiastic are usually always positive and motivated.  But can people have too much enthusiasm?

I personally think that you can never have too much enthusiasm.  I believe that some people confuse enthusiasm as optimism.  Sometimes having too much optimism is not good, but that is a different topic.  Enthusiasm means eager interest or intense enjoyment of a certain thing.  It is never bad to have too much enthusiasm.  I think that it is impossible to have too much enthusiasm.  When a person is extremely enthusiastic about something they are enjoying their task and is motivated to do it.  You can never have too much of this, if anything, people should have more of this.

One of the best examples I think of is school.  Kids who go to actual school (non-homeschoolers), have to do whatever the state or town government wants them to learn.  But if they are not enjoying the certain subject or topic they will not have enthusiasm, which probably results in a bad essay or report or a bad grade.  From experience, I find that most homeschoolers are enthusiastic about school because they can control what they learn. 

You can never have too much enthusiasm.  The more, the better!  Enthusiasm keeps people motivated and happy.  Without enthusiasm school or work can become boring and stressful.  What do you think?  Can people have too much enthusiasm?

Thanks for reading!

Is it possible for humans to create a perfect society?  Is it even desirable?  No, there are many reasons why this is not possible and why it would not be good for society.

Firstly, humans are not perfect.  We never have been, and probably never will be “perfect.”  Secondly, every person has a different definition of perfect, if we wanted a “perfect” society, whose idea of perfect are we following?  Some people may agree with the set “perfect” life, but others may disagree, and to them it would not be a perfect society.  Third, perfect would mean, in my opinion, there would be no famine or problems.  Yes, this is good, but that would put people out of jobs and there would be no problems to solve.  Life without problems would be dull and boring. There would be nothing to solve and doctors, volunteer groups, scientists, and others would no longer be needed.

I personally think that creating a perfect society is impossible and a bad idea.  People learn from mistakes and hardships. A perfect world may end up with brain dead humans who only learn from school and know nothing about real life hardships.

Thanks for reading!

When you want to be viewed as a courageous person do you show vulnerability or strength?  Or should you not show any emotions?

In my opinion, how someone shows courage can differ from person to person.  For some people, showing strength a lot takes courage, while others need a lot of courage to show their vulnerabilities.  I personally think that showing strength is more courageous.  For some people, no matter how strong they are mentally and emotionally, it can be hard to not be vulnerable.  But I also know that for some people it is hard for them to show strength when they feel vulnerable mentally and emotionly.  Courage is all about your internal strengths, and people who are not strong internally tend to be less courageous than those who are.

I am not saying that showing vulnerability is not courageous, but I think that showing strength is more courageous.  For some people, staying strong and portraying confidence may not always be easy, and it takes a lot of courage for them to be strong.  But for others, it may be hard to just open up and be vulnerable.  What do you think?  Is it more courageous to who vulnerability or strength? 

Thanks for reading!

During the American Civil War there were over 8,000 acts of violence between the North and South between 1861 and 1864.  In this essay I am going to talk about five of the bloodiest battles during the American Civil War: the Second Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Antietam, the Battle of Chancellorsville, the Battle of Gettysburg, and the Battle of Chickamauga.

The Second Battle of Bull Run

The Second Battle of Bull Run also known as the Second Battle of Manassas, was fought on August 29^th and ended on August 30^th 1862.  The battle lasted two days and was fought at Prince William County, Virginia.

At this time, General McCellan was defending Washington, D.C.  President Lincoln was getting frustrated that McCellan kept asking for backup and decided to combine General McClellan’s army and General John Pope’s army.  Confederate General Robert E. Lee knew that he would be at a numerical disadvantage if McCellan and Pope’s new army attacked him.  Lee split his army in two, half being led by his right hand man Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, and the other half led by James Longstreet.  Jackson’s men were to march at Pope’s right flank while Longstreet’s men watched Pope from the Rappahannock River.  Union scouts alerted Pope of the Confederate’s movement, but Pope thought they were headed for Shenandoah Valley and continued on.  Two days later Jackson’s men attacked the Union supply base at Manassas junction 25 miles behind Pope’s men.

Pope turned his men around to attack Jackson’s men but could not locate the Confederates, who had left Manassas junction and were hiding in the forests around the battleground for the First Battle of Bull Run.  On August 28^th, a division of Pope’s men passed Jackson’s men, which led to a gun fight that ended in a stalemate.

Pope started to assemble his men and prepare them for an attack on Jackson’s men, who he assumed were retreating to rejoin the other Confederates.  But Pope was sorely mistaken.  It was Lee who was joining Jackson and his men.  Instead of waiting for McClellan’s men, Pope sent “divisions in small assaults on the Confederate positions on the morning of August 29.”[i]

Later in the day both sides had all of their men gathered and awaiting instructions, including Longstreet’s men on the Confederate side.  But both sides were intimidated by the other’s numbers and thought it was safer to go defensive.  That night Confederate troops adjusted their positions, which Pope thought was a retreat and alerted Washington of his “imminent victory and his plan to pursue the Confederates.”[ii]

Pope moved his positions and commenced a fierce artillery attack on Lee’s men on August 30^th.  Longstreet then ordered his men to attack Pope and drove the Union army all the way to Henry House Hill.  That night Pope accepted defeat and ordered his men to retreat back to Washington, D.C.

Even though there were over 9,000 casualties that day, the Second Battle of Bull Run was considered a major Confederate victory.  This victory gave General Lee confidence to start Special Order 191, which led to the Battle of Antietam, where General McCellan and General Lee fought against each other once again less than 20 days later.

The Battle of Antietam

The Battle of Antietam, also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg, was fought on September 17^th 1862.  The battle lasted one day and was fought at Sharpsburg, Maryland by Antietam Creek.  The Battle of Antietam is especially interesting because there was no decided victory of either side, but it was considered a Union tactical win.  By this time Abraham Lincoln already had the Emancipation Proclamation ready, but did not activate it because of the Union’s recent loses.  The North also had its presidential elections that November, and their victory over the South was not confirmed.

On September 9^th General Lee issued Special Order 191, which was his plan to enter Union territory, split his army, and target specific towns.  This plan might have given the Battle of Antietam to the Confederates if two Union soldiers, Private Barton W. Mitchell and Sergeant John M. Bloss, found a copy of the plan detailed with Confederate military positions.  The men “allegedly wrapped around three cigars.”[iii]  The Union moved to foil Lee’s plans, but Lee found out a copy of Special Order 191 was missing and started to reunite his army.

The Battle officially started at dawn on September 17^th.  Lee’s army was weak, hungry, sick, and outnumbered.  [iv]“Troops from both sides faced-off across a 30-acre cornfield.”  Eight hours in, the cornfield is drenched in blood and more than 10,000 men on both sides have died.

By nightfall 22,000 lives had been lost in total.  Lee started to gather his men to retreat, and surprisingly, General McCellan did nothing, even though President Lincoln ordered him to attack Lee’s retreating troops.  McCellan thought he did well by stopping the Confederates gaining a victory on Union soil, but Lincoln thought that if McCellan attacked Lee’s weak and wounded forces it would have ended the war.  McCellan was taken out of command later that year because of his decisions that day.

Historians consider this battle as “inconclusive”, but I personally think there is nothing inconclusive about this battle.  The Union obviously won, and gave President Lincoln the perfect time to activate the Emancipation Proclamation.

The Battle of Chancellorsville

The Battle of Chancellorsville was fought in Chancellorsville, Spotsylvania County, Virginia.  It lasted seven days, from the 30^th of April 1863 to the 6^th of May 1863.   This battle is considered Robert E. “Lee’s most significant tactical victory.”[v]

Before the battle the Union Army had a new commander.  Their previous general, General Ambrose Burnside, lost the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862, and was replaced by General Joseph Hooker.  Hooker had been training his men for months and aimed to capture the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia.  Without learning more about this battle you would think Hooker would win.  It was 97,000 union soldiers against 57,000 confederate soldiers.

On April 27^th 1863, General Hooker put two-thirds of his men in front of Fredericksburg to make it seem like they were attacking from the front.  But in reality, Hooker was leading the other third of his army across the Rappahannock River to ambush the Confederates.  But Lee had a similar tactic.  He stationed half of his men at Fredericksburg, and brought the other half of his men across the Rappahannock River to face Hooker.

On May 1^st 1863, the armies clashed in an open field in a forest west of Chancellorsville.  Despite his large number of men, Hooker ordered his men to “fall back into defensive positions.”[vi]  Hooker may have thought that this was a smart decision, but it just helped Lee start his plan.  Lee, once again, split his army and sent Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, his right-hand man, to attack the Union’s flank.  On May 2^nd, Jackson marched his troops over 10 miles to attack Hooker’s only weakness, his exposed flank.  The union suffered many casualties that day.   Jackson took out half of Hooker’s force.

Later that day a North Carolina regiment opened fire on Jackson and his men, thinking they were the enemy.  One of the bullets shattered the bone above Jackson’s left shoulder.  The medics on the field had to amputate his left arm.  Eight days later on May 10^th 1863, Jackson died to pneumonia.  He was buried in Lexington, Virginia.

While Jackson was still hospitalized on May 5^th and 6^th, Hooker was still fighting off the confederates, including Lee himself.  Realizing he lost his battle Hooker retreated after losing 17,278 men, while Lee only lost 12,826.  Lee now had the upper hand and head north, where the Battle of Gettysburg would happen two months later.

This was one of most celebrated victories made by Lee, but it also led to the death of “Stonewall” Jackson.  This is considered one of the bloodiest battles in American history with 30,764 casualties.

The Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg is considered as one of “the most important engagement of the American Civil War.”[vii]  After winning the Battle of Chancellorsville, General Lee led his men up north to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  On July 1^st General George Meade and his men fought the Confederates until their victory two days later on July 3^rd.

General Lee, who was feeling confident after his unlikely win at the Battle of Chancellorsville, decided to play offensive.  He ordered his men to drive away the defensive units already at Gettysburg.  General A. P. Hill and General Richard Ewell were able to drive away the small defensive units to Cemetery Hill, half a mile away from Gettysburg as the Union army slowly started to pour in.  Lee wanted to get the upper hand before the rest of the Union army arrived and told Ewell to attack at Cemetery Hill, but Ewell declined the order thinking that the Union position was too strong.  By nightfall the rest of Union forces were at Gettysburg and ready to fight.

On the morning of July 2^nd the Union army had strong positions from Culp’s Hill to Cemetery Ridge.  Lee was determined to win and decided to try to attack the Union from where they were.  He ordered to attack as early as possible near Culp’ Hill.  Longstreet, Lee’s second-in-command, did not get his men into positions until 4 pm, when the Confederates opened fire on the Union force.  The open fire on the Union army severely wounded their commander, Daniel Sickles.  The Confederates advanced on the Union at Culp’s Hill and East Cemetery Hill, but the Union held off their attack.  Both armies lost over than 9,000 men that day. 

The morning of July 3^rd the Union army pushed the Confederates away from Culp’s Hill and regained their position.  Lee thought that we was on the verge of a victory and sent three divisions under General George Pickett, towards the Union forces on Cemetery Ridge.  As Pickett charged the Union opened fire on the Confederate divisions and killed two-thirds of the divisions.  This was known as “Pickett’s Charge.”

Lee had expected a heavy attack from the Union on July 4^th.  When the attack never happened Lee led his men towards Virginia under the cover of rain that night.

This was the end of the Battle of Gettysburg, marking a victory for the Union.  By the end of the battle a total of 35,000 lives were lost.

The Battle of Chickamauga

The Battle of Chickamauga lasted three days, September 18^th – September 20^th 1863 at Catoosa and Walker Counties, Georgia.  “During the late summer and autumn of 1863, Union and Confederate forces were struggling over control of the key railroad center of Chattanooga, Tennessee.”[viii]  Union General William Rosecrans was able to push Confederate General Braxton Bragg’s army out of Chattanooga.  At this point Confederate morale was low, but the soon arrival of Confederate General James Longstreet helped to boost Bragg’s forces and morale.

After multiple failed attempts against Rosecrans forces, Longstreet and his troops arrived to assist Bragg, which gave the Confederates a numerical advantage.  But Rosecrans also had backup from General George Thomas.  The morning of September 19^th both armies met in the woods around the banks of Chickamauga Creek.

The first day of battle consisted of Bragg’s army attacking the Union left, led by General Thomas.  Thomas held his position, but both sides suffered heavy casualties.  That night Longstreet brought in two more brigades, giving Bragg the idea to split his army into two, Longstreet and Leonidas Polk leading each half.

The morning of September 20^th, Longstreet marched his men towards Rosecrans men, who were adjusting their positions at the time, leaving a gap, which the Confederates were able to penetrate.  This set the Union armies into a panicked retreat to Chattanooga, 12 miles south-west of Chickamauga.  General Thomas held the remaining Union troops in a desperate final stand, “earning a lasting reputation as the “Rock of Chickamauga” for his efforts.”[ix]

Even though General Thomas was able to make an orderly retreat with the remaining Union soldiers, the battle was an obvious win for the South.  Longstreet and General Nathan Bedford Forrest wanted to pursue the Union the morning of September 21^st, but Bragg refused.  Many lives were lost in the past two days for both sides.  Ten Confederate Generals were either killed or badly wounded.  The total number of casualties adds up to about 36,000.

Conclusion

As you can see, these five battles have had the highest number of casualties for both sides.  If these five battles killed so many, can you imagine how many lives were lost during the Civil War?

Thanks for reading!

[i] History.com Editors. “Second Battle of Bull Run”. HISTORY. A & E Television Networks, 5 April 2011. Web. 24 November 2020. https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/second-battle-of-bull-run

[ii] History.com Editors. “Second Battle of Bull Run”. HISTORY. A & E Television Networks, 5 April 2011. Web. 24 November 2020. https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/second-battle-of-bull-run

[iii] History.com Editors. “Battle of Antietam”. HISTORY. A & E Television Networks, 27 October 2009. Web. 19 November 2020. https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of-antietam

[iv] History.com Editors. “Battle of Antietam”. HISTORY. A & E Television Networks, 27 October 2009. Web. 19 November 2020. https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of-antietam

[v] History.com Editors. “Battle of Chancellorsville”. HISTORY. A & E Television Networks, 27 October 2009. Web. 11 November 2020.  https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of-chancellorsville

[vi] History.com Editors. “Battle of Chancellorsville”. HISTORY. A & E Television Networks, 27 October 2009. Web. 12 November 2020. https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of-chancellorsville

[vii] History.com Editors. “Battle of Gettysburg”. HISTORY. A & E Television Networks, 29 October 2009. Web. 13 November 2020. https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of-gettysburg

[viii] History.com Editors. “Battle of Chickamauga”. HISTORY. A & E Television Networks, 9 November 2009. Web. 25 November 2020. https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of-chickamauga

[ix] History.com Editors. “Battle of Chickamauga”. HISTORY. A & E Television Networks, 9 November 2009. Web. 25 November 2020. https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of-chickamauga