Racial Slavery and the Development of Our Nation Essay

The United States of America, a symbol for freedom and liberty throughout the world, was built upon the backs of millions of vulnerable slaves. By the time we became a country in 1776, slavery was engrained in many of our founding fathers minds as the source of economic wellbeing. Each state, community and individual had their own ideas about the institution and whether it was morally or constitutionally right. It is one of the highest debated topics in the history of our country. Slavery, controversial as it may be, was an integral part of the maturation of our young nation. Slavery has been in existence around the world nearly as long as humans have. But what developed in the New World was very different from what the rest of the†¦show more content†¦After they obtained their freedom and recognized that their limited â€Å"freedom dues† were inadequate to acquire land, many began to show their displeasure. Bacon’s Rebellion of 1676 was major weight added to the scale that shifted Virginia’s plantation labor from indentured servitude to African slaves. Confrontation between the Native Americans and settlers in western Virginia spearheaded an uprising that demanded Governor Berkeley to provide more land to the poor whites. Berkeley stood by his decision to maintain peaceful relations with the local Native American population, which sparked a series of uprisings and massacres that grew into full rebellion against Berkeley and his men. Berkeley fled when Nathaniel Bacon and his ranks burned Jamestown to the ground, which led to Bacon’s rule over Virginia for a short while until England sent warships to regain control. This conflict altered the planter’s view on indentured servitude, understanding that slaves could never become free men, demanding land and creating successful rebellions. For fear of civil war among whites, the elite planters helped launch us into a racially divided slave society. The rise in popularity of tobacco in the Chesapeake meant a need for more hands to cultivate it. This made the planters turn to the transatlantic slave trade. Slaves, compared with indentured servants, were much more beneficial to the owner. They were not protected under the law, andShow MoreRelatedThe Violence Of Black Americans Essay1532 Words   |  7 PagesWho are we? What defines us? In America, we are defined by our class, what we do and most importantly – how we look. Since the birth of our nation, a notion of â€Å"race† has been rooted to our core personas. In fact it can enforce stereotypes of class and careers. It is evident that Black Americans are un-proportionally living in poverty and without easy access to achievement. This harsh reality is not helped by our media-driven society. In a world so heavily integrated with mass media hysteria, weRead MoreSlavery During The 19th Century895 Words   |  4 PagesDuring the 1800’s to 1850’s, sla very was undergoing a huge development in which helped the nation to grow into what it is today. The United States was split into two sections, the north and south, over the dispute of slavery. The south sought to further slavery while the north was in favor of abolishing slavery. Around 1858, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, two politicians with completely different views on slavery fought each other with politicians trying to win the presidency election of 1860Read MoreThe Shaping Of Our Country1092 Words   |  5 PagesCeleste Munoz U.S History I to 1876 Mr. William Stowe 28 November 2014 The shaping of our country has been impacted by several different factors, each contributing to it in their own way. Four of the major pivot points that occurred consists of: Jeffersonian democracy, Jacksonian democracy, Civil War/Reconstruction, Revolution/Constitution. However one of them happened to be the most impacting which was the Civil War and Reconstruction. The American Civil War occurred during 1861 to 1865Read MoreThe Reconstruction Era And The Jim Crow Era1525 Words   |  7 Pagestwo films The Birth of a Nation and Within Our Gates making it a natural fit. The other topic that will be covered in this paper is the role and responsibilities of northern states during the reconstruction era. In this paper, Northern states will be defined as any state who supported the union during the American Civil War. Race relations in the United States is something that is relevant to both The Jim Crow and Reconstruction eras, but must be traced back to slavery to truly understand the contextRead MoreThe Impact Of The Atlantic Slave Trade Influence Europe Economic Growth And Market Development Essay786 Words   |  4 PagesLabor exploitation was the key for the effectiveness of european expansion in the new world and define slavery as a principal component for global capitalism until it was not longer profitable. The atlantic slave trade influence europe economic growth and market development to rapidly spread through the atlantic trade. It was a intense dependence on the triangular trade that made merchants made big profits at the expense of the exploited labour abroad. Merchants were involved in all three sidesRead MoreReligion And The American Society895 Words   |  4 Pagesfeeling of brotherhood and clarity. However, as the nation developed, issues began to divide the American conscious ness, and as America became divided on political issues, they also became divided on their interpretation of the Bible and how it should relate to the fate of the country. Because of the importance of religion in the American conscience, in issues of race and slavery, both groups that favored racial equality and groups that favored racial inequality utilized religious arguments in debatingRead MoreChange: Racial Tensions Since Obama’s Presidency1402 Words   |  6 PagesRacial tensions are a prominent issue in today’s society. Barack Obama being the first elected African American president has led America to a cultural evolution. As our country grows in diversity everyday it is important for citizens to recognize the change in racial tensions across the nation. Racial tension has always existed, especially here in the South, but it has changed particularly during Obama’s presidency. Racial tensions have changed in both positive and negative ways that affect eve ryoneRead MoreReparations : The Case For Reparations Essay1522 Words   |  7 PagesReparations† in agreement with Ta-Nahisi Coates. We have all sat through multiple history classes and learned about slavery, segregation, and the Civil War. We have all seen brutal movies and presentations based on racial injustices and the lack of equality. So often, we forget that these issues are still so present in our community. Slavery is illegal in the United States but other forms of racial profiling, insensitivity, and racism continue to be a recurring social barrier. Racism is still very much aliveRead MoreThe Foundations Of Racial Capitalism, Imperialism And Colonialism Essay1468 Words   |  6 PagesThe foundations of racial capitalism, imperialism and colonialism have significantly shaped the existence of African people, and those of the diaspora. As a result of these institutions, the history and implementation of slavery and colonialism have had lasting effects that are essential to the current position of Black folk in Africa and the diaspora; altering the way we view ourselves, our country and the world. Throug hout different moments in history, Black folk have equated freedom and liberationRead MoreThe Negro Digs Up His Past920 Words   |  4 Pagesmust restore what slavery took away, for it is the social damage of slavery that the present generations must repair and offset†. Therefore, I acquiesce with such statement, it is up to the present generation to fight, and to aspire on restoring what was taken away. As we acquired more intelligence, today’s generation must continue on indoctrinating one another on our true history. However, let’s not forget, slavery was not the onset of the Negro history; when in fact, slavery interrupted the Negro

Bridge paper Free Essays

The builders could not have imagined that it would be still in use over 100 years after its opening (ENDEX Engineering 2007). So who were these people who built the bridge? What gave them the energy to construct one of the world’s greatest marvels? It can be safely said that there were only three people who believed in the project from start to finish. These were the Roeblings’; father, son, and son’s wife. We will write a custom essay sample on Bridge paper or any similar topic only for you Order Now The story of their achievement is the same so while the remainder of this paper will dwell on son Washington Roebling’s achievements it could just as easily be the story of the other two. Education and Practical Training Washington Roebling was the son of an impressive man, born May 26th 1837 in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania. Few remember his father; which says something about Washington’s accomplishments. His father owned a very successful wire rope business and was a pioneer in the field of iron and steel cable. As Washington grew older, he began to help his father in engineering endeavors. Since wire rope is a superb match for suspension bridge construction with flexibility and a high tensile strength, the Roeblings’ did much work in this field (Invention Factory 2007). Before entering the army, Washington went to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Much like civil engineering majors today, it took him four years to receive his degree, but it was much more hands on than is allowed today. The education back in the 1800’s was mostly on-the-job training, whereas today computer technologies and weeding out nonconformists through mindless homework play a huge role in education. Today modern engineering students, co-ops and internships help provide realistic situations. During the civil war, in which Washington Roebling served superbly as an engineer officer in the 6th New York Calvary, Washington began to make a name for himself. He built a 1200 foot suspension bridge across the Rappahannock River and spent much of his time in a hot air balloon, the civil war version of air reconnaissance. Before the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, John sent Washington to Europe to study new methods for the sinking of the foundations. Later in his life, Washington would bestow almost all the credit and knowledge obtained for the Brooklyn Bridge to his father. Knowledge from the army and from his dad were used in his finishing of the two giant granite masonry towers that climbed 276 feet above high water over which to suspend wire cables to support a road 135 feet at its highest point above the water. This height was needed for ships to pass under. The bridge would be wide, at 85 feet, and the cables that would support the span would be bound to huge anchorages of 60,000 tons each (ENDEX Engineering 2007). The Brooklyn Bridge was an innovative project. Table 2 shows all the accomplishments and innovations that are related to the Brooklyn Bridge. Socioeconomic and Political Environments After the Civil War, Washington returned to the family business, assisting in completing two more suspension bridges across the Ohio River (Invention Factory 2007). During this time Washington’s father, John, became interested in building a bridge across the East River. New York legislators finally realized the need for a route over the East River and passed a bill for some sort of construction. The largest restriction that the plans for the structure had to abide by was its height over the river, which was set to avoid contact with masts of ships that passes under it. This idea of a bridge was nothing new. For 60 years, different ways of linking Brooklyn and New York had been considered (Trachtenberg 1965). Soon, the city of New York set up the first ferries from Manhattan to Brooklyn in 1812 but more versatile transit was needed. The Brooklyn Bridge was erected out of economic necessity and urban sprawl (Brooke and Davidson 2006). New York City was a huge immigration hub. In the mid-1800’s, men and women began to emigrate from Europe and many settled in Brooklyn. As a result, many lived in boarding houses. Brooklyn at this time consisted mainly of Irish immigrants. Immigrants were paid very poorly considered the work they performed as it was always the most demanding and risky. From 1860 to 1870, Brooklyn’s population growth was 50 percent; the fastest growing city at the time (Trachtenberg 1965). Manhattan was the opposite of Brooklyn, in that it was primarily a business district in the mid 1800’s. Approximately 40 percent of wager earners in Brooklyn had jobs in Manhattan. The northeastern coast was a major hub for imports and manufacturing goods after the Erie Canal was built. At the time the only way to get from Manhattan to Brooklyn was by fairy which was often slow and hampered by storms. Taking the ferries tended to be very dangerous. Plans for a either a bridge or a tunnel over the East River were interrupted by the Civil War. Bridges were thought to be impossible as no materials where known to be strong enough to support the needed span. Part of the problem was that the bridge needed to be high above the channel to allow masted ships to pass beneath it, even at high tide. These details had proved insurmountable until then. A fleet of ferries shuttled people and goods across the river every day. John Roebling, with his wire rope business and history of successful suspension bridges, had a viable solution (Invention Factory 2007). The Brooklyn Bridge would use steel in its cables. Good wrought iron breaks at 30 tons where good steel of the same size breaks at 75 tons (2. 5 times stronger) (Hart 1967). While it was not trusted at the time because of its newness, the Roeblings’ had faith in its strength. At the time, suspension bridges were viewed with suspicion. Many had failed in storms or under live loads; however, none of the bridges John had built had ever failed. One of the reasons he had succeeded was that he made them very stiff, preventing flexing from wind that would plague other suspension bridge builders into the next century and most famously in the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in 1940, more than 70 years after John. After due debate, the Brooklyn Bridge Company was formed with John Roebling as chief engineer (Invention Factory 2007). One thing that the times lent to the project was a good source of cheap labor. Poor immigrants, mainly Irish, were the ones who worked the most on the bridge. They also took the brunt of the casualties. Approximately 20-30 people died during construction and administration viewed it as necessary and unavoidable. Labor was very manual and at the time workers had very little power in politics. The Irish workers did not enjoy the choice of date, as it coincided with the Queen’s birthday. Technological Context Construction Details In December 1849, an accident mangled Roebling’s father’s left hand while undergoing testing on the innovative wire rope machinery. This new technology would set this bridge far ahead of its time, utilizing a braded configuration allowing flexibility and easier handling (Trachtenberg 1965). The Brooklyn Bridge would use steel in its cables. Good wrought iron breaks at 30 tons where good steel of the same size breaks at 75 tons (2. 5 times stronger) (Hart 1967). While steel was not trusted at the time because of its newness, the Roeblings’ had faith in its strength. At the time, steel or no steel, suspension bridges were viewed with suspicion. Many had failed in storms or under live loads; however, none of the bridges John had built had ever failed. One of the reasons he had succeeded was that he made them very stiff, preventing flexing from wind that would plague other suspension bridge builders into the next century and most famously in the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in 1940, more than 70 years after John’s lifetime. Construction was very hazardous at that time, even for chief engineers. At the start of the project, the Brooklyn Bridge Company lost a crucial member. A ferryboat crushed John Roebling’s foot when he was on site. After having his toes amputated, during which he declined anesthetic, an infection set in and killed him (ENDEX Engineering 2007). Surprisingly there was little debate over who should succeed him. Washington Roebling was already deeply involved with the project so he was appointed successor (Invention Factory 2007). In 1872 disaster struck again. Washington himself was down in the caissons more than any one else. He was suddenly struck with what was called caisson sickness, and is what is modernly called the bends (Invention Factory 2007). This disease was not understood at the time and results from prolonged exposure to high pressures and then sudden decompression, allowing nitrogen bubbles to form in blood and possibly clog them. Washington was not the first to fall ill from the bends, in fact, people had already died of it but work proceeded on. After coming back even though clearly sick, Washington was bedridden, crippled for the remainder of the project. He was only able to stand for 10 minutes at a time when the bridge opened in 1883 (Smithsonian Associates 2004). Washington remained head engineer giving orders from his bed but the person most visible to visitors at the project was his wife, Emily. She knew just as much about the project as Washington. When a board of enquiry was put together to try to oust the bedridden head engineer she removed sufficient doubt from its members for Roebling to stay (Smithsonian Associates 2004). To say she was the head engineer would only be a very slight exaggeration. The towers that supported the span were made out of limestone, granite and concrete. Newly found techniques for making steel made it a cheap, strong metal for the suspension cables (Hart 1967). The first order of business was to sink the two giant caissons into the riverbed to support the towers (Figure 1). These were made of 12 x 12 yellow pine beams and weighed by themselves 3000 tons, having 15 foot thick roofs to keep the excavators from getting crushed by the eventually 80,000 tons of rock piled on top to make up the Towers. John found a new way to devise a foundation. The caissons were floated into place and then sunk into position, driven downward by the towers on top and crews underneath removing the actual riverbed (ENDEX Engineering 2007). Once they reached solid ground the caissons would be pumped full of grout and serve as a perfect foundation. They were undoubtedly the most tedious and difficult part of the bridge construction. Excavation methods consisted of shovel, pick, wheelbarrow, steel bar stone breakers, winches, and ten ton hydraulic jacks, eventually blasting after Washington Roebling conducted a series of experiments in the caisson. Initial rate of caisson excavation and lowering produced 6 inches per week, with a workforce of 360 people constructing the bridge (Trachtenberg 1965). Compressed air was used in the caissons to keep the water out, and the deeper they got (78 feet on the New York side, 45 feet on the Brooklyn side) the higher the pressure needed (ENDEX Engineering 2007). This was dangerous in more way than one. Fires could be catastrophic, and occasionally there would be a blowout that subsequently would allow water back in. The largest of these air releases blew rocks and mud 500 feet into the air in 1870. Fires, from using dynamite, were the worst however. One was found smoldering in the 15 feet of wood under the Brooklyn Caisson, fed by compressed air (ENDEX Engineering 2007). Eventually some timbers were replaced and the rest of the holes were pumped full of grout. The New York caisson was stopped after 78 feet not because it had reached rock but because conditions had become intolerable. As a result, to this day it rests on sand; surprisingly stable (ENDEX Engineering 2007). The Brooklyn and New York Towers were completed in 1875 and 1876 respectively (ENDEX Engineering 2007). The cables were strung after the completion of the towers. Perhaps the greatest calamity struck in the middle of this. A cable snapped, killing two men, and it was found to be very substandard (ENDEX Engineering 2007). Incidentally, the contractor who supplied the steel cable was not John Roebling’s Sons Co, which at the time was owned exclusively by Washington’s brothers. The cables were flawed. Eventually, the wire in all the cables, including 1520 suspenders and 400 diagonal stays, was approximately 3600 miles long (ENDEX Engineering 2007). Personal Characteristics Washington fought in the civil war both on the ground as a military observer from hot air balloons. Washington served at Gettysburg with distinction on Little Round Top and was at the siege of Richmond (Invention Factory 2007). He became very noble and selfless, though cocky at times, during the Civil War. Perhaps the most important part of his war career, however, was that he met his wife to be, Emily Warren, because he served under her brother, General G. K. Warren (ENDEX Engineering 2007). He ended the war at the rank of a Colonel. After the war he helped his father build the Cincinnati-Covington Bridge (now called John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge) before the Brooklyn Bridge. Despite many the huge hurdles of the Brooklyn Bridge project, among which was the fact that Washington became horribly sick and bedridden for most of the actual building from decompression sickness when the huge caissons for the twin towers were sunk in the Hudson riverbed (hence the traditional term ‘caisson sickness’), he managed to oversee all stages of its construction. He did this only with the help of his wife Emily Warren Roebling, who almost every day visited the site and reported to him and who some felt built the bridge herself (The Great Engineers, 1967). The Brooklyn Bridge was opened May 24th 1883 by the president of the United States U. S. Grant, to fireworks and one cent ticket passes to cross. Apparently it was a great relief to Washington Roebling as his health began to slowly improve. After the completing this engineering marvel in 1883, Washington lived a relatively quiet life, mostly as a result of being still partially crippled from his illness, and when his wife died in 1903 he remarried in 1908. He spent much of his time collecting minerals, which was his one great hobby, eventually having 16,000 specimens and ending up in the Museum of Natural History’s mineral and gem collection (Smithsonian Associates 2004). This hobby added balance to his life and probably kept him from accomplishing very much else as it took so much of his time. He outlived his wife Emily and remarried. He became president of his fathers company, John Roebling’s Sons, in 1921 at the age of 79. He brought incredible energy to the position, modernizing the factory with electricity and adding a galvanized wire section. The business prospered under his leadership until 1926, when Washington Roebling died. When one has hobbies such as athletics help keeps a healthy time management of school work and fun down time. College is one of the few times were one can have fun. There is a time and place to enjoy your hobbies but to enjoy these hobbies one must put in an honest day’s work. Conclusion When the Brooklyn Bridge opened to traffic on May 24th 1883, it was one of the grandest engineering marvels of that century in North America. The construction was composed of many firsts. Despite innumerable setbacks, including the untimely death of the original designer of the plan, John A. Roebling, and the crippling of his son, Washington Roebling, who succeeded him in the chief engineer duties it, was finished in 14 years, having been commenced January 2, 1870. At the time of completion it was 50% longer than any other suspension bridge, it was the first to use steel cables, much stronger than hemp or cast iron previously used. The towers that supported the four main cables (each of which supports a total dead live load of about 6 million pounds) for the span were the largest stone and masonry objects of their kind rising approximately 276 feet above the high water mark (Smithsonian Associates 2004). The challenges of this are hard to fathom in today’s world of reinforced concrete. How to cite Bridge paper, Papers

Kurt Cobain free essay sample

l had a good marriage, and for that Im grateful. .. But Ive become hateful toward all humans in general only because it seems so easy for people to get along that have empathy. Kurt Cabin, in his suicide note, found next to his corpse on Friday, April 8th 1994, stated his hatred towards human society. Dead at 27, he remains among one of the most monumental and controversial lyricists in history.In spite of his tempestuous marriage with drug addict, Courtney Love, reckless drug abuse, and a childhood drained of emotion, Cabin escalated to become the epitome of a rocks an alluring misfit who spent every waking minute under surveillance by either drug officers or the Time magazine paparazzi. Kurt indeed lived the life of a punk rock fantasy and continues to be remembered as he was publicized: the last genuine rocks. Wendy, Curts mother, gave birth to her first son on February 20th, 1967 (Kurt Cobalt). Wendy was a stay-at-home wife while her husband, Donald, worked at the local gas station in Aberdeen, Washington.In spite of Curts impoverished home-life, he stated that his childhood was full of happiness. Kurt received nothing but kisses ND hugs as a child, was as If the Cabins focused on affection, the familys main philosophy (Gracie 7). Aside from his relationship with his parents; however, came his association with music 0 the two components which formed Curts personality. Since the age of two. His Aunt Marl began, hes been singleness would sing the Battles songs like Hey Jude;He had a lot of charisma at a young age. Kurt received his first percussion instrument for his third birthday: a bass drum.Yet, this Is only because he was entirely too Impatient to play the guitar (Gracie 8). As Kurt ere older, his impatience increased and he grew to be extremely overactive. And by the age of seven he was diagnosed with an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, shortened to ADD. To assist Curts energy levels he was prescribed Rattail, which, when broken down, is a form of Speed. This makes up for the scientific hypothesis that Rattail causes addictive behavior in life; however, if the person who does have an ADD disorder and is not prescribed, then the person is more likely to become a drug addict (Cross 29).As an adult, Kurt commented too reporter about his Rattail ND explained, When youre a kid and you get this drug that makes you feel good, where are you going to turn when youre an was something that gave you that [euphoric] feeling as a child 0 isnt that a memory that is going to stick with you? H owever, everything seemed to alter for Kurt when his mother filed a divorce against his father on March 29th, 1975 (Grace 9). To Kurt, the divorce was a hell that shaped his personality into what he became (Cross 21).On June 7th of 1976, Kurt wrote on his bedroom wall, l hate Mom, I hate Dad. Dad hates Mom, Mom hates Dad. 0 the of his parents was lost (Cross 21). Kurt went into a state of denial and depression; he both needed his family, and at the same time did not. He was shuffled In and out of his parents new homes, giving the impression that he was, truly, a vagabond. But the tension between Kurt and his parents eased when Don received custody on June 8th, 1978 (Cross 27). The same year, however, Don new stepmother (Cross 34).Kurt withdrew, and his father simply could not bear his own son any longer. By 1982, Kurt was lodging with his Uncle Jim, a drug addict gross 39). That summer, Kurt started getting into heavier rock music and began existing to Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, yet his favorite band at the time was Reunion. At age 14, to get in tune with the new music genre, Kurt decided to give up playing the drums and began taking guitar lessons. At Aberdeen High School, Cabin soon lost his interest in sports and his preppy classmates (Cross 41).Kurt also disregarded most academics, focusing mainly on his art and music courses. His most recognized was his friendship was with a gay student, led to bullying at the hands of homophobic students (Biography Kurt Cabin). That friendship, along with his rather delicate stature, led some students o believe that he himself was gay. Kurt also disregarded most academics, focusing mainly on his art and music courses (Cross 42). He often drew during classes, including objects associated with futures and the human body (Cross 42). By this time Curts life revolved around music.He Joined a local musical group known as Melvin, which soon inspired Kurt to form a band of his own when Kurt flunked out of high school six weeks before graduation (Cabin, Kurt). Because his mother Anted nothing to do with a failure, she gave him one of two options: Get a Job, or get out (Cabin, Kurt). So a week later Kurt left his house, holding nothing but what he could carry within two trash bags. As a result of his musical talents, Kurt put together an original music band called Nirvana; a band that soon became known worldwide for intensity and originality.In the late sass , pop culture was at an all-time high in the United States and punk rock reigned in all of Europe. The pop culture was really only made for nothing more than commercial purposes. Legendary pop stars such as Madonna, Prince, and the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, dedicated most of their lyrics to physical and motional love, but since love was something Kurt did not fully experience throughout the majority of his life, pop music really didnt really catch his attention IPop Music).As a result, the band then looked towards punk rock 0 music with a fast tempo, heavy drums, light-tuned guitars, and vocals that generated from the throat (Punk Music). Kurt loved the lyrics punk rock had to offer; however, when he hea rd it for the first time, he was disappointed by the musics general melody (Gracie 10). To meet their standards, Nirvana broke people away from Michael Jacksons pop ultra and twisted The Ramose punk rock lyrics, and formed a distorted type of rock, also known as Grunge. Grunge music became a new genre generated from alternative rock, hard core punk rock, and heavy metal (Grunge Music). Grunge music, like punk rock, must consist of professional guitarists who can play strong riffs and an experienced drummer who is full of intensity. This genre generally involves slow tempos and harsh harmonies, and the lyrics usually sound angry, frustrated, saddened, scared, or depressed. Also, social issues such as poverty and social prejudice can influence the years in Grunge (Grunge Music).Grunge was known on the west coast in the late sass and early sass, but it only became commercially known between 1991 and 1994, Nirvana being the major popularity. Nirvana listeners everywhere began wearing trench coats,vintage band t- shirts, and practicing bad hygiene. Grunge became so popular that the new look hit the fashion runways, and even Vogue magazine issued grunge looks in one issue lcross 35). Grunge wasnt only a fashion, but also a fast moving sound that was capturing fans all across the nation. Nirvanas career album sales break down as follows: the roofs 1989 debut, Bleach, which has sold 1. 4 million copies to date, followed by 1991 s Nevermore, estimated to have sold about 10 million. Other albums such as Insecticide sold about 1. 13 million copies, and In Outer had approximately 3. 58 million copies sold. Nirvanas two most recent releases, sass MET Unplugged in New York and sasss From the Muddy Banks of the Hawkish have sold 4. 11 million and 1. 15 million copies, respectively. Consequently, Kurt was runner-up for the Best Songwriter of 1994 in Rolling Stone Magazines annual critics poll, being ranked between Freddy Johnson and SanPhillips (Biography Kurt Cabin). His latest award was given in 2003, when he was elected the 12th greatest guitarist of all-time by Rolling Stone Magazine once again. Ay changing the music industry, there can be little denying that Nirvana is one of the most popular and commercially viable rock groups of the last 20 years. From ages eight to twenty-seven, Curts behaviors could be classified into two different categories: personal and public problems, both of which led to negative influences. His personal problems began at age seven, the time of his parents divorce.Curts parents soon remarried, but since he was no longer receiving much attention, he started with small acts of retaliation: skipping school, disobeying, not doing his share of household chores, and by 8th grade, experimenting with marijuana, alcohol, and even LSI. Curts drug abuse carried on through his teenage and adult years when he met Courtney Love. Love influenced Curts drug habits, and by the end of their first year of marriage, they were spending up to $400 dollars per day on heroin (Gracie 33).