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American Revolution/Brandywine and Germantown

Introduction
The Battles of Brandywine and Germantown were part of the Philadelphia Campaign of the American Revolution (1775-1783).

The Battle of the Brandywine was fought on September 11, 1777, at Chad’s Ford, Pennsylvania. The Battle of Germantown was fought on October 4, 1777, near Philadelphia. The American Continental Army was led by General George Washington. The British forces were led by General William Howe. Although the Americans lost both battles to the British, they remained in good spirits. Their bravery and determination impressed the leaders of France. The American spirit of independence led to an alliance with France in February 1778. This alliance helped the Americans ultimately win the Revolutionary War against the British.

New Jersey

General George Washington was Commander-in-Chief of the American Continental Army. He crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night, 1776. His aim was to make a surprise attack on the British camp at Trenton, New Jersey. He was successful. The victory gave the Americans a huge confidence boost. Both armies were now in New Jersey. General Washington wanted to know what the British were planning to do next. Would they go north to New York, or try to capture the American capital of Philadelphia?

Maryland

A group of 265 British naval vessels (flotilla) were preparing to sail. It was the largest fleet of warships ever assembled in America. The ships would travel south from Sandy Hook, New Jersey, down the Atlantic Coast. They would go around the tip of the peninsula and sail north up the Chesapeake Bay. On August 27, 1777, they would land at the Head of the Elk River in Elkton, Maryland. The troops would leave the ship (disembark) then cross Delaware on their way to capture Philadelphia.

Going up the Delaware River would have been faster, but it was blocked. The Americans had placed spike-covered barricades (chevaux-de-frise) at the bottom of the river. Any enemy ships trying to sail the Delaware would be destroyed.

The British flotilla took six weeks to complete the trip to the Head of the Elk River in Maryland. The ships had brought 17,000 soldiers, many weapons, supplies, and animals. There were 500 head of cattle, 1000 sheep, and 100 horses. The voyage had been very stressful. Many soldiers were seasick. Many horses had died along the way. The loss of horses would affect the British in the field. Much time had been lost sailing the longer route.

The ships were unloaded and the British prepared to move north. Their goal would be to capture the American capital of Philadelphia. They wanted to move out right away and travel light, so they did not make a permanent camp in Elkton.

Prelude to Brandywine – End of August
Red Clay Creek

The Americans also traveled light. They made camp about ten miles north of Elkton. Washington was worried about their position and ordered his troops to fall back toward Red Clay Creek.

The troops prepared for battle. Delaware militiamen were sent out to harass Howe’s troops. Redoubts (fortifications) were built. Entrenchments (ditches) were dug. Cannons were placed on high ground. Brigadier General Sullivan and Major General Greene were on the northern flank (side). General Alexander (Lord Sterling), Major General Stephen, and Major General Wayne were on the southern side, closest to the enemy. The placement of these divisions gave Washington flexibility. Troops could easily be moved as needed.

There was disagreement about the best place for the defensive line. Greene believed nearby Christiana Creek would be best. There were roads, open country, and woods for camouflage. Washington thought Red Clay Creek would be best. To compromise, Washington sent Maxwell’s unit with militiamen to Cooch's Bridge at Christiana Creek. Maxwell made his headquarters at the Cooch home. The skirmish took place on September 3, 1777. It was called the Battle of Cooch’s Bridge. Also, known as the Battle of Iron Hill, it was the only Revolutionary War battle to take place in Delaware.

There were 800 American light infantry and militia under Maxwell. There were 1700 British and Hessian soldiers under Howe, Cornwallis, and von Wurmb. The British had artillery; the Americans had only rifles. The fighting began when the Americans ambushed the British about 2 miles south of Cooch’s Bridge. The Americans had made a series of small camps in the marshes, creek beds, and small ravines on either side of the road. They hid in the thick woods on either side of the road. Ambushing the enemy from behind trees and rocks was a tactic learned from Native Americans. The plan was to shoot and retreat until ordered to make a stand. After firing, the Americans would fall back, reload, and fire again.

Unfortunately, the Americans eventually ran out of ammunition. The British continued the battle with swords and bayonets. They were well trained with such weapons, so they had the advantage. The American soldiers were not trained in bayonet fighting. Their rifles did not usually have bayonets. They were outnumbered by the British. After 7 hours of fighting, Maxwell’s men retreated. The British army was victorious. Cornwallis took the Cooch house as his headquarters. American casualties were 30 killed or wounded, 140 missing or captured. British casualties were 30 killed or wounded and 35 captured. The engagement at Cooch’s Bridge was not a major battle. It had no effect on the outcome of the Philadelphia Campaign or the Revolutionary War. It did, however, raise Washington’s confidence in the ability of his men’s ability to perform in battle.

Washington gains valuable time

The next day, the British fleet left the Head of the Elk to sail back down Chesapeake Bay. The ships carried sick and wounded soldiers, tents, and unneeded baggage. On September 8th, British land-troops moved north, out of Delaware into Pennsylvania. Some ships remained.

The British advanced slowly toward the Brandywine. The delay allowed Washington to move his troops out of harm’s way. On the morning of September 9, they moved on to Chad’s Ford, on Brandywine Creek about 20 miles away. Chad’s Ford was the last natural defense before Philadelphia.

Washington set up headquarters at a Quaker farm and mill owned by Benjamin Ring. The Americans camped about a half mile from Chad’s Ford. Washington held a council-of-war with his generals to plan his strategy.

The British army would need to cross the Brandywine to get to Philadelphia. Washington began building defenses at shallow places (fords) along the river. Some fords would remain unprotected due to manpower shortages. Others were deep and impassable, so did not need additional protection. By the night of September 10, American troops were extended along a six-mile line covering the east side of the Brandywine Creek.

Congress sent deputies to inspect Washington’s placement of troops. They approved. The Americans seemed well-positioned and well-prepared to meet the British. Washington did not believe Howe would use a flanking (side) attack. He thought Howe would make a direct attack, relying on his greater number of troops and superior artillery. The Americans spent an anxious night about their campfires. It is said that Reverend Joab Trout gathered the troops together and prayed for a good outcome for the Americans and a future peaceful land.

British at Kennett Square

British General Knyphausen arrived at Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. He made camp east of town. General Cornwallis was delayed due to a late start and being unfamiliar with the area. Heavy artillery had to be hauled over muddy roads by horses weakened by the long sea journey. General James Grant camped at Hockessin Meeting a few miles from Kennett Square.

Fifteen-thousand British troops spent the night in Kennett Square. This was their first major stop since landing at the Head of the Elk at the end of August. Knyphausen would attack the Americans at Chad’s Ford. Cornwallis would move north, cross the Brandywine, and flank Washington's right. After an uneventful spring, several weeks at sea, and 16 days of marching, the Battle of the Brandywine was at hand. It would be the first major battle of the Philadelphia Campaign of 1777.

Battle of the Brandywine September 11, 1777
Before dawn, the British troops moved out from Kennett Square toward Chad’s Ford. At the front were "pioneers” clearing the road of obstructions. The army was headed to Jeffries’ Ford six miles away. Once across the river, they would flank and trap Washington’s army.

The British vanguard (front troops) consisted of 496 men: the Queen's Rangers, Ferguson's riflemen, and a squad from the 16th Light Dragoons. Behind them were the 1st and 2nd British Brigades. The artillery, supply wagons, and livestock stolen from surrounding farms followed the troops. The formidable 71st regiment served as the rear guard.

People say a chance meeting started the Battle of the Brandywine. A mounted party of scouts had stopped at Welch’s Tavern in Kennett Square. They were surprised by the arrival of some British soldiers. The Americans fired at them from the tavern, and ran out the back door, leaving their horses behind.

Conflicting Reports

Washington believed the entire British force would attack at Chad’s Ford. Then he received a report that Howe had split his army, moving some toward Reading depot and some toward Chad’s Ford.

Washington responded by sending some of his troops farther north. Then he received a message saying there was no British troop movement to the north. He did not believe this message. He mistakenly thought it was a trick. He removed his defense against a flanking movement. Howe now had extra time to march south and flank the Americans.

Howe Crosses the Brandywine

Eight-thousand British troops crossed the Brandywine about eight miles north of the Americans. A local man named Squire Cheyney discovered the British nearby. He rode seven miles to the Ring House to warn Washington. Cheyney's message along with several others convinced Washington that Howe had maneuvered around him.

Americans Stirling, Stephen, and Sullivan moved north. Wayne and Maxwell stayed to fight Knyphausen. They would be supported by Proctor's artillery. Greene's troops remained in reserve. They were in position to fight either Knyphausen or Cornwallis.

Tea Time for Howe

The British made slow progress. Heavy artillery had to be pulled over rough terrain. Artillery had to be placed on a hilltop to be effective. Once everything was in place, they took a half-hour break for lunch and tea. They had marched for 11 hours and felt safe for the moment. This break was a missed opportunity for Howe to rout the Americans. Instead, he gave them time to form defensive lines a mile to the south.

After resting, the British organized an attack. They would either outflank or overrun the American line. The Americans failed to form a solid defensive line. Sullivan’s troops had moved too far away, leaving an opening. The British launched a fierce attack. Parts of the American defensive line broke down. The Americans fought valiantly but were overwhelmed. They fell back, losing several artillery pieces to the British.

Sullivan sent frantic messages to Washington about the events to the north. They went unheeded. Washington still believed only a few British troops were there. Then, he heard the sounds of cannon fire from the north. The quiet on the west side of the creek finally convinced him Sullivan’s reports were true: the main British force was indeed to the north.

British

To clear a path for the British, Knyphausen launched a frontal attack. He bombarded the Americans with heavy artillery. He had crossed the Brandywine at several places. His main column fought through the American resistance at Chad’s Ford. A smaller British force crossed at Gibson's Ford to the south. They threatened the American militia posted at Pyle's Ford. The Americans fought hard despite being outnumbered. They seemed to be holding their ground, but soon British reinforcements arrived. The Americans were defeated.

The American defeat at Brandywine was due to many factors. Washington had no sound information about the fords. Poor scouting left the Americans unaware of Howe’s column. Too late, American troops were sent to block Howe’s flanking force. Washington had let Howe flank his army and drive them from the field.

American Retreat Lafayette tried to stop the American retreat. In the melee, he was wounded in the leg. Despite this, he was able to organize an orderly retreat. Green’s division held off Howe’s column long enough for the Americans to escape. He opened his lines to let the retreating men pass and re-formed the lines after them. Polish Brigadier General Pulaski’s men defended the rear.

The Americans retreated toward Chester, abandoning guns and artillery. Edward Hector, a black soldier, valiantly saved a few wagonloads of ammunition and arms, but most of the equipment was left behind. The baggage had been removed to Chester the day before, so it was safe. A small brigade armed with four cannon was posted at Painter's Crossroads to cover the retreating troops.

The Battle of the Brandywine was the largest single-day battle of the American Revolution. There were 15,000 Americans and 16,000 British altogether. The battle lasted for 11 hours. It covered 10 square miles. An estimated 1100 American troops and 600 British troops were killed, wounded, or captured.

After the Battle

After his decisive victory, General Howe kept his army on or near the battlefield to rest. The dead were buried, and the wounded were tended to. Wounded men were sent to Dilworth Hospital and Wilmington Hospital. There were not enough wagons or healthy horses to do this all at once. It took 5 days to complete the task.

Wilmington was the base of operations for the Royal Navy. Several British ships would be available to receive the wounded. Howe created a protected area (bridgehead) so troops and wagons could safely cross the river to reach the ships.

Instead of pursuing Washington, Howe allowed him to withdraw and reorganize. The Americans counted their dead, wounded, and missing. Wounded were sent to various places including Philadelphia, Trenton, and Reading. General Lafayette was taken by barge from Chester to Philadelphia. There he rested at the Indian Queen Tavern before being taken to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to recover.

Washington assembled his troops and ordered them to get ready to march. Ammunition and necessities were given out. The American army went back on the road. They needed to find new defensive ground to meet Howe’s army and save Philadelphia.

Some believe Howe’s army may have been more badly damaged than was known at the time.

This may be the reason he stayed so long after the battle ended. However, he had a record of not following through after successful battles. Some historians point out that Howe could have easily pursued Washington’s beaten army. He could have forced more fighting or further scattered the Americans. Lastly, he could have cut off Washington’s troops from the Reading depot so they could not get supplies and ammunition.

To Philadelphia

By midday on September 12th, the Americans reached the Schuylkill River. Then, a few miles from Philadelphia, they turned and marched to the Falls of the Schuylkill near Germantown. They had marched 17 hours after fighting the Battle of the Brandywine. According to an American officer’s diary entry, the army was in good spirits despite their tiredness.

To save Philadelphia from the British, all of the fords along the Schuylkill River would have to be defended. Militia men constructed temporary fortifications (redoubts) above the fords. The soldiers reorganized their ranks and practiced drills to get ready for battle.

Once it became clear that Philadelphia might fall to the British, panic gripped the city. Rumors were rampant. American patriots moved out; businesses closed down. The British were taking bells from churches and buildings to melt down and make bullets. The patriots smuggled the Liberty Bell out of the city, hidden in a cart of straw. It was taken to Allentown where it stayed until June, 1778, when it returned to Philadelphia.

The British could cross the Schuylkill at Fatlands Ford to go to Philadelphia. Or, they could cross at Gordon's Ford and go to Reading. He built a bridge at Gordon's Ford to convince Washington that the British were going to Reading. The trick worked and Washington moved west to defend the supply depots at Reading. This left Howe a clear path into Philadelphia. At midnight, all the British troops crossed at Fatlands Ford and headed to Philadelphia.

Battle of Germantown, October 4, 1777
Howe captured Philadelphia on September 26. 1777. He posted 9000 troops at Germantown, a village 5 miles north of Philadelphia. He thought Germantown was a safe place to monitor Washington’s movements. He sent 3000 troops to occupy Philadelphia. He kept 6000 near Germantown.

When Washington learned Howe had split his army, he prepared a surprise attack. If the Americans could capture Germantown, they could retake Philadelphia. Eleven-thousand American troops would advance under cover of night. They would attack from multiple directions at dawn.

Unfortunately, they lost the element of surprise because darkness and dense fog delayed their advance. The heavy morning fog caused confusion. Sullivan’s right-center column was able to drive off the British light infantry. However, 120 British soldiers took refuge in a nearby house. Washington ordered his men to take the house. They tried several times, but of their attacks failed. A short distance away, Sullivan’s men ran low on ammunition. They pulled back when they heard cannon fire. Greene’s wing was just arriving. They ran into Wayne’s division. Both were confused by the fog and accidentally fired on each other.

Meanwhile, Greene’s left-center column pushed back the British right flank. Sullivan’s column was out of the fight. The British left wing joined the fight against Greene and defeated him. The Americans withdrew under cover of darkness. The British had won the Battle of the Brandywine.

American casualties were 152 killed, 521 wounded, and 438 captured. British casualties were 71 killed, 448 wounded, and none captured.

After the Battle, there was disappointment on both sides. Howe had let the Americans escape to fight another day. He had been unable to gain support from the civilian population. Washington had received unreliable information about the fords. He had let Howe flank his army and drive them from the field.

Results

Despite the British victory, many Europeans, especially the French, were impressed by the unflagging determination of the Americans. In the final months of 1777, both armies went into winter quarters. The Americans went to Valley Forge in Pennsylvania. The young Continental Army would mature that winter under the direction of General Friedrich von Steuben. They would be trained to use bayonets in battle. Von Steuben would turn them into a disciplined, professional fighting force.

The Battle of the Brandywine was crucial to American freedom because it gave Washington’s army confidence in battle. They had stood up to the British army—one of the most professional in the world. The Americans would ultimately go on to win the Revolutionary War. The American Revolution officially ended on September 3, 1783, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.

References

American muskets of the Revolution. (July 4, 2020). https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/american-muskets-of-the-revolution/

American Revolution timeline. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/americanrevolution/timeline.htm

Battle of Cooch’s Bridge. https://www.revolutionarywar.us

Burdick, K. (Dec 14, 2021). Cooch’s Bridge, Delaware’s only Revolutionary War battle. ''Journal of the American Revolution. '' http://allthingsliberty.com

Harris, M. C. (2014). Brandywine: A military history of the battle that lost Philadelphia but saved America, September 11, 1777. Savas Beatie.

Hoffecker, C. (1974). Brandywine Village, the story of a milling community. Old Brandywine Village, Inc.

Iron making. https://www.nps.gov/hofu/learn/historyculture/iron-making.htm

Kent, D. (1994). Delaware. Childrens press.

Miller, N. (1965). The story of the Liberty Bell. Childrens Press.

Philadelphia Campaign: 1777. Independence Hall Association. https://www.ushistory.org

Revolutionary war battles Germantown. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/germantown

Soodalter, R. (Feb 6, 2017). Military History Quarterly. Arming the Revolution: Where did the Continental Army get its cannons? https://www.historynet.com/arming-revolution-continental-army-get-cannons/

Virtual marching tour of the American Revolutionary War, the Philadelphia Campaign: 1777. The Philadelphia Campaign of 1777: Background (ushistory.org)

American Revolution 10/04/1777 - Battles - Battle of Germantown in Pennsylvania (Philadelphia Campaign) - RevWarTalk


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Cookbook:Beniseed or Sesame Soup

Beniseed soup, often known as sesame soup, is a popular Nigerian soup made from sesame seeds. Beniseeds are a frequent food in the middle belt and far north; northerners call them ridi, while Tivs, Idomas, and Igalas call them ishwa, ocha, and igogo, respectively. The Igbos called these seeds isasa, and the Yorubas called them ekuku. The soup can be served with pounded yam, eba, or garri, among other things.

Ingredients

 * Beef
 * Stockfish
 * Seasoning cubes, crushed
 * Palm oil
 * Onion, chopped
 * Sesame seeds, ground
 * Ground crayfish
 * Pepper
 * Fermented locust beans
 * Salt
 * Bitterleaf

Equipment

 * Pot
 * Medium-sized bowl

Procedures

 * 1) Season the beef and stockfish with seasoning cubes. Place in a pot, and add enough water to cover everything. Simmer until done, then drain and set aside, reserving the broth.
 * 2) Heat some palm oil in a frying pan, and add the onions. Cook for 1 minute.
 * 3) Add the ground sesame seeds, and cook for 3 minutes or less, stirring constantly.
 * 4) Stir in the reserved broth, ground crayfish, pepper, locust beans, and cooked meat and fish. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.
 * 5) If the soup is too thick, you can thin with water. Adjust seasoning to taste.
 * 6) Stir in bitterleaf, and simmer for a few more minutes.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Cookbook:Beniseed or Sesame Soup


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Open Scholarship Press Collections: Connection

Graham Jensen (UVic), Tyler Fontenot (Independent), Alan Colín-Arce (U Autónoma del Estado de México), Alyssa Arbuckle (UVic), Vitor Yano (Concordia), Anna Honcharova (European Students' Forum), Caroline Winter (UVic), and Ray Siemens (UVic), with the INKE and ETCL Research Groups

Table of Contents
This annotated bibliography is included in the Open Scholarship Press Collections.

ISBN 9798210903815

Knowledge Commons as Sites of Connection

 * Historical and Theoretical Approaches to Knowledge Commons
 * (Academic) Social Networking Sites as Knowledge Commons
 * Noteworthy Examples of Digital Knowledge Commons

Forms of Connection and Collaboration in Digital Knowledge Commons

 * Open Social Scholarship and Social Knowledge Creation
 * Community Engagement
 * Commons-based Approaches to Teaching and Research

Maintaining Connections and Fostering Care in Digital Knowledge Commons

 * Commercialization, Commodification, and the Common Good
 * Governance and Conduct in Digital Knowledge Commons
 * Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Digital Spaces
 * Ethical and Responsible Data Management
 * Relevant Licenses, Policies, and Guidelines


text: Category:Book:Open Scholarship Press Collections: Connection


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User talk:207.255.52.134

--Xania   talk 02:42, 15 June 2022 (UTC)

title: User talk:207.255.52.134


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User talk:2600:1700:70CB:C39F:545C:844E:68A2:803

--Xania   talk 02:42, 15 June 2022 (UTC)


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User:Gerusamaso/sandbox

= Themes in Literature - Isolation and Community/The Happy Prince = TEXT

Oscar Wilde's tale "The Happy Prince" is a well-known short story about friendship, kindness, and how selfless love can heal. It was first published in 1888 as part of the collection The Happy Prince and Other Tales (Wikipedia). Other stories in the collection are "The Nightingale and the Rose," "The Selfish Giant," "The Devoted Friend," and "The Remarkable Rocket."  The Happy Prince and Other Tales is a classic book popular among kids and adults. People have looked at the book from many different angles. Through the stories in the book, Wilde criticizes Victorian society in ways that are still relevant today. “The Happy Prince” is an old story, but its message still makes people think about what kind of world they want to live in.

Read the first edition here.

ABOUT OSCAR WILDE
Oscar Wilde wrote some of his most vivid and dramatic stories during the Victorian Era in late 1800s England when London was at the pinnacle of wealth inequality. His marriage to Constance Lloyd, the daughter of a prominent barrister, who was well-read, spoke several European languages fluently and had a strong, independent personality (Harris) gave the couple two sons, Cyril and Vyvyan (Wikipedia contributors, “Oscar Wilde”). Wilde’s most creative period, 1887 to 1900, followed after he accepted the position of editor of the fashion and arts magazine The Woman's World, to which he added serious articles on politics, culture, and parenting (Wikipedia contributors, “Oscar Wilde”). His two collections of children's stories were  and The House of Pomegranates (1900). His first and only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, was published in the American magazine Lippincott’s Monthly in 1890, whose homoerotic elements sparked a storm of criticism among its reviewers, some of whom accused Wilde of “being a hedonist with values that deviated from the conventionally accepted morality of Victorian Britain (Wikipedia contributors, “The Picture of Dorian Gray”). He was a spokesperson for the Aesthetic Movement (“Art for The Sake of The Art”) in England, and his involvement in a civil and criminal case involving homosexuality landed him in jail. Oscar Wilde died on November 30, 1900, in Paris (Ellman).

THE PLOT

The statue of the recently deceased Happy Prince stands high above the city on a tall column. He watches over the city in agony as his people suffer. A small Swallow flies over the city one night. Six weeks before, his friends had gone to Egypt for the winter, but he had stayed behind because he was in love with the most beautiful Reed. He arrives in town and takes refuge at the feet of the Happy Prince’s statue. The Swallow notices the prince was crying, and the prince explains that he is sad because he had spent his entire life in palace, despite all the misery in his kingdom, and had never experienced such pain. Now that he is a statue, he can see his people's suffering, so he requests that the Swallow distribute the gemstones and gold leaves from his form to various families in need.

Because the Swallow has come to love the prince, he stays with him. When winter arrives, the Happy Prince statue loses its beauty, and the Swallow dies from the harsh cold, thus breaking the prince’s heart. When the city Mayor notices the statue's poor condition, he decides to demolish it, melt it, and erect a new statue of himself. The prince’s lead heart and the Swallow are discarded because they seem worthless to the Mayor and Town Councilors. However, when God requests that an Angel bring him the most valuable items in the city, the Angel brings him the dead Swallow and the Prince's heart. God tells the Angel he has rightly chosen.

THE CHARACTERS

THE PRINCE The Happy is revived from the dead as a golden statue and placed on a platform overlooking his domain. The Happy Prince's monument is characterized as gorgeous, and his name is an irony reflecting his anguish at seeing his kingdom's inequity. Despite his given name, laments his city's tragedy and the lack of compassion shown by those in positions of affluence toward those in need.

THE SWALLOW

On his way to Egypt, the Swallow stops to rest on the statue of the Happy Prince. When asked to assist the townspeople, he is initially standoffish towards the Prince’s requests. Eventually, the Swallow becomes a generous, compassionate, and friendly creature. He falls in love with the Prince and stays with him until his death.

THE REED

Although she only appears briefly in the story, the Reed is responsible for the Swallow's delay in traveling to Egypt. He tries to court her. However, his friends criticize the relationship because of her poverty and numerous lovers. She decides not to travel to Egypt with the Swallow, effectively ending their relationship.

LITTLE MATCH-GIRL

She a child weeping because she dropped her matches in the gutter and cannot bring her father any money. She is afraid her father will hit her. The swallow gives him the Happy Prince's second sapphire.

TOWN COUNCILORS

They first appreciate the monument's appearance, but then refer to it as "shabby" and finally destroy it to replace it with a statue of the mayor.

A BEATIFUL GIRL She was dissatisfied with the seamstress's preparation of her dress for the state ball, and she told her boyfriend about it.

A SEAMSTRESS

She is embroidering passionflowers on a satin robe for a member of the royal family, but she has nothing to feed her sick child. The swallow gives her the Happy Prince's ruby.

THE PLAYWRIGHT

He is attempting to complete a play for the Theatre Director, but he is too chilly and hungry to continue writing. The swallow sends him a sapphire from the Happy Prince.

THE OLD JEW GROUP

They are negotiating and using copper scales to weigh money.

GOD

He requests that an angel deliver him the two most valuable items in the city. The angel sends him the heart of lead and the corpse of the bird. God affirms that the angel made the correct decision.

ART PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY

He declares The Happy Prince Statue to be worthless since it has lost its attractiveness.

THEMES

BEAUTY Oscar Wilde was a huge advocate for the Aesthetic Movement – Art for The Sake of The Art - that influenced most of his work. The narrator of “The Happy Prince” starts by describing the aesthetic beauty of the prince’s statue and its majesty, focusing on the richness of the statue: “High above the city, on a tall column, stood the statue of the Happy Prince. He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold, for eyes he had two bright sapphires, and a large red ruby glowed on his sword-hilt.”

One of the Council members' opinions reveals that his values were foolish and based on the external aesthetic and beauty: "He is as beautiful as a weathercock," remarked one of the Town Councilors who wished to gain a reputation for having artistic tastes; ‘only not quite so useful,’ he added, fearing lest people should think him unpractical, which he really was not.”

Such values based on external beauty appear to be contagious and a common behavior among the privileged class of society of the tale. The narrator describes the Happy Prince’s statue from the perspective of a child and his Master. The children's view of the statue as perfect reflects the information they receive about the world in which they live:

He looks just like an angel," said the Charity Children as they came out of the cathedral in their bright scarlet cloaks and their clean white pinafores. "How do you know?" said the Mathematical Master, "you have never seen one." "Ah! but we have, in our dreams," answered the children; and the Mathematical Master frowned and looked very severe, for he did not approve of children dreaming.

The concept of beauty takes precedence over the usefulness or utility of things. It demonstrates society's obsession with beauty as surface. The fact that the characters in the story who appreciate beauty appear to be all from high society is satirizing society's lack of understanding of what is the beauty of art and what is useless.

INEQUALITY

Another major theme in "The Happy Prince" is inequality. The gluttony of the wealthy contributes significantly to the misery of the less fortunate. Because they are unconcerned about the anguish of those in need, greedy people's behavior is what makes life so miserable in this tale. The Swallow watches the city below him and its inequity while flying to aid someone in need: "He went over the Ghetto, and observed the elderly Jews negotiating with one other, and weighing out money in copper scales." He also notices the beautiful girl moaning to her lover about the seamstress's poor work, which may cause her dress to be late for the night ball. On the other hand, a poor youngster was tossing and turning in his bed, and his mother, the seamstress, had fallen asleep exhausted of a job that did not pay her enough to purchase her son medication. Moreover, when the Happy Prince asks that the Swallow fly over his kingdom and tell him what he sees; observes the following: “So, the Swallow flew over the great city, and saw the rich making merry in their beautiful houses, while the beggars were sitting at the gates. He flew into dark lanes and saw the white faces of starving children looking out listlessly at the black streets.”

This story is an open and honest critique of the privilege that existed in that society at the time, which only served to reinforce cycles of inequality and separation for those in need. This critique is timeless because, despite being pointed out, society continues to maintain its unequal conditions.

LOVE AND KINDNESS

“The Happy Prince” also conveys a positive message about the transformative power of love and compassion. The prince embodies the same values as Jesus, who gave his life to suffer to alleviate humanity's suffering. Previously unaware of his kingdom's inequity, the prince now sees how society behaves and the consequences. To make up for his previous life of luxury, he devotes himself to helping others and save his kingdom. In the beginning of the story, the Happy Prince expresses his dissatisfaction with his past when he says:

When I was alive and had a human heart […], I did not know what tears were, for I lived in the Palace of Sans- Souci, where sorrow is not allowed to enter. In the daytime I played with my companions in the garden, and in the evening, I led the dance in the Great Hall. Round the garden ran a very lofty wall, but I never cared to ask what lay beyond it, everything about me was so beautiful. My courtiers called me the Happy Prince, and happy indeed I was, if pleasure be happiness. So, I lived, and so I died. And now that I am dead, they have set me up here so high that I can see all the ugliness and all the misery of my city, and though my heart is made of lead, yet I cannot choose but weep.

Love and kindness spread like wildfire. The Swallow pauses his journey to Egypt to assist the prince in his efforts to help those in need of his kingdom. Such actions make the Swallow realize how good it is to help others; once he returns from his first flight to assist a needy family, the Swallows share with the Happy Prince how he feels about it: "It is curious, […] but I feel quite warm now, although it is so cold." The prince explains: "That is because you have done a good action.” Love serves as a countervailing force to the unfairness and decaying standards of the society. The beauty of this Wilde tale is that even though it was written and published more than a century ago, the lessons it contains about life continue to be relevant even today.

SYMBOLS

CHILDREN Wilde used innocent characters to show how society's harmful deeds may tarnish a child's innocence and lead to the recurrence of cycles of inequity and injustice. Children were invoked as symbols of human greed and injustice's devastating force. For instance, when the speaker narrates “He passed over the river, and saw the lanterns hanging to the masts of the ships. He passed over the Ghetto, and saw the old Jews bargaining with each other, and weighing out money in copper scales. At last he came to the poor house and looked in. The boy was tossing feverishly on his bed, and the mother had fallen asleep, she was so tired. In he hopped, and laid the great ruby on the table beside the woman's thimble. Then he flew gently round the bed, fanning the boy's forehead with his wings. 'How cool I feel," said the boy, "l must be getting better"; and he sank into a delicious slumber.”

LEAD HEART When the prince’s dear friend, the Swallow, died of cold, the prince’s lead heart cracked into pieces. The mayor of the city then melts the Happy Prince statue to construct a new statue of himself, and the lead heart is thrown away as garbage, but is rescued by one of God’s angels. The lead heart represents genuine beauty, not superficial beauty. Although the Happy Prince was made of gold and stone gems, his true beauty lay within.

THE STATUE

“The Happy Prince” is a parable used to communicate Christian values to a dysfunctional society. The statue represents Jesus and his tender love for humanity, who saw the suffering and dedicated his life on earth to helping those in need.

FURTHER READING

◆    The Happy Prince and Other Tales 8

♣  The Picture of Dorian Gray

♥   Manuscripts and Letters of Oscar Wilde

DID YOU KNOW?

●     That Oscar Wilde was charged and imprisoned for indecency?

●     That as part of the French Revolution, homosexuality was no longer against the law in France, so Wilde’s friends urged him to run away to France?

●      That Wilde was born to a wealthy family and died in a Paris hotel, penniless?

●     That some of the original manuscripts of Oscar Wilde's work are available at Morgan Library and Museum in New York? Check the link below to see the remaining original manuscripts of The Picture of Dorian Gray.

FUN FACT

♣ The British silent comedy film Lady Windermere's Fan, directed by Fred Paul and starring Milton Rosmer, was released in the United Kingdom in 1916. Lady Windermere's Fan was the first cinematic version of Oscar Wilde's 1892 drama. Check out the movie in the link below.

Lady Windermere's Fan ♦ One of the oldest bars in New York City has been transformed into a tribute to Oscar Wilde and Victorian-era bohemia. In December 1933, the Volstead Act is abolished, and Oscar Wilde's statue is rected, making the location into a symbol of his bohemian lifestyle (“The Volstead Act”).

Check out the place her here: Oscar Wilde NYC

title: User:Gerusamaso/sandbox


text:
Yesod web framework/Model

Using in-memory mutable data (in the foundation datatype)
E.g. a visitor count. See ref.

The Database layer

 * persistent is the name of the database access layer with templates for generating types for entities and keys as well as schema initialization.

There is first class support for PostgreSQL, SQLite, MongoDB, CouchDB and MySQL, with experimental support for Redis.

The Database layout is described in a template listing the entities, fields and constraints.

 * For every entity listed, an integer key column "id" is generated with autoincrement and primary index attributes, with a type alias appending Id to the entity name
 * For every entity listed, a record type named as the entity is generated were record fields names are composed prefixing the entity name to the field name like "personName". An EntityField type "PersonName" is also generated for foreign key referencing from other entities.
 * There is an automatic database schema migration mechanism for DB schema updates, which, to succeed, requires, when adding columns to existent tables, to specify Default-column-value constraints with sql level notation.
 * "At most one" cardinality has a special mechanism around the type Checkmark.
 * Weak entities (childs in life constrained owner-child relationships) have no special support for cascade delete triggers, but there are functions to deleteCascade manually in the Database.Persist.Class module.

 * automatic table creation, schema update and table migration: Modifications of the entities template produces an schema update with automatic table creation, and migration for the DBMS's that support "ALTER TABLE" SQL commands in a migrateAll procedure, generated from the template content. See "Migrations" in ref. to look for migration aware DBMS.

 * Esqueleto: is a haskell combinators layer to generate correct relational queries to persistent.

Example for persistent rawSQL and Esqueleto queries.

E-mail
The following packages are part of the yesod-platform:
 * email-validate: Validating an email address.
 * mime-mail: Compose and send MIME email messages.

Facebook

 * Useful glue functions between the fb library and Yesod.

Development cycle
New Yesod apps are generated from the HaskellStack tool templates, replacing previous command "yesod init"

Stack based app. template names are prefixed by yesod as "yesod-{minimal | postgres | sqlite | mysql | mongo | ...}"

 * Since HaskellStack uses the stackage repo by default, extra packages from the hackage repo should be referred in the "stack.yaml" extra-deps section.
 * You may customize packages to a local subfolder. They must be referred in the "stack.yaml" packages section.

The "Yesod helper" tool

 * The yesod helper tool
 * run from the project site, recompiles and restarts the project at every file tree modification.
 * adds a new handler and module to the project, adding an import clause for the handler in the "Application" module.

Deploying with Keter: A web app server monitor and reverse proxy server
See refs.

Keter is a process as a service that handles deployment and restart of Yesod web app servers, and, per web app, database creation for PostgreSQL.

The console command  packs the web app. as a keter bundle for uploading to a keter folder named "incoming".

Keter monitors the "incoming" folder and unpacks the app. to a temporary one, then assigns the web app a port to listen to, and starts it.

Initially it worked with Nginx as reverse proxy (keter version 0.1*), adding virtual server entries to its configuration and making Nginx reload it, but now Keter itself provides its own reverse proxy functionality, removing Nginx dependency and acting as the main web server.

Old documentation (Nginx based).

Integration with JavaScript generated from functional languages
See ref.

title: Yesod web framework/Model


text:
Cookbook:Agbugbu (Nigerian Pigeon Pea and Yam Porridge)

Agbugbu is a typical igbo food made from pigeon peas and yam. It is tasty and easy to prepare.

Ingredients

 * Dried pigeon peas
 * Yam, cut into small pieces and rinsed
 * Sliced onions
 * Ground crayfish
 * Ground pepper
 * Palm oil
 * Salt to taste

Procedure

 * 1) Pick any dirt or debris out of the pigeon peas, then wash them and soak in water overnight.
 * 2) Drain away the soaking water.
 * 3) Cover the pigeon peas in fresh water, and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, then drain.
 * 4) Boil the yam in water until tender, then drain.
 * 5) Fry the onions, ground crayfish, ground pepper in a pan with palm oil.
 * 6) Add the drained yam and pigeon peas, and stir gently.
 * 7) Season with salt to taste.
 * 8) Serve.


text:
Cookbook:Plantain Frittata II

| Cuisine of Nigeria

Ingredients

 * Plantains
 * Vegetable oil
 * Onions, sliced
 * Carrots, chopped
 * Tomatoes, chopped
 * Bell peppers (both green and red), diced
 * Fish
 * Spring onions (optional), sliced
 * Ginger, grated
 * Garlic, minced
 * Curry powder
 * Thyme
 * Seasoning cubes
 * Egg
 * Salt

Procedure

 * 1) Peel and slice the plantains. Fry in oil until golden, then set aside.
 * 2) Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan. Add sliced onions, allow to fry for few seconds, then mix in the chopped carrots.
 * 3) Stir in the tomatoes and bell peppers, then fry for a minute.
 * 4) Stir in the fish, spring onions, ginger, garlic, curry powder, thyme, and stock cube.
 * 5) Break the eggs in a bowl, add a pinch of salt, and whisk well.
 * 6) Pour the beaten egg into the fried vegetables, and gently stir all to combine.
 * 7) Gently arrange the fried plantains on top of the egg mixture.
 * 8) Cover with foil, cooking paper, or a lid. Cook for about 20 minutes over the lowest heat.
 * 9) Serve hot.

title: Cookbook:Plantain Frittata II


text:
Cookbook:Nni Ede (Nigerian Pounded Cocoyam)

Nni ede is a typical Nigerian dish made from a mixture of cocoyam and cassava flour. It is served with ẹ̀gusi soup, ogbonno soup or okro soup.

Ingredients

 * Cocoyam (the head part)
 * Cassava flour
 * Water

Equipment

 * Stove
 * Pot
 * Turning stick
 * Bowl

Procedure

 * 1) Cut the cocoyam into small pieces. Rinse the pieces, and boil them for few minutes. Drain the cocoyam.
 * 2) Mix water into the cassava flour to make a dough. Shape into balls.
 * 3) Boil the cassava balls for few minutes, then drain.
 * 4) Pound together the cassava balls and cocoyam until smooth and lump-free.
 * 5) Serve with your choice of soup.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * When cocoyam is pounded it becomes soft and sticky. Thus, the cassava flour is added to serve as a binder, which thickens the mixture and makes it easier to shape.


text:
Cookbook:Ayaraya Oka (Nigerian Pigeon Pea and Corn Porridge)

Ayaraya oka is a typical Igbo food made from pigeon peas and corn. It is served with ẹgusi soup, oha soup, or okro soup.

Ingredients

 * Pigeon peas
 * Corn
 * Salt to taste
 * Palm oil
 * Beef
 * Ground crayfish
 * Ground pepper
 * Seasoning cube

Procedure

 * 1) Pick any dirt or debris from the pigeon peas. Rinse them, then soak in water.
 * 2) Rinse corn, and add salt to taste.
 * 3) Boil pigeon peas and corn together for few minutes.
 * 4) Add palm oil, beef, ground crayfish, ground pepper, and seasoning cube. Stir, then cook for few minutes.
 * 5) Serve.


text:
User:CKWG - Ada Magica

Why am I here?

I've over the years edited a lot of pages of the Ada Programming book without having a wiki user id (sometimes I signed my contributions with CKWG). Eventually I got blocked. I found no way to complain at some wiki representatives (if there is something like this) because everywhere I tried I go blocked.

Finally I found help via private email by a registered user. The reason why I had got blocked turned out to be a mistaken identity with some chess vandal.

So I finally registered as a user, albeit a bit grudgingly (I had liked my anonymity).

I met Ada in 1983 in an introductory language course. Ada was brand new and the lecturers themselves were not very firm in this early stage. But the course made me love the language because Ada provided all I had missed in Pascal (e.g. range attributes). At that time I had to use Fortran IV professionally, a language with severe and evil deficits in security. The company used Fortran in a certain dialect; eventually they decided to switch to the language standard - oh what fun we had to change all identifiers from 7 to 6 characters - you can easily imagine.

I took the Ada language standard (ANSI/MIL-STD-1815 A), I own it still, and read it from first to last page. I was overwhelmed by the completeness it defined every construct, a feature I had missed with all languages I had used before (Algol 60, PL1, Pascal, Fortran). I have to confess that I had no access to the standards of those languages - if there were any at all. I always used the best sources available.

Eventually I found a company that looked for Ada programmers, and I spent the rest of my professional life with Ada for safety critical applications in all language generations that were born.

Ich habe eine Alias-ID https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benutzer:CKWG_-_Ada_Magica

title: User:CKWG - Ada Magica


text:
Cookbook:Ofe Ugu (Nigerian Ugu Soup)

Ofe ugu is a typical Igbo soup served with swallows such as plantain fufu, amala or semo. It is easy and quick to prepare.

Ingredients

 * Ugu leaves, cut into small pieces
 * Water
 * Palm oil
 * Ground pepper
 * Sliced onion
 * Stock cube
 * Beef
 * Ground crayfish
 * Salt

Equipment

 * Knife
 * Pot
 * Bowl/plate
 * Stove
 * Spoon

Procedure

 * 1) Rinse the ugu leaves, and boil in water for a few minutes.
 * 2) Add palm oil, ground pepper, and onion. Cook for few minutes.
 * 3) Stir, then add seasoning cube, beef, ground crayfish, and salt to taste. Cook for few minutes.
 * 4) Serve the soup with the swallow of your choice.

title: Cookbook:Ofe Ugu (Nigerian Ugu Soup)


text:
User:Royal Blue Queen/sandbox

Author:
Ken Liu is an American born author of science fiction. He was born in 1976 in Lanzhou, China and spent most of his childhood with his grandparents. His mother received her PhD in chemistry, and is a pharmaceutical chemist, while his father is a computer engineer. The family immigrated to the United States when Liu was 11 years old. They lived in various states before settling in Waterford, Connecticut. Liu graduated from Waterford High School in 1994 and later attended Harvard College, where he studied English Literature and Computer Science. Upon graduation, he worked as a software engineer for Microsoft. He later received his law degree from Harvard Law School in 2004 and worked as a corporate lawyer and eventually became a high-tech litigation consultant.

“The Paper Menagerie” was his first short story to win two major literary awards: the Nebula Award and the Hugo Award. Besides writing science fiction and fantasy fiction, Liu is a translator and editor. Liu believed he could make stories that “turn values upside down and inside out to gain new perspectives” (Wikipedia Contributors).

Isolation in “The Paper Menagerie”:
“The Paper Menagerie” is about a nameless Chinese immigrant who is the mother of the story’s narrator, Jack. Jack’s mother was from a very poor farming family and born at a time of famine in China. Her own mother was self-sacrificing; she would eat mud so that she could give Jack’s mother the little bit of food that was left. In the story, Jack’s mother represents the Chinese community and throughout the story she tries to present this culture to her American –born son. One example of her attempt to gift her culture to her son is the Zhizhi (origami) paper menagerie that she creates and gives to Jack when he was a toddler. As Jack matured, he started to choose American culture over Chinese culture. This rejection of her culture by her son compounded her feeling of isolation in the English-speaking Connecticut community to which her white American husband had brought her. As an adult, her son’s rejection of her culture caused isolation and was too much for her to handle.

Many immigrants have dealt with the issue of isolation presented in Lui’s story. They had to leave all that was familiar to them and assimilate into a new country, oftentimes without the comfort of family and friends. They have even tried to incorporate their culture into their new homeland. Some have even created families of their own with the intent of passing on family culture and values. This effort has sometimes led to disappointment in that some children of immigrants reject the culture of their parents.

Jack's mother cherishes her culture because it is the only thing remaining from her family. The rejection of her heritage would lead her to feel isolated, because there is no one else she can interact with freely about her own culture. Nevertheless, in the story she is rejected multiple times just for being different. When the family moves to Connecticut, two white neighbors visit them, and express disgust towards her ancestry. They’re blatantly racist remarks are insulting to  the physical attributes of Jack’s mixed ancestry. “Something about the mixing never seems right. The child looks unfinished. Slanty eyes, white face. A little monster” (Liu).

It is not clear if the neighbors’ contempt planted a seed of doubt and anger in Jack towards his mother's heritage, causing him to act out against his mother but as the narrator, he vividly remembers them calling him “a monster” for being biracial. What is clear is that Jack’s rejection of his mother’s culture begins when Jack’s American classmates bully him and call him a racist name (“chink”) (Liu), so he decides to avoid anything that would identify him as Chinese. When his mother cooks a Chinese meal, he refuses to eat it, he also refuses to respond to his mother when she speaks to him in her native tongue. Jack and his father then force the mother to embrace American culture in ways that would try to overwrite her Asian heritage and make her feel alienated: “I pushed the chopsticks and the bowl before me away; stir fry green peppers with five spice beef ‘we should eat American food’” (Liu). Even though Jack’s mother tries to fit in, her efforts are not enough for her son, leading him to show contempt and later indifference towards his mother. Jack’s behavior was very painful for the mother because she was experiencing rejection from the one person she loves. Symbolically, this rejection leads to her death; though the story does not indicate what her illness is, we are to understand that she dies of a broken heart.

At the end of the story, Jack realizes that his mother’s death caused him to feel isolated because he had lost a person who loved him dearly. Her death also represented the loss of a part of his cultural identity and heritage. The rejection of his mother’s culture is also a rejection of part of his own identity, and he now has no opportunity to know this culture hands on. This is most evident at the end of the story when Jack reads a letter that was left for him by his mother in Laohu, the paper tiger that symbolizes his own self, and tries to reconnect with her by refolding Laohu, referring to it as “we.” By following the creases of Laohu, he is finally following his mother’s way of teaching. Jack ends the story with “[w]e began to walk home”. This “we” shows a level of acceptance, reconnection, and rebirth.

An immigrant’s story:
           I am the fourth of eleven brothers and sisters. We lived in extreme poverty as my mother struggled to care for us. When the opportunity came to come to America, my mother was happy because I would now be able to help myself and them. It was one of my biggest dreams going up. I believed I would have the opportunity to work hard and help myself and my family. I arrived at JFK in the summer of ‘88. I came to America to attend school. My plans for school did not workout. I wanted to fulfill a dream of going to college--which would make me the first of my eleven brothers and sisters to go to college. When I arrived, I lived with my aunt. She told me she did not have money and I would have to seek employment. She allowed me to work at her beauty parlor business as I tried to save up money to attend school.

Upon arrival, I felt that the people were cold and unfriendly towards me. This was a big change for me. In Trinidad, I lived in a village where most people were related. I remember being given a key to my aunt’s apartment. I was shocked by the number of locks that were on the door. It was scary for me to see this. In my community there was a sense of relative safety. My accent made it difficult to communicate. I had to repeat myself often. I was also met with bias and stereotypes often. I once recall a woman ask me if “you all wear grass skirts.” My husband’s southern family would ask me if I wanted a “Beef patty,” or call me “coconut.” I felt like I was a joke because I was different.

I married an American person and our cultural barriers made it difficult for us to relate to one another. At first it appeared to me that he was interested in the Trinidadian culture. However, within the household, he didn’t seem interested in my cultural foods. When I prepared these meals for him, he would taste it and push it aside. I did try to cook American foods as well; I once remember buying “cold cuts” for a sandwich. When he asked me to prepare him a sandwich, I began cooking the cold cuts in a pan on the stove, because I did not know better. This was not expected. He was upset by this and made me feel bad. His mother is from the South and was able to cook him more American meals.

This rejection of my culture also made it difficult for my children to assimilate to my culture. When the children did not want my food, my husband would quickly substitute it with American food and asked me not to force them to eat it. My kids would begin to prefer American food over my traditional Trinidadian dishes. Ultimately, I felt useless within my household by not being able to contribute in the ways that I knew how. This caused me to feel isolated. Ultimately, my marriage was dissolved. It seemed to me that my ideas were never good in the eyes of my children. But we were able to bond during a time that I was very sick. They began to realize they were taking me for granted. They then began inquiring about my past, and about my home country and culture and attempting to cook me some traditional dishes from Trinidad. I believe my illness was a wake-up call to them and they began to appreciate me and everything I have to offer a lot more.

title: User:Royal Blue Queen/sandbox


text:
User talk:Royal Blue Queen/sandbox

It really is very unwise to post so much personal information about yourself as you did on User:Royal Blue Queen/sandbox. This is publicly accessible. You ought to consider removing personal information.--Xania   talk 14:31, 15 June 2022 (UTC)

title: User talk:Royal Blue Queen/sandbox


text:
User talk:AryaInstagram

User:AryaInstagram has been deleted. Please don't publish personal information about yourself. It is very unwise to publish personal information about yourself - especially date of birth and other information online.--Xania   talk 14:35, 15 June 2022 (UTC)

title: User talk:AryaInstagram


text:
User talk:5.195.136.196

--Xania   talk 14:37, 15 June 2022 (UTC)

title: User talk:5.195.136.196