Sunday, August 2, 2020
A SIPA Faculty Interview COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog
A SIPA Faculty Interview COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog Eric Verhoogen, an associate professor of international and public affairs and economics, followed a somewhat unorthodox path to SIPA. âAfter college at Harvard, I was a high-school teacher in Los Angeles, and then tried my hand at journalism in Berkeley and at the Nation. Then I was a labor organizer in Minnesota and Ohio. And then I started grad school at UMass Amherst and later transferred to Berkeley.â After earning his PhD in 2004, he came directly to SIPA, where he received tenure in 2010. In a study of soccer ball manufacturers in Pakistan, Professors Eric Verhoogen of SIPA and Amit Khandelwal, Gary Winnick and Martin Granoff of Columbia Business School found that how workers are paid, and whether or not incentives are offered, can promote or stifle the adoption of a new technology. Below were some additional information Verhoogen shared about the study and some other things heâs working on. You found clearly that misaligned incentives can compromise the adoption of otherwise beneficial technology. Why is this significant, and what are the challenges inherent in a study like this? Itâs an interesting, important question for economic development and growth more generally. Itâs also a hard question to study because itâs hard to observe technology use by manufacturing firms and rare to have information about the actual cost and benefits of technology. This is partly because technologies vary a lot across firms, and particularly across sectors. And unlike other types of data, itâs hard to collect via surveyâ"sometimes firms donât want to share information. Economists have other methods to estimate productivity, but theyâre all pretty indirect. Why soccer balls? I realize itâs just a coincidence that weâre in the middle of the World Cup tournament. With soccer-ball producers [in Sialkot, Pakistan], you have a pretty large number of firms, 135, producing a standardized product using similar technology. So the same basic production process is used by large and small firms alike. We thought we could introduce a new technology that would be useful to these guys, to producers, and focus on the diffusion process. As the Columbia News story explains, Verhoogen and his team developed a fabric-cutting die that would enable producers to use fabric more efficiently, creating an opportunity to cut costs and increase profits. Is it unusual that your team of researchers gave the manufacturers a technological advancement? Does it impact the study somehow? In development economics, thereâs been a broad trend over 15 or 20 years, of having more of these experimental interventions. Thereâs a large literature on technology adoption in agriculture where researchers share information about improved production processes. Whatâs more unusual about our study is that we are focusing on larger manufacturing firms and especially that we invented the technology we gave out. So what happened when you introduced the new technology? We gave the dies out in May 2012, and to be honest we were expecting very fast adoption. We were planning to focus on the diffusion process, seeing how the technology spread to firms we didnât give it to. We had evidence to indicate that the technology was working, that it was more efficient, but after 15 months only six firms had adopted the new technology. This was a puzzlingly low adoption rate, so we decided to write a paper about that. The number-one reason firms didnât adopt the new technology was that the employees were unwilling to use it. What became clear was that the cutters actually cutting the material are paid a piece rate per pentagon or hexagon. They want to go as fast as possible and donât care about waste. Our new technology slowed them down initially, certainly for the first month or two, and given their wage contract they have no incentive to adopt new technology. So we formulated this hypothesis that the misalignment of incentives was a key constraint to adoption. We did a second experiment to probe thisâ"we explained the misalignment and said we would pay a lump-sum bonus of one monthâs salary, about $150, to the cutter if in one month he could demonstrate competence in the new technology. The incentive program led to a 26 percent increase in probability of adoption of the new treatment. That such a small incentive targeted at workers could have a significant effect indicated to us that the misalignment of incentives is why the technology wasnât being adopted. Can you elaborate on the significance of your findings, and the study? One piece of the big picture is that you have to have employee buy-in. Workers will only cooperate in the adoption of new technologies if they expect to gainâ"and if they donât cooperate, they can effectively block it. Also, by introducing the innovation we were able to actually observe the process and statistically distinguish between different hypotheses, as opposed to in case studies. This was a particularly clean setting, and we have a strong argument that the new technology is beneficial for essentially all firms. I think this sort of thing happens all the time in many different settings. We happened to be able to observe it in one setting, but we think there are many incremental changes that could be made in different settings, and make a big difference. Traditional economists sometimes say there canât be a $100 bill on the sidewalk because if there were, someone would pick it up. We think this is a $100 bill on the sidewalk, but firms arenât picking it up. Youâre also the director of SIPAâs Center for Development Economics and Policy. How has CDEP been received since it formally launched in November 2013? Thereâs a lot of enthusiasm about development economics at SIPA. Thereâs been a great response from students and faculty members, and also from people outside SIPA. We have a couple of initiatives that are gaining momentum. One is a human capital initiative for human education and health issuesâ"what leads someone to acquire education, what factors shape education and health, and what are the consequences of that for a labor market. Another is our firms and innovations initiative, which examines issues around industrial upgrading in developing countriesâ" the question of why some countries can grow and thrive in world economy and some less so. Another coincidence with the World Cup⦠youâre also pursuing research in Brazil. In Brazil, with support from the Presidentâs Global Innovation Fund, I have a project on the interaction between labor market regulation and innovation at the firm level. The question is, how do firms respond to labor market regulation? Economists tend to think of the effect of labor regulation as uniformly negative, but weâre investigating whether there are less familiar but important positive effects on firm behavior. For example, the minimum wage in Brazil has risen a lot. The minimum wage affects the relative cost of hiring different types of workers, more low-skill than high-skill. If you give firms incentive to upgrade the composition of their workforce that may in turn induce them to use higher quality inputs, to produce higher quality outputs for sale to richer people in Brazil or richer export markets. Youâve lived and worked in many different and interesting places. After almost 10 years here, how does SIPA measure up? I very much like being at SIPA and teaching SIPA students because it keeps me grounded in the world. Our students have experience in the world and theyâre planning to go back and be involved in things on the groundâ"I think itâs healthy and stimulating for me to be exposed to them and to be at a place that respects policy-oriented work. I got into this job to make the world a better place and I havenât given up hope that thatâs possible.
Saturday, May 23, 2020
Monday, May 11, 2020
Ec 301 midterm - 1167 Words
1. (7 points) How are presidential election outcomes related to the performance of the economy? The re-election of the incumbent has been synonymous with low inflation and low un-employment. There has been only a few occasions where the results did not follow this norm 2. (7 points) Discuss the difference between Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. Microeconomics deals with the individual parts in the economy and how they relate to each other. Macroeconomics deals with the totals of these parts in our economy 3. (10 points) Use the concepts of gross and net investment to distinguish between an economy that has a rising stock of capital and one that has a falling stock of capital. ââ¬Å"In 1933 net private domestic investment wasâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦So .8 x tax cut = $5 billion or tax cut = $6.25 billion. Part of the tax reduction ($1.25 billion) is saved, not spent. One combination: a $1 billion increase in government spending and a $5 billion tax cut. 10. (7 points) What are governmentââ¬â¢s fiscal policy options for ending severe demand-pull inflation? Use the aggregate demand-aggregate supply model to show the impact of these policies on the price level. Which of these fiscal policy options do you think might be favored by a person who wants to preserve the size of government? A person who thinks the public sector is too large? Options are to reduce government spending, increase taxes, or some combination of both. If the price level is flexible downward, it will fall to meet supply. In reality government policy is concern with inflation not with lowering prices. Conservatives would call for cuts in government spending since this would reduce the size of government. A ââ¬Å"liberalâ⬠would call for a tax hike to continue to fund government spending 11. (10 points) Explain why relatively flat as opposite relatively steep labor demand curves are more consistent with the empirical observation that there are relatively minor changes in the real wage rate over the course of the business cycle. If the labor demand curve was steep there would have to be a large change in the real wage rate in comparison to the nominal wage rate. This would also beShow MoreRelatedEc 301 Midterm Essay2033 Words à |à 9 PagesMidterm Intermediate Macroeconomics 1. How are presidential election outcomes related to the performance of the economy? Presidential elections and the economy have a very close relationship and they go together hand and hand. Usually when the economy is good and opinion of the government is positive, the incumbent or the party of the last president wins the election. People tend the lean towards why change a good thing. A couple of theories exist in the relationship of the economy and presidents
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Case Study â⬠Dissociative Identity Disorder Free Essays
string(90) " hospital reports and statements taken from both her mother and sister confirm otherwise\." Sherry has recently been given the diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder or formally known as multiple personality disorder. She has had multiple hospitalizations over the last several years, and has been given multiple different diagnoses ranging from schizophrenia (disorganized type), bipolar disorder, major depression, and borderline personality disorder. She has been placed on several different types of medications at the time of these hospitalizations depending on the diagnosis, ranging from lithium to a variety of antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs, such as Thorazine. We will write a custom essay sample on Case Study ââ¬â Dissociative Identity Disorder or any similar topic only for you Order Now Upon reviewing her case further I feel that the most probable diagnosis would be the one of dissociative identity disorder, she exhibits many of the key indicators of this disorder outlined in the DSM-IV-TR. Which is the presence of two or more identities, who take control over the persons behavior along with unexplainable periods of black out that can range from several hours to months of her life; these periods go beyond any ordinary type of forgetfulness. During one of her most recent hospitalizations Sherry became severely distressed and violent, demanding to know who has rearranged the hospital and the grounds, and kept asking to see people who did not exist, both other patients and staff members; she then became verbally and physically abusive towards the staff, shouting obscenities at them and swinging her firsts around as they made attempts to calm her. In the past, Sherry has made various attempts at suicide during these periods of black out, such as cutting her wrists and taking an overdose of tranquilizers, sometimes doing both. Sherry maintains a relationship with her mother and twin sister, she also was in a relationship for a period of time but they broke up after some time. For most of Sherryââ¬â¢s life growing up both her mother and father were physically abusive towards her and her sister. After her parents divorced and her mother remarried her stepfather also became physically abusive towards her and her sister. According to the DSM-IV-TRââ¬â¢s description of dissociative identity disorder I feel that her abusive childhood may be a contributing factor as to why Sherry developed this disorder. Although these attempts have ceased for the time being, and presently I feel that she is not a threat to herself or others I cannot confidently say that if another trauma occurs that she will remain as not being a threat to herself or others. Axis 2: Personality Disorders or Mental Retardation: At this present Sherry does not present any indications of a mental retardation or a personality disorder. Axis 3: General Medical Disorders: Currently with the present state Sherry is in I feel that there isnââ¬â¢t any underlying medical conditions which she is suffering from, I would recommend a physical and getting blood work done just as a confirmation that there is no underlying medical conditions that we are not currently aware of. With her sexual history I would recommend getting a sexual health scan done just to be positive that she does not have any sort of sexually transmitted disease specially because of the fact that she had been raped before and also because the statements she has made before of having woken up in strangers bed after having unprotected sex with them. Although I am sure that she received testing done after she was brought to the hospital after she was raped I would recommend these tests just as a precaution. With Sherryââ¬â¢s history of self-mutilation and overdosing the blood work and other tests performed would be checking to make sure that her internal organs were not harmed during any of these suicide attempts and that she is in good physical health. Sherry has also suffered from anxiety for most of her life due to her painful and abusive childhood. Also I would need to review the previous medications Sherry was given while she was receiving treatment for the various disorders doctors thought she was suffering from. Axis 4: Psychological and Environmental Problems: Sherry is a forty- eight year old woman who works as a nurseââ¬â¢s aid, she is currently single although has maintained relationships in the past. She is currently in known contact with her twin sister and her mother. When Sherry was a child she was physically abused and neglected by her mother, there are accounts of Sherryââ¬â¢s mother having broken Sherryââ¬â¢s tooth and also having bloodied her nose before she turned four. Another account of abuse is from a hospital report stating that Sherry received second-degree burns on her chest due to her mother throwing a pot of boiling water at her in a fit of rage. Later Sherryââ¬â¢s parents when Sherryââ¬â¢s parents divorced and her mother remarried her stepfather then became physically abusive towards the girls, often beating them with a board studded with nails as the primary form of punishment. After a couple of years Sherry and her sister were then sent to move in with their father who also was abusive towards them during his alcoholic binges, when he would beat the girls with a belt buckle. After the girls were taken away from their father and placed in the care of their mother, she sent them away to live at boarding school. Sherry was a mediocre student and felt she had no hope of getting into a good college so upon graduating she joined the Army, where for the first time in her life she was separated from her sister. It was not until this point into that Sherry began exhibiting strange behavior and began to show signs of dissociating herself from her painful and abusive past. She would state that all of the abuse she received as a child had never actually happened to her and in turn happened to her sister, an example of this dissociation would be when Sherry claimed that her mother had never thrown the boiling water on her but on her sister instead but hospital reports and statements taken from both her mother and sister confirm otherwise. You read "Case Study ââ¬â Dissociative Identity Disorder" in category "Free Case study samples" During her time in the Army where she was training as a nurse, Sherry began to notice that there were long periods of time when she was unable to recall anything that happened during that time. During these amnesic episodes is when Sherry would make these suicidal threats, such as cutting or overdosing on tranquilizers and when Sherry would be overly promiscuous with either male soldiers on the base or with random men she would pick up in bars . This is when doctors first began treating her for a mental disorder; she was given a psychiatric discharge from the Army and began receiving treatment for schizophrenia (disorganized type). Over the next fifteen years is when the majority of Sherryââ¬â¢s multiple hospitalizations took place and where she was treated for the different disorders the doctors felt she was suffering from. After discovering she had a high capacity of dissociation, was it discovered that she was probably suffering from dissociative disorder. She began receiving hypnosis treatment which uncovered ââ¬Å"Karlaâ⬠; I feel that this was important for Sherryââ¬â¢s recovery. This enabled the therapist she was working with at that time to begin to help her intertwine her personality with the personality of Karla. An important aspect in Sherryââ¬â¢s recovery would be to understand why and how these dissociations first began. Helping Sherry to come to terms with her raumatic experiences throughout her childhood are difficult for both the patient and the therapist because rushing Sherry to face these difficult and traumatic memories could make these dissociations even worse but allowing Sherry to continue to repress these memories could perpetuate the need for the dissociations in the future. Because of Sherryââ¬â¢s mother constant manipulation and neglect caused Sherry to feel guilt and obligation to her mother. Although Sherry feels resent for her how her mother treated her and her sister throughout their childhood she has an undeniable dependency on her mother. A former therapist told Sherry that it would be beneficial to her recovery if she were able to confront her mother about these things; but because of how damaged Sherryââ¬â¢s self-esteem is she instead repressed these feelings towards her mother. Since Sherry repressed these feelings towards her mother and was unable to confront her about it directly, she began to criticize herself for being so weak and dependent on her mother causing her repressed feelings about the situation to come out in different ways such as the personality of ââ¬Å"Karlaâ⬠and through self-mutilation. When the therapist Sherry was working with at the time urged her to confront her mother about these things it caused Sherry to enter a severe state of depression. After this episode Sherry was placed on antidepressant medication which she responded well to and then began functioning better which helped her in her recovery. After this episode and treatment, Sherryââ¬â¢s therapist decided that a good way to help her recovery would be to begin attending joint-therapy sessions with her mother, her sister, and then at a later time her boyfriend. In these sessions, Sherryââ¬â¢s therapist helped her find ways of being more assertive when reacting to the different interpersonal demands of these people. After Sherry was released from the hospital Sherry began attending weekly psychotherapy as an outpatient. After about three years, both personalities became recognized with each other and it was at this time that she began a relationship with her boyfriend. Her treatment as an outpatient required frequent office visits and interventions when necessary, this continued for another 2 years. During this time, Sherry broke up with her boyfriend causing her to enter into a severe depressive episode, however during this period she made no attempts at serious suicide attempts and remained treatment as an outpatient. About three years after her treatment as an outpatient ended Sherry was raped. As previously stated Sherry was in a state of blackout when the rape occurred, and had no recollection of the event until she was taken to a hospital in a confused and agitated state. Through therapy she was able to recall the events of her rape and was able to realize that what happened was not her fault. She was released from the hospital after two days and for the next two years has received supportive psychotherapy on and off at her own request. Although the event of Sherryââ¬â¢s rape is a traumatic and horrible experience, I believe that it was very helpful in getting a view of where she was in her recovery. Although what happened what indeed a setback, the way Sherry handled the situation and was only hospitalized for a couple of days shows great progress on her behalf; although I feel that she is highly vulnerable to future dissociations especially when her mother passes away, and potentially in other highly stressful situations where financial or sexual exploitation could be a factor. Axis 5: Global Assessment of Functioning: 51 I would rate Sherry as having a GAF score of 51 because although she has made great progress in her road to recovery and that she is able to maintain a job and relationships in her life. I think that when her symptoms are present and she enters into a dissociative or severe depressive state her life is greatly affected. This is especially prominent with her history of frequent hospitalizations, suicide attempts, and self-mutilation. I think that when her symptoms are present she could be rated at falling even lower on the GAF scale but currently I would say that her symptoms are only moderate and not serve enough to greatly affect her daily life. Treatment Plan: The treatment plan I would suggest for Sherry would be continuing for her to take her medication and to continue to receive therapy. While reviewing her history I noticed that many of the psychological breakthroughs happened during hypnosis, I feel that she should continue to receive this style of treatment because it seems to help her recall the periods of time when she was in a state of black out; but I do not think that this should be the primary type of treatment for Sherry. I think that a better type of treatment for Sherry would be the psychotherapy along with the joint therapy sessions with her mother and sister. I think that by continuing these weekly sessions it would be vital in helping Sherry to overcome the feelings of guilt and anger towards her mother. By having both Sherry and her mother attend these joint-sessions, I feel it will be helpful because it will allow Sherry to become more open and honest with her mother and potentially strengthen their damaged relationship. I think that this element of Sherryââ¬â¢s treatment would be helpful because it would diminish some of the controlling aspect of her relationship with her mother, so when her mother eventually passes away it may make Sherry better able to deal with the separation easier. Prognosis: I think that in Sherryââ¬â¢s case although she has made tremendous progress in recovering from a traumatic childhood and overcoming the dissociations caused by these traumatic events she is still highly susceptible to future dissociations and severely depressive episodes. I think that it will take a lot of treatment and therapy in order for Sherry to have a full recovery although I cannot fully say that I believe a full recovery is possible. I think that if she continues progressing like she is and does not have any future setbacks the probability of her recovery is much greater but as of now I cannot say for certain that she will ever be able to overcome all of the traumas she has faced throughout her life. I think her outcome though is mostly positive for how she is progressing at the present. I think once her mother passes away she will fall into a severe depressive state but I think if she is able to overcome that then she will be able to progress even further in her recovery because I feel that while her mother is still alive and present in her life she still holds onto the guilt for being so dependent on her mother when she is so controlling and manipulating. How to cite Case Study ââ¬â Dissociative Identity Disorder, Free Case study samples
Thursday, April 30, 2020
Motivation and emotion worksheet free essay sample
Interactive Tutorial Discuss the following as a team and provide a brief summary of the each discussion. The word count for individual answers may vary but your responses should total 500- to 800-words for the entire worksheet. 1. Describe three approaches to motivation. Explain how each approach affects motivation. The first being instincts which are the patterns of behavior that are biologically determined rather than learned. People as well as animals are preprogrammed when born with behavioral and survival instincts. The second being incentive approach. I feel that Im more motivated when there is some incentive involved because I know at the end of the day I am going to be rewarded for my assistance. The third would be arousal approach where each person tries to maintain a certain level of stimulation and activity to keep you consistently motivated. 2. Theorists vary on why we experience emotions. Discuss at least two different theories related to emotional experiences. We will write a custom essay sample on Motivation and emotion worksheet or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Physiological theories suggest that responses within the body are responsible for emotions. Your emotional reaction is dependent upon how you interpret those physical reactions. Neurological theories states that the activity within the brain leads to emotional responses. 3. Choose one positive and one negative emotion related to being a student. Provide one example for each of how these emotions may affect your performance in class. Positive emotion from being in school would be your satisfaction on completion of a course. You give yourself the emotion of complete success. Negative for me is withdrawing a course and having to retake it. Not only in your mind do you feel like a failure but you also have to revisit that state of emotion when youââ¬â¢re retaking the course again. 4. Summarize two theories of intelligence. What are the benefits and drawbacks to intelligence testing? Benefits to intelligence testing can be used as a great tool when making decisions regarding which careers to pursue and which to avoid. Professional organizations can use intelligence testing to ensure that the right person is being placed in the right job. As with professors/instructors they can use it to help in identifying which and what students need that extra help. An added benefit of the partitioning of IQ tests into aptitude tests is that intelligence testing can now be used by career counselors to guide students in their future career choices. Drawbacks to intelligence testing that is limits potential for mostly students both as kids and adults. Youââ¬â¢re also limited to the types of intelligence. A fact that I found out after doing my research was that IQ test only results in a single number as an overall score for intelligence. The test does not show an accurate result of what peopleââ¬â¢s strengths are. Two people can have the same score with very different strengths and weaknesses.
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Rating JFK essays
Rating JFK essays In 1960 John F. Kennedy was elected president, his good looks, his familys history, and his charismatic personality won him the election. He was the youngest ever elected to office, and his lack of experience showed when dealing with foreign affairs. Throughout his campaign JFK had to deal with many obstacles, like the bad reputation of his father and him being the ambassador to Great Britain (1937to 1940), his religion (Roman Catholic), his youth, and even him being a Democrat. Democrats were known for being soft on communism, because of Harry Trumans lack of discipline towards the Soviets. Since Truman was a democrat, this was one of the negatives that almost lost the election for JFK. His lack of experience was a major problem for putting faith in JFK and trusting his decisions. The Cuban missile crisis was a huge problem during JFKs time as president that he helped solve. JFK encountered many obstacles while he was trying to free the US from having missiles pointed at them. US found out that the Soviets were placing nuclear missiles in Cuba that were pointing at the US. The missiles were only ninety miles away, aiming for the east coast of America. JFK was split on what to do, the military was pulling him to invade Cuba to take the missiles away and take out Castro, but that would only result in retaliation from the Soviets because it would seem like an attack against them. Military leaders wanted to take extreme action against the Soviets because of what happened in 1960, the Bay of Pigs. The CIA trained hundreds of Cuban exiles to invade Cuba and take out Castro. But nothing went as hoped for, the air strike didnt hurt the Cuban air force and the CIA lied and said that the air strike did do damage. Kennedy felt as if he was responsible for the Bay of Pigs because he gave permission. Although JFK didnt know about the plan only until nine days afte ...
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Impressment and the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair
Impressment and the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair The impressment of United States seamen from American ships by the British Royal Naval created serious friction between the United States and Britain. This tension was heightened by the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair in 1807 and was a major cause of theà War of 1812.à Impressment and the British Royal Navy Impressment denotes the forceful taking of men and placing them into a navy. It was done without notice and was commonly used by the British Royal Navy in order to crew their warships. The Royal Navy normally used it during wartime when not only British merchant sailors were ââ¬Å"impressedâ⬠but also sailors from other countries. This practice was also known as ââ¬Å"the pressâ⬠or ââ¬Å"press gangâ⬠and it was first used by the Royal Navy in 1664 at the onset of the Anglo-Dutch wars. Although most British citizens strongly disapproved of impressment as being unconstitutional because they were not subject to conscription for other military branches, the British courts upheld this practice. This was mainly due to the fact that naval power was vital to Britain maintaining itsââ¬â¢ existence.à The HMS Leopard and the USS Chesapeake In June 1807, the British HMS Leopard opened fire on USS Chesapeake which was forced to surrender. British sailors then removed four men from the Chesapeake who had deserted from the British Navy. Only one of the four was a British citizen, with the three others being Americans who had been impressed into British naval service. Their impressment caused widespread public outrage in the U.S. At the time, the British, as well as most of Europe, were engaged in fighting the French in what is known as the Napoleonic Wars, with the battles starting in 1803. In 1806, a hurricane damaged two French warships, the Cybelleà andà Patriot, which made their way into Chesapeake Bay for necessary repairs so that they could make the return trip to France.à In 1807, the British Royal Navy had a number of ships, including the Melampus and theà Halifax, which were conducting a blockade off the United States coast in order to capture Cybelle and Patriot if they became seaworthy and left Chesapeake Bay, as well as prevent the French from obtaining much needed supplies from the U.S. Several men from the British ships deserted and sought the protection of the U.S. government. They had deserted near Portsmouth, Virginia, and made their way into the city where they were seen by naval officers from their respective ships. The British request that these deserters be handed over was completely ignored by local American authorities and enraged Vice Admiral George Cranfield Berkeley, the Commander of the British North American Station at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Four of the deserters, one of which was a British citizen - Jenkins Ratford ââ¬â with the three others ââ¬â William Ware, Daniel Martin, and John Strachan ââ¬â being Americans who had been impressed into British naval service, enlisted in the U.S. Navy. They were stationed on the USS Chesapeake which just happened to be moored in Portsmouth and was about to embark on a trip to the Mediterranean Sea. Upon learning that Ratford had been bragging about his escape from the British custody, Vice Admiral Berkeley had issued an order that if a ship of the Royal Navy should find theà Chesapeake at sea, it was that shipââ¬â¢s duty to stop the Chesapeake and capture the deserters. The British were very intent on making an example of these deserters. On June 22, 1807, the Chesapeake left itsââ¬â¢ port Chesapeake Bay and as it sailed past Cape Henry, Captain Salisbury Humphreys of the HMS Leopard sent a small boat to theà Chesapeakeà and gave Commodore James Barron a copy of Admiral Berkeley orders that the deserters were to be arrested.à After Barron refused, the Leopard fired almost point blank seven cannon balls into the unprepared Chesapeake which was outgunned and therefore was forced to almost immediately surrender. The Chesapeake suffered several causalities during this very brief skirmish and in addition, the British took custody of the four deserters. The four deserters were taken to Halifax to be tried. The Chesapeake had suffered a fair amount of damage, but was able to return to Norfolk where the news of what had taken place quickly spread.à Once this news was made known throughout the United States which had very recently rid itself of British rule these further transgressions by the British was met with complete and total disdain.à American Reaction The American public was furious and demanded that the United States declare war against the British.à President Thomas Jefferson proclaimed that ââ¬Å"Never since the Battle of Lexington have I seen this country in such a state of exasperation as at present, and even that did not produce such unanimity.â⬠Although they were normally politically polar opposites, the Republicanà andà Federalist parties were both aligned and it appeared that U.S. and Britain would soon be at war. However, President Jeffersons hands were tied militarily because the American army was small in number due to the Republicans desire to reduce government spending. In addition, the U.S. Navy was also quite small and most ships were deployed in the Mediterranean attempting to stop the Barbary pirates from destroying trade routes. President Jefferson was intentionally slow in taking action against the British knowing that the calls from war would subside ââ¬â which they did. Instead of war, President Jefferson called for economic pressure against Britain with the result being theà Embargo Act. The Embargo Act proved to be highly unpopular with American merchant who had benefited for nearly a decade from the conflict between the British and the French, collecting large profits by conducting trade with both sides while maintaining neutrality. Aftermath In the end, the embargoes and economic did not work with the American merchants losing their shipping rights because Great Britain refused to make any concessions to the U.S. It seemed evident that only war would restore the United States autonomy in shipping. On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war against Great Britain with a major reason being trade restrictions which had been imposed by the British. Commodore Barron was found guilty of ââ¬Å"neglecting on the probability of an engagement, to clear his ship for action,â⬠and was suspended from the U.S. Navy for five years without pay. On August 31, 1807, Ratford was convicted by court-martial for mutiny and desertion among other charges. He was sentenced to death the Royal Navy hanged him from a sail mast of the HMSà Halifax ââ¬â the ship that he had escaped from looking for his freedom. While there is truly no way of knowing just how many American sailors were impressed into the Royal Navy, it is estimated that over one thousand men were impressed per year into the British service.
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