On Killing by Dave Grossman

On Killing by Dave Grossman Introduction On Killing is well-crafted work by Dave Grossman expounding on humanity versus training on killing. Grossman gives insight to the psychological cost that soldiers have to pay after being trained to kill in boot camps. The deep-set fight that any soldier undergoes in war is to fight his or her human nature that compels him or her not to kill the enemy. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on On Killing by Dave Grossman specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On Killing tackles the military travails to kill this resistance, making soldiers natural killers who will not have a second thought when faced by the enemy. Unfortunately, this attempt to eliminate the urge not to kill is spreading fast in societies by use video games that desensitizes teenagers making killing something natural. Grossman theme is to insist that humans are not natural killers for they have a natural urge not to kill fellow humans; however, this ur ge may fade away through desensitization similar to that happens in boot camps. Ironically, soldiers are trained to kill; that is, silencing the voice against killing in then, yet are expected to resurrect this feeling to live peacefully in society. Men are not Natural Killers Grossman argues that the urge against killing a fellow human being becomes pronounced in close combats and many soldiers will not kill naturally. According to Grossman, killing is very personal and its will have long-lasting effects on the perpetrator. He opens up the book by comparing killing to having sex. In a way, the study of killing in combat is very much like the study of sex. Killing is a private, intimate occurrence of tremendous intensity, in which the destructive act becomes psychologically very much like the procreative act† (Grossman 16). The problem is that the media tries to paint killing as something normal and the fact is; killing does not come easily. To support the fact that men are n ot natural killers, Grossman observes that during the Civil War, coached soldiers only pretended to shoot while in reality they were not. If they ever pulled the trigger, then they aimed over the heads of the approaching opposite army. What explains the fact that out of 27,000 muzzle-loaders that were found at Gettysburg, only 10% were used? This is because human beings do not like killing even if their lives are in danger. In World War II, â€Å"†¦the soldiers found themselves to be conscientious objectors who were unable to kill their fellow man (Grossman 25). Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To avoid confrontations between soldiers and the commanders, Grossman points out that, â€Å"these secrets were kept in a tangled web of individual and cultural forgetfulness, deception and lies tightly woven over thousands of years.the male ego has always justifie d selective memory, self-deception, and lying [about] two institutions, sex and combat (Grossman 31). Then the psychological cost and reality of training people to kill sets in. Grossman states that, many U.S soldiers, close to one million, underwent through mental collapse in World War II. Only two percent of all soldiers involved never recorded psychiatric problem; these fall under, â€Å"aggressive psychopaths† (Grossman 50). There is evidence that killing will cause greater chances of mental breakdown than the fear of death itself. This is evident because after a series of bombings in German and England, those who survived did not become intimidated; on contrary, they hardened and resolved to carry on with the fight. This underlines the aforementioned observation that death does not cause greater psychiatric problems like killing. Grossman goes on to note that, killing someone from behind is easier that killing from in front. In the chapters dealing with atrocities, he a ddresses the issue of post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD). Soldiers will submit to higher authorities, which demand them to kill and this in most cases leads to PSTD. PSTD; results from, â€Å"failure to accept and rationalize acts of killing† (Grossman 60). What effect does training have on killing? Before the Vietnam War, soldiers underwent what Grossman calls â€Å"desensitization and operant conditioning† training whereby, human silhouettes were used in shooting exercises. This conditioned the mind to imagine that the silhouette was a real person and with repetitions, soldiers became acclimatized to shooting the enemy directly. This led to increased number of shootings in Vietnam. Grossman concludes that people have killing inhibition but this can be overcome through desensitization. Unfortunately, while desensitization occurs in boots camps and soldiers will only shoot in wars, this same desensitization is finding its way to teenagers through violent TV. Evalu ation Grossman’s work is true to the point for he supports his case. It is interesting to note that, soldiers operate from directives and they have no freedom to choose their leaders. Their single role is to take and execute orders. Given the fact that many people come to service whilst young in their teenage, their minds are trained to kill easily. However, the bottom line is, people have inhibitory force against killing, and training soldiers entails removing this inhibition. From the examples that Grossman has given, it is clear that there is truth to his claims.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on On Killing by Dave Grossman specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The upsurge in the number of shootings in Vietnam War as compared to that of World War II can only be attributed to training to kill. However, Grossman points out that this training comes with its effects. The long-term effect is that people will have nigh tmares and psychic damages. Many soldiers came back from Vietnam with psychic problems and they still struggle with it even today. Finally, Grossman points out that violent TV is causing desensitization in minds of young people and this is responsible for the increased violence in civil society. Even though this book has some weaknesses like failure to consider other factors that may have caused mental breakdown in soldiers coming back from Vietnam, it has strong points as explained. Conclusion On Killing expounds on the fact that human beings have a natural inhibition to kill fellow human beings. This is true from what Grossman tackles in this text. This inhibition was responsible for the many soldiers who pretended to shoot in the Civil War while in reality they were not shooting. It also accounts for the great number of soldiers who reportedly did not kill a single person in the World War II. However, training through desensitization whereby human silhouettes are used boot camp s helps to overcome this inhibition to kill. This is supported by the fact that there was an upsurge in shootings during the Vietnam War compared to World War II. This does not mean that people have changed; no, training has changed them. Nevertheless, Grossman points out that, this training comes with its psychological costs for even to date the people who came back home fro Vietnam are haunted by what happened through what he calls, PSTD. On the other side, video games, Hollywood and violent TV are sowing seeds of killing instincts in society. Many teenagers are undergoing desensitization slowly by slowly creating violent society. The authorities and society will have to pay this price by training people to kill, either in boot camps or in TVs and Hollywood. Grossman, Dave. â€Å"On Killing the Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill In War and Society.† New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1995.Advertising Looking for essay on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

Management 2 (protective security) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Management 2 (protective security) - Essay Example Efficiency has been defined as measure of productivity or operational excellence concerned with operational margins improvement and cost minimization. Effectiveness on the other hand is associated with the business’s ability to identify and embrace opportunities of business via exchange relationships. As a result effectiveness is concerned with a company’s plan to develop a growth that is sustainable within its market (Stefanos, 2007). My organization has invested heavily and made tremendous efforts in balancing these two critical aspects of operations management all in an effort to increase the market share and maintain competitive advantage. The objectives of my organization are essentially to increase the market share and decrease the overall costs of running the organization. The target is to increase our market share from the current 15% to 20% within a period of two years. Another target is to introduce certain changes within the organization such that the overall costs would reduce by 5% within a period of one year. These changes include reducing field managers by 50% and employ more Close protection officers with advanced qualification. The organization had an objective of increasing its market share. The company embarked on a market wide research effort to identify client needs that were not being met. The organization realized that many business entities with huge capital bases required specialized protection service from the protective security firms. This service required CPO’s with a special kind of skill set which many security companies lacked. This created a need for the company to hire more CPO’s with the necessary skill set resulting in increased operational cost. After a thorough cost and benefits analysis, the company decided it would be more profitable to hire five specialized CPO’s to meet this need while at

Factors Influencing Consumer Behaviour from the Indian Firms Essay

Factors Influencing Consumer Behaviour from the Indian Firms Perspective - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that consumer behavior processes start  in the mind of the consumer when he/she tries to look for alternatives that suit  his/her needs, in addition to, to the consideration of other relative advantages of a product or service such as cost savings and superior quality. The process goes to the next stage that involves internal and external research concerning a product or service to be purchased. That notwithstanding, there is the post-purchase stage, which is critical since it is the one that determines whether or not the consumers were satisfied, and thus, largely influences their future behavior to consume or not to consume a product or service. Businesses tend to focus more on the post-purchase stage as it determines whether their products have been successful or not. Essentially, it is at this phase that the performance of a good or service is ascertained. In some instances, the people who make purchases are not the actual consumers o f the products; thus, advertisers need to understand the roles of users in order to efficiently place their advertisements in a formidable manner to attract consumers. India is a demographically vast country with a rich cultural diversity. The Hindu culture is, however, segmented based on the geographical dispersion of the nation. For instance, the cultural practices in Northern India are not similar to those in Southern or Western India. Culture is a complex term, which encompasses tradition, cultural beliefs, morals, as well as general knowledge of a particular society. It is the culture that identifies or distinguishes people from different backgrounds since they will have various thoughts and beliefs concerning contemporary issues.

Essay for the Sandpiper Essay Example for Free

Essay for the Sandpiper Essay Tragedy, in multiple views leads to grief, misery and may even cause emotional desensitization. However this solely depends on the cause of such tragedy. A simple tragedy exists as a result of the irony of combining diverse religion and cultures and is especially expressed in the story â€Å"Sandpiper†. Here author Ahdaf Soueif expresses cultural differences through the breaking relationship of a European writer and her Egyptian husband. Acquiescent undermine passivity Being the protagonist, the narrator becomes the view point character in the story and this is where audience criticisms take place. From the beginning she seems to display a sort of weakness and compliance towards events; watching the waves swoop back into the sea; conforming to her lack of work and loss of identity ; â€Å"watching (her husband) vanish†, and watching her daughter â€Å"grow away† from herself. The sand image, as the story opens portrays her compliance-The way she did not wish to obstruct nature`s pattern of â€Å"one grain of sand† because of her movement. Later as Um Sabir (her â€Å"husband`s old nanny†) prevents her from doing any work, her feminine independence also appears to be deplored yet she simply accepts this fact and though seeming solemn, does not take any action. The reader soon becomes critical about such fragility. Notice how the writer mentions -â€Å"watch† her husband vanish. Due to her foreignness, she seemed to slowly fade away from her and her husband`s relationship and displays severe grief. However it appears indeed so absurd for the re ader, because this narrator does not develop any sort of resistance to her dilemma. Furthermore her despondency grows gradually, and it seems that her daughter is being torn away from her the same way as with her husband. She simply pines her heart and the narrator grows a sort of dissent for the protagonist. Sandpiper a coastal bird which cannot fly too high nor too far from the coastal region (due to its habitat and feeding habits) is a perfect name for this story it seems. The way the protagonist’s life appears limited and restricted is definitely the main cause. However the reader may wonder why the narrator does not rebel to this lifestyle. There may be numerous causes. Firstly notice the narrators patience as she sits by the beach observing the water`s â€Å"frilled white edge nibbling at the sand†. As she displays no qualms to her situations (for example being deprived of work as previously mentioned) it seems she still retains hope- of a happy lifestyle. This e xaggerated patience she conforms, may perhaps be one of the reason she does not rebel. Another may be simply her love of and to sustain the happiness of her daughter. These causes all sum to the habitat and ability of a â€Å"Sandpiper†, its only restrictions. Therefore it seems that the protagonist subsists in a self imposed jail, like a sandpiper and indeed does not soar beyond the beach which could momentarily give access to another sort of freedom, mentally, from her own conscience. However if we pay attention to the situation the author rejects such criticisms-instead condemning the readers as absurd. Certainly following different cultures is not the protagonists fault. The consistent confusion and grief of the narrator’s situation is perhaps the cause of her helplessness. This way the author deems the protagonist as universal for humans; which either are NOT exceptions, to displaying similar responses, in such emotionally grim situations and though her image is portrayed as weak it is not held true to how we asses her. In some way the writer creates ambivalent views one portraying the theme of ‘fate’ and the other ‘free will’. A customary feature, to be noticed in this story is the authors unvarying image of the beach. Obviously this picture signifies the present and therefore, perhaps, alludes to the narrators ‘drifting’ thoughts. It also seems, the descriptions of the sand and the sea reflect her emotions. As the story opens, observe the serene albeit somewhat somber, descriptions (of the beach), in the past participle: â€Å"I used to see patterns†¦I did not want †¦. I used to sit†. Definitely the narrator is affectionately looking back at nostalgia, yet with regret. Her emotions drift in melancholy as a compliant stream of conscience guides her and suddenly we imagine a somber weak character, in passivity to not stir a single â€Å"grain of sand† from its ‘natural’ pattern. This is where the readers display an interest to this character`s matters. Slowly her emotions begin to frill as the descriptions become gradually violent –â€Å"the sea unceasingly shifts†¦surges forward with a low growl†¦ like thousand snakes† .By now the reader is absorbed into the persona`s feelings. The usage of the personal pronoun â€Å"I† becomes highly universal to the reader and definitely induces sympathy. Finally, as she â€Å"revert(s) to (the) dry grains that would easily brush away† the emotions are returned to the previous serenity however now there seems to be a hint of pain, a hint of helplessness. This way the writer skillfully attains the reader`s attention to the story, and somewhat forth shadows incidents in the story, pertaining to the emotions. Hereby the atmosphere seems so somber, so calm; slowly the reader drifts in with the thoughts of the writer. What the reader may also take notice, with hindsight, is that perhaps Soueif uses this initial beach image as an extended metaphor for the life of the narrator; as in the beginning her life was filled with bliss (in love with her husband), which suddenly changed to desperation and somewhat anger (as he slowly â€Å"slip away† from her) and finally grief (of the freedom she lost). Proactive pragmatic The next imagery of the beach occurs after she mentions the second summer at the â€Å"beach house west of Alexandria†. Here the narrator utilizes the sand and the sea as symbols for her husband and herself, the way these two entities seemed to â€Å"meet and flirt and touch† and establishes the theme of love . However, reading between the lines, perhaps the writer forth shadows a sort of obscurity in the relationship. Notice how the sand and the sea simply â€Å"meet† metaphorically indicating love; although away from this â€Å"edge† such love does not seem to prevail as the sea and the sand form a tight boundary. Also the sea consistently â€Å"drifts† and the sand itself shifts, especially with the pressure of the waves: perhaps the author accentuates fluid emotions which flow and â€Å"shift† with due time and therefore depicts this couple to slowly â€Å"drift† apart from each other. This way another theme, of relativity of time and emotion is established here. The ending of the story also prevails with this beach image. It seems the narrator is back to the present and this picture plays the greatest significance as she sees â€Å"different things from those 6 years ago†. Now she appears calmer yet more melancholic. The reader can effective ly perceive such emotion; especially in the lines â€Å"the last of the foam is swallowed bubbling into the sand† and â€Å"with each ebb of green water the sand looses part of itself to the sea†. This definitely feels somber; as if love is being persistently broken down by the force of nature. Realistically, it seems such force subsists as cultural pressure. Where the couple belonging to 2 different cultures altogether formed such a relationship, the narrators â€Å"foreignness†¦began to irritate him (her husband)†. Cultural pressure and foreign tensions arise as a conflict due to the ignorance of each other`s culture and perhaps a development in this slowly weakened their relationships. Not only does the husband feel irate yet this deplored the protagonist`s freedom- â€Å"I tried at first at least to help, but she would†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ease the duster or the vacuum cleaner from my hand†. Coming back to the coastal descriptions, note how the author mentions â€Å"the†¦foam is swallowed bubbling into the sand† and how these two bodies meet but never ‘mix’. Probably the author, here portrays the theme of immiscibility. As sea and sand are immiscible it appears the foreignness and its resultant family tensions never intended a strong relationship; the love of both the narrator and her husband was immiscible, which would interact, yet as easily drift away. Perhaps this way the author undermines the system of religion. Indeed such a trivial matter, as exemplified is the commencement of weak relations and eventually such tragedies; for certainly, every being strays ethnocentric and this simple arrogance leads to major conflicts. This is later supported as the narrator finally questions-â€Å"But what do the waves know of the massed, hot, still sands of the desert? And what does the beach know of the depths, the cold currents†¦where the water turns a deeper blue.† .Duplicity is heavily prevalent due to ignorance of other religion, and like the sand and the sea it extends massively. What the writer Ahdaf Soueif is attempting to accentuate is that this concept of worldly cultures actually constructs a sort of mistrust amongst others and its great irony is exhibited in the form of this story Another image which we can relate to this theme is the difficulty, even dislike the wife shows towards adapting to a different culture. During the second summer at the beach house the narrator mentions her nostalgia of her hometown (Europe as Georgian sq uare is mentioned) and â€Å"misses† her time spent there. The moment this is mentioned suspicion rises in the readers mind; of her happiness following the new culture. She does display a sort of irritation as she is not allowed to work at home. Finally (later) she appears to complain- â€Å"my foreignness†¦my inability to remember namestruggles with his (her husband’s) language†, etc. Definitely the author is attempting to depict another cultural pressure here; despite the passage of time, evidently she depicts, that the wife has problems shifting to the new culture. Ironically, though, this foreignness actually appealed her husband yet now repelled him. LorDhRUv

The History of Billiards :: essays research papers

There are many different theories as to when and how billiards was first developed. A lack of actual physical evidence has left most of these theories as simply speculation. Most people agree, however, that the game gained its roots from lawn games, which were not unlike croquet, played by nobility. Early players were said to include King Louis XI of France (King between 1461 and 1483); Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots (1542-1587); King Louis XIV (1643-1715); Marie Antoinette and her husband King Louis XVI. If the game did indeed develop from lawn games, then where did the lawn games come from? Many historians believe that the lawn games date back to ancient Egypt. "Bat and ball" games are said to be what the lawn games evolved from, and images of these games can be found on the outside of tombs from as far back as 3000 years ago. The greatest innovation that has led to modern billiards play would have to be that of the modern time cue or cue stick which dates back to the 1700's. Up until that time only makeshift cues were used and it was the mace that was the most popular. During its reign as leading cue the mace was used to push the ball on the table and the skinny end was used as a handle. Difficulty with shots compressed against the rails would lead to the use of the skinny end to shoot causing the fall of the mace and the arrival of a stick. Along with the emergence of the cue came other great improvements. Leather tips were developed around the eighteen hundreds, and a few years later chalk was developed for the tips. Slate beds, fine cloth, rubber rails and standard sizes for tables soon arrived, and pushed the development of the games popularity. Along with popularity came the need for standardized rules, tables, and equipment. Of course with the gained popularity came the "business" of billiards.

Reaction time Essay

How fast a response can be made once he need has been recognised. By improving my reaction time I will be able to move my racket into the correct position to return my opponents shots much quicker. I would also be able to move my body into the correct position on the correct much quicker which would stop the need for over stretching for the shuttle which sometimes causes me slight injuries. This would make my play much more successful within both doubles and singles. After examining each health and skill related component of fitness and evaluating how well I did in the fitness tests I have decided to center my exercise plan round improving my muscular endurance and cardio-vascular fitness. I have chosen these because I believe that before I improve any skill related component of fitness I must have solid health related components of fitness. This is because usually health related components are directly linked with how easily a person is able to develop skilled components. For example without good muscular strength a person cannot be powerful. Muscular endurance and cardio-vascular fitness are the two that need improving foremost as I already quite a good player and therefore come up against many players which are equally matched to myself, therefore the duration of games is usually quite long and endurance is important. Relevant fitness tests to support my aims. Multi stage fitness test = this is a bleep test which participants run between two points which are 20m apart, the bleeps tell the person when to start running and when they should reach the other point. As the levels increase the beeps get closer together. This test will determine how good my muscular endurance is and whether I can run at increasing speeds with increasing tiredness. As one of my main aims is to improve my muscular endurance this test is vital to highlight any improvement made by implementing my personal exercise plan. I could not carry on after level eight; I felt this was quite good but not excellent. I would like to, with the help of my personal exercise plan, be able to achieve level 10. Pull ups = this test just involves how many times I can lift my entire body weight to lift my head above the bar. This is a relevant test as it measures the strength of my arms which is very important in the game of badminton. The strong my arms the more power I can put into my shots and the further and faster the shuttle can travel. I managed just three pull ups. This result is just below average. Improving my muscular strength would be an advantage however this is not one of my main aims of my personal exercise plan. Reaction time = this test involves putting a ruler against a wall and getting another person to hold it. I would then put my strong hand at the 50cm mark. My friend would then drop the ruler and I would have to catch it. The test of my reaction time is how far down the ruler I catch it. In badminton reaction time is also very important as reacting to the shuttles direction quickly is vital. Reaction time is very difficult to improve however nationally I scored excellent so this isn’t a major concern for improvement. Illinois Agility Test = this test is rather complicated but a great test of agility. It involves lying on the floor until the timer starts, once it has started I must stand up and run following the arrows on the diagram, each circle is a cone. This test accesses the ability to change direction at speed and the transference of weight at speed. The game of badminton can be very fast and therefore changing direction at speed can be essential. The test took me 43seconds; this is also just above average. Balance = this test involves a static balance which is timed. This is to see how long I can balance on one leg with my eyes closed. Balance in badminton is important as when stretching to reach the shuttle I need to keep my balance so not to fall. I managed to stay balanced for 20seconds this being nationally very good.

Founding of the Colony of Georgia

The colony of Georgia was the last of the formally founded colonies in what would become the United States, in 1732 by Englishman James Oglethorpe. But for nearly 200 years before that, Georgia was a disputed region, with Spain, France, and England jockeying for the control of land owned by several powerful Indian groups, including the Creek Confederacy. Fast Facts: Colony of Georgia Also Known As: Guale, Carolina ColonyNamed After: British King George IIFounding Year: 1733Founding Country: Spain, EnglandFirst Known European Settlement: 1526, San Miguel de GualdapeResidential  Native Communities: Creek Confederacy, Cherokee, Choctaw, ChickasawFounders: Lucas Và ¡zques de Ayllà ³n, James OglethorpeFirst Continental Congressmen: NoneSigners of the Declaration: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, and George Walton Early Exploration The first Europeans to set foot in Georgia were Spanish conquistadors: it is possible that Juan Ponce de Leon (1460–1521) made it to the coastal reaches of the future state by 1520. The first European colonization was on the coast, probably near St. Catherines Island, and established by Lucas Và ¡zques de Ayllà ³n (1480–1526). Called San Miguel de Guadalupe, the settlement only lasted a few months before it was abandoned over the winter of 1526–1527 due to illness, death (including its leader), and factionalism. Spanish explorer Hernan de Soto (1500–1542) led his expeditionary forces through Georgia in 1540 on his way to the Mississippi River, and the De Soto Chronicles contained notes about his journey and the Native American inhabitants he met along the way. Spanish missions were set up along the Georgia coast: the most permanent of those was established by the Jesuit priest Juan Pardo on St. Catherines Island in 1566. Later, English settlers from South Carolina would travel into the region of Georgia to trade with the Native Americans they found there. Part of Georgia was subsumed into the Carolina colony in 1629. The first English explorer was Henry Woodward, who arrived at the Chattahoochee falls in the 1670s, what was then the center of the Creek Nation. Woodward formed an alliance with the Creek and together they forced the Spanish out of Georgia. The Margravate of Azilia The Margravate of Azilia, a colony proposed in 1717 by Robert Montgomery (1680–1731), the eleventh Baronet of Skelmorlie, was to be located somewhere between the Savannah and Altamaha Rivers, as an idyllic establishment with a palace of the margrave (leader) surrounded by a green space and then in descending circles farther and farther from the center, sections would be laid out for barons and commoners. Montgomery likely never made it to North America and Azilia was never built. In 1721, while Georgia was part of the Carolina Colony, Fort King George near Darien on the Altamaha River was established and then abandoned in 1727.   Founding and Ruling the Colony It was not until 1732 that the colony of Georgia was actually created. This made it the last of the thirteen British colonies, a full fifty years after Pennsylvania came into being. James Oglethorpe was a well known British soldier who thought that one way to deal with debtors who were taking up a lot of room in British prisons was to send them to settle a new colony. However, when King George II granted Oglethorpe the right to create this colony named after himself, it was to serve a much different purpose. The new colony  was to be located between South Carolina and Florida, to act as a protective buffer between the Spanish and English colonies. Its boundaries included all of the lands between the Savannah and Altamaha rivers, including much of present-day Alabama and Mississippi. Oglethorpe advertised in the London papers for poor people who would get free passage, free land, and all the supplies, tools, and food they would need for a year. The first shipload of settlers set sail aboard the Ann in 1732, disembarked at Port Royal on the South Carolina coast, and reached the foot of Yamacraw Bluff on the Savannah River on February 1, 1733, where they founded the city of Savannah. Georgia was unique among the thirteen British colonies in that no local governor was appointed or elected to oversee its population. Instead, the colony was ruled by a Board of Trustees that was located back in London. The Board of Trustees ruled that slavery, Catholics, lawyers, and rum were all banned within the colony. That would not last. War of Independence In 1752, Georgia became a royal colony and the British parliament selected royal governors to rule it. Historian Paul Pressly has suggested that unlike the other colonies, Georgia succeeded in the two decades before Independence because of its connections to the Caribbean and based on an economy of rice supported by the enslavement of Africans.   The royal governors held power until 1776, with the beginning of the American Revolution. Georgia was not a real presence in the fight against Great Britain. In fact, due to its youth and stronger ties to the Mother Country, many inhabitants sided with the British. The colony sent no delegates to the First Continental Congress: they were facing attacks from the Creek and desperately needed the support of regular British soldiers. Nonetheless, there were some staunch leaders from Georgia in the fight for independence including three signers of the Declaration of Independence: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, and George Walton. After the war, Georgia became the fourth state to ratify the US Constitution. Sources and Further Reading Coleman, Kenneth (ed.). A History of Georgia, 2nd edition. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1991.  Pressly, Paul M. On the Rim of the Caribbean: Colonial Georgia and the British Atlantic World. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2013.Russell, David Lee. Oglethorpe and Colonial Georgia: A History, 1733-1783. McFarland, 2006Sonneborne, Liz. A Primary Source History of the Colony of Georgia. New York: Rosen Publishing Group, 2006.  The Margravate of Azilia. Our Georgia History.