Woodrow Wilson (2460 words) Essay Example For Students

Woodrow Wilson (2460 words) Essay Woodrow WilsonPresident Woodrow Wilson regarded himself as the personal representative of thepeople. No one but the President, he said, seems to beexpected to look out for the general interests of the country(Internet1). He developed a program of progressive reform and asserted internationalleadership in building a new world order. In 1917 he proclaimed Americansentrance into World War I a crusade to make the world safe fordemocracy. Wilson had seen the difficulties of war. He was born inVirginia in 1856. The son of a Presbyterian minister who during the Civil Warwas a pastor in Augusta, Georgia, and during Reconstruction a professor in thecharred city of Columbia, South Carolina. After graduation from Princeton (thenthe College of New Jersey) and the University of Virginia Law School, Wilsonearned his doctorate at Johns Hopkins University and entered upon an academiccareer. In 1885 he married Ellen Louise Axson. Wilson advanced rapidly as aconservative young professor of political science and became president ofPrinceton in 1902. His growing national reputation led some conservativeDemocrats to consider him Presidential material. First they persuaded him to runfor Governor of New Jersey in 1910. In that campaign he asserted hisindependence of the conservatives and of the machine that had nominated him,endorsing a progressive platform, which he pursued as governor. He was nominatedfor President at the 1912 Democratic Convention and campaigned on a programcalled the New Freedom, which stressed individualism and states rights. In thethree-way election he received only 42 percent of the popular vote but anoverwhelming electoral vote. Wilson dealt with Congress very effectively in hispresidency. On April 2,1917, he asked Congress for a declaration of war onGermany. Massive American effort slowly tipped the balance in favor of theAllies. Wilson went before Congress in January 1918, to pronounce American waraims through a a series of ideas he had known as the Fourte en Points, this wouldestablish a general association of nations indubitably guaranteeing politicalindependence and territorial integrity to great and small states alike. Afterthe Germans signed the Armistice in November 1918, Wilson went to Paris to tryto build an enduring peace. He later presented to the Senate the VersaillesTreaty, containing the Covenant of the League of Nations. The Versailles Treatywas seven votes shy of being ratifid by the senate. The President, against thewarnings of his doctors, had made a national tour to mobilize public sentimentfor the treaty. President Wilson had aswell have many interventions in countriessuch as: New Mexico, Mexico, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua Exhausted,he suffered a stroke and nearly died. Tenderly nursed by his second wife, EdithBolling Galt, he lived until 1924. The League of Nations was a formerinternational organization that was formed after WORLD WAR I to promoteinternational peace and security. The League of Nations was provided int he useof the Fourteen Points. The basis of the League, the Covenant, was written intothe Treaty of Versailles and other peace treaties and provided for an assembly,a council, and a secretariat. A system of colonial mandates was also set up. TheU.S., which failed to ratify the Treaty of Versailles, never became a member. We will write a custom essay on Woodrow Wilson (2460 words) specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Based in Geneva, the League proved useful in settling minor internationaldisputes, but was unable to stop aggression by major powers, Japans occupationof Manchuria (1931), Italys conquest of Ethiopia (1935-36), and Germanysseizure of Austria (1938). It collapsed early in World War II and dissolveditself in 1946. The League established the first pattern of permanentinternational organization and served as a model for its successor, the UNITEDNATIONS. The Treaty of Versailles, signed on 1871 at the end of theFranco-Prussian War by Bismarck. France was forced to give up most of Alsace andLorraine, pay a large indemnity, and accept a German army of occupation. TheVersailles Treaty of 1919 is the most famous of the treaties because it was thechief one ending World War I. The Big Four negotiating it were President WIlson,Premier Clemenceau, Prime Minister Llyod George, and Premier Oralndo. The treatycalled for the creation of the League of Nations. It forced on Germany theburden of reperat ions and placed limits on German armed forces. It restoredAlsace and Lorraine to France, gave Prussian Poland and most of West Prussia toPoland, made Danzig a free city, put Germanys colonies under the League ofNations, placed the Saar under French administration, called for plebiscites invarious territories newly freed from the Central Powers, mand called for thedemilitarization of the Rhineland. American opposition to the League of Nationsresulted in the refusal of the U.S. Senate to ratify the treaty. In 1935, AdolfHitler unilaterally abrogated most of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. TheTreaty of Paris was one of the most important treaties signed at or near Paris. The Treaty of 1763 was signed by Great Britain, France, and Spain. Together withthe Treaty of Hubertusburg it ended the Seven Years War. France lostCanada to Britain, Cuba and the Philippines were restored to Spain, and India ineffect passed to Britain(Internet 2). From this treaty dated the colonialand maritime supremacy of Britain. In the Treaty of 1783 Great Britain formallyacknowledged the independence of the Thirteen Colonies as the U.S. The treatyalso fixed the boundaries of the new nation. In addition, the warring Europeanpowers-Britain against France and Spain, with the Dutch as armedneutrals-effected a large-scale peace settlement. Spain reacquired the Floridasand Minorca from Britain, and Britain relinquished its restrictions on theFrench port of Dunkirk. Otherwise, the territorial dispositions of the 1763Treaty of Paris were reaffirmed. The Treaty of 1814 was concluded between Franceon the one hand and Britain, Russia, Austria, and Prussia on the other after thefirst abdic ation of NApoleon I. Its provisions never went into effect owing tothe return of Napoleon from Elba and the resumption of the war. The Treaty of1815 was signed after Napoleons final surrender. Many provisions of the treatyof 1814 and the Final Act of the Congress of Vienna remained binding. France wasreduced to its 1790 borders and was forced to pay 700 million francs inreparations plus the costs of an army of occupation for five years. After WorldWar I severeal treaties were signed (1919-20) in or near Paris, the mostimportant of which was the Treaty of Versailles After World War II separatetreaties were signed (1947) by the Allies at or near Paris with Italy, Romania,Hungary, Bulgaria, and Finland. Woodrow Wilson had interventions with NewMexico. President Wilson had two fronts to worry about; Mexico and Europe. Belowhis country, the Mexican Revolution was in full swing. Wilson had made his movesin accordance to what he had felt was best for his country and its people. Thesame wen t for Europe. He was doing all he could do by just keeping the UnitedStates out of the war. However, in relation to Europe and the World War, Wilsonknew that the United States was not going to be able to stay out of the warforever. After all, the Germans were taking a greater toll on the merchant shipsin the Atlantic. To truely see the situation, one must look back at the electionof 1916. Presidents dont win elections by telling the people what they dontwant to hear. Wilson was up for re-election that year. He had been campaigningon the platform of peace. His opponent, Charles Hughes, had favored teh idea ofthe United States getting involved into World War I. Wilson used every politicaltactic he knew to bring Hughes down. Hughes was called the warcandidate(Biography of Woodrow Wilson). Later, Wilson would even use theslogan Wilson and Peace with Honor, or Hughes with Roosevelt andWar?(Internet 1) So Wilson did what he had to do in order to stay inoffice. By 1916, Wilson began to rea lize where his country stood in relation tothose that were fighting. He had been paying attention to the press to see theresults of the events that were unfolding. In particular, the Battle of theSomme struck President Wilson with deep concern. At this battle, the Britishwere on the offensive against the Germans. The British command called for a fiveday assualt with heavy cannon. After the shelling, the soldiers were expected tosimply walk over claim the land. The offensive failed and as a result, theBritish suffered casualties near 70,000 in just a few days time. At that time,the United States military personel numbered less than 150,000. The UnitedStates, at that rate, would have only been able to last for a few days if theyentered the war. This brings us to the main point of this article; Wilson had toget his armed forces up in numbers without breaking his campaign promise to hispeople. How was Wilson suppossed to do this? The answer was Pancho Villa. PanchoVilla was a very predi ctable man. After the events down in Agua Prieta, Villawas on a one course action, death to all Americans. Villa made his first move inJanuary of 1916. Engineers from El Paso were on their way to open up a mine downin Mexico. They had been given assurances that there was nothing to fear. Whileenroute by way of rail, the engineers were stopped and pulled off the train. Allwere put down on their knees and shot in the back of the head. Villa had begunto deliver his promise to the Americans. Wilson was aware of this. All he had todo was to wait for the right moment. Wilsons chance came in early March of1916. Sometime around the 6th of March, U.S. intelligence began to send reportsto Washington that Villa and his men had been seen along the border nearColumbus. These reports would continue up until the 9th of March when Villafinally made his attack. Although history plays the attack as a suprise, eventsleading up to the attack suggest that the U.S. government knew of Villaslocation and i ntentions. Just prior to the attack, Lieutenant George Patton, whowas being stationed at Columbus, was ordered, along with the remaining officers,to leave for a polo match near Deming, New Mexico. Patton would later remark inhis diary that he had never played the sport before. Also, when the attack didoccur, the press made a big deal about the machine guns being still in theirstorage cases. Had Columbus known of Villas location, it would have been likelythat the machine guns would probably had been readied. Throughout hispresidency, Wilson showed a pattern of bullying and deception, and great desireto involve the American people in wars that they had no desire to get into. Thefirst example is Mexico. Wilson had an intense personal hatred of MexicosPresident, General Victotiano Huerta, because he had suppressed a left-wingrevolution. This hatred led Wilson to try to provoke a war with Mexico. He gothis chance when a small number of Americans where arrested in Mexican port ofTampico. Knowing that Wilson was looking for an exuse for war, Huertaimmediately ordered the release of the Americans, and personally apologized tothem for the incident. But Wilson would not let the situation end at that. Hedemanded more apologies, and even worse demanded that some of the Mexicansinvolved salute the American flag! Imagine if you were a soldier in the AmericanArmy and were ordered by a foreign leader to salute a foreign flag. Of coursethe Mexicans refused, so Wilson got his chance to start a war, and launched asurprise attack on the barely defended Mexican city of Vera Cruz. Fortunatelyfor the youth of both countries, Huerta was not as eager for war as Wilson. Sohe got several Latin American governments to intercede. Wilson demanded that anypeace be on the condition of Huerta stepping down as president of Mexico. .uce85e2446a3cf7503e8886f9e24d9a80 , .uce85e2446a3cf7503e8886f9e24d9a80 .postImageUrl , .uce85e2446a3cf7503e8886f9e24d9a80 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uce85e2446a3cf7503e8886f9e24d9a80 , .uce85e2446a3cf7503e8886f9e24d9a80:hover , .uce85e2446a3cf7503e8886f9e24d9a80:visited , .uce85e2446a3cf7503e8886f9e24d9a80:active { border:0!important; } .uce85e2446a3cf7503e8886f9e24d9a80 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uce85e2446a3cf7503e8886f9e24d9a80 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uce85e2446a3cf7503e8886f9e24d9a80:active , .uce85e2446a3cf7503e8886f9e24d9a80:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uce85e2446a3cf7503e8886f9e24d9a80 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uce85e2446a3cf7503e8886f9e24d9a80 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uce85e2446a3cf7503e8886f9e24d9a80 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uce85e2446a3cf7503e8886f9e24d9a80 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uce85e2446a3cf7503e8886f9e24d9a80:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uce85e2446a3cf7503e8886f9e24d9a80 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uce85e2446a3cf7503e8886f9e24d9a80 .uce85e2446a3cf7503e8886f9e24d9a80-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uce85e2446a3cf7503e8886f9e24d9a80:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Legalize marijuana EssayShowing how much more of a man Huerta was than Wilson, Huerta agreed to Wilsonsdemands rather than allowing the war to continue. The results of Wilsonswarmongering were disastrous for Mexico. The Wilson-backed regime who came topower after Huerta stepped down was too weak to hold his country together, andMexico fell into civil war. In a five month period Mexico City changed hands sixtimes. The notorious Mexican bandit Pancho Villa almost got control of Mexico inthe struggle. Eventually the Wilson-backed regime of Venustiano Carranzo emergedon top, but it was too weak to suppress Villa, who led multiple raids into theUnited States. Wilson, ever the m ummer of Mars, used Villas raids into theUnited States to justify savage incursions by the US Army into Mexico, which didlittle more than make Villa a hero to the people of northern Mexico. TheSpanish-American War is often offered up as an example of American imperialism. But Haiti is a much better one. Haiti also vividly illustrates Wilsons truecharacter which he was so effective in hiding from the public. Wilson thoughtFrance and Germany were becoming too influential in Haiti, and for this reasoninvaded that sovereign republic that neither did nor wanted to do any acthostile to the United States. Soon after the marines had secured control ofHaiti, Wilson had a puppet government set up, and forced it to elect PhillippeDartiguenave president. Next, Wilson tired to force his puppets to sign a treatythat would essentially cede Haitian sovereignty to the United States. But thepuppets would not submit, so Wilson declared martial law and made AdmiralCaperton the absolute dictator over all of Haiti. Wilson again tried to forcethe Haitian government to submit to the same humiliating treaty by withholdingthe salaries of all government employees until they complied. They finally gavein. Wilson then held a show election for a constitutional assembly. When theas sembly met, Wilson simply had his military commanders order the delegates toratify his own constitution. They bravely refused, and are heroes as much asthose who took the Tennis Court Oath more than a century earlier; but theAmerican general in command, General Cole, dissolved the assembly, and decidedto hold a referendum on it. It was absurd, a type of election that Stalin wouldhave approved of, with armed soldiers at every polling place, making sure everyHaitian that might try to vote against the American imposed constitution saw theerror of his decision. So much for Wilson the lover of democracy. AfterwardsHaiti became an dictatorship under the American military. The corvee was soonrevived, and slavery returned to our Hemisphere. The American militarycommanders used Haitian slave labor mainly to build roads, which would allowthem to quickly move troops to suppress any resistance to American rule. Duringa revolt against the American system of forced labor and military occupation,t he Marine Corps reports it killed 3250 Haitians(History of Haiti). PresidentWilson in 1916 established a military dictatorship over the Dominican Republic. Wilson also had the marines occupy and subdue large part of Nicaragua at thatgovernments request. President Woodrow Wilson has been marked for his greatissue of foreign poilicy. Latin America was effected greatly by all the policiesthat were promoted by President Wilson. Although some of his ideas were denied,such as the League of Nations, his effort to unite the nations has made a bigimpact on American and Latin American history. Woodrow Wilson is the presidentwith the greatest intervention in Latin America.

Rape in Ancient Societies

Rape in Ancient Societies Introduction One way to understand the view of ancient men is to rely on the insights provided by a gifted writer. Shakespeare is still relevant in the 21st century as he was during his time because of his ability to penetrate human nature. He does not only understand human nature but he is also a master when it comes to explaining it in terms and images readily understood by common men.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Rape in Ancient Societies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Shakespeare has another talent and it is his ability to look into ancient history and draw inspiration from there. One of his important works that relates to this topic is the play entitled The Rape of Lucrece. In this play Shakespeare sheds light on the mentality of the rapist and victim in ancient times. The most poignant part of the play is when Lucrece, after securing an oath from husband and father to avenge the wrong done to her, committed suicide.[1] This is an important scene because it shows the way society view the victim of the rape. Even if the rapist was the evildoer, the act itself has somehow transferred his wickedness into the victim, forcing her to kill herself. It has to be pointed out that rape is a crime that is difficult to prove. In a time when there were no scientific means to prove sexual assault it is difficult for a woman to build a clear case against a rapist especially if there were no witnesses. Going back to the story of Lucrece, her suicide was necessary to prove to everyone that she did nothing wrong. In the words of one commentary, â€Å"her death is to function as the ultimate sign of her innocence.†[2] Her family believed her story. It was Tarquin who forced her to sin against her body and therefore there was no need to commit suicide. However, her reputation suffers because at the time of the sexual act, although it must be considered rape, she allowed it to happen. Shak espeare wrote this play based on what he knows about ancient societies such as Greece and Rome. Before going any further it is important to have a clear understanding of the nature of rape. Jane Gallop, in The Daughter’s of Seduction has this to say: The notions of integrity and closure in the text are like that of virginity in a body. They assume that if one does not respect the boundaries between inside and outside, one is ‘breaking and entering,’ violating a property. As long as the fallacies of integrity and closure are upheld, a desire to penetrate becomes a desire to rape.[3]Advertising Looking for research paper on ancient history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The above statement also reveals an important feature of the act of rape that it begins in the mind. It begins with desire and the rapist is guilty even before he has committed the act. This must serve as a strong deterrent to rape . But the status of women in ancient societies was so low that men can were able to do what they please. Sexual assault was not as clearly defined and many of the guilty were left unpunished. It is now time to examine if the Greeks have a better understanding of the violent nature of rape. Ancient Greece The Greeks are known for their wisdom but even their enlightened rulers and philosopher did not develop laws to protect women from rape and the consequences of rape. They did not create laws that acted as a deterrent to violating the consent of women. They did not create laws to send a message that their society honors women in the same way that it honors the men. There were laws about rape but the focus is to protect the property and the reputation of the husband. Women in ancient Greece did not directly benefit from these laws because these laws are dependent on their relationship to a man. They have to be a wife, daughter, mother, or a palleke, a slave-woman kept for the purpose of bearing children.[4] In other words the crime of rape must be punished to deal with the offense made against husband and father but not to the victim of the said crime. The idea that laws about rape were created for the benefit of men was made clear in the story of Euphiletus trial on the murder of Eratosthenes. Euphiletus said that he knew that Eratosthenes was seducing his wife and when he caught them in the act of adultery he killed him. The plot thickens when Euphiletus found himself on trial for the murder of an adulterer when their law justifies the murder of a person caught seducing a pallake. Euphiletus added that if the law justifies this act then how much more the husbands murderous rage against an adulterer.[5] Euphiletus went on to explain why seduction is more dangerous than rape and he said: The rapist incurs the hatred of his victim, the seducer corrupts the very soul of the woman and gains greater control over her than her husband has. The seducer thus gets the en tire household under his control, making it impossible for the husband to know the father of his wife’s children.[6] Euphiletus made an interesting point with regards to the laws against adultery, rape and seduction. But the importance of his statement is on how it sheds light on the mindset of ancient Greeks when it comes to their women. As one can observe rape was made evil not because it violated the women but because the act can produce unwanted children.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Rape in Ancient Societies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, it can be interpreted as an act disadvantageous to the husband and protector of the female victim. For instance, in the case of a rapist attacking a man’s daughter, the rapist must be made to answer for his crime because the moment the daughter conceives after the rape, she would bring dishonor to the family. At the same time it raises a probl em when it comes to the responsibility of taking care of the child. There is no one who can help her raise the child. A rapist caught in the act of raping a man’s mother has to be punished because the act has brought shame to the family. There is also a possibility that the rapist has sired a child and this can be the root cause of a destructive family struggle later on. The same thing can be said about the raping the wife and the pallake. The end-goal is to erase all doubts that the children sired by these women are the legitimate heirs and not sired by a rapist and seducer. It is very clear that although Rome has sophisticated laws to deal with rape and seduction, all of these laws are for the benefit of men. Women are valued primarily as a bearer of children. Thus, their rights do not extend far from how they are perceived by the men in their household. These laws reveal a significantly different mindset when compared to the ideals of human rights and women’s rights in the 21st century. The concept of rape against women follows the same pattern as that of ancient Greece. The following statement clarifies the way sexual offenses were viewed during this time: â€Å"Sexual offenses by men involving women (rape, adultery, seduction, even sexual insults) were offenses against men’s authority over their household members.†[7] In ancient Greece adultery and rape were not clearly distinguished and the punishment was the same most of the time.[8] There is a simple explanation, â€Å"the victim of both crimes was not the person attacked but the man whose house she dwelt.†[9] Aside from the need to protect the family lineage these laws were created to protect the property of the men in a male-dominated society. Ancient Rome When Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates were formulating great ideas, Rome was still an unknown entity in the Western world. However, centuries later when Rome began to consolidate power to become a superpower in Euro pe, not much has change when it comes to how men treated women. According to one commentary: As is often true in patriarchal societies, the roles and identities of women in ancient Rome were generally seen as inseparable from those of the men to whom they were related. Roman women’s lives were expected to make a neat transition from the position of daughter and sister to that of wife and mother.[10]Advertising Looking for research paper on ancient history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A Roman myth called the Rape of the Sabine Women reveals how women are viewed in this ancient society. In the said myth the Romans wanted to form an alliance with a neighboring tribe called the Sabine. But this tribe was clearly not interested with the proposal. Thus, the Romans abducted the daughters of the Sabine people and forced them to be their wives. Technically, they were raped, but the reaction of the women provided a glimpse into their mindset when it comes to the relationship between men and women. In the aftermath of the abduction the Sabine tribe declared war on Rome but their captured daughters pleaded with them and begged â€Å"not to force a choice between their family of birth and their family of marriage.†[11] In this instance, rape became a prelude to marriage demonstrating once again that if the male relatives of the victims of rape are unable to redeem their honor then the woman’s value was lost forever. In this case their value was redeemed by agre eing to be married to their captors. This particular myth was in reference to the early days of Rome. It is important to find out if there was a significant change that occurred when Rome became a Republic. But just the same, the laws against rape were created to protect the honor of the male relatives. As a matter of fact the insult done to the woman is also considered as an insult to the male relative.[12] If the male relatives took matters into their own hand and kill the rapist, the prosecution against them was known to be very lenient.[13] Nevertheless, nothing can be done to restore the victim’s value. The offense of rape was considered a capital charge and therefore the punishment can be death, banishment or diminution of the civil status of the rapist.[14] Everything was done to prove to the world that the family’s honor was redeemed and that the male relative will not lose face in public. But nothing can be done to restore the value of the victim. The idea tha t an unmarried Roman girl has to be chaste has frightening consequences for the rape victim because: â€Å"Chastity was a vital element in the girl’s value for marriage, and if she had been violated before, her future was irrevocably spoiled. It got worse if she conceived during the rape. She lost her value as an object of exchange between families and could redeem herself only by death.[15] It is time to find out if much has change after the passage of thousands of years. It is important to determine if modern societies were able to see the value of women beyond their relationship with a man. Modern Times There is a major difference in the way modern people view rape compared to the mindset of the ancient Greeks and Romans. In the ancient world rape is not just an act committed against a woman, it is an act committed against a woman under the supervision of a male relative. As a result, analysis of Greek and Roman literature will reveal that in their ancient societies adult ery and rape are seen as a similar offense against the head of the household. The modern view of rape is a sexual act committed without a woman’s consent.[16] But ancient Greece and ancient Rome had a different view than modern societies as pointed out by Harris: â€Å"our concept focuses on the absence of the victim’s consent †¦ ancient authors, on the other hand, had very different notions from ours about women’s power and ability to grant consent and were more interested in questions of honor when it came to judging acts of sexual violence.†[17] Although modern societies have a more sophisticated view of rape there are certain things that remained unchanged. Sex crimes still abound today. Rape is still a serious problem in the modern world as it was in ancient times. Rape still devalues women to the point that victims do not report rape to the authorities. A female victim of rape will find her value diminished even to the point that she may find i t hard to find a husband. Society still frowns on the victim even if it is not her fault. The laws of the modern world, however, offer more protection to the women regardless of her status.[18] She does not need the help of a male relative in order to defend her honor in court. Nevertheless, society still views a victim as damaged goods. When comparing ancient and modern societies one can see that the major difference is in the way women had liberated themselves from the clutches of a male-dominated world. Wives and daughters still believe in mutual respect when it comes to their relationship with husbands and fathers but the men can no longer treat them as if they were their property. The change in perception also created unexpected results such as the freedom of women to associate with men. In ancient times certain rules of conduct were in place to protect the honor of the family. The mere suspicion of undesirable behavior between man and woman must be dealt with swiftly either by a forceful dissolution of the relationship or marriage. But in the 21st century women can choose to have relationships with any man they would like. The unintended consequence is the emergence of a new form of rape called date rape. In layman’s terms date rape occurs between two people that are dating.[19] It can also happen between two acquaintances that happened to meet in a party.[20] The act is technically rape but the major difference is that the male perpetrator is known to the female victim. Rape can occur by the use of violence or by drugs.[21] The rapist can put a drug into a girl’s drink and when she passes out he takes advantage of her. It is also important to point out that date rape or simply rape can be the culmination of a series of violent acts. In other words the man can abuse the woman until the violence ends up in rape. It is of crucial importance to discuss date rape in the examination of the evolution of rape from ancient times to the present. Dat e rape is a remote possibility in ancient Greece and ancient Rome. The reported cases of violence committed by boyfriends against their girlfriends can only occur in the present time. Violent men and sex predators are dealt with swiftly and decisively in ancient Greece and Rome. The swift resolution of the problem is based on the fact that men are responsible for the women under their care. They will not allow stranger and other men to even come close to their daughters and wives if they are not assured of their true intentions. Much has been said about the abuses committed in a patriarchal society. There is no need to elaborate the fact that laws must cater to both men and women. However, something has to be done to develop a strong bond between families. It is not wise and practical to go back to ancient practices but one thing has to be made clear, they know how to protect their women. Today, sexual violence is on the rise and women are left to fend for themselves. Conclusion The re is not much difference between ancient Greece and ancient Rome when it comes to the way they deal with rape. Their laws were specifically designed to protect the honor and the property of the male relative. Rape, adultery, and seduction are all the same when the act is committed by someone who is not related to the female. In modern times women are no longer treated like property by their husbands and fathers. Women are free to mingle with other men. But this new found freedom has created a weakness that sex predators and unscrupulous men are willing to exploit. Something has to be done to strengthen the bond between family members without recreating the social structures of a male-dominated society. Bibliography Edwards, Catharine. Death in Ancient Rome. MA: Yale University Press, 2007. Gagarin, Michael and Elaine Fantham. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece  and Rome. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. Harris, Edward. Democracy and the Rule of Law in Classical Ath ens. UK: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Harris, Edward. â€Å"Rape in Antiquity: Sexual Violence in the Greek and Roman Worlds.† Diotima. Last modified 2007. Larmour, David. Rethinking Sexuality: Focault and Classical Antiquity. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1998. Orr, Tamara. Frequently Asked Questions about Date Rape. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2007. Parrot, Andrea. Coping with Date Rape and Acquaintance Rape. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 1999. Quay, Sara. â€Å"Lucrece the Chaste: The Construction of Rape in Shakespeare’s The Rape of Lucrece.† Modern Language Studies 25, no. 2 (1995): 3-17. Schnabel, Stephanie. The Theme of Rape in Elizabethan and Jacobean Literary  Text. Berlin: Verlag, 2006. Wilkins, Jessica. Date Rape. New York: Crabtree Publishing, 2011. Footnotes Sara Quay, â€Å"Lucrece the Chaste: The Construction of Rape in Shakespeare’s The Rape of Lucrece,† Modern Language Studies 25, no. 2 (1995): 3 Catharine Edwards, Death in Ancient Rome (MA: Yale University Press, 2007), 181. Quay, 3. Harris 286. Ibid. Edward Harris, Democracy and the Rule of Law in Classical Athens (UK: Cambridge University Press, 2006), 284. David Larmour, Rethinking Sexuality: Focault and Classical Antiquity (New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1998), 132. Ibid. Ibid. Michael Gagarin and Elaine Fantham,The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and  Rome (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010), 249. Ibid. Stephanie Schnabel, The Theme of Rape in Elizabethan and Jacobean Literary Text  (Berlin: Verlag, 2006), 10. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Edward Harris, â€Å"Rape in Antiquity: Sexual Violence in the Greek and Roman Worlds.†Ã‚  Diotima. Last modified 2007. Ibid. Ibid. Jessica Wilkins, Date Rape (New York: Crabtree Publishing, 2011), 7. Tamra Orr, Frequently Asked Questions about Date Rape (New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2007), 23. Andrea Parrot, Coping with Date Rape and Acquaintance Rape ( New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 1999), 49