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Antebellum Jefferson, Texas: Everyday Life in an East Texas Town

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Founded in 1845 as a steamboat port at the entryway to western markets from the Red River, Jefferson was a thriving center of trade until the steamboat traffic dried up in the 1870s. During its heyday, the town monopolized the shipping of cotton from all points west for 150 miles. Jefferson was the unofficial capital of East Texas, but it was also typical of boom towns in general. For this topical examination of a frontier town, Bagur draws from many government documents, but also from newspaper ads and plats. These sources provide intimate details of the lives of the early citizens of Jefferson, Texas. Their story is of interest to both local and state historians as well as to the many readers interested in capturing the flavor of life in old-time East Texas. “Astoundingly complete and a model for local history research, with appeal far beyond readers who have specific interests in Jefferson.”—Fred Tarpley, author of Jefferson: Riverport to the Southwest
Date: March 15, 2012
Creator: Bagur, Jacques D.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

Nassau Plantation: The evolution of a Texas-German slave plantation

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
In the 1840s an organization of German noblemen, the Mainzner Adelsverein, attempted to settle thousands of German emigrants on the Texas frontier. Nassau Plantation, located near modern-day Round Top, Texas, in northern Fayette County, was a significant part of this story. James C. Kearney has studied a wealth of original source material (much of it in German) to illuminate the history of the plantation and the larger goals and motivation of the Adelsverein. This new study highlights the problematic relationship of German emigrants to slavery. Few today realize that the society’s original colonization plan included ownership and operation of slave plantations. Ironically, the German settlements the society later established became hotbeds of anti-slavery and anti-secessionist sentiment. Several notable personalities graced the plantation, including Carl Prince of Solms-Braunfels, Johann Otto Freiherr von Meusebach, botanist F. Lindheimer, and the renowned naturalist Dr. Ferdinand Roemer. Dramatic events also occurred at the plantation, including a deadly shootout, a successful escape by two slaves (documented in an unprecedented way), and litigation over ownership that wound its way to both the Texas Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.
Date: March 15, 2010
Creator: Kearney, James C.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library

Still the Arena of Civil War: Violence and Turmoil in Reconstruction Texas, 1865/1874

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Following the Civil War, the United States was fully engaged in a bloody conflict with ex-Confederates, conservative Democrats, and members of organized terrorist groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan, for control of the southern states. Texas became one of the earliest battleground states in the War of Reconstruction. Throughout this era, white Texans claimed that Radical Republicans in Congress were attempting to dominate their state through “Negro-Carpetbag-Scalawag rule.” In response to these perceived threats, whites initiated a violent guerilla war that was designed to limit support for the Republican Party. They targeted loyal Unionists throughout the South, especially African Americans who represented the largest block of Republican voters in the region. Was the Reconstruction era in the Lone Star State simply a continuation of the Civil War? Evidence presented by sixteen contributors in this new anthology, edited by Kenneth W. Howell, argues that this indeed was the case. Topics include the role of the Freedmen’s Bureau and the occupying army, focusing on both sides of the violence. Several contributors analyze the origins of the Ku Klux Klan and its operations in Texas, how the Texas State Police attempted to quell the violence, and Tejano adjustment to Reconstruction. Other chapters …
Date: March 15, 2012
Creator: Howell, Kenneth W.
Object Type: Book
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information Technology: FDA Needs to Fully Implement Key Management Practices to Lessen Modernization Risks (open access)

Information Technology: FDA Needs to Fully Implement Key Management Practices to Lessen Modernization Risks

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "While FDA has taken several important steps toward modernizing its IT environment, much remains to be done. FDA reported spending about $400 million for IT investments in fiscal year 2011; however, the agency currently lacks a comprehensive IT inventory that identifies and provides key information about the systems it uses and is developing. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and GAO guidance call for federal agencies to maintain such an inventory in order to monitor and manage their IT investments. This inventory should include information on each system, such as costs, functionality or purpose, and status. However, FDA does not have such a comprehensive list of its systems. Instead, the agency points to budget documents required by OMB, which included information on 44 IT investments for fiscal year 2011. The agency also provided a partial list of 21 mission-critical systems and modernization initiatives. Nonetheless, agency officials acknowledged that these documents do not identify all FDA’s systems or the complete costs, purpose, or status of each system. Until the agency has a complete and comprehensive inventory, it will lack critical information needed to effectively assess its IT …
Date: March 15, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Acquisitions: Opportunities Exist to Position Army's Ground Force Modernization Efforts for Success (open access)

Defense Acquisitions: Opportunities Exist to Position Army's Ground Force Modernization Efforts for Success

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Since 2003, the Future Combat System (FCS) program has been the centerpiece of the Army's efforts to transition to a lighter, more agile, and more capable combat force. In 2009, however, concerns over the program's performance led to the Secretary of Defense's decision to significantly restructure and ultimately cancel the program. As a result, the Army has outlined a new approach to ground force modernization. This report (1) outlines the Army's preliminary post-FCS plans and (2) identifies the challenges and opportunities the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Army must address as they proceed with Army ground force modernization efforts. To meet these objectives, GAO reviewed key documents, performed analyses, visited test facilities where the Army evaluated FCS equipment, and interviewed DOD and Army officials."
Date: March 15, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Federal Contracting: Effort to Consolidate Governmentwide Acquisition Data Systems Should Be Reassessed (open access)

Federal Contracting: Effort to Consolidate Governmentwide Acquisition Data Systems Should Be Reassessed

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The development of IAE has occurred in two stages using different acquisition strategies. In 2001, GSA began establishing a portfolio of standardized government-wide data systems through an acquisition strategy known as “adopt, adapt, acquire.” GSA adopted or adapted existing agency-specific systems for government-wide use, or if no viable system met an identified need, GSA acquired a new system. These efforts resulted in a portfolio of nine data systems. In 2008, GSA began consolidating its portfolio of systems into one integrated system called the System for Award Management (SAM). In developing the system, GSA hoped to eliminate redundancy, reduce costs, and improve efficiency. Unlike the existing systems that were each designed, developed, and operated by a single contractor, IAE relies on multiple vendors to perform these same tasks for SAM. The intent of this approach is to enhance competition and innovation and for the government to own the software associated with the system. SAM will be developed in phases. In each phase, capabilities from selected IAE systems will be added to SAM and those legacy systems will be shut down."
Date: March 15, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information Technology: OMB Has Made Improvements to Its Dashboard, but Further Work Is Needed by Agencies and OMB to Ensure Data Accuracy (open access)

Information Technology: OMB Has Made Improvements to Its Dashboard, but Further Work Is Needed by Agencies and OMB to Ensure Data Accuracy

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Each year the federal government spends billions of dollars on information technology (IT) investments. Given the importance of oversight, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) established a public Web site, referred to as the IT Dashboard, that provides detailed information on about 800 federal IT investments, including assessments of actual performance against cost and schedule targets (referred to as ratings). In the second of a series of Dashboard reviews, GAO was asked to (1) determine OMB's efforts to improve the Dashboard and how it is using data from the Dashboard, and (2) examine the accuracy of the Dashboard's cost and schedule performance ratings. To do so, GAO analyzed documentation on OMB oversight efforts and Dashboard improvement plans, compared the performance of 10 major investments from five agencies with large IT budgets against the ratings on the Dashboard, and interviewed OMB and agency officials."
Date: March 15, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Department of Energy: Status of Loan Programs (open access)

Department of Energy: Status of Loan Programs

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins ""
Date: March 15, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Housing and Urban Development: Strategic Human Capital and Workforce Planning Should be an Ongoing Priority (open access)

Housing and Urban Development: Strategic Human Capital and Workforce Planning Should be an Ongoing Priority

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reports that it is moving forward with strategic human capital and workforce planning efforts after several years of delays. HUD's most recent workforce plan expired in 2009 and since then HUD has launched several planning efforts. According to HUD, these efforts were preempted by other important priorities, such as responding to the economic crisis. HUD undertook initiatives such as training key program office staff on the need to determine up front the staff HUD could afford to hire. In HUD's latest effort, a contractor is expected to complete human capital and workforce plans no later than fiscal year 2014. In June 2012, an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) review found that HUD's human capital and workforce planning activities did not always follow key principles for planning, implementing, and evaluating the results of human capital management policies and practices. For example, the review found that HUD's human resources policies and programs are not aligned with the organization's mission, strategic goals, or performance outcomes. As a result of these weaknesses, OPM concluded that HUD cannot continually assess and improve …
Date: March 15, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information Security: IRS Needs to Enhance Internal Control over Financial Reporting and Taxpayer Data (open access)

Information Security: IRS Needs to Enhance Internal Control over Financial Reporting and Taxpayer Data

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has a demanding responsibility in collecting taxes, processing tax returns, and enforcing the nation's tax laws. It relies extensively on computerized systems to support its financial and mission-related operations and on information security controls to protect financial and sensitive taxpayer information that resides on those systems. As part of its audit of IRS's fiscal years 2010 and 2009 financial statements, GAO assessed whether controls over key financial and tax processing systems are effective in ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of financial and sensitive taxpayer information. To do this, GAO examined IRS information security policies, plans, and procedures; tested controls over key financial applications; and interviewed key agency officials at four sites."
Date: March 15, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Oil and Gas Management: Interior's Oil and Gas Production Verification Efforts Do Not Provide Reasonable Assurance of Accurate Measurement of Production Volumes (open access)

Oil and Gas Management: Interior's Oil and Gas Production Verification Efforts Do Not Provide Reasonable Assurance of Accurate Measurement of Production Volumes

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Oil and natural gas produced from federal leases generated over $6.5 billion in royalties in 2009. To verify that royalties are paid on the correct volumes of oil and gas, the Department of the Interior (Interior) verifies the quantity and quality of oil and gas, both onshore, through the Bureau of Land Management, and offshore, through the Offshore Energy and Minerals Management Service. This report assesses (1) the extent to which Interior's production verification regulations and policies provide reasonable assurance that oil and gas are accurately measured; (2) the extent to which Interior's offshore and onshore production accountability inspection programs consistently set and meet program goals and address key factors affecting measurement accuracy; and (3) Interior's management of its production verification programs. To address these questions, GAO analyzed Interior data on oil and gas inspections and human capital, as well as interviewed officials from Interior, states, oil and gas companies, and other countries."
Date: March 15, 2010
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Information Security: IRS Has Improved Controls but Needs to Resolve Weaknesses (open access)

Information Security: IRS Has Improved Controls but Needs to Resolve Weaknesses

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "IRS continued to make progress in addressing information security control weaknesses, improving its internal control over financial reporting. During fiscal year 2012, IRS management devoted attention and resources to addressing information security controls, and resolved a significant number of the information security control deficiencies that GAO previously reported. Notable among these efforts were the (1) formation of cross-functional working groups tasked with the identification and remediation of specific at-risk control areas, (2) improvement in controls over the encryption of data transferred between accounting systems, and (3) upgrades to critical network devices on the agency's internal network system. However, serious weaknesses remain that could affect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of financial and sensitive taxpayer data. For example, the agency had not always (1) implemented effective controls for identifying and authenticating users, such as enforcing password complexity on certain servers; (2) appropriately restricted access to its mainframe environment; (3) effectively monitored the mainframe environment; or (4) ensured that current patches had been installed on systems to protect against known vulnerabilities."
Date: March 15, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Defense Contracting: Competition for Services and Recent Initiatives to Increase Competitive Procurements (open access)

Defense Contracting: Competition for Services and Recent Initiatives to Increase Competitive Procurements

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In fiscal year 2011, the competition rate for DODÂ’s non-R&D services was almost twice the competition rate as that of products, and almost 20 percent higher than that of R&D services."
Date: March 15, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Maritime Security: Updating U.S. Counterpiracy Action Plan Gains Urgency as Piracy Escalates off the Horn of Africa (open access)

Maritime Security: Updating U.S. Counterpiracy Action Plan Gains Urgency as Piracy Escalates off the Horn of Africa

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Somali pirates have attacked 640 ships and taken more than 3,150 hostages since 2007. A few U.S.-flagged vessels have been affected--most recently the SV Quest, a private yacht on which four Americans were killed in February 2011. The growing frequency and severity of attacks renew the urgency to address the piracy threat. As Somalia is unable to repress piracy, the U.S. National Security Council (NSC) developed the interagency Countering Piracy off the Horn of Africa: Partnership and Action Plan in December 2008 to prevent, disrupt, and prosecute piracy in collaboration with international and industry partners. In September 2010, GAO issued a report evaluating the extent to which U.S. agencies (1) have implemented the plan, and the challenges they face, and (2) have collaborated with partners. This testimony is based on the September 2010 report and its objectives, and work GAO conducted in March 2011 to update report findings."
Date: March 15, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Border Security: Preliminary Observations on the Status of Key Southwest Border Technology Programs (open access)

Border Security: Preliminary Observations on the Status of Key Southwest Border Technology Programs

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Securing the nation's borders from illegal entry of aliens, contraband, terrorists and weapons of mass destruction, is a long-term challenge. In November 2005, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched the Secure Border Initiative network (SBInet)--a program which was to provide the Border Patrol, within DHS's U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), with the tools to detect breaches and make agent deployment decisions by installing surveillance systems along the border. Alternative (Southwest) Border Technology is DHS's new plan to deploy a mix of technology to protect the border. This testimony is based on GAO's ongoing work conducted for the House Committee on Homeland Security and provides preliminary observations on (1) the status of SBInet and user views on its usefulness, and (2) the Alternative (Southwest) Border Technology plan and associated costs. GAO reviewed planning, budget, and system documents, observed operations along the southwest border, and interviewed DHS officials."
Date: March 15, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Homeland Security: Improvements in Managing Research and Development Could Help Reduce Inefficiencies and Costs (open access)

Homeland Security: Improvements in Managing Research and Development Could Help Reduce Inefficiencies and Costs

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses our past work examining the management of research and development (R&D) at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS acquisition programs represent hundreds of billions of dollars in life-cycle costs and support a wide range of missions and investments including Coast Guard ships and aircraft, border surveillance and screening equipment, nuclear detection equipment, and technologies used to screen airline passengers and baggage for explosives. Since its creation in 2003, DHS has spent billions of dollars on R&D on technologies and other countermeasures to address various threats and to conduct its missions. Within DHS, the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) conducts overall R&D efforts to improve homeland security. Among other things, S&T works with DHS components to provide assistance in researching and developing technologies to meet their specific missions, while the components themselves are responsible for developing, testing, and acquiring these technologies. For example, DHS's Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) is charged with developing, acquiring, and deploying equipment to detect nuclear and radiological materials, supporting the efforts of DHS and other federal agencies. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is responsible for securing the nation's transportation systems …
Date: March 15, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Joint Strike Fighter: Restructuring Should Improve Outcomes, but Progress Is Still Lagging Overall (open access)

Joint Strike Fighter: Restructuring Should Improve Outcomes, but Progress Is Still Lagging Overall

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), is the Department of Defense's (DOD) most costly and ambitious aircraft acquisition, seeking to simultaneously develop and field three aircraft variants for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and eight international partners. The JSF is critical for recapitalizing tactical air forces and will require a long-term commitment to very large annual funding outlays. The estimated total investment cost is currently about $385 billion to develop and procure 2,457 aircraft. Because of a history of relatively poor cost and schedule outcomes, defense leadership over the past year has directed a comprehensive restructuring of the JSF program that is continuing. This testimony draws substantially from our extensive body of work on the JSF, including the current annual review mandated in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, Pub. L. No. 111-84 244 (2009). Our draft report is being reviewed by the Department and we expect to issue it early next month. That report and this testimony discusses (1) program cost and schedule changes and their implications on affordability; (2) progress made during 2010; (3) design and …
Date: March 15, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Request: U.S. Government Accountability Office (open access)

Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Request: U.S. Government Accountability Office

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the U.S. Government Accountability OfficeÂ’s (GAO) budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2013. We very much appreciate the confidence Congress has shown in our efforts to help support the Congress in carrying out its constitutional responsibilities and to help improve government performance and accountability for the benefit of the American people."
Date: March 15, 2012
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
Employment and Training Administration: More Actions Needed to Improve Transparency and Accountability of Its Research Program (open access)

Employment and Training Administration: More Actions Needed to Improve Transparency and Accountability of Its Research Program

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "To help guide the nation's workforce development system, the Department of Labor's (Labor) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) conducts research in areas related to job training and employment. Building upon our earlier work, GAO examined the following: (1) To what extent do ETA's research priorities reflect key national employment and training issues and how useful were the studies funded under them? (2) What steps has ETA taken to improve its research program? (3) How has ETA improved the availability of its research since our last review in January 2010? To answer these questions, GAO reviewed ETA's research reports disseminated between January 2008 and March 2010 costing $1 million or more, as well as ongoing studies costing $2 million or more. GAO also convened a virtual expert panel, interviewed Labor and ETA officials, and reviewed relevant documents."
Date: March 15, 2011
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
President's Emergency Plan For Aids Relief: Per-Patient Costs Have Declined Substantially, but Better Cost Data Would Help Efforts to Expand Treatment (open access)

President's Emergency Plan For Aids Relief: Per-Patient Costs Have Declined Substantially, but Better Cost Data Would Help Efforts to Expand Treatment

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of State's (State) Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) has reported that per-patient treatment costs declined from about $1,053 to $339 from 2005 to 2011. Purchasing generic antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, together with declining drug prices, has led to substantial savings. OGAC estimates that the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has saved $934 million since fiscal year 2005 by buying generic instead of branded products. PEPFAR's analyses of data from eight country treatment-cost studies indicate that per-patient costs also declined as programs realized economies of scale while taking on new patients. Furthermore, the analyses suggest that costs decreased as countries' treatment programs matured, particularly in the first year after programs expanded, and reduced one-time investments. Per-patient cost savings have facilitated substantial increases in the number of people on ARV treatment. In September 2012, an estimated 8 million were on treatment in lowand middle-income countries, of which PEPFAR directly supported 5.1 million-- an increase of 125 percent since 2008, the year the program was reauthorized."
Date: March 15, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicaid: Additional Enrollment and Expenditure Data for the Transitional Medical Assistance Program (open access)

Medicaid: Additional Enrollment and Expenditure Data for the Transitional Medical Assistance Program

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Please see the report (GAO-13-454R) for the tables on Transitional Medical Assistance (TMA) enrollment and expenditures which includes states that provided additional data subsequent to our December 2012 report."
Date: March 15, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
Object Type: Text
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Origination Clause of the U.S. Constitution: Interpretation and Enforcement (open access)

The Origination Clause of the U.S. Constitution: Interpretation and Enforcement

Article I, Section 7, clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution is known as the Origination Clause because it provides that "All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives." The meaning and application of this clause has evolved through practice and precedent since the Constitution was drafted. The Constitution does not provide specific guidelines as to what constitutes a "bill for raising revenue." This report analyzes congressional and court precedents regarding that constitutes such a bill. Second, this report describes the various ways in which the Origination Clause has been enforced. Finally, this report looks at the application of the Origination Clause to other types of legislation.
Date: March 15, 2011
Creator: Saturno, James V.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Access to Broadband Networks: The Net Neutrality Debate (open access)

Access to Broadband Networks: The Net Neutrality Debate

This report discusses the continued debate amongst congressional policymakers regarding telecommunications reform. A major point of the ongoing discussion is whether action is needed to ensure unfettered access to the Internet.
Date: March 15, 2011
Creator: Gilroy, Angele A.
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library
Veterans Affairs: A Preliminary Analysis of the FY2012 Appropriations Request (open access)

Veterans Affairs: A Preliminary Analysis of the FY2012 Appropriations Request

This report provides a preliminary analysis of the President's budget request for FY2012 for the programs administered by the VA. This report is not an exhaustive discussion of VA's budget request for FY2012. A full CRS report on FY2012 VA budget and appropriations issues is planned after initial congressional consideration of appropriations legislation.
Date: March 15, 2011
Creator: Scott, Christine & Panangala, Sidath Viranga
Object Type: Report
System: The UNT Digital Library