How to Properly Switch From Squarespace to WordPress (2019)

Looking to make the switch from Squarespace to WordPress?Whether youre searching for a cheaper alternative to Squarespace or you want the flexibility that WordPress offers, youre making a great decision.In this post, were here to help with a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to migrate from Squarespace to WordPress. Lets get right into it Heres the deal:Squarespace makes it super easy to export your blog content and regular pages.However, they do not let you export your:Index, product, event, or album pagesStyle changesSome blocks, like audio and product blocksAdditionally, you wont be able to export your actual Squarespace template.So heres how the process will work:For your blog content and basic pages, you can export from Squarespace and import to WordPress with an automated tool. You might be missing a few blocks depending on which blocks you use, but most of your content should come through automatically.For other content, like product or event pages, youll need to manually mo ve those over if you want to keep them.And for your template and index page, youll need to choose a WordPress template (called a theme) that mimics the look of your Squarespace site. Or, you can use a visual design tool called a page builder to mimic your Squarespace template.Below, well show you how to do all of that to ensure a complete migration. Well also cover some other important housekeeping.How to switch from Squarespace to WordPress (in  7 steps)For this tutorial, well only assume one thing that you already have a blank WordPress install that you want to move your Squarespace site to. If you dont already have that, youll want to choose WordPress hosting and then install the WordPress software.Once you have that ready to go, you can dig into the steps†¦1. Export content from SquarespaceTo export your content from Squarespace, get started by opening the Squarespace editor. Then, open the Settings area:In the sidebar, navigate to Advanced → Import / Export. Then , click the button to Export:This will open a prompt select the option for WordPress:After a short wait, you should see an option to Download your sites export. Click this button:This should download a file named Squarespace-WordPress-Export-DATE.xml. Keep this file handy because youre going to need it in the next steps.2. Change Squarespace domain to point to WordPress (if using custom domain)If youre using a custom domain at Squarespace and you want to use the same domain name at your WordPress site, this is probably where you want to change that domain to point to your WordPress site instead of your Squarespace site.I say probably because doing this means that all visitors will see your as-yet-unfinished WordPress site for the time being. If you have a busy Squarespace site, you might want to use a WordPress staging site or temporary domain name to get things ready before making the switch. You can ask your host to help you set this up.If youre fine with cutting off public acces s to your Squarespace site right away, its simpler to just make the switch now.To do that, youll need to change your domains nameservers to point to your WordPress host, rather than your Squarespace site.If you got your domain name through Squarespace, you can follow this help article. If you purchased your domain name at a third-party registrar, youll need to go to that registrar to change its settings. Check out Step #6 in this article for instructions.3. Import content to WordPressNow, youre ready to use that .xml file that you downloaded from Squarespace in step one to import your content to WordPress.To get started, open your WordPress dashboard and go to Tools → Import. Find the WordPress tool and click Install Now. Squarespace exports your content in a WordPress-compatible format, which is why you can use the regular WordPress importer tool.Once WordPress installs the tool, the link will change to Run Importer. Click that link to start the process.Now, use the Choose F ile button to select the .xml file that you downloaded from Squarespace in the first step. Then, choose Upload file and import:On the next page, I recommend selecting assign posts to an existing user and selecting your WordPress account from the drop-down. This controls the author of all the content that you import from Squarespace. Then, check the box for Download and import file attachments and click Submit:You should see a success message telling you that the content was imported:To verify that your content was imported, you can go to the Posts and Pages sections in your WordPress dashboard.For example, you can see that this blog post from our test site came through just fine:While your posts and pages should all transfer over, theres a chance that you might be missing some content from a page. For example, Squarespace doesnt export certain blocks, like audio or video blocks.If you have any pages that use audio or video blocks, youll want to manually edit those pages and re-add y our audio/video content. WordPress editor uses a similar block system, so you can just add another video or audio block at the right spot:4. Copy and paste other content to WordPressUnfortunately, as I mentioned before, Squarespace does not export 100% of your content. For example, you might be missing product pages, album pages, and/or event pages if you were using them at Squarespace.If thats the case, your only option is to manually copy and paste them. You can create new pages in WordPress and copy and paste the content over.If your pages arent that complicated, you can use the regular WordPress block editor. Or, if you want a more visual design experience, you can install the Elementor page builder plugin. Heres how to use Elementor to design content.If you were selling products at Squarespace, you can also use a plugin like WooCommerce to add eCommerce functionality to your WordPress site. Learn how to use WooCommerce and how it compares to Squarespace Commerce.5. Import image s to WordPress siteAt this point, your in-content images from Squarespace should still be showing up. However, if you look at an images URL, youll see that the image is still being served from the Squarespace website:Thats not good because you want those images to be served from your WordPress sites server.To fix that, you can use a free WordPress plugin called Auto Upload Images. Auto Upload Images Author(s): Ali IraniCurrent Version: 3.2.2Last Updated: May 16, 2019auto-upload-images.3.2.2.zip 84%Ratings 99,122Downloads WP 2.7+Requires To get started, install and activate the plugin. Heres how to install a WordPress plugin.Once youve activated the plugin, you need to update all of your posts so that the plugin can import your images. Dont worry its easy to bulk update all your content at one time:Go to the Posts area in your WordPress dashboard.Use the checkbox to select all of your posts.Select Edit in the Bulk Actions drop-down.Click Apply.Then, in the interface that app ears, just click the Update button (dont change anything just hit update):If you have a lot of content, you can use the Screen Options settings in the top-right corner to change the number of posts that WordPress displays per page. This will let you edit all of your content at once:Make sure to repeat the same process for your WordPress pages.6. Configure WordPress permalinksIf you want a seamless transition when you switch from Squarespace to WordPress, youll need to create the same URL structure that your Squarespace site used. This ensures that any links from other sites will still take people to the right spot on your site.By default, Squarespace uses the following structure for your blog post URLs:yoursite.com/[BLOG-PAGE-NAME]/[BLOG-POST-TITLE]For example, if your Squarespace blog page was blog, a URL might be:yoursite.com/blog/title-of-postTo mimic this on your WordPress site, you can use the WordPress permalinks feature.Go to Settings → Permalinks. Then, use the Custo m Structure option to create your structure. For example, /blog/%postname%/. This will dynamically insert the post title after blog.Some Squarespace sites might also include the date in the URL structure. If thats how your site does it, you can also insert variables for the date to mimic your Squarespace site:7. Recreate Squarespace template on WordPressAt this point, you should have all of your Squarespace content on your WordPress site. However, theres still one last issue:The design of your site is totally different and you dont have the index page from your Squarespace site.Unfortunately, theres no way to get the exact same design as your Squarespace site because all of the templates are unique to Squarespace.However, there are tens of thousands of WordPress themes to choose from, so you can probably find something that looks similar. You can find lots of great themes for various niches here. Or, our Neve theme is a great flexible option that you can customize in a variety of wa ys.Beyond the WordPress theme that you choose, you can also use a WordPress page builder plugin to help design your content (including recreating your index page).This gives you a more visual editor, in-line with the Squarespace experience. Elementor is a great tool to start with. Elementor Page Builder Author(s): To help you get started and make your site as successful as possible, weve collected some great resources for you:How to make money from your siteHow to get more traffic to your siteMust-have WordPress pluginsHow to secure your WordPress site How to migrate from #Squarespace to #WordPress in 2019 🚚 Move all your content Click To Tweet Do you have any questions about how to switch from Squarespace to WordPress? Ask away in the comments!Free guide5 Essential Tips to Speed Up Your WordPress SiteReduce your loading time by even 50-80% just by following simple tips.

I Have a Dream Speech, Martin Luther King Essays

I Have a Dream Speech, Martin Luther King Essays I Have a Dream Speech, Martin Luther King Essay I Have a Dream Speech, Martin Luther King Essay The historical narrative document â€Å"I have a Dream† is a political speech which was delivered by Martin Luther King on the 28th of August 1963 in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. The speech was aimed at the 250,000 Civil Rights supporters, both black and white, who had gathered for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a key moment of the American Civil Rights Movement. One imagines that Martin Luther King hoped that his words would not only be heard that day in Washington, but that they would be carried across the rest of America too. Martin Luther King was born on the 15th of January, 1929. When he finished his studies in Sociology he went on to read Divinity Studies at Crozer Theological Seminary. He became a Baptist pastor in 1954 and from then on started to campaign for civil rights issues. In 1955 he was elected President of the Montgomery Improvement Association which staged a year long boycott by African Americans of Montgomery buses over segregation and inferior treatment of blacks. When the boycott ended on the 21st of December 1956, Martin Luther King and the M. I. A. had achieved desegregation of Montgomery buses; the leader had gained great prominence and became primarily a civil rights activist. He was a man with great promise and was viewed as an inspiration and leader by African Americans. In January 1957 the leaders of the Montgomery Bus Boycott founded the Southern Christian Leadersip Conference (SCLC), made up of churches and clergy from across the South. Martin Luther King was elected President as he had played a fundamental role in the Conference’s creation. As the bus boycott had achieved such success the SCLC’s objective was to organise non-violent protests to gain equality for blacks. The SCLC’s Birmingham campaign preceded the March on Washington, and King’s inspirational â€Å"I have a Dream† speech. Between 1957 and 1962 17 black churches and private homes were bombed in Birmingham. In 1963 the SCLC took on Birmingham as a major campaign, setting up headquarters and organising peaceful protests, demonstrations and sit-ins. On Good Friday, the 12th of April, Martin Luther King personally led an officially banned demonstration march; all the protestors were immediately arrested. When King’s wife had no news from her husband, she contacted the White House and President Kennedy became personally involved. King was kept in jail for 8 days, although he received preferential treatment due to the President. His involvement in Birmingham gave the campaign even more prominence, taking it nationwide and it led to Kennedy bringing in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Police actions and their treatment of the protestors sparked national outrage. The Birmingham campaign led to other protests across the country, culminating in the March on Washington. The rally was the group effort of several different civil rights organisations, all with different approaches and outlooks. The organisers were A. Phillip Randolph, Martin Luther King, James Farmer of CORE, Roy Wilkins of the NAACP, John Lewis of SNCC and Dorothy Height of the National Council of Negro Women. They were known as the â€Å"Big Six†. The objective of the March was to have important civil rights legislation passed on the following issues: racial desegregation in public schools; protection for demonstrators against police brutality; a public-works programme to provide employment; the prohibition of racial discrimination in public and private hiring; a minimum wage (2$ an hour); and the self-government of the District of Colombia, an area with a black majority. The Kennedy administration originally opposed the demonstration fearing riots would take place which would jeopardise the newly introduced Civil Rights legislation. When they realised the demonstration would go ahead anyway the White House became actively involved in the organisation, re-drafting speeches and inviting white organisations to attend in the hope that this would prevent any violence. The organisers estimated around 100,000 protestors would attend the March but on the day approximately 250,000 people turned out, around a quarter of whom were white. The major police presence was unnecessary in the end as it turned out to be a peaceful, non-violent protest. Even speakers included all of the â€Å"Big Six† civil rights leaders and Catholic, Protestant and Jewish religious leaders. The only female speaker was Josephine Baker. The most important and acclaimed speakers were John Lewis and Martin Luther King. â€Å"I have a dream† has gone down in history as one of the most important speeches in American oratory. King’s speech was dramatic, well-delivered and impassioned; millions of Americans watched the developments on television which helped the ideas and hopes of the Civil Rights Movement reach the whole country. The speech, an excellent example of rhetoric, was not delivered for the first time at the March on Washington. Other drafts or versions were given at various meetings and rallies, although the â€Å"I have a Dream† version was unique, delivered exclusively at the March. King actually deviated from his written speech towards the end, possibly prompted by the cries of Mahalia Jackson (a well known Gospel singer) of â€Å"Tell them about the dream, Martin†, thus prompting King in his anaphora of â€Å"I have a dream†, used 8 times in his discourse. Other examples of anaphora in the speech include â€Å"Now is the time† and â€Å"One hundred years later†. The language used is powerful, evocative and passionate; the message is strengthened with metaphors and imagery. Some example are â€Å"dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice†, â€Å"whirlwinds of revolt†, â€Å"whose governor’s lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification†, â€Å"jangling discords†. Martin Luther King’s background as a Baptist preacher was an important influence on his speech; indeed one feels like a member of his congregation listening to him giving an impassioned speech from the pulpit. There are many religious and Biblical references throughout the discourse; the first comes in the opening paragraph with â€Å"It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity†, an allusion to Psalm 30:5. Further on King alludes to Amos 5:24 when he says â€Å"until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream†, and to Isaiah 40:40-5 with â€Å"every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain (†¦)†. There are also numerous allusions to â€Å"God†, â€Å"Lord†, â€Å"faith† and â€Å"God’s children†. I have a Dream† begins â€Å"Five score years ago†, an allusion to Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address. Martin Luther King spoke from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, a location which was surely well-calculated given his opening line. The beginning of the speech is an impassioned criticism of racial inequal ity. King refers to the Emancipation Proclamation, an executive order issued by President Lincoln on the 1st of January 1863 during the American Civil War. It declared the emancipation of just over 3 million of the country’s 4 million African-American slaves who had belonged to white Americans. 0,000 of them were freed immediately, and nearly all were emancipated by July 1865. The first decade after the war, known as Reconstruction, was a positive period for the newly-freed slaves. Various Civil Rights Acts were passed, blacks gained independence and some economic stability. However, things changed in the 1870’s when Reconstruction ended and times became difficult for blacks. Unfavourable laws were passed, including voting qualifications, and in 1896 the Supreme Court declared legal â€Å"separate but equal† services and facilities for African-Americans which meant segregation, putting them at a great disadvantage. King also refers to two other historical American documents: the United States Constitution, with its abolition of slavery and prohibition of voting qualifications based on colour, race or previous status as a slave; and the Declaration of Independence which proclaimed â€Å"all men are created equal†. He argues that all 3 of the afore-mentioned documents failed completely where African Americans were concerned. However, he declares that he is hopeful that the situation will be remedied, calling for racial justice and equality for â€Å"all of God’s children†. Martin Luther King was a great believer in peaceful demonstrations. He did not approve of violence and encouraged his followers to fight for racial equality with peaceful methods: â€Å"In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds†. He urges them to ‘turn the other cheek’, even if they are wronged, and to show exemplary and dignified behaviour â€Å"on the high plane of dignity and discipline†. He also reminded them not to mistrust all white people, as many of them supported racial equality, which could be seen at the March itself as around a quarter of the emonstrators were white. King mentions the police brutality and racial violence suffered by many African-Americans and alludes to the fact that some of the demonstrators had just been released from jail, having been locked up for their participation in civil rights acts. As previously mentioned, King himself was arrested and jailed on several occasions for his part icipation in sit-ins and protests. The last part of the speech introduces the famous â€Å"I have a dream† anaphora, and is where King began to improvise. For many this is the most emotive part of the whole speech. It is an impassioned plea for freedom; for his children and all black people to be judged on their character and not on their colour or race; and for blacks and whites to become brothers. He refers to â€Å"My Country t’is of Thee†, a patriotic song also knows as â€Å"America†. It served as a de-facto national anthem until â€Å"The Star-Spangled Banner† became the official U. S. national anthem. His hope is that the words â€Å"let freedom ring† will one day be true for everyone. He uses these words as a plea, a cry in the last lines â€Å"Let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire (†¦)†, then cites other U. S. cities, from New York to Georgia. His final wish is that people of all colours, creeds and races will finally be able to say they are â€Å"Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last! †. With the success of the March on Washington and Martin Luther King’s speech came the height of his fame. He was named Times magazine’s Man of the Year in January 1964; he met the Pope and he was invited to speak abroad. President Johnson invited King to the White House when he signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964, an Act greatly influenced by King’s role in Birmingham. The year ended on a high note when he received the Nobel Peace Prize on the 10th of December, 1964. King donated the 54,000$ prize money to the Civil Rights Movement. Shortly after collecting his prize, King and the SCLC focused on Selma, Alabama. Half of its 30,000 citizens were black yet only 350 were registered voters. The SCLC decided to launch a major vote-related campaign with months of hard campaigning, pre-banned marches and spouts of violence. The Ku Klux Klan murdered white Minister James Reeb in Selma, bringing the town to the attention of the rest of the U. S. Thousands of religious leaders demonstrated outside the White House, and soon after President Lyndon Johnson disclosed his Voting Rights Bill in a televised address. The SCLC’s Selma campaign led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, giving the government more power to control racial abuse at a local level of voting, and it prohibited tactics to prevent black voter registration. It was another huge success for Martin Luther King. After Selma, King changed focus and turned his attention to the North and West, with Chicago being chosen as the base for a Northern SCLC campaign. Having achieved everything that he could within legislation, King began to focus on economic issues as he realised that blacks needed help in job, housing and school-related matters. He also became increasingly vocal on the Vietnam War, attacking President Johnson’s policies, making him angry at King’s lack of loyalty. King received a lot of criticism from other civil rights leaders who felt he should be dedicating all of his time and energy to the African-American people and their needs instead of focusing on the Vietnam War. At the age of 39, Martin Luther King was assassinated on the balcony of a Memphis hotel room on the 4th of April 1968, 3 years after the success of â€Å"I have a Dream† and the March on Washington. He was in Memphis to support a strike by black sanitation workers, due to his increasing interest in economic matters. Immediately after his death riots broke out in cities all over the U. S. , with violence and arson becoming widespread. 3000 people were arrested and over 20,000 injured. Despite King’s death thousands of people came to Memphis to support the black sanitation workers’ strike, turning it into a great success. My opinion is that Martin Luther King’s determination and demand for racial equality in the U. S. was unprecedented and his role in prominent civil rights campaigns can certainly be viewed as pivotal in the change brought to U. S. legislation. He was the most inspirational civil rights leader America has ever known and his dignified, peaceful methods should be applauded. His achievements through the Civil Rights Movement and the SCLC, and his powerful â€Å"I have a Dream† speech made an important impact on America, bringing about the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, earning King a significant place in American history. Today, America has its first African-American President, Barack Obama, something Martin Luther King would surely be incredibly proud of if he were alive. I feel that King’s hard work as a civil rights campaigner put the wheels in motion to make such a feat possible.