The United States of America History
Indians: The “first Americans” The Discovery of the New World
Christopher Columbus (31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) a navigator, colonizer, and explorer
He initiated the process of Spanish colonization which foreshadowed general European colonization of the \ Pilgrim Fathers
Relations of American Indians with European settlers The American War of Independence
What were the causes of the War of Independence
Britain’s colonial policy
The economy in the 13 colonies developed very fast
The British government was to bring the development under control and to collect more taxes from the colonies. “No taxation without representation” ( 无代表， 不纳税）
How was the War of Independence started
The “Boston Tea Party”
? In 1773, when ships of tea reached Boston to be distributed,
several dozen Boston residents boarded the ship at night and threw $75,000 worth of tea into the harbor. This came to be known as the “Boston Tea Party”.
The start of the war
? In 1775, about 1,000 British soldiers were sent from Boston
to seize the military supplies of the American militia. When
they arrived at Lexington they were met by the armed militiamen. Suddenly a shot was fired and the War of Independence began.
Boston Tea Party
The First Continental Congress—September, 1774 The Second Continental Congress Held in Philadelphia in May 1775
Assume the functions of a national government Declaration of Independence
On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed.
On July 4, 1776, the Congress formally declared the independence
? The Declaration states: “We hold these truths to be
self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, …”
After being printed, the copies were sent out, broadcast and read to crowds everywhere.
The document greatly encouraged the struggling people, making them think that they should be independent and have the right to enjoy liberty.
They were beginning to show more interests in a common cause. Both a great influence on the course of the war and a far-reaching influence in world history as well.
It dragged on for seven years. (1775-1783) Obstacles for the continental army:
No enough supplies.
Tired and hungry, while British troops fresh and well-equipped. By the middle of December, 1776, the Revolution seemed lost.
The victory at Saratoga (1777, October)—turning point. The assistance from France
Benjamin Franklin—a messenger to Europe to get help from other countries.
The French King made two agreements with Franklin:
? France would take part in the war against England. ? They agreed to trade with each other.
? Spain and Holland joined France against England ? —a quick end to the war.
In 1781, a decisive victory at Yorktown in Virginia
On October 19, 1781, the British general Cornwallis was forced to surrender, the war came to an end.
The two parts signed the Treaty of Paris in 1783—America won its independence
The Establishment of Constitution
On May 25, 1787, the constitution was drafted.
In June 1789, the constitution came into effect in nine states. Ten amendments—The Bill of Rights—were added to the Constitution in 1791.
The Civil War (1861-1865) Causes of Civil War Economic reason:
two different economic systems
North Capitalist Economy South Plantation
Political reason
The North—Federal Government as a union
The South—The Confederate Government: the independence of each state
Uncle Tom’s Cabin Published in 1852 Harriet Beecher Stowe ( l811-1896 )
An antislavery novel which had great political influence.
\---Lincoln Abraham Lincoln was elected president and opposed the expansion of slavery. Some southern states formed the Confederate States of America in 1861. Union army Vs. Confederate army Comparison of Power The North:
twenty-three states, 22 million population
abundant facilities to manufacture arms and ammunition, clothing, and other supplies
merchant marines and the navy remained in Union hands federal government was better able to raise fund for war
The South:
eleven states, 9 million population military advantages:
actively preparing for war
in possession of many federal forts and arsenals
superior military leadership: a third of the regular army's
officers were from the South fighting on its own soil
Emancipation Proclamation
issued by Pres. Abraham Lincoln that freed the slaves of the Confederacy.
-This transformed the war from a war to save the Union, to a war to abolish
slavery.
Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863) The turning point Gettysburg Address
“Government of the People, by the People and for the People shall not perish from the earth”
Influence of the Civil War
Outbreak of the First World War (1914-1918)
Inevitable result of contradiction between two groups of imperialist powers:
? Allies(协约国)—Britain, France, and Russia
? The Central European Powers(同盟国)—Germany,
Austria-Hungary and Italy
The political, economic and colonial rivalries of the great powers.
World War I
The False Prosperity in the 1920’s 1920’s = boom, prosperity, isolationism
a period of material success and spiritual frustration or confusion and purposelessness
Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) 欧内斯特·海明威 1. Reputation
Spokesman for the Lost Generation
usahistory英文版美国历史简介
