英美概况 美国篇

一、概况1.50 StatesIts forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Caribbean and Pacific.2.Races and Population在东部时间2006年10月17日早晨7点46分，美国人口总数突破三亿大关，这是美国人口史上具有里程碑意义的一刻。

3.06188亿（2009年，世界国家和地区第3名，次于中国、印度）3.The Composition of American Population1)The Majority:the descendants of immigrants from European countries, suchas France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, and Spain;“Pilgrim Fathers”;Potatofamine2)The Minorities:The African Americans: black slaves from Africa;Indians: thenumber of native Americans has been falling, no more than a million;TheHispanics: immigrants or descendents of immigrants from Latin America,such as Cuba and Mexico (Mexicans are the most numerous amongthem);Asian-Americans, from China, Japan and Korea;More than a millionChinese-Americans, most of whom live in Hawaii, on the West Coast and insome big cities;5 million Jews in America, many of whom went there duringthe Second World War and achieved great success in America.3)“The Melting Pot”:It means immigrants from different nations all over theworld have mixed to make up the American nation.“old immigrants”: cameto America before 1860;“new immigrants”, after 1860.The ImmigrationQuota Law was passed by the American government in 1924.二、Early History1.Columbus：1492 Christopher Columbus arrived at Salvador Island, thusdiscovered the “New World”.(Amerigo V espucci: named “America”)2.The first English permanent settlement:1607 The first group of English coloniescame to America and built their settlement of Charleston which later was expanded into the first English colony known as Virginia.3.Pilgrim Fathers:1620 Some English immigrants (Puritans) sailed into Plymouthon a ship called the “Mayflower”.102 Puritans, 60 days.Mayflower Compact, “one man one vote”, “one-man rule”4.The values of Puritans:hard work; commercial success; the importance ofeducation5.Thanksgiving:1621 Thanksgiving Day was first celebrated by the pilgrims of thePlymouth Colony.三、American Revolutionary1.The 13 English colonies in America1)The New England Colonies: Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, RhodeIsland, and Connecticut.2)The Middle Colonies: New Y ork, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland3)The Southern Colonies: Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia 2.“Common Sense”Thomas Paine: “Common Sense” .The pamphlet demanded complete independence from Great Britain and the establishment of a strong federal union.Within a few months reached a total of 120,000 copies.3.The founding fathers of US1)George Washington“Father of the Country”.First, he was the commander of the ContinentalArmy that won American independence in the Revolutionary War.Second, heserved as president of the convention that wrote the United StatesConstitution.Third, he was elected the first President of the United States.Inthe European war, he declared that the United States would remain neutral.2)John Adams(A federalist)The Alien and Sedition Acts:made it a crime for anyone to publish “false,scandalous, and malicious writing” about the government and its officials,and gave the president to deport any foreigners considered dangerous to thenation’s peace and safety.The real purpose: to silence theDemocratic-Republican and check their growing power.The Acts made theFederalists very unpopular, who were defeated in the election of 1800 anddisappeared from political scene some 15 years later.3)Benjamin FranklinThe most famous American of the 18th century and one of the most famousand influential Americans who have ever lived.A greatest statesman, scientist, philosopher, diplomat.His services as a diplomat in France helped greatly inwinning the Revolutionary War.Franklin was the only person who signed allthe four of the most important documents in American history:TheDeclaration of Independence;The Treaty of Alliance with France;The Treatyof Peace with Great Britain;The Constitution of the United States.4)HamiltonHamilton’s contribution:Established a governmental-supported nationalbank;Created a new series of gold, silver, and copper coins;Raised money bya tax on the manufacture of whiskey.5)JeffersonJeffersonian Presidency:The first Democratic-Republican President,“a bornpopular leader”.His inauguration marked the beginning of the peacefulpolitical transition from one political party to another in America.Jeffersonian Democracy:Jefferson advocated a nation of small farmers.Thenational government should be weak and be an advocate of individualrights.A truly democratic statesmanHe favored: “absolute acquiescence inthe decisions of the majority” ;He opposed:“every f orm of tyranny over themind of man.6)John Quincy Adamsthe Monroe Doctrine's chief author;the sixth President of the UnitedStates;the son of John Adams and Abigail Adams.As a diplomat, Adams wasinvolved in many international negotiations, and helped formulate theMonroe Doctrine as Secretary of State. Historians agree he was one of thegreatest diplomats in American history. Encouraged industry.7)“Virginia Dynasty”(Virginians, Democratic-Republicans)Thomas JeffersonJames Madison: “the Father of Constitution”.James Monroe (1817- 1825)“The Era of Good Feeling”: its relative peace, unity, and optimism about thefuture; nationalism.The Monroe Doctrine:“America for Americans”;“the manifestation of anunfriendly disposition toward the United States”.James Monroe first stated the doctrine during his seventh annual State of theUnion Address to Congress. It stated that further efforts by Europeancountries to colonize land or interfere with states in the Americas would beviewed by the United States of America as acts of aggression requiring USintervention.The Influences of Monroe Doctrine:It became a defining moment in theforeign policy of the United States and one of its longest-standing tenets,invoked by U.S. presidents, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, John F.Kennedy, and others.4.Independence War1)The Causes of the War:The sharpening contradictions between Britain andthe colonies;The Unity of the colonies.2)Before the Independence War:1630 Boston was founded by a group of Puritans.1636 Harvard was founded.1682 Philadelphia was founded.1701 Detroit was founded by French.Y ale was founded.1733 Georgia, the last of thirteen English colonies, was founded.Spanish,French, Dutch and English colonists,only the English established permanentagricultural colonies(Religious reason;Economic reason).1765 The Stamp Act was passed.1766 The Stamp Act was repealed.1770 The Boston Massacre took place.1773 There appeared the event of the Boston Tea Party.1774 The first Continental Congress was held.3)Progress of the War(Time: 1775-1783):1775 Minute Men of Lexington and Concord counterattacked the invadingEnglish troops, marking the preclude of Independence War on April.Thesecond continental congress was called in May.The Battle of Bunker Hilltook place on June 17th(The bloodiest battle of the entire war;During thesecond Continental Congress;More than 1000 British soldiers and about 400Americans were killed or wounded).The delegates decided to resist, by forceif necessary; they asked King George III to prevent further hostile action byGreat Britain, to restore the peaceful relation.1776 The Declaration of Independence was signed and issued.The Battle ofTrenton took place.1777 The Battle of Saratoga took place, which marked the turning point ofthe war.It stopped the British invasion from Canada, and saved the NewEngland colonies.It helped convince France that it could safely enter the waron the American sideAfter the Americans’ victory at Saratoga, France agreedto enter into an open alliance with the United States.Americans benefitedfrom the direct assistance of a number of foreign volunteers like the Marquisde Lafayette.1778 The Battle of Monmouth took place on June 28th, which was the lastlarge battle in the North.1781 General Cornwallis and his 7000 men surrendered at Y orktown on Oct.19th, which was the real end of the war.1783 Paris Peace Treaty was signed between America and England on Sep.3rd.The last of the British left America.The War in the South：Victory at Y orktown in 1781: ended fighting in theRevolution and virtually assured success to the American cause.4)The Articles of Confederation《邦联条例》Adopted by Congress in 1777, and taken into effect in 1781.The Articlesserved as the new nation’s const itution until the first government under theConstitution of the United States was formed in 1789.The Articles attemptedto balance the need for an effective national government with the traditionalindependence of each state.5)The Treaty of Paris1782 Parliament voted to end hostilities and begin peace talks.1783 TheAmericans and the British signed the Treaty of Paris, officially ending theRevolutionary War.Britain recognized the independence of its formercolonies and accepted the new nation’s borders.6)Postwar ProblemsNot a truly unified country.According to the Article of the Confederation, thefirst thirteen states were determined to have a weak national government.The federal governmentUnable to pay the high national debtLacked the means for raising money to provide for national defenseHad no power to regulate the nation’s tradeRevising the Article of the Confederation became an urgent issue.5.Constitutional Convention 17871787 The Constitutional Convention was called.12 States, except for Rhode Island,55 delegates, Philadelphia’s Independence Hall.Washington, was chosen aschairman.Benjamin Franklin helped ease some of the difficulties among the other delegates.1)Debates in Constitutional ConventionNorthern states:Strengthen the power of the federal government;Favoredprotective tariffs and free labor.Southern states:Protect the rights of states and demand a weak centralgovernment;Preferred low tariffs and slavery2)Controversy Over RepresentativesSmall states:demanded equal representation with large statesLarge states:argued for proportional representation reflecting the populationof each state3)CompromiseHouse of Representatives:in proportion to the population of the statesSenate:two representatives each from both the large and the small states4)The new Constitution was born on September 17, 1787, after 16 weeks ofdeliberation.Basic Ideas of the Constitution:Separation of powersChecks-and-balancesFederalismThe Bill of RightsTo restrict the central government and assure individual rights, 10Amendments were added to the document and became law in 1791.These ten amendments guaranteed individual freedom of speech, religion, thepress, the right to trial by jury, the right to bear arms, the right to securityfrom unreasonable searches and seizures and the right to avoidself-determination四、American Politics1. The election of American presidentThe President is elected by an Electoral College.In 1789, the Electoral College unanimously chose George Washington to be the first American president.2. The First Political PartiesA political division: appeared between those who favored a strong federalgovernment and those who opposed it.Federalist Party: Hamilton and his followers, chiefly NorthernersDemocratic-Republican Party: Jefferson and his followers, chiefly Southerners 3. Federalists vs Anti-FederalistsFederalist Party:favored a strong federal government and the interests of commerce and manufacturing over agriculture, and the new government on a sound financial basis.The Federalist Party generally backed Britain in The conflicts between France and Britain.Democratic-Republican Party:A weak central government;Sided with France; The present-day Democratic Party4. The principles of governmentThe government derives its power from the consent of the governed.The power of government must be limited by a fundamental law, the Constitution.The government should be granted adequate power for achieving its appropriate purpose.5. FederalismFederalism in the United States is the evolving relationship between state governments and the federal government of the United States.The federal government and the state governments are equal before the U.S.Constitution.Hamilton vs JeffersonIn 1790, the Federalist political party, lead by Alexander Hamilton, believed in a strong federal government, which is where the name came from.The Democratic-Republicans, or the Republican political party today, lead by Thomas Jefferson, believed in a weak federal government6. The power of federal governmentThe federal government is granted the power to deal with problems which no single state could deal with effectively.To coin moneyTo tax importsTo raise an army for national defenceTo manage foreign affairsTo take care of the general welfare of the American peopleTo deal with the problems concerning more than two states7. Check-and-balance systemTo prevent one branch from becoming supreme, and to induce the branches to cooperate, governance systems that employ a separation of powers need a way to balance each of the branches.8. United States: Government Structure1)Constitution:three branches of American government and the functions ofthemExecutive Branch——President:Cabinet of Advisors;Heads of Major Government AgenciesThe Executive（The federal government refers to the branches as "branches of government", while some systems use "government" to describe the executive.）The President（The President is both the head of state and government, as well as the military commander-in-chief and chief diplomat. The President, according to the Constitution, must "take care that the laws be faithfully executed," and "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution."）The Vice President（Under the Constitution, the Vice President is President of the Senate.）The Secretary of State（The Secretary of State is the Chief Executive Officerof the United States Department of State, the most senior of all federal executive departments.The Secretary serves as the President's chief adviser on U.S. foreign policy.）Legislative Branch——Congress:House of Representatives;SenateJudicial Branch——Supreme Court:9members2)State Governments:The United States was originally made up of 13English-American colonies.All the 50 states, which each represented by a star on the national flag, are “united”under the Constitution.The task of the state governmentTo look after the well-being of the residents and protect their natural rights.State assemblyGovernorIts own system of law courts3)Local governments:American local governments are not controlled by thefederal government, but by the state government.五、Expansion and Progress1. The Louisiana Purchase(One of Jefferson’s greatest achievements)Background:French control of Louisiana as a danger to the United StatesFor the benefit of American agriculture and commerce by developing the Louisiana TerritoryThe action doubled the size of the United States.2. Lewis and Clark ExpeditionTime: 1804Target: the northern part of the Louisiana PurchaseAchievement:provided valuable information about the Indians, flora and fauna, the geography in the Western territory;gave the United States claim to the land to the Pacific Ocean.3. The Unsuccessful EmbargoDuring Jefferson’s second term, problems from the war between Great Britain and France arose.Congress passed the Embargo Act of 1807, which made it illegal for American goods to be exported to foreign countries.The embargo failed to bring about any change in British or French policy and became a disaster for the American economy.On the other side, it aroused indignation among Americans.4. The War of 1812(“Second War for Independence” )The British which had a strong navy continued to interfere with U.S. ships, force American seamen into British service, and violate the nation’s n eutral rights and coastal waters.In 1812 President Madison asked congress to declare war against Britain.the Treaty of Ghent:The war continued indecisively for nearly three years.Both sides agreed to the Treaty of Ghent (《根特和平条约》) on December 24, 1814, which brought peace and established a commission to settle boundary disputes.The Effects of the War of 1812Neither side won the War of 1812, but the war did have important effects on the United States:it increased national patriotism and helped to unite the United States into one nation;it practically ended Indian resistance in the Northwest and encouraged rapid settlement of the region.5. The Westward Movement1)Two frontiersThe west of early United States, the region between the Appalachian Mountains and Mississippi River. (Texas)The Great West (Far West), stretching from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, can be subdivided into two sections: the territory between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains and the region between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific coast.(California)2)PioneersDaniel Boone:the most famous pioneerWilderness Road: became a main route to the West for thousands of settlersPioneers included Easterners from both the North and South, and Europe.For seeking a better life, or in search of religious freedom3)Indians(“Trail of Tears”)As white people moved westward, native Americans east of the Mississippi River suffered a great deal.4)The Age of JacksonAndrew Jackson was a dominant figure of the early 19th century.He won fame as an Indian fighter and as a hero in the War of 1812.He was born into a poor family who lived in a log cabin.He gained support from Western farmers, frontiersmen, city laborers and craftmen.“Jacksonian Democracy”This term is used to describe the reforms and reform movements of the period from 1828 to 1850.He carried out the policy of equal political power for all, so by the end of the era, the United States was a more democratic nation than it had been before.The Rise of “Common man”President Jackson promised to end the “monopoly” of government by the rich and to protect the interests of the “common man”.In order to protect the interests of the “common man”, Jackson launched a major crusade against the Second National Bank of the United States.The Rise of Middle ClassIn Jacksonian era, the majority of common men found opportunities in the relatively fluid society to achieve material success, as in those that preceded and followed it, established “middle class”respectability.The Start of Spoil SystemWhen Jackson became President, many wealthy Easterners held federalgovernment offices. Jackson dismissed many of these people from office, replacing them with his supporters.The spoil system is a practice where a political party, after winning an election, gives government jobs to its voters asa reward for working toward victory, and as an incentive to keep working forthe party—as opposed to a system of awarding offices on the basis of some measure of merit independent of political activity.Two New Parties :Two new parties took form during the age of Jackson.Democratic Party: under the leadership of JacksonNational Republicans(the Whigs): those who supported John Qunicy AdamsIndian removalThe most controversial aspect of Jackson's presidency was his policy regarding American Indians, which involved the ethnic cleansing of several Indian tribes.Many tribes and portions of tribes had been removed to Arkansas Territory and further west of the Mississippi River without the suffering and tragedies of what later became known as the Trail of Tears.六、The American Civil War1.The North vs the South(Two-party system :Republican Party and DemocraticParty)The political conflict between the North and the SouthRepublican Party Founded in northern states in 1854 by anti-slavery activists, modernizers, ex-Whigs and ex-Free Soilers, the Republican Party quickly became the principal opposition to the dominant Democratic Party.It first came to power in 1860 with the election of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency; it presided over the American Civil War and Reconstruction.The North had more people, more raw materials for producing war supplies, anda better railway system.The South had more experienced military leaders and better knowledge of the battlefields because most of the war was fought in the South.2.Major Events About the Civil War1852 The novel entitled “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”was published.1854 The Republican Party was founded.Douglas Bill was introduced.1859 John Brown led the slaves’treason.1860 Abraham Lincoln was elected president.(Abraham Lincoln:As one of the greatest man in world history, and the most respected presidents in American history.Lincoln helped keep the American Union together during the Civil War and abolished slavery in the United States.A perfect example of a self-made man: how an honest and hardworking man in America can rise from humble origin to the nation’s highest office.)1861 The south Confederate Government was set up and the Civil War broke out.1862 The Homestead Bill was issued in May.(Homestead Bill《宅地法》:The Homestead Act was one of several United States federal laws that gave an applicant freehold title to up to 160 acres (1/4 section, 65 hectares) ofundeveloped federal land outside the original 13 colonies. The original Homestead Act was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862.)The Emancipation Proclamation was issued up on Sep. 22nd.(The Emancipation Proclamation consists of two executive orders issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. The first one, issued September 22, 1862, declared the freedom of all slaves in any state of the Confederate States of America that did not return to Union control by January 1, 1863. The second order, issued January 1, 1863, named ten specific states where it would apply.) 1863 The Battle of Gettysburg took place and it was the turning point of the Civil War.(Gettysburg Address:The speech by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and is one of the best-known speeches in United States history. It was delivered by Lincoln during the American Civil War, on the afternoon of Thursday, November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.)1865 The South surrendered and the Civil War ended.President Lincoln was assassinated.(On the evening of April 14, 1865, Lincoln attended a performance at Ford’s Theater in Washington. A Southern actor named John Wilkes Booth shot the President in the head from the rear of the presidential box.)3.Negative Effects of the Civil War1)The four years of bloody fighting between the North and South hadstaggering effects on the nation.2)About 360,000 Union troops and perhaps 260,000 Confederate troops died;no other war in American history has taken so many American lives.3)It caused enormous property damage, especially in the South where manySouthern cities, towns, plantations, factories and railroads lay in ruin.4.人物1)John Brown:an American abolitionist, who advocated and practiced armedinsurrection as a means to end all slavery. He led the Pottawatomie Massacrein 1856 in Bleeding Kansas and made his name in the unsuccessful raid atHarpers Ferry in 1859.Brown has been called "the most controversial of all19th-century Americans." Brown's actions are often referred to as "patriotictreason", depicting both sides of the argument2)General Robert Edward Lee:among the most celebrated generals inAmerican history He is best known for commanding the Confederate Armyof Northern Virginia in the American Civil War.3)General Ulysses Grant:the 18th President of the United States (1869–77) aswell as military commander during the Civil War and post-warReconstruction periods. Under the command of Grant, the Union Army4)Andrew Johnson:President Lincoln had announced his plan that was mild andgenerous to the South.When Johnson succeeded Lincoln and becamePresident, he tried to carry out Lincoln’s policy, but the radicals in Congressrejected his Reconstruction programs.The House of Representativesimpeached Johnson, but the Senate was one vote short of the two-thirdsmajority required to remove him from office.5.Reconstruction(1865-1877)The period in the United States history that followed the Civil WarThe process through which the South returned to the Union after their defeat.A time of bitter political quarrels and disappointed hopes1)Economic and Political ReconstructionReconstruction failed to solve the economic problem of either the blacks orthe South as a whole.Politically, Reconstruction made most Southerner whites firm supporters ofthe Democratic Party.No Racial Harmony:Reconstruction failed to bring racial harmony to theSouth.White Southerners remained loyal to their old social order andbelieved whites were superior to blacks, refused to share important politicalpower with blacks.2)Ku Klux Klan (KKK)Three distinct past and present right-wing US organizations. The currentmanifestation is splintered into several chapters and is widely considered ahate group. The first KKK flourished in the South in the 1860s, then died outby the early 1870s. The second KKK flourished nationwide in the early andmid 1920s, and adopted the costumes and paraphernalia of the first Klan. Thethird Klan emerged after World War II. Their iconic white costumesconsisted of robes, masks, and conical hats.3)“the Negro question”As the North gradually lost interest in Reconstruction and “the Negroquestion”, Southern whites regained control of their state governments andtook away many of the rights that blacks had won during Reconstruction.Bythe early 20th century, every Southern state had passed laws limiting votingrights. Such laws effectively prevented most blacks from voting.4)Confederate States into UnionCongress insisted that the Confederate States agree to follow all federal lawsbefore being readmitted to the Union.Between 1860 and 1870, all theConfederate States eventually met various requirements and all returned tothe Union by 1870.5)Constitutional AmendmentsThe 13th Amendment (1865) to the Constitution outlawed slavery throughoutthe United States.The 14th Amendment (1868) confirmed the citizenship of blacks.The 15th Amendment (1870) made it illegal to deny the right to vote on thebasis of race.6)Public schoolsSignificant achievement of the Reconstruction government was theestablishment of the first public school systems in the most states of theSouth.African Americans and white Republicans joined to build education atthe state level.But most schools attracted white students by educating blacks。