usahistory英文版美国历史简介

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 "New World".

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.