蒙大英語國家-美國概況教案07 American History

1、Lecture Nine American History in BriefThe focus of teaching: the main historical events happened in American history Teaching aim: let the students know the general knowledge of the development of American history Teaching style: instruction and group discussionTeaching procedure:1. warming-up exerc

2、isesGeneral introduction of the different periods of American history Discussion on the assignment;4. Assignment on information- gathering Warming-up exercises: discuss the following two questions:1. How much do you know about American history?2. Which period of American history are you most interes

3、ted in?Part 1. Colonial America Europeans nations came to the America to increase their wealth and broaden their influence over world affairs. The Spanish were among the first Europeans to explore the New World. By 1650, however, England had established a dominant presence on the Atlantic coast. The

4、 first colony was founded at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607.many of the people who settled in the New Land came to escape religious persecution. The pilgrims, founders of Plymouth, Massachusetts, arrived in 1620.In both Virginia and Massachusetts, the colonists flourished with some assistance from the

5、 Native Americans. For example, New World grains such as corn kept the colonists from starving while, in Virginia, tobacco provided a valuable cash crop. Part 2. American Revolution The American Revolution refers to the period during the last half of the 18th century in which the Thirteen Colonies g

6、ained independence from the British Empire and became the United States of America. In this period, the colonies united against the British Empire and entered into the armed conflict known as the American Revolution War between 1775 and 1783. This resulted in an American Declaration of Independence

7、in 1776 and victory on the battlefield in October 1781. The revolutionary era began in 1763, when the French military threat to British North American colonies ended. Adopting the view that the colonies should pay a substantial portion of the costs associated with keeping them in the Empire, Britain

8、 imposed a series of taxes followed by other laws that proved extremely unpopular. Because the colonists lacked representation in the governing British Parliament many colonists considered the laws to be illegitimate and violation of their rights as Englishman. The American Revolution included a ser

9、ies of broad intellectual and social shifts that occurred in early American society, such as the new republican ideals that took hold in the American population. The American shift to republicanism, as well as the gradually expanding democracy created the ethic that formed the core of American polit

10、ical values. The pamphlet Common Sense by American philosopher Thomas Paine presented powerful arguments opposing kings and supporting a pure republic. It changed the minds of many colonist. Congress appointed a committee to draft a declaration of independence. Thomas Jefferson, a congressman from V

11、irginia, took on the job wring the first draft. The Declaration of Independence was primarily a list of grievances against the king. But the opening paragraph amounted to a republican manifesto. The preamble declared that “all men are created equal”, and they possess natural rights that include “Lif

12、e, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”. Protest against British colonial rule had been transformed into a republican revolution. Part 3. The Civil War The American Civil War is sometimes called the War between the Stares, the War of Rebellion, or the War for Southern Independence. It began on Apr

13、il 12, 1861 and lasted until May 26, 1865, when the last Confederate army surrounded. The war took more than 600,000 lives, destroyed property valued at $ 5 billion, brought freedom to 4 million black slaves, and opened wounds that have not yet completely healed more than 125 years later. The chief

14、and immediate cause of the war was slavery. Southerners used slave labor to produce crops, especially cotton. Although slavery was illegal in the Northern states, only a small proportion of Northerners actively opposed it. The main debate between the North and the South on the eve of the war was whe

15、ther slavery should be permitted in the Western territories recently acquired during the Mexican War. Opponents of slavery were concerned about its expansion, in part because they did not want to compete against slave labor. In a preliminary Emancipation, issued after the Northern victory at Antieta

16、m in September 1862, Lincoln declared that salves in all states that remained in rebellion on January 1, 1863, would be “forever free”. The proclamation exempted pro-Union border states and parts of Confederacy already under Union occupation, and it was carefully worded as a measure to assist the No

17、rth in preserving the Union. But it transformed the Union Army in to an army of liberationfighting to end slavery as well as to preserve the Union. The war also followed by twelve years of Reconstruction, during which the North and South debated the future of black Americans and waged bitter politic

18、al battles. The war also set the South back at least a generation in industry and agriculture. Factories and farms were devastated by the invading armies. The labor system fell into chaos. Not until the 20th century did the South recover fully from the economic effects of the war. In conclusion, it

19、must be remarked that the Civil War did not raise blacks to a position of equality with whites. Nor did the war bring about that emotional reunion that Lincoln hoped for when he spoke in his first inaugural address of “the bond of affection” that had formerly held the two sections together. Part 4.

20、Industrialization and Urbanization From 1870 to 1900 the United States became the worlds foremost industrial nation. It emerged as the leader in the mining of coal, iron, gold and silver. Overall, the nation experienced a stunning explosion in the scale of industry and in the pace of production. By

21、the turn of the century, industrialization had transformed commerce, business organization, the environment, the workplace, the home, and everyday life. In the late 19th century, industry invaded the cities. Previously, cities had served as commercial centers for rural hinterlands and were frequentl

22、y located in rivers, lakes or ocean. Manufacturing occurred outside their limitsusually near power sources, such as steams, or natural resources, such as coal. As industry grew, cities changed. Population changes also transformed the city. Urban growth reflected the geographic mobility of the indust

23、rial age; people moved from city to city as well as within them. The new transience led to diverse population. Migrants from rural areas and newcomers from abroad mingled with wealthy long-time residents and middle class. Immigrants constitute the fastest growing populations in big cities. Just as i

24、ndustrialization and immigration transformed the city, new technology reshaped it. Taller buildings became possible with the introduction of elevators and construction using cast-iron supports and later steel girders. The first steel-frame skyscraper, ten stories high, arose in Chicago in 1885. Part

25、 5. A progressivism in the Cities and States As a political movement, progressivism arose at the local and state levels in the 1890s. progressives believed, as their name implies, in the idea of progress. They believed that society the society was capable of improvement and that continued growth and

26、 advancement were the nations destiny. Urban reformers attacked political machines run by corrupt bosses and monopolies in municipal services such as electricity or gas. To address these problems, they promoted professional city management and advocated public ownership of utilities. Others interest

27、ed in environmental problems, however, pressed for solutions within urban areas rather than outside of them. The charge was led by a group called “muckrakers” by their enemies. The “muckrakers” refers to a person who tries to find out bad things that people have done and spread scandal about them. I

28、n addition, reformers strived to improve working conditions in factories, resulting in factory working conditions inspection laws and child labor laws. Women also played a pivotal role in the antipollution movement of the Progressive Era. Alice Hamilton increased public awareness of toxic chemicals

29、and their health effects. Pioneering settlement houses, such as Hull House, founded by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr in 1889, provided nurseries, adult education classes, and recreational opportunities for child and adults. Progressive reformers used the states as laboratories of reform. Progres

30、sives also focused on labor reform at the state level. In New Yorks Triangle fire of 1911, many women leapt to their deaths from a burning shirtwaist factory. The tragedy reminded people of the need for higher safety standard in factories and the need to protect workers from unscrupulous employers.

31、Progressive causes won support from a broad section of the middle classeditors, teachers, professionals, and business leaderswho shared common values. Although progressive reformers generally raised awareness of environmental problems and changed public perceptions pollution, their activism, in fact

32、, remained quite limited. Reformers of this time generally accepted the belief of capitalism and industry. Part 6. America and the Two World Wars = 1 * ROMAN I. America and WW = 1 * ROMAN I World War = 1 * ROMAN I began relatively inconspicuously in August 1914 when forces of the Austro-Hungarian Em

33、pire invaded the tiny Balkan nation of Serbia. For America, however, the war was of a very different experience. As a military struggle, it was brief, decisive and without great cost. In other respects, World War = 1 * ROMAN I was a painful, even traumatic experience for the American people. Wilson

34、first adopted a policy of neutrality in 1914, which was impossible for several reasons. The question of whether America should make military and economic reparation for war provided the first issue over which pacifist and interventionist could openly debate. In April, 1917, finally, Congress agreed

35、to the presidents request that the United Sates enter the war as an ally of Britain. American forces quickly broke the stalemate that had bogged the European forces down in years of inclusive trench warfare. A few months later the German agreed to an armistice and the war shuddered to a close. In th

36、e meantime, the American economy experienced an enormous industrial boom as a result of the war. However, Wilsons bold and idealist dream of peace based on the principles of democracy and justice suffered a painful death. The Treaty of Versailles was itself far from what Wilson had hoped. = 2 * ROMA

37、N II. America and WW = 2 * ROMAN II The raid on Peal Harbor on December 7, 1941 by Japanese bombers did virtually overnight what more than two years of effort by Roosevelt an others had unable to do: it unified the American people in a fervent commitment to war. Franklin Roosevelt tried throughout t

38、he later years of the 1930s to push the American people slowly into a greater involvement in international affairs. A powerful isolationist movement helped stymie him for a time, even after war broke our in Europe. Gradually, however, public opinion shifted toward support of the Allies (Britain, Fra

39、nce, and eventually Russia.) World War = 2 * ROMAN II transformed the United States in profound ways. American fighting men and women played a critical role in WW = 2 * ROMAN II against the Axis. But in the Pacific, it was not the American army and navy that brought the war against Japan to a close.

40、 It was the unleashing of the most destructive weapon mankind had ever createdthe atomic bombon the people of Japan that finally forced the leaders of that nation to surrender. Part 7. The Great Depression &War Economy In 1929, Hoovers first year as president, the prosperity of the 1920s capsized. S

41、tock prices climbed to unprecedented heights, as inventors speculated in the stock market. The stock markets crash of 1929 did not cause the Great Depression, but rather signaled its onset. The crash and the depression sprang from the same cause: the weakness of the 1920s economy. An unequal distrib

42、ution of income meant that working people an farmers lacked money to buy durable goods. Crisis prevailed in the agricultural sector, where farmers produced more than they could sell, and prices fell. Easy credit, meanwhile, left a debt that remained unplayable. The crisis also crossed the Atlantic.

43、The economies of European nations collapsed because they were weakened by war debts and by trade imbalances; most spent more on importing goods from the United States than they earned by exporting. European nations amassed debts to the United States that they were unable to repay. The prosperity of

44、the 1920s rested on a weak foundation. Unlike Hoover, Roosevelt took strong steps immediately to battle depression and stimulate the U.S. economy. In what was known as the First Hundred Days, Roosevelt and the Democratic Congress enacted a slew of measures to combat the depression and prevent its re

45、currence. The measures of 1933 included: the Agriculture Adjustment Act, which paid farmers to curtail their production; the National Industrial Recovery Act(NIRA), which established codes of their fair competition to regulate industry and guaranteed labors right to collect bargaining ; and the Publ

46、ic Works Administration, which constructed roads, dams, and public buildings. Even before the Peal Harbor, the American government had begun to mobilize for war. After the attack, the United States focused its attention on war effort. World War = 2 * ROMAN II greatly increased the power of the feder

47、al government, which mushroomed in size and power. The armed forces expanded as volunteers and drafters enrolled, growing to almost 12 million men and 260,000 women by 1945. Roosevelt formed the joint Chief of Staff, and a military advisory group, to manage the huge military effort. New federal agen

48、cies multiplied. As the United States moved to a wartime economy, the depression ended, and the U.S. economy came to life. Industry swiftly shifted to war production, automakers began turning out tanks and planes, and the United States became the worlds largest weapon manufacturer. New Industries em

49、erged, such as synthetic rubber, which compensated for the loss of rubber supplies when Japan seized the Dutch East Indies and Malaya. The War economy brought new opportunities. For all Americans, war changed the quality of life. World War = 2 * ROMAN II inspired hard work, cooperation, and patrioti

50、sm. Citizens bought war bonds, saved scrap metal, and planted victory gardens. They coped with rationing and housing shortages. The war also caused population movement. Americans flocked to states with military bases and defense plants; 6 million migrants left for cities, many on the West Coast, whe

51、re the defense industry was concentrated. People became more concerned about family life, especially about working mothers, juvenile delinquency, and unruly teenagers. Part 8. The Cold War Even before the end of Word War = 2 * ROMAN II, in which the United Sates and the Soviet Union had fought toget

52、her as allies, there were signs of tension between the two nations. Once the hostilities were over, those tension quickly grew to create what become known as “Cold War”a tense and dangerous rivalry that would cast its shadow over international affairs for decades. Actual conflicts in the early years

53、 of the Cold War were relatively few. America, with a new foreign policyknown as containment(that committed it to an effort to keep the Soviet Union from expanding its influence further into the world)helped rebuild the shattered nations of Western Europe with substantial economic aid through the Ma

54、rshall Plan. The United States and Western Europe formed a strong and enduring alliance, NATO, to defend Europe against possible Soviet advances. The Korean War had other effects on the domestic life of the United States, which hardened American foreign policy into a much more rigidly anticommunist

55、form. American after Word War = 2 * ROMAN II was indisputably the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world. But in the harsh climate of the cold War, neither wealth nor power could prevent deep anxieties and bitter divisions. Part 9. The Prosperity of 1950sAmong the most striking features of

56、 American society in the 1950s and early 1960s was a booming economic growth that made even the heady 1920s seem pale by comparison. During the 1950s, with 6 percent of the worlds population, the United States produced half of the worlds goods. Technological advances, many achieved with federal aid,

57、 ushered in new industries and sped up the pace of production in old ones. The nations five largest industriesautos, oil, aircraft, chemicals, and electronicsillustrated a leap in productivity. The growth of middle class reflected full employment, new opportunities, and federal spending, which contr

58、ibuted mightily to widespread prosperity. Middle class families bought not only homes and cars, but educational opportunities. Between 1940 and 1960, the percentage of college-age Americans who attended college almost doubled. Again, the federal government played a role. In 1958 Congress passed the

59、National Defense Education Act, which provided loans to college students and funds for teacher training and industrial materials. Cold War enthusiasm for technological advances also affected research. By 1960 one-third of scientists and engineers in universities worked on government research, mainly

60、 defense projects. Part 10. America in the 1960s 1960s were the age of youth, as 70 million children from the post- war baby boom became teenagers and young adults. The movement away from the conservative fifties continued and eventually resulted in revolutionary ways of thinking and real changes in