America
The Founding of Colonies殖民地的建立
First Inhabitants：American Indians
Discovery of the New World：
1492 Christopher Columbus →the discoverer of America
(Italian)Spanish Queen’ s support
1501-2 Amerigo Vespucci →the new land was name after him as America.
reached the mouth of Amazon River
America—the New World
Europe—the Old World
13 colonies：
New England Colonies: Mid Atlantic Colonies: Southern Colonies:
Massachusetts →（2nd colony，1620）New York Maryland
New Hampshire Pennsylvania Virginia →（1st colony，1607）Rhode Island Delaware North Carolina
Connecticut South Carolina
Georgia →（the last colony，1733）New England Region（6个）: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont
建立原因：
Virginia, 1607
Virginia Company
For foreign expansion as a way of easing religious dispute and economic distress in England
105 men (no women)
Jamestown in honor of the king
Massachusetts In 1620
102 Puritans (“Pilgrim Fathers”), in Mayflower, from Plymouth in England to America
First in Plymouth (today’s Massachusetts); and then Boston
Seek religious freedom
Mayflower Compact <五月花号公约>：self-government
Hardships when arrived
the help of the Indians
Thanksgiving Day to thank the Indians and the God for protection
The next three colonies
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire
Reasons:
1. religious disputes and struggles in Massachusetts intensified
2. more immigrants
Maine and Vermont
Reason: Proximity (邻近)
Non-English Colonies
New York, New Jersey were first colonized by the Dutch.
Delaware was founded by the Swedish.
Pennsylvania: Quakers /the Society of Friends (another group of English Protestant) William Penn, the founder
Granted colonies
Maryland granted by Charles I to his friend Lord Baltimore as a refuge for English Catholics. South Carolina and North Carolina given by Charles II to his eight close supporters.
The last colony Georgia
A haven (港口，避难所) for English prisoners of debt who could not discharge their debts.
The Early Immigrants最初的殖民与殖民生活
White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs)
Reasons to immigrate:
1. religious disputes （persecute Catholics and Protestants）
2. to become rich in the New World (Protestant work ethic)
3. poor men as indentured servants（契约劳工）
4. convicts
American culture:
A blending of European cultures, but not a mere transplantation.
New values:
1. new ideas and reforms
2. adaptations: less formal and more practical; less conservative and more outspoken
3. industrious
4. elasticity (弹性，灵活性),tolerance, compromise
5. religion as a private affair
6. liberty and democracy
Boston Tea Party 波士顿倾茶事件
Relation between England and Colonies
Economic: supply England with raw materials while importing goods manufactured in England.
England ←Rival; seven years war (1756-1763) →France
Protection Make use of Indians to attack each other
↓
English colonies in America ←attack →Indians
波士顿倾茶事件
Cause: England allow the East India Company to undersell tea without paying import tax in the colonies.
Place&Time：December 16, 1773, Boston harbor
英国惩罚措施Intolerable Acts：ask to pay tea loss；to deprive self-rule
Result: This policy aroused the colonial opposition and they declared“no taxation without representation”.
Two Continental Congresses 两次大陆会议
1st Continental Congress
Sept. 5, 1774 in Philadelphia
Delegates from 12 colonies except Georgia
Document: Declaration of Rights and Grievances 《权利和不满宣言》
Rejected by the British Parliament
Colonial militiamen were organized.
The first armed clash （莱克星顿的枪声——导火索）
April 19, 1775; Gunshots at the village Lexington, near Boston
2nd Continental Congress
May 10, 1775 in Philadelphia, Independence Hall
Organize and equip an American army
Appointing George Washington as commander-in-chief
Ask for help from other countries, esp. France
Public support: 1776, Thomas Paine published Common Sense and The American Crisis
Declaration of Independence独立宣言
During the 2nd Continental Congress
——A committee,(composed of Thomas Jefferson,Benjamin Franklin,John Adam and other members)
To draw up the Declaration of Independence.
It was drafted by Thomas Jefferson on July 4th, 1776(Independence Day / the National Day of the US)
was a milestone in American history.
It is remarkable in that it approaches the problem of American independence from the angle of human rights.
“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 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, and to institute a new government...”
--- Declaration of Independence, drafted by Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, etc..
来源和评价：
A masterpiece of western philosophy; mainly comes from the British philosopher John Locke
equality and freedom
universal; beyond American boundaries
Military Struggle and the Final Victory 战争经过和最后胜利
England VS America 战前实力对比
England America
population: 10 m. 3 million
most advanced not developed
strongest navy none
High morale
-- Americans: high morale but repeated setbacks
Difficulties:
1. not every colonist support the revolution: loyalists such as big merchants and bankers
2. the Continental Congress cannot pass laws and it did not have an executive branch to carry out the decisions
3. lack money
4. each colony is more concerned about defending itself than gaining independence as a whole
5. lack the strength to fight against the British army.
Turning point and the victories
1.Surprise attacks游击战
2.Franklin’ s diplomatic activities to obtain foreign aids, such as aids from France, Spain and Holland.
3.French volunteers: e.g. Lafayette
Last victory: Decisive battle at Yorktown led by Washington
On Oct. 19, 1781, British general Cornwallis (康沃利斯) surrendered.
The final peace treaty The Treaty of Paris in 1783 acknowledged the American Independence.
（The final peace treaty was signed in 1782 and went in effect in 1783）
Constitutional Convention 制宪会议
America Following Independence
new problems
1) how to make use of the new territory
--allow the founding of new states [equality and democracy]
2) not very closely united
--13 separate states rather than a united country
3) economic difficulties
-- trade problem with Britain
--debts because of the Independance War
-- increasing tax and Shays’Rebellion in Massachusetts
The need for a new Government was felt
——May 25,1787,55 delegates from all states except Rhode Island attended the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. No easy work:
the North vs the South
the upper class vs lower class
state government vs central government
The draft of Constitution--completed on September 17, 1787--Constitutional Day of the US
The Father of the Constitution: James Madison
Bill of Rights(1789): 10 amendments to the Constitution
freedom of religion,
freedom of speech and the press,
the right of peaceful assembly and petition,
the right to keep and bear arms,
the right against unreasonable searches and seizures,
the right against self-incrimination（自证其罪）---the right for everyone to refuse to give witness against himself in any criminal case.
---a defense line against violations of human rights
政治体制见另一张
Territorial Expansion 领土扩张
Washington as the First President 华盛顿执政期间
April 6, 1789, Washington was elected as the First President by a unanimous vote in New York (provisional capital)
1) success in transforming the states into a union
2) Economy witnessed development
"the first man in war, the first man in peace”
Ways to Expand 四种领土扩张方式
Purchase: Louisiana Purchase, Gadsden Purchase, Alaska Purchase, etc
War: Mexican War, Independence War, Spanish Cessions, etc.
Annexation: Mexican Annexation, Hawaii Annexation, etc.
Westward Movement
Jefferson and the Purchase of Louisiana 杰斐逊执政期间
---third US President in 1801
---emphasized development of agriculture and commerce
---favored the westward expansion
Louisiana Purchase, 1803
其意义：
1.doubled the territory of US and make possible further expansion
2.put the Mississippi River system under the complete control of the US
1) stimulate the agricultural and industrial development of the Midwest
2)appearance of large cities as Chicago and Kansas Cities
The Mexican War (1846-1848 ) 过程
-- America claimed Texas, used to be part of the great Spanish Colony, was included in the purchase of Louisiana.
-- In 1836, self-declaration of independence of Texas with many American Settlers from Mexico
-- 1846, The Mexican War broke but finally an unequal treaty was forced on Mexico.
Westward Movement 西进运动
Expansion to the west (end of 18th- first half of 19th century)
reason to move:
1.small for increased population
2.not satisfied with the present life
3.American frontiersmen 拓荒者
The most outstanding of all the westward migration took place after the war of 1812,there were many
contributing factors:
--the war 1812 drove the native Indians
--the Federal government built roads and canals
-- The Mississippi River opened and steam boat was invented in 1807.
-- government policy: land for sale
--the Homestead Act 宅地法（1862 President Lincoln)
Cities:San Francisco,Portland,Denver
The significance and importance西进运动的重要性和影响
-- Frontiersmen's Influence
Positive:
on Politics：
---Frontiersmen as presidents; Jackson, Lincoln and Grant
Expanded territory and increased population laid the foundation for a global power.
On Economics
fast development of agriculture
food surplus for trade
contribution to industrialization
On transportation and urbanization
On American character and value
---dash and daring, ready to run risks and aggressive
---learn many skills and self-reliance, self-discipline
---farmers and hunters , poor lower class; so not pay attention to social background
---hard work: "work freaks", and "work addicts"
---rough , pragmatic and less refined , honest
Negative: Trail of Tears of Indians
The beginning of Slavery in America 美国奴隶制起源
Reason: labor shortage in the colonies
Time: first in 1619 to plant tobacco
Method: the triangular trade :carried out by the slave traders mainly from the New England by capturing Negros in west Africa
development and change:
-- declined after Independence War
-- revived when the American Industrial Revolution began in late 18th century.
American Civil War 南北战争/美国内战
Conflicts arising from Slavery
Reasons：
-- Economically,north demanded the Congress to pass the protective tariff law
--Politically,westward expansion: new land as free states or slave-holding states?
--Religious and moral reason:slavery as inhuman and brutal
Development of the conflict
1) abolitionists: to end slavery
---secret organization to help slaves escape
---mobilize public support
2)the publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852 Mrs. Stowe)
（led to the outbreak of the American civil war一个小妇人的一部小书引起了一场战争）
总结：Civil War爆发的原因：
1.Political balance between the North and the South was broken
2.Slavery inhibited the development of capitalism
3.Some Christians opposed slavery for religious and moral reasons.
Abraham Lincoln
a Republican; anti -slavery
On March 4, 1861 President Lincoln
Firm in preserving the Union
Military Contest in the Civil War
2 sides : the Confederate States of America (Confederacy) led by Davis and the Union led by Abraham Lincoln Attack On April 12, 1861 led by Fort Sumter, South Carolina
Lincoln's goal: to defend the Union and defeat separatism分离论
North South
advantages: advantages:
---larger population ---strong military tradition
---loyal Navy ---experienced military officers
---factories for munition production ---high morale
---enough food supply
disadvantages: disadvantages:
---poorly prepared ---smaller population
---inexperienced soldiers ---not enough food supply
The year 1863 was a turning point when the blockade stopped all foreign trade of the South.
In July 1863, a great victory of the North in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Emancipation Proclamation, effective on Jan. 1, 1863
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address: government of the people, by the people, for the people. 民有,民治,民享
The Suffering of the South:
men were killed, cities leveled to the ground, crops destroyed
The Union win the Final Victory
April 2, 1865, Appomattox; Ulysses Grant (Union)vs. Robert Lee (Confederate)
Effect of the Civil War
Finally put an end to slavery
but not really carried out
Ku Klux Klan (3K党)：secret organization to threaten the black people.
Economic development:
Henry Ford in 1908
Wright Brothers in 1903
Telephone by Bill in 1876
The lamp and motion picture by Thomas Edison
Monopolies 垄断公司
The Standard Oil Company ,founded by John D. Rockefeller in 1870
The United States Steel Corporation by Andrew Carnegie
The Bell telephone system
America in and after WWI一战中和一战后的美国
America before WWI (1914-1918)
in the West: Latin America and the Caribbean were the backyard of it.
In the East, the US advocated the Open Door Policy to guarantee its trade access.
Military Blocs：
Triple Alliance / Central Powers：Allied Entente：
Germany Britain
Austria-Hungary France
Italy（后加入Allied Entente）Russia
America (1917) On April 6,1917,the United States declared war on Germany
Reasons of America to Join War
German submarines sank American ships
fear of Americans interests（huge loans made to Britain）
Germany induced Mexico to war against America
After WWI
Peace Conference in Paris in 1919
the US president, Woodrow Wilson, put forward the Fourteen Points Plan, hoping to establish a new world order based on American values and ideals.
Fourteen Points Plan unaccepted.The Americans shifted to isolationism.
The Roaring 20s("the jazz age")
特点：
Peaceful and prosperous
"the jazz age"
material consumption
spiritual frustration
Industrial Boom
Based on science and technology
Mass production by assembly lines（car,movie,radio,chemical industries）
Social Life: Womanhood as an Example
first wave of Feminist Movement for political and economic rights
women's vote right was granted with the 19th amendment to the Constitution in 1920
New Woman Image: job, bobbed hair, short skirts, lavish cosmetics, smoking and beauty contests
American Values Corrupted by Materialism
The Prohibition Law in 1919
Spiritual Frustration: the Lost Generation
lost American writers
discontent with the existing social reality, but they did not know what to do about it.
"eat, drink, and be happy for tomorrow we shall die"
The Great Depression 经济大萧条
Mark标志: New York stock market crash on October 24, 1929
[The bear market; “the black Thursday”]
Results：Bankruptcy
Shortage of money/ poverty
Sharply reduced industrial production
Stricken agriculture
Unemployment
Homelessness: Many people had to live in dug-outs or tin-can shacks which were nicknamed Hoovervilles, a word derived from the name of President Hoover.
Emigration
Franklin Roosevelt: a light in the darkness 罗斯福介绍
Roosevelt selected as president in 1932.
Family background: rich family
Education background: Harvard Uni.
Health: polio at 40; can't walk normally
President Roosevelt's “New Deal”罗斯福新政
---presented to Congress more than 70 bills for approval, known as “New Deal”[新政]
---1st: to pass the Emergency Banking Act
---to enlarge employment and increase consumption
---public projects: infrastructure
---to raise the price of farm products
etc.
Roosevelt's "Fireside Chat" 炉边谈话
first "chat" on the radio to ask for confidence in the government and to return gold and money so as to reopen them.
30 chats during the depression and the coming WWII.
warmed, cheered, united people at that time
Significance of New Deal 新政的重要性/影响
---Roosevelt achieved some success in revitalizing American economy.
---His New Deal strengthened the government regulation of economic activities and initiated the social welfare system in the United States.
America in and after WWⅡ
二战背景Background：The spread of Great Depression: Germany was the worst hit; led to Hitler’s fascist expansion. Time：Sept. 1939
Mark: Germany’s invasion of Poland
各国不同立场：
---Russia-German nonaggression pact signed in Moscow in 1939
---England and France: first, appeasement and nonintervention policy [by Munich Agreement], by selling other lands for peace [e.g. Sudetenland in Czech]; later, declared war on Germany when German army drove into France.
Changes of US Stance：
--- Neutrality from 1935-1937: 3 neutrality acts
--- Pro-Ally policy from 1939: sell arms and munitions to belligerents on a “cash-and-carry”basis.
--- Getting prepared for war from 1940 due to the deteriorated situation: the Roman-Berlin Axis [fascist military bloc]
--- Contribution to the war from 1941: Lend-Lease Bill [clever invention of Roosevelt]: any qualified countries could borrow or rent American weapons ---America is“the great arsenal of democracy”
--- Entry into the war on Dec. 8, 1941: Japan’s air raid on Pearl Harbor
America in the War：
War-time economy
Concentrated on the battlefields in Europe
Several million American soldiers
诺曼底登陆（D-Day)：
June 6, 1944, known as D-day, the first contingents of American and British invasion army landed on the beaches of Normandy, opening the long-delayed western front to attack the Germans.
Surrender of Japan 日本投降
America after the War
-- Became a creditor nation
-- Unemployment disappeared
-- Dominant industrial production in the world and robust GDP
-- Export monopoly in the world market
-- Personal wealth accumulation and growing domestic market
A rising superpower and world leader
Cold War and America in the 21st Century
Cold War (1945-1989)
Cold war: the international tension, conflicts and containment without bloody hot war between Soviet Union and the U.S. Duration: end of WWII to the collapse of Berlin Wall in 1989
Hot-spots热点地带：
---Southern and Western Europe and Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan;
---Berlin Wall
---Korean War
---Vietnam War
---Cuban Missile Crisis
The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan 杜鲁门主义和马歇尔计划
Stage 1：In Feb. 1947, Britain would end the economical support of Greece and Turkey, which would fall into the hands of the Soviet Union. America decided to help the two countries.
Stage 2：The Truman Doctrine: President Truman’s speech to the Congress in Feb. 1949: the U.S. government would support any country which said it was fighting against Socialism.[real purpose]
Stage 3：The worsening economic situation in Western Europe, coupled with a severe cold and snowstorm: might turn Communist
Stage 4:The Marshall Plan (1947-1952): offer economic aid to Western economy; announced by Secretary of State (美国国务卿) George Marshall on June 5, 1947; $ 13 billion
Berlin Wall
Soviet Union: block the West Berlin in June, 1948
The U.S. : Airlift for food supplies
Soviet Union: Lifted the blockade in May, 1949.
The foundation of NATO later
Vietnam War (1955-1975)
After 1970s
In 1980s, Reagan Revolution; Economic policy to counter against the inflation in 1970s:
George Bush: Gulf War海湾战争
Bill Clinton: Whitewater affair; Lewinsky Scandal
America in the 21st Century: terrorism and anti-terrorism
George W. Bush: Sept. 11th, Afghanistan War; Iraqi War
Barack Obama: new terrorism
American Political System美国政治体制：（Overview）
The American Constitution
---significance
founded federalism and introduced checks and balances（三权分立）into government for the first time in history
—Based on division of power
↓
1.The First division of power
-- federal government
problems of general concern e.g.to coin money, regulate commerce, raise an army and declare war, to make peace and treaties, levy taxes (征税)
-- state government
All the powers not listed in the Constitution to pass state laws
2.The Second division of power: check and balance system
---three separate yet interdependent branches:
The Executive (administration): president
The Legislative : the Congress
The Judicial: the Supreme Court, 11 courts of appeals and 91 district courts
1)The Legislative : the Congress(535人)
---the House of Representatives(435人,任期两年): in proportion to population
---the Senate(100人,任期六年,三分之一的参议院席位每两年选举一次):2 Senators of each state
the Congress : make laws, levy taxes and money to cover government expenditure
2)The Executive: Administration Headed by President
总统任期四年，可连任一届
the power of the President:
to execute the law passed by theCongress
to sign the act passed by Congress into law
to veto the bill passed by the Congress
to appoint Federal Judges and Federal officials with the approval of the Senate
in charge of the foreign policy
Cannot dissolve Congress while Congress cannot remove the President from office so long as he behaves well.
总统选举——选举人团制度
“胜者全得”制度（the winner-take-all System），即把本州的选举人票全部给予在该州获得相对多数普选票的总统候选人。
3)The Judicial
composed of a series of law courts；
the Supreme Court
11 courts of appeals 上诉法院
91 district courts （美国每个地区的）联邦地方法院
Geography and People in America 美国地理和人文
National Flag：the Star-Spangled Banner 星条旗（13个条纹，50颗星）
National anthem：the Star-Spangled Banner 《星条旗永不落》
Name：
The United States of America
the United States, the US, the USA or America.
Location：
North：Canada & Alaska（国内）
South：Mexico & The Gulf of Mexico
West：Pacific Ocean & Hawaii（国内）
East：Atlantic Ocean
Area: 9.4 million sq. km.; 4th largest
east to west: 5000 kilometers
south to north: 2500 kilometers
coastline: 20,000 kilometers
Geographical Features 地理
Three basic areas:
The Atlantic Seacoast and the Appalachian Mountains
The Great Mississippi River Basin
The Rockies west to the Pacific Ocean
The Atlantic Seacoast and the Appalachian Mountains：
1/6 of the continental America
about 3000 km long mountain range and lower than 800 m.
Rich soil for farms and harbors for trade
The Great Plains in the middle：
1/3 of the continental American land
Mississippi: longest in North America
3780 kilometers
“Father of Waters”or “Old Man River”
“Barn of America”
The West：
Rockies: The backbone of the continent
From Canada through America to Mexico and further south
To the west of it: Sierra Nevada Mountains and Cascade Mountains
Geological: national parks: Yellowstone, The National Grand Canyon Park, etc.
Valleys: Death Valley: lowest and hottest
The Great Central Valley in California
Six Regions：New England，the Mid-Atlantic States，the South，the Midwest，the Southwest and the West
Rivers and Lakes of the United States 美国河流山脉湖泊
Mississippi: 6400 km; the largest
Missouri River: Head-stream of Mississippi
Ohio River: American Ruhr 美国的鲁尔河
Potomac 波多马克河: Washington D.C.; division of South and North
Hudson River: New York City
The Great Lakes 五大湖
HOMES
H: Lake Huron
O: Lake Ontario
M: Lake Michigan: the only one that is entirely in America
E: Lake Erie
S: Lake Superior
Niagara Falls
Mountain ranges：Appalachian Mountains, Rockies
Major Cities and Scenic Spots in America 主要城市
Over 10,000 cities
50 metropolitan cities with a population of over a million people
Cities:
-- New York City
1.New York City is the largest city and seaport in America.
It is in New York State and it mainly lies on Manhattan Island, which is situated in the estuary of the Hudson River
5 Boroughs：Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island
3 Islands：Manhattan Island, Long Island, Staten Island
2. Landmarks in NY: -- Boston
The Fifth Avenue: shopping center State capital of Massachusetts
Broadway: theatrical center Almost the oldest city in America
Wall Street: financial center Education center: 47 degree-granting institutions: MIT and Harvard The Statue of Liberty Cradle of American liberty: Boston Tea Party
-- Philadelphia -- Washington D. C
“America's Athens”The Capital of America
Independence Hall D.C.: District of Columbia
On the Potomac River
-- San Francisco The White House,白宫
In California The Capitol,国会大厦
Golden Gate Bridge The Pentagon五角大楼
China Town
-- Los Angeles -- Chicago
In California The 3rd largest city in America
The 2nd largest city in America In Illinois, “the Windy City”
Pleasant weather and beautiful scenery Borders on Lake Michigan
Film-making: Hollywood Most important industrial and commercial city in the Middle West
Sears Tower: used to the highest building in the world
--The People of America
American Population
China 1st 1.3 billion
India 2nd 1.29 billion
America 3rd314 million
The West: not dense
Great Plains: not dense
The South: over 100 m
Northeastern: most densely
Distribution of People
Urban
6 most densely populated states or area: New England (an area), Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and Ohio Middle west and the Plain: sparse
Western: thin population
History of Immigration
1830s-1840s: Northern Europeans
1890s: Southern and Eastern Europeans
Immigration Act of 1924: restriction, esp. Europeans
Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments in 1965: equal chance to immigrate
A nation of immigrants
“Melting Pot”
“Salad Bowl”
英语国家概况美国部分精讲系列 Chapter: 13 geography 地理位置 1.Alaska and Hawaii are the two newest states in American.Alaska northwestern Can ada,and Hawaii lies in the central Pacific. 阿拉斯加和夏威夷是最近加入美国的两个新州.阿拉斯加在加拿大的西北部，夏威夷位邻中太平洋.（本细节还有考“一句话简答”的可能） 2.The U.S has a land area of 9.3 million square kilometres.It is the fourth largest co untry in the world in size after Russia,Canada and China. 就面积而言，美国是世界第四大国，就人口而言，美国是世界是第三大国. 3.Of all states of American,Alaska is the lagest in area and Rhode Island the smalles t.But on the mainland Texas is the largest sate of the country. 所有州中，阿拉斯加是面积最大的州，罗得岛最小，在美国大陆，最大的州是得克萨斯州. 4.The Rockies,the backbone of the North American Continent,is also known as the C ontinental Divide. 落基山脉是北美大陆的脊梁，也被成为大陆分水岭. 5.The two main mountain ranges in American are the Appalachian mountains and the Rocky mountains. The Appalachians run slightly from the northeast to southwest and the Rocky mountains run slightly from the northwest to southeast. 阿巴拉契亚山脉和落基山脉是美国的两座大山脉.（本细节有考“一句话简答题”的可能）
America The Founding of Colonies殖民地的建立 First Inhabitants：American Indians Discovery of the New World： 1492 Christopher Columbus →the discoverer of America (Italian)Spanish Queen’ s support 1501-2 Amerigo Vespucci →the new land was name after him as America. reached the mouth of Amazon River America—the New World Europe—the Old World 13 colonies： New England Colonies: Mid Atlantic Colonies: Southern Colonies: Massachusetts →（2nd colony，1620）New York Maryland New Hampshire Pennsylvania Virginia →（1st colony，1607）Rhode Island Delaware North Carolina Connecticut South Carolina Georgia →（the last colony，1733）New England Region（6个）: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont 建立原因： Virginia, 1607 Virginia Company For foreign expansion as a way of easing religious dispute and economic distress in England 105 men (no women) Jamestown in honor of the king Massachusetts In 1620 102 Puritans (“Pilgrim Fathers”), in Mayflower, from Plymouth in England to America First in Plymouth (today’s Massachusetts); and then Boston Seek religious freedom Mayflower Compact <五月花号公约>：self-government Hardships when arrived the help of the Indians Thanksgiving Day to thank the Indians and the God for protection The next three colonies Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire Reasons: 1. religious disputes and struggles in Massachusetts intensified 2. more immigrants
American History ?I. America in the colonial era ?II. The War of Independence ?III. The Civil War ?IV. America during the two World Wars I. America in the colonial era ?Who were the very first Americans? ?Who was the first one discovering the new continent? ?After whom was the new continent named? I. America in the colonial era ?1.The very first Americans were Indians. ●They created their civilization, known as Maya civilization, dominating Mexico and Central America from 4th to the 10th centuries. ●They were the descendants of the Mongoloid (蒙古人种的) people in Asia. ●About 20,000 years ago, they traveled to the North American continent across the Bering Strait (白令海峡). ?2. Christopher Columbus is believed to have discovered America. ●In 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered America. However, he believed he had reached India and called the natives Indians. ?In 1500, Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian navigator, also under the Spanish flag, drew the conclusion that what he found was a new continent. 3. The establishment of colonies ?Since the America was found, the Spanish established many colonies: Florida, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. ?In 1588, the Spanish Armada was defeated by the English navy，which put England in a better position to provide support for its New World colonies. 3. The establishment of colonies ?Between 1607 and 1733 the British established 13 colonies along the east coast of North America. ?These 13 colonies were established in different patterns: ●crown colonies ( 直辖殖民地), ●proprietary colonies ( 业主殖民地), ●charter colonies ( 特许公司殖民地), ●self-governing or compact colonies ( 自治殖民地或契约殖民地). ?1) The first successful English colony in North America was founded at Jamestown, Virginia , in 1607. ?2) In 1620, a group of Pilgrims sailed to the New World in a ship called Mayflower. They arrived at Plymouth, and built the New Plymouth colony in New England. These Pilgrims drew up the epoch-making Mayflower Compact (五月花契约), which was signed by all adult males on the ship. 3. The establishment of colonies ?3) From 1630 to 1643, some 200 ships transported over 20,000 Englishmen to the Massachusetts Bay colony. ?Plymouth remained a separate colony until 1691 when it was combined with Massachusetts Bay colony. Puritans ?People who criticized or wished to "purify" the Church of England. ?"Puritan" refers to two distinct groups: ?"separating" Puritans, radical Protestants, such as the Plymouth colonists, the pilgrims, who believed that the Church of England was corrupt and that true Christians must separate themselves from it; and ?“non-separating” Puritans, such as the colonists who settled the Massachusetts Bay Colony, who believed in
《最新英美概况》 练习参考答案 （本答案不包括练习中的开放性习题、思考题和讨论题） ==================================================== PART TWO The United States Chapter Eight The Land P. 209—210 I Fill in the blanks with proper words or expressions. 1. the Star-Spangled Banner, Defense of Fort McHenry, 181 2. 2. the Stars and the Stripes, Old Glory, the Star-Spangled Banner. 3. The White House, The Capitol, The Pentagon. 4. June, 14th, June 14th. 5. the Potomac, no state, the Federal government. 6. 36, 36 states. 7. Amerigo Vespucci, American War of Independence. 8. Pierre L’Enfant, light, service. II Choose the answer that best completes the sentence. 1. C 2. D 3. C 4. A B C D 5. C D III Decide which of the following statements is TRUE: 1. F 2. F 3. T 4. F 5. T IV Answer the following questions. 1. (1) At first the Continent was named as “America” after explorer Amerigo Vespucci. (2) During the American War of Independence, the former British colonies first used “the thirteen united States of America” in the Declaration of Independence. (3) The official name of America was adopted on November 15, 1777, when the Second Continental Congress passed the Articles of Confederation. 2. The 50 stars represent the 50 States, while the 13 stripes represent the original thirteen colonies. White indicates purity and innocence; red indicates valour and bravery, and blue symbolizes vigilance, perseverance and justice; it is also a symbol of respect to God. 3. The stars and strips have different meanings. Each star represents each state in America, while strips represent the original thirteen colonies before the independence of America.
Melting Pot: Immigrants from different regions and cultures came to live in the United States, their old ways of life melt away and they became part of the American culture? WASPs: WASPS are the mainstream Americans, referring to the white Anglo-Saxon Protestants The Hispanics: The Hispanics are Spanish-speaking people from Latin America, which was once dominated by the Spanish Empire?American Indians: The Indian peoples are known as the first Americans. When Columbus landed in the New World in 1492, he thought he had reached India and called the natives Indians? Separation of powers: Under the federalist system, the federal and the state governments have separate and distinct powers laid down in the Constitutio n. ^Winner-take-air5principle: The party that wins most votes (simple majority) in a state wins all the electoral votes for the state and the defeated party gets none? Federalism: Federalism in the United States is the evolving relationship between U.S. state governments and the federal government of the United States? Since the founding of the country, and particularly with the end of the American Civil War, power shifted away from the states and towards the national government. Thanksgiving Day: It's on the fourth Thursday of Novembe匚It is a typical
Lecture one: Geography and People Location : Situated in the central part of North America with Canada on the north ,Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico on the south ,the United States is on the east coast of Pacific and west coast of Atlantic. Territorial area: 9.5million square kilometers 50states and seat of government is Washington D.C Largest state---Alaska Largest on the continent---Texas Smallest-----Rhode Island(罗德岛州) Newest---Hawaii Three geographical divisions（三大地形区）: Western ,central and eastern part . Land forms and region: Eastern part: Highlands formed by Appalachian range Western part: High plateaus and mountains(Rockies are called as the back bone of the continent). Great central plain: A large plain between the eastern Appalachian and western Rockies Main geographical regions: New England (6,northeast, longest history featured with mountains ,valleys and rivers ,and cities and towns with historic sites ,top-ranking universities ) The Mid-Atlantic States The West (11,a wealth of forests and stream notable cities, high-tech industry predominant agricultural yielding,14% of GDP ) The Mid-West The South (13,plenty of rainfall and mild climate are favorable for agriculture, fast growing industry and population recent years, great size with few large cities The Southwest Hawaii: Tourism is the largest source of income Tropical climate
一、概况 1.50 States Its 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 Population 1)The Majority:the descendants of immigrants from European countries, such as France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, and Spain;“Pilgrim Fathers”;Potato famine 2)The Minorities:The African Americans: black slaves from Africa;Indians: the number of native Americans has been falling, no more than a million;The Hispanics: immigrants or descendents of immigrants from Latin America, such as Cuba and Mexico (Mexicans are the most numerous among them);Asian-Americans, from China, Japan and Korea;More than a million Chinese-Americans, most of whom live in Hawaii, on the West Coast and in some big cities;5 million Jews in America, many of whom went there during the Second World War and achieved great success in America. 3)“The Melting Pot”:It means immigrants from different nations all over the world have mixed to make up the American nation.“old immigrants”: came to America before 1860;“new immigrants”, after 1860.The Immigration Quota Law was passed by the American government in 1924. 二、Early History 1.Columbus：1492 Christopher Columbus arrived at Salvador Island, thus discovered the “New World”.(Amerigo V espucci: named “America”) 2.The first English permanent settlement:1607 The first group of English colonies came 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 Plymouth on 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 of education 5.Thanksgiving:1621 Thanksgiving Day was first celebrated by the pilgrims of the Plymouth Colony. 三、American Revolutionary
Chapter 13 geography 地理位置 I. Location and size 1. The full name of the United States is the United States of America. The continental United States lies in central North America with Canada to its north, Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico to its south, the Atlantic Ocean to its east and the Pacific Ocean to its west. Alaska and Hawaii are the two newest states in America. Alaska borders on northwestern Canada and Hawaii lies in the central Pacific. 阿拉斯加和夏威夷是最近加入美国的两个新州。阿拉斯加在加拿大的西北部，夏威夷位邻中太平洋。 2. The U.S has a land area of 9.3 million square kilometers. It is the fourth largest country in the world in size after Russia, Canada and China.就面积而言，美国是世界第四大国，就人口而言，美国是世界是第三大国。 3. Of all states of American, Alaska is the largest in area and Rhode Island the smallest. But on the mainland Texas is the largest sate of the country. 所有州中，阿拉斯加是面积最大的州，罗得岛最小，在美国大陆，最大的州是得克萨斯州。 II.Topography 1. Mountains (1)The two main mountain ranges in American are the Appalachian mountains and the Rocky mountains. The Appalachians run slightly from the northeast to southwest and the Rocky mountains run slightly from the northwest to southeast. 阿巴拉契亚山脉和落基山脉是美国的两座大山脉。（本细节有考―一句话简答题‖的可能）
PART TWO The United States of American 1. Population, race and ethnic groups 人口和种族 1) introduction 概要 ①the third most populous country in the world,with 255.5 million people. ② a nation of immigrants.Immigration accounts for a major source of population growth.There are many racial and ethnic groups. Between 80% and 90% of immigration ot the United States now is from Asian and Hispanic counties.The first immigrants in American history came from England and Netherlands. Population movements are common in America. 移民是人口增长的一个主要原因。到目前80%-90%的移民来自亚洲和西班牙语国家。 美国历史上最早的移民来自于英格兰和荷兰。人口迁徙在美国很普遍。 2) Black people and the Civil Rights Movement ①blacks and slavery the largest of the racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S., which 12.1 per cent of the population; the first blacks were brought to North America as slaves in 1619. 美国最大的少数人种是黑人，占人口的12。1%；1619 年最早的黑人作为奴隶被运至美国。 ②The slave system was formally ended by Lincoln ‘ s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and the Thirteenth Amendment to the Consititution in 1865.the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s demanded desegregation and equal right. 1863 年林肯总统的《解放宣言》和1865 年的《宪法第13 修正案》使奴隶制度正式瓦解。废除种族隔离和人 权平等导致了1960 年的民权运动。 2. American History 1) The —discovery II of the New World 发现新大陆 ①The ——first America ns II were the In dia ns 最早的美国人是印第安人 ②In the late 15th cen tury, Christopher Columbus, an Italia n n avigator, supported by the Spanish queen, he led his men to sail across the vast ocean in 1492 and reached some small islands in the now west Indies.He thought he had reached Asia and didn ‘ t know he had disvovered a New Continent. 15 世纪后期，意大利航海家克里斯多弗.哥伦布，在西班牙女王的支持下,于1492 年率领船队穿越浩瀚的大西洋，抵达了现在西印度群岛的一些小岛。他误以为到达了亚洲，并不知道自己已经发现了一个新大陆。 ③Ameriga Vespucci proved that the land was a new continent.Therefore, the land was named America after him. 阿美利歌。韦斯普奇证明了这是新大陆，因此，以他的名字命名。 2) Causes of the colonization of the New World Opportunity was a magic word. ①The new World drew English nobles (who dreamed of getting more land and establish ing great new estates.). ② Drew other people who could not find jobs in En gla nd. ③ Most of all , it drew the poor and the homeless from the farmla nds and villages of Europe. ④ Many settlers came to the English colonies in search of religious freedom because they had been persecuted in England. 机遇是一个神奇的词。 1 )他吸引了英国的贵族 (那些梦想在荒原上创建庞大的新地产的) 2) 吸引那些在英国无法找到工作的人。3)尤其是吸引了欧洲农场和乡村的穷人和无家可归的 人。4)许多人为寻求宗教自由而在这英国殖民地定居下来，因为他们在英国受到宗教迫害。 3) The first English colony in the Americas was founded at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. Between 1607 and 1733 the British established 13 colonies along the east coast of North America. They were Virginia,
1.Alaska and Hawaii are the two newest states in American.Alaska northwestern Canada,and Hawaii lies in the central Pacific. 阿拉斯加和夏威夷是最近加入美国的两个新州。阿拉斯加在加拿大的西北部，夏威夷位邻中太平洋。（本细节还有考"一句话简答"的可能） 2.The U.S has a land area of 9.3 million square kilometres.It is the fourth largest country in the world in size after Russia,Canada and China. 就面积而言，美国是世界第四大国，就人口而言，美国是世界是第三大国。 3.Of all states of American,Alaska is the lagest in area and Rhode Island the smallest.But on the mainland Texas is the largest sate of the country. 所有州中，阿拉斯加是面积最大的州，罗得岛最小，在美国大陆，最大的州是得克萨斯州。 4.The Rockies,the backbone of the North American Continent,is also known as the Continental Divide. 落基山脉是北美大陆的脊梁，也被成为大陆分水岭。 5.The two main mountain ranges in American are the Appalachian mountains and the Rocky mountains. The Appalachians run slightly from the northeast to southwest and the Rocky mountains run slightly from the northwest to southeast. 阿巴拉契亚山脉和落基山脉是美国的两座大山脉。（本细节有考"一句话简答题"的可能） 6.The Mississippi River is the largest river in American,over 6000 kilometers.The Mississippi has been called "father of waters"or "old man river" 密西西比河是美国最长河流，有被称作"众水之父"或"老人河"。 7.The Ohio river has been called the American Ruhr,As in Germany, the area along the river is rich in valuable deposits of high-grade coking coal and is well known for its steel industry.The river provides cheap water transportation for raw materials. 俄亥俄河被称作美国的鲁尔河，就像德国一样，沿河有丰富的高品千周的焦煤，并且因其钢铁而著名。另外，该河还为原材料提供了廉价的水路运输。 8.On the Pacific side there are two great rivers:the Colorado in the south and the Columbia ,which rises in Canada. 太平洋沿岸有两大河：科罗拉多河及哥伦比亚河。 9。The Rio Grande River forms a natural boundary between Mexico and the United States. 格兰德河是美国和墨西哥之间的开然界河（本细节考选择和简答可能性大）10.the most important lakes in the United States are the Great Lakes. They are Lake Superior,which is the largest fresh water lake in the world, Lake Michigan ,the only entirely in the U.S.,Lake Huron,Lake Eire and Lake Ontario.They are located between Canada and the United States except Lake Michigan. 美国最重要的湖泊是五大湖：苏必利尔湖，密歇根湖，休伦湖，伊利湖和安大略湖，其中，苏必利尔湖为世界最大淡水湖，密歇根湖完全是美国境地内。
EDUCATION IN THE USA Going to School in America Today American education has the goal of achieving universal literacy and to provide individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote both their own individual welfare as well as that of the society. About 90% of American students attend public schools and the other 10% attend private schools. Most private schools are run the churches, synagogues or other religious groups; these schools teach about their religion as well as the usual subjects such as mathematics, English, science, history and geography. The costs involved in providing education are very high and therefore it is constantly under review by governments and by citizens. The spending of money is guided by boards of education at the state and district level. The same is true for decisions about school curriculum, teacher standards and certification, and the measurement of student progress.