英美概况 美国篇

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

1.The 13 English colonies in America

1)The New England Colonies: Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode

Island, and Connecticut.

2)The Middle Colonies: New Y ork, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland

3)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 US

1)George Washington

“Father of the Country”.First, he was the commander of the Continental

Army that won American independence in the Revolutionary War.Second, he

served as president of the convention that wrote the United States

Constitution.Third, he was elected the first President of the United States.In

the 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 the

nation’s peace and safety.The real purpose: to silence the

Democratic-Republican and check their growing power.The Acts made the

Federalists very unpopular, who were defeated in the election of 1800 and

disappeared from political scene some 15 years later.

3)Benjamin Franklin

The most famous American of the 18th century and one of the most famous

and influential Americans who have ever lived.A greatest statesman, scientist, philosopher, diplomat.His services as a diplomat in France helped greatly in

winning the Revolutionary War.Franklin was the only person who signed all

the four of the most important documents in American history:The

Declaration of Independence;The Treaty of Alliance with France;The Treaty

of Peace with Great Britain;The Constitution of the United States.

4)Hamilton

Hamilton’s contribution:Established a governmental-supported national

bank;Created a new series of gold, silver, and copper coins;Raised money by

a tax on the manufacture of whiskey.

5)Jefferson

Jeffersonian Presidency:The first Democratic-Republican President,“a born

popular leader”.His inauguration marked the beginning of the peaceful

political transition from one political party to another in America.

Jeffersonian Democracy:Jefferson advocated a nation of small farmers.The

national government should be weak and be an advocate of individual

rights.A truly democratic statesmanHe favored: “absolute acquiescence in

the decisions of the majority” ;He opposed:“every f orm of tyranny over the