英美概况美国部分整理

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）

-- 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 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.

---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票的总统候选人。