American Historypart one.docx

American Historypart one.docx

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AmericanHistorypartone

AmericanHistory

I.ThemesofAmericanhistory

ThemesareideasandissuesthatariseandreappearthroughAmericanhistory.UnderstandingthesethemeswillhelpyoutoconnectthepastandthepresentandtomakesenseofAmericanhistory.AmericanhistoryfocusesonNINEofthesethemes.

1.Democraticideals

Americanshavebuilttheirsocietyaroundtheprinciplesofdemocracy.Inademocracy,powerlieswiththepeople,andeveryindividualenjoysbasicrightsthatcannotbetakenaway.Throughoutthenation’shistory,however,someAmericans—mainlywomenandminorities—havehadtostruggletogaintheirfullrights.Still,theidealsofdemocracyremaintheguidingprinciplesofthisland.

2.Impactoftheindividual

ThehistoryoftheUnitedStatesisthestorynotonlyofgovernmentsandlawsbutofindividuals.Indeed,individualshavemadetheUnitedStateswhatitistodaythroughtheirextraordinaryandordinaryachievements.AmericanhistoryprovidesavarietyofexamplesoftheimpactoftheindividualonsocietyinboththeUnitedStatesandtheworld.

3.Immigrationandmigration

Thiscountrywassettledbyandhasremainedamagnetforimmigrants.Also,withintheUnitedStates,largenumbersofpeoplehavemigratedtodifferentregionsofthecountry.However,movementstoandwithintheUnitedStateshavenotalwaysbeenvoluntary.Africanswerebroughtagainsttheirwilltothiscountry.NativeAmericanswereforcedfromtheirhomelandsinordertomakeroomforEuropeansettlers.

4.Citizenship

ThecitizensoftheUnitedStatesenjoyrightsandfreedomsfoundinveryfewotherplacesintheworld.YetAmericansknowthatwithsuchfreedomscomeresponsibilitiesandduties.Whethertheystandinlinetovoteorspendaweekendtocleanupalocalriver,Americansrecognizethatcitizenparticipationiswhatkeepsademocracystrong.

5.Diversityandunity

TheUnitedStateshasbeenalandofmanypeoples,cultures,andfaiths.Throughoutthenation’shistory,thisblendofethnic,racial,andreligiousgroupshashelpedtocreatearichanduniquelyAmericanculture.Thenation’smanydifferentpeoplesareunitedintheirbeliefinAmericanvaluesandideals.

6.Economicsinhistory

EconomicshashadapowerfulimpactonthecourseofU.S.history.Forexample,thedesireforwealthledthousandstojointheCaliforniaGoldRushin1849.Thenationasawholehasgrownwealthy,thankstoitsabundantresourcesandthehardworkofitscitizens.Animportanteconomicissue,however,hasbeenhowtomakesurethatallpeoplehaveopportunitiestosharefullyinthenation’swealth.Thisissuewillcontinuetobeimportantinthe21stcentury.

7.Scienceandtechnology

Americanshavealwaysbeenquicktoembraceinventionsandnewwaysofdoingthings.Afterall,thiscountrywassettledbypeoplewhoturnedawayfromoldwaysandtriednewones.Inthepasttwocenturies,newinventions,newtechnologies,andscientificbreakthroughshavetransformedtheUnitedStates—andwillcontinuetodosoinourlifetimesandbeyond.

8.Americaandtheworld

AsthepowerandinfluenceoftheUnitedStateshavegrown,thenationhasplayedamuchmoreactiveroleinworldaffairs.Indeed,throughoutthe20thcentury,theUnitedStatesfocusedmuchofitsenergyoneventsbeyonditsborders.Thenationfoughtintwoworldwarsandtriedtopromotedemocracy,peace,andeconomicgrowtharoundtheglobe.Asoneoftheworld’spoliticalandeconomicleaders,theUnitedStatescontinuestobeakeyplayerinworldaffairs.

9.Expansion

WhentheUnitedStatesdeclareditsindependencefromGreatBritain,itwasonlyacollectionofstatesalongtheAtlanticOcean.Butthenewcountrywouldnotremainthatwayforlong.ManyAmericanssharedasenseofcuriosity,adventure,andastrongbeliefthattheirdestinywastoexpandallthewaytothePacificOcean.Drivenbythisbelief,theypushedwestward.Americans’efforttoincreasethesizeoftheirnationisarecurringthemeinearlyU.S.history.

Unit1ThreeWorldsMeet（Beginnings-1650）

1TheWorldBefore1500

2EuropeanExplorationofAmericas

Chapter1TheWorldBefore1500

※SocietiesoftheAmericas

※SocietiesofAfrica

※SocietiesofEurope

SocietiesoftheAmericas

TheFirstPeopleinAmerica

KEYQUESTIONWhatkindsofsocietiesemergedintheAmericas?

Whowerethe“firstAmericans”?

Wheredidtheycomefrom?

Howdidtheylive?

Thesearequestionshistorianshavebeenstrugglingwithfordecades.

Althoughthereremainssomedisagreementamongexperts,mosthistoriansbelievethatthe“firstAmericans”weremenandwomenfromAsia.Theymigrated,ormoved,eastwardbetween15,000and35,000yearsagobycrossingalandbridgebetweenSiberiaandAlaska.Itislikelythattheymadethisjourneyinsearchoffoodandshelter.

AsthefirstAmericansspreadthroughoutthecontinent,groupsofpeopleoftensplitofffromoneanother.Thisprocesscreatedmanydifferentsocieties,orgroupsofpeoplewithcommoninterests,customs,andwaysoflife.

TheRiseofCivilizations

KEYQUESTIONWhatledpeopletoformcomplexcivilizations?

Around1200sB.C.,theseearlyAmericansbegantoformlargercommunities,andsomeofthesecommunitiesgrewintovastcivilizations---complexsocietiesinwhichpeopleshareimportantcharacteristicssuchaslanguage,religion,art,dressandpoliticalstructure.Inmesoamerica（中美洲，美索美洲）,suchcivilizationsincludetheMayaculture（A.D.250-900）,theIncaculture（1300-1500）,andtheAztecculture（1300-1500）.Theseearlycivilizationshavecreatedmanyimportantculturalandscientificachievementssuchasaccuratecalendar,pavedroads,lawsystemsandsoon.AndinwhatisnowtheUSlivedmanysocietiesofNativeAmericans,whoalsodevelopedtheirownculture.However,AlthoughNativeAmericansinteractedextensivelywiththeirneighbors,andsometimestraveledgreatdistances,theyremainedisolatedfromtherestoftheworld.Asaresult,beforethe1400s,peoplethroughouttheAmericashadnoexperienceofEuropeantechnology,warfare,culture,ordisease.

SocietiesoftheAfrica

AlthoughgeographicallyisolatedfromEuropeandAsia,earlyAfricansocieties

wereconnectedtotheworldthroughextensivetradeandcommerce.

TheAfricancontinentconsistsofthreelargegeographiczones.InthenorthistheSahara,ahuge,hotdesertareawithlittleornovegetation.Inthesouthisavastsavanna,alongandflatgrasslandwithabundantwildlife,thornybushes,andscatteredtrees.Andinthemiddle,inCentralandWesternAfrica,isagreattransitional,ormidway,zonewheredenserainforestsandbroadriversmeettheAtlanticOcean.

IneachregionofAfrica,thenaturalenvironmentgreatlyinfluencedhowsocietieslived.InNorthernAfrica,peoplecreatedextensivetraderoutesthroughaseriesofportsontheMediterraneanSea.ThisallowedNorthernAfricanstoexchangeawidevarietyofgoods,includinggrain,cloth,andwine,withtheirEuropeanneighbors.Inthewest,lifeandtradecenteredaroundtheNiger,Volta,andSenegalrivers.HerepeoplefarmedtherichsoilandusedtheriverstotransporttheircropstoportsandcitiesontheAtlanticOcean.Fromthere,goodstravelednorthbyseatoEurope.

Atthesametime,thevastandbarrenSaharalimitedtradeandtraveltoCentralandSouthernAfrica.There,peoplelivedinrelativeisolationfromtherestoftheworldandtheirAfricanneighbors.Despitetheseharshconditions,however,thereligionofIslamwascarriedthroughouttheregionbytraders,travelers,andmerchants.TheKoran,thebookofIslam,teachesthatthereisoneGod,Allah,andthatMuhammadishisprophet.ThosewhofollowIslamarecalledMuslims.

WestAfricanKingdomsLikethegreatAmericancivilizations,someoftheearlyAfricankingdomswerelargeandcomplexsocietiesthatincludedthousands—perhapsmillions—ofpeople.Ghana,locatedinWesternAfricaalongtheNigerRiver,prosperedbetweenA.D.700and1100bycontrollingvaluabletraderoutesforgoldandsalt.Bythe1200s,theKingdomofMalihadtakenoverGhanaandbecomeWestAfrica’smostpowerfulstate.Mali’sruler,MansaMusa,wasadevotedMuslim.MusapromotedIslamthroughoutWesternAfricaandevenfundedauniversitytoteachthereligion.

WarandSlaveryinAfricanKingdomsBythemid-1400s,morethanonehundredsmallindependentkingdomsdottedthelandscapeofWesternandCentralAfrica.AsintheAmericas,neighboringAfricankingdomsoftenfoughtoneanotherforrightstoland,crops,andvaluabletradegoods.Duringthesewars,Africankingspreferredtocaptureratherthankilltheirenemiessotheycouldbeusedasslaves,orpeoplewhoarecapturedforuseinforced,unpaidlabor.Often,kingdomswenttowarjusttoenslavetheirenemy’spopulation.Byenslavingtheirenemies,Africankingsachievedthreeimportantgoals.First,theygainedalargepopulation—mostlyyoungandstrongmen—thatcouldbeputtohardwork.Second,theydepleted,orworeout,theirrival’smilitarystrength.Andthird,slavescouldbetradedtodistantkingdomsforcrops,weapons,gold,andothervaluableresources.

Bythelate1400s,twokingdomsdominatedCentralAfrica.Kongo,locatedontheZaireRiver,anditssouthernneighborNdongowagednumerousbattlestocapturetheirenemiesandsellthemintoslavery.Bythe1480s,whenEuropeansarrivedinCentralAfrica,theslavetradewasawell-establishedandprofitablebusiness.

SocietiesofEurope

SocialandEconomicChangeIntheearly1300s,Europeexperiencedseveralmajorcatastrophes.Boththegreatfamine,awidespreadfoodshortage,andtheBlackDeath,adeadlydisease,killedmillionsofpeople.Atthesametime,aconflictbetweenFranceandEnglandknownasthe