America in the Colonial Era

America in the Colonial Era

1. Pilgrim Fathers

In 1620, Puritans—the Pilgrim Fathers sailed for Virginia aboard the ship Mayflower.

The reason to flee from England is to avoid the religious persecution.

They Landed in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts.

2. Boston Tea Party

In 1773, patriots staged the “Boston Tea Party” in response to the tea tax.

They boarded British merchant ships and tossed 342 crates of tea into Boston harbor.

British Parliament then passed The Intolerable Acts:

3. The First Continental Congress

The First Continental Congress held in September, 1774.

A meeting of colonial leaders who opposed British oppression was held in Philadelphia. They urged Americans to disobey The Intolerable Acts and to boycott (抵制) British trade. At the same time, the colonists began to defend themselves.

The War of Independence

1 The Shot of Lexington

On April 19, British troops were sent to Lexington and Concord to disarm the American

militiamen.

The first shot in the American War of Independence.

2 The Second Continental Congress

It was Held in Philadelphia in May 1775

Assume the functions of a national government

Founding Continental Army and Navy under the command of George Washington.

Printing paper money and opening diplomatic relations with foreign powers.

George Washington, a wealthy Virginia planter, was respected as a man of ability and integrity.

Once a colonel in the French and Indian War; One of the few Americans with considerable

military experience; Led the continental army to the victory of the Independence War.

3 Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence was draft by Thomas Jefferson.

On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed.

Q.What does the Declaration of Independence tell us?

It tells of the theory of politics, which latter is central to the Western political tradition:

Men have natural right, they are “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness”;

Government can rule only with “the consent of the governed”;

Any government may be dissolved when it fails to protect the right of the people.

It had two parts:

The first part justified the right of people to rebel against a government that denied

them their natural rights.

The second part was a detailed indictment of King George for cruelties, crimes and

illegal political acts against humanity and America.

After being printed, the copies were sent out, broadcast and read to crowds everywhere.

– The document greatly encouraged the struggling people, making them think that they

should be independent and have the right to enjoy liberty.

– They were beginning to show more interests in a common cause.

– Both a great influence on the course of the war and a far-reaching influence in

world history as well.

4 Process of the War

It dragged on for seven years.

Obstacles for the continental army:

–No enough supplies.

–Tired and hungry, while British troops fresh and well-equipped.

–By the middle of December, 1776, the Revolution seemed lost.

The victory at Saratoga (1777, October)is the turning point of the War.

On October 19, 1781, the British general Cornwallis was forced to surrender, the war came to an end.

The two parts signed the Treaty of Paris in 1783—America won its independence.

5 The Establishment of the Constitution

On May 25, 1787, the constitution was drafted.

In June 1789, the constitution came into effect in nine states.

Ten amendments—The Bill of Rights—were added to the Constitution in 1791.

The Civil War

1 Causes of Civil War

Q. What was the essential cause of the Civil War?

Economic reason:

– two different economic systems

Two different economic systems existed side by side

– In the South—slavery was the foundation

The slave economy—an obstacle to industrial growth and expansion

– In the North—commerce and industry led the economy

Industrial economy required the restriction of slavery and territory for

raw materials, markets and labor supply

Economic antagonism led to increased conflicts between North and South.

Political reason

– The North—Federal Government as a union

– The South—The Confederate Government: the independence of each state

2 Comparison of Power

The North:

twenty-three states, 22 million population

abundant facilities to manufacture arms and ammunition, clothing, and other

supplies

merchant marines and the navy remained in Union hands

federal government was better able to raise fund for war

The South:

eleven states, 9 million population

military advantages:

actively preparing for war

in possession of many federal forts and arsenals

superior military leadership: a third of the regular army's officers were from

the South

fighting on its own soil

3 The Fierce War

The eastern arena—Virginia.

the western Arena—areas west to the Appalachian Range and the Mississippi River area

Confederate army won many battles on the Eastern Arena while they were defeated again

and again on the Western Arena.

On Feb 4,1861, Abraham Lincoln took office.

a young man & lawyer in Illinois

began his political career by serving four terms in the state legislature and then one

term in the House of Representatives

He insisted slavery was evil and should be restricted and ultimately abolished

Challenges Abraham Lincoln faced:

first priority—keeping the United S …… 此处隐藏：10524字，全部文档内容请下载后查看。喜欢就下载吧 ……