четверг, 9 апреля 2020 г.

Lecture 3 - The USA.


The USA
Theme 1
The geographical  position of the USA, its climate, the major rivers, lakes, mountain rangers, some general information about the country.
 The USA is situated in the central part of the North American continent and borders with Canada  in the north and Mexico in the south. It's washed by the Atlantic ocean in the west. The USA covers the territory  of over 9 million square km. The USA is the 4th  largest country in the world after Russia, Canada and China. It runs 3d in population after China and India. Population is 280 562 489. The main feature of the USA population is ethnic diversity.
 The USA originated  with the declaration of independence comprises 50 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and Virgin islands. The main landmass includes 48 states. Two separate states of Hawaii, in the Pacific ocean and Alaska, which occupies the north western part of North American continent.
The capital of the USA is Washington, which is in the district of Columbia. The official language is English. National anthem -the star –spangled Banner, National flag -the old glory. 50 white stars represent 50states of the USA.                   13 stripes *red and white denote the original 13states. The red colour symbolize courage. The white colourpurity. The blue - justice and firmness. National moto - in god we trust. Bold headed eagle-national bird. National cartoon figure-uncle Sam.
The main geographical areas of the USA
1) the atlantic lowland to the east of Appalachians
2) the central plains between the Rocky mountains in the west and Appalachians  in the east.
3) the narrow pacific lowlands of the west coast.
4) the southern part of the great lakes in the central USA
5) the great ΄plateau most of which is desert between the Rockies and Sierra Nevada. The main mountains are the Appalachians,  the Rocky  mountains, Sierra  Nevada, the Cascades, Coast Rangers.
The Rockies are a sort of natural border. All the rivers west of Rockies flow (течь) to the Pacific Ocean. All the ricers east of the Rockies flow to the Atlantic Ocean.
The greatest rivers of the USA the Colorado, the Columbia flow into the Pacific ocean. The Mississipi  runs from the west, is the longest river, called the father of waters. Has tributaries the Missouri river and the Ohio river, flow into the Gulf of Mexico. The Hudson river. The rivers in the west are unsuitable for navigation as they are cut by deep rapids  . They serve as a great source of electricity .
World famous is the region of Great Lakes  Huron, Ontario, Superior, Michigan. The lakes are joined together by short rivers and canals  and cut by rapids. The greatest of them is the Niagara Falls. In the west of the USA - the Great Salt Lake.The deepest lake is situated in Oregon, called Crater lake.
Climate
There are different climatic zones of the ΄territory of the USA. On the whole the climate is continental. Alaska lies in sub-arktic and arktic zones. The southern part of Florida and Hawaii are situated in the tropical zones.
Large reserves of coal, oil, gas, iron, ΄ferrous and non-ferrous ΄metals form a solid base for the development of the USA ΄industry.
The American states  
1 New England statesMaine, Vermont,   New Hampshire,  Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
2 Middle Atlantic states -New Jork, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia
3 the South Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, North +South  Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee,  Mississippi
4 South Central statesArkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas
5 the Mid Western statesOhio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin
 6 the Plains  statesIowa, Kansas, Minnesota, North +South  Dakota, Nebraska Missouri
7 the Mountain states - Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming  
8 the Pacific statesCalifornia, Oregon, Washington
9 Alaska+Hawaii
Each state has an elected government and state legislature to make the states laws with state courts to enforce them. Every state has its own official name, flag, song, animal, bird, moto.  There is at least 1 university in each state.
Population
      When the first census was taken in 1790, much of the country had not even been explored, and much of it did not belong to the UN, but to France and Spain. The “western settler” of that day were in the Appalachian. By 1854, the UN had acquired the western part of the country by purchase and by treaty. This region had been unified politically, and there were about as many people living west of the Appalachians as east of them. At that time people seriously believed that the task of settling and developing the country would require at least 500 years. The speed with which it actually was settled is one of the most exciting stories in American history.
     At first, the settlers   pushed westward in thin lines along the rivers; then they began to fill the intervening spaces  throughout the middle of the country. And there, dramatically, the movement of the population jumped to the Pacific.
      Now the population is estimated at about 236 mln with a density of 65 persons per square mile. 77% of the population lives in urban areas  ; 23% - in rural areas. The peoples of the United States represent cultures from around the world. There are many ethnic groups. The largest minority group consists of Afro-Americans who make up about 12% of the population. Spanish-speaking people from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba and other Hispanic  countries from another group which equals 6% of the population.  Native Americans are less than one half of one percent of the total. Minorities of Asian descent  include Chinese,  Japanese, Indochinese and others.
 Discovery of America and American Indians
Indians were the first Americans, they populated North America long before the ΄continent was settled by Europeans. American Indians are of Asian ΄ancestry. Many years before they entered NA from Siberia by crossing a narrow strip of land, that once connected Alaska and Siberia. Today this place is called the Bering Strait. Emigrants entered the world where there were no people at all, except animals, plants, berries, forests. The new comers spread out. Some moved to the south into central and South America. Others traveled east to the Atlantic Ocean. These migrations  were gradual  and took thousands of years. Eventually the people, who became known as Indians have spread across NA. Those people were different in their lifestyles-some were hunters, some farmers. They spoke over 300 separate languages. Indians were called so by Columbus. Recently appeared a new term, which describes first Americans more accurately - they were called Native Americans, «Amerindian американский индеец).
Around 1000 AD a group of Vikings from island under Leaf Eriksson sailed from Greenland to the eastern coast of NA. The foundations of Viking’s huts were found in Newfoundland. The first Vikings settlements didn't last. The local American Indians were hostile, the northern seas were not friendly and the Vikings gave up their attempt to colonize  Vinland. The expedition was soon forgotten.
The USA was discovered in 1492. In this very year Columbus persuaded the King and the Queen of Spain to fi΄nance  his voyage  to the Far East . Instead of Asia  he landed one of the Bahama Islands  in the Caribbean Sea. Columbus thought that he had reached west India and he called natives as Indians. Columbus never reached the far East but he returned home with gold and within 14 years΄ treasure hungry Spanish adventurers conquered the Empire  in South&Central Am. The Spanish established some of the earliest settlements in NA.

Theme 2
 The European exploration  of the North American ΄continent (Spanish, Dutch, French,  German territories ).
Colonial powers
1) Spain  possessed all the southern part of NA and the Pacific coast.
2) German farmers settled in Pennsylvania.
3) Swedes founded the colony of ΄Delaware,
4) ΄Hudson was a very good see ΄navigator who was employed by Dutch company to explore eastern coast of NA. The Dutch bought an island from Indians which was called Manhattan and they built a town of New Amsterdam on it. The settlements weren't very ΄prosperous. In 1664 it was ΄captured by the British and remained New York.
5) Russian colonists. Russian American ΄company was formed to explore the wealth of Russian America as Alaska and California came to be named. About that time the Russian began to show interest to the eastern coast. In 1812 a Russian settlement Fort Ross was established in California. In 1867 Alaska was sold to the USA. It was a good bargain for the states. They paid only 7.2millions § was a largest state. For Russia it was a considerable loss. As soon as large deposits of gold and coal was found in Alaska and later oil.
The main rivals of the English in colonization of NA were the French. They had 2large territories: New France and Louisiana. A vast territory along Mississippi. If the British came to a new world to get there and develop the land, the French were mostly traders. In the 18th century the continental wars between England and France. The latter were defeated. The 7 years war ended with a peace of Paris. The English kept the territories they had conquered  in America and received all the territory east of Mississippi except New Orleans. The rest of French province of Louisiana was transferred to Spain. By 1733 there were 13 colonies settled along the Atlantic Sea board. Virginia, Massachusetts, Hampshire New York, Connecticut Maryland, Rhode island, Delaware, Pennsylvania, North  Carolina, New Jersey, South Carolina, Georgia. Each had own government, currency trade laws, religion ways. The 3 cultures emerged on the British colonies the planter society of the South. The more galanterian settlements of New England were controlled by a puritan oligarchy. 3 the greatly variety Middle Colony reaching from New York to the Virginia border which were agrarian and merchentile. Besides they gave birth to the first cities, businessman, a stream of ports and a range of traders.
The first English settlements in North America
The Spanish established some of the earliest settlements in NA. The first town found by spanishmen in 1565 was called St.Augustine. Later in 1609 Santa Fe in New Mexico was also established by the spanishmen.
However the first beginnings of permanent settlement of NA were nearly a hundred years after Columbus's first voyage. The Englishman sir Waster Raleigh named the whole of NA for England and they called this place Virginia in honour Elisabeth 1. The first English colonists were mostly adventurers and impoverished gentlemen incapable of working on the land. That’s why the early colonists in Virginia were complete failures.
The first successful and permanent settlement in Virginia was established in 1607, this place was called James Town. It was a very typical settlement - a fort, a church, and they began tobacco. English capitalists found 2 Virginia companies, a southern one, based on London, and a northern one based on Bristol. By 1619 Virginia had 1000 people. That year was noted for three events:
1) the arrival of a ship from England with 90 young maidens  who were to be given as wives to those settlements who would pay 120 pounds of the tobacco  for their transportation.
2) the beginning of self-government. On the 30 July in Jamestown. Church met the first legislative assembly on the continent. There were a government, 6 councilors, 2 burgesses, each from 10 plantations
3) the arrival of Dutch ship with Negro slaves  of whom it sold 20 to the settlers. First Negroes appeared in NA.
In 1620 a group of puritans refugees reached the coast of NA in their ship called Mayflower. They landed on Massachusetts coast and founded a settlement there, which they called Plymouth. This was the beginning of the northern English colonists in America. Those people were called the Pilgrim’s fathers. These pilgrims were prosecuted because they denied  the primacy of the king and wished to set up their own separate church. The Pilgrim's fathers suffered terrible of first and half of them died during their first  winter, but those  who survived for the first  year managed to live and reap  the harvest  from the land. A year after their arrival and their ship came from England, they celebrated this event, besides the harvest they have gathered, and it was a feast of. They still celebrate it every November as a public holiday (on the 4th Thursday). Between  1620-1640 the Piligrims fathers were followed by many more shipboards of settlers in New England, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut , Maryland,  North  Carolina.
During the same period New Amsterdam was founded from Holland  on the small island of Manhattan. The Dutch administration was oligarchic and the colony made rather slow progress.
In 1664 Charles 2 granted the area to his brother, the duke of York. In the summer of 1664 3 worships arrived in port New Amsterdam and English took over the colonies and changed its name to New York. Most of the Dutch settlers sick of disported rule made no objections   to a change of sovereignty. Meanwhile further south Virginia developed, the settlers were helped by the beginning of the cruel slave trade. The merchants brought slaves from Africa.
The last European settlers come in 1683. This time the Quakers   had become the most energetic representatives of England of the puritan traditions. The Quakers called themselves the society or friends. They believed in the quality of men. William Penn was prominent English Quaker led a group of religion sympathies  to settle in America. To attract colonies he offered legal terms assuring all that they could obtain land and live in justice and quality. He directed the establishment of Philadelphia his city of brotherly love. The state Pennsylvania  bears  the name of William Penn's father.

Theme 3.
THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE: its reasons and results
Reasons:
1 England was busy with wars against France, so the king of England allowed the 13 American colonies a large amount of self-government.
2 In 1763 the war ended and England one control over most of the colonies of NA. But by this time the colonists felt they were Americans. They often traded with other countries, they felt strong, they didn’t need the mother-country for protection in wars any more. They were used to freedom and self-government.
3 But the English needed the colonies for economic reasons. They were buying goods from the colonies at lower prices and selling manufactured ΄products at hire prices. They were also charging  high taxes on American trade with other countries. England put new taxes on the colonies such as the Stamp act taxes on printed material (1765).
4 Strict laws made life difficult for the colonists; they could send their products only on their ships. They could send some goods only to England. The colonists were not free to settle the west of Appalachian Mountains and they had to allow British soldiers to live in their homes. The colonists were especially angry about the taxation without representation. They had to pay high taxes, but couldn’t send delegates to England to vote on them, in 1773 England passed the Tea –act (taxes on imported tea).
Against the duty of Tea taxes a party of about 50 citizens of Boston  was organized. They disguised as Indians, attacked 3 English ships with Tea and burst open the chests of tea and emptied it into the sea. This event is known in American history as the Boston Tea party. It was the first open act of ΄violence against the English, which heralded the coming of the revolution.
Following the Boston Tea party in 1774 the first ΄continental ΄congress met in Philadelphia the congress of representatives of all the English colonies of the American continent (except Georgia). It was the first unofficial American government. Arms were being brought illegally and American patriots  organized secret military training to prepare the people for armed resistance.
The following year in 1775 the first shorts of war were fired at Lexington when the red coats were trying to seize an illegal store of arms  at Concord. The patriots   learned all the British soldiers’ plans to seize the colonial supplies, they were ready for the coming British. The news of the battle at Concor spread around the country and gave the colonies a hope again. It was evident that they could resist England. The War of Independence began with a victorious battle of the colonies against British troops at Lexington and Concord.
Within a few weeks the last royal governments were being overthrown all over the country and the 2d continental congress met again in Philadelphia. But this time as an openly rebellious body  which organized the American troops about Boston. The American continental army had appointed George Washington to take command. On the July the 4th in 1776 Congress adopted and proclaimed the Declaration of Independence. The author of this document was Tomas Jefferson, a democratic minded patriot. Thus the war which had began as a war for the rights of Englishman became in a little more than a year a war of Independence.
In the first years of the war Washington’s army suffered several defeats, the American soldiers lacked discipline and military training, the quality of officers was poor, there were financial difficulties. The separate colonies distrusted Congress, were jealous at one another. It was impossible to set up a strong central government. The Americans had practically no navy. But despite these drawbacks they had some advantages: they fought in their vast and populated land; their army was revolutionary, with a fighting spirit. On the other hand English fought 3000 miles from home, it was expensive to transport men and supply [sə'plaɪ], proper strategic management of the English force was impossible.
Results: In 1777 the Americans achieved the 1st great victory of the War at Saratoga. It was a turning point in the whole course of the war. The North was placed under American control. Another direct result of Saratoga was alliance with France, which brought money and supplies, and the navy. Spain and Holland also began to support the Americans. The War continued in the south, here the Americans suffered many defeats, but they won the last battle, which was decisive. The war was practically over but the King George 3 refused to acknowledge the defeat for another 2 years. The peace treaty was finally signed in 1783. In this year Britain recognized the independence of the USA (13 colonies). And to the nation all the country between the Atlantic coast and Mississippi. The constitution that was adopted in 1789 was at that time the most democratic constitution in the world.

 Territorial Expansion of the USA
1783-1861 - the period of territorial expansion, when the US expanded westwards and the colonisation of the American continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific was completed.
Louisiana (1 mln m2) – vast territory from the Middle West to the Gulf of Mexico was bought by the US from the French (Napoleon) for 15 mln $, this transaction  was called “LOUISIANA PURCHASE in 1803 (the size of the US increased by 1/3). The Mississippi was the western boundary and New Orlean (by Spanish officials  or government) was very important to the settlers of Kentucky, because  they sold their farm products here when the port of N.O. was open, but the Spanish used to close it sometimes, American commerce could hardly develop there and Jefferson advised the Ambassador  to France to make an offer to Napoleon to buy it for 2 mln $, there was no answer though Napoleon thought about the matter thoroughly: to lead the war in Europ he needed money immensely, his losses on the island of Santa Domingo were immense, he realised that he could no longer use the territory as he had planned and offered to the USA not only N.O. but the whole Louisiana. The MEANING: the size of the territory gained was enormous (larger than France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal combined!!!).
Florida, was occupied by the US troops in 1811, 8 years later bought from Spain for 5 mln – a purchase  by force of arms. 1845Texas annexed  1846 – the Americans entered Oregon  territory and the whole Pacific coast to the North of California was joined to the USA. In the Mexican war (1846-48) half of the Mexican territory conquered (California,  Nevada, Utah, Colorado , Arisona, New Mexico)
By the middle of the 19th ent.the USA reached its present dimensions. Moreover in 1948 The Gold Rush began in California  began and people started to move west in search of gold.

The Civil War: reasons, economic and social results.
The conflict between 2 antagonistic economic and social systems in the USA: the capitalist System in the north and the Slavery System in the South as specific form of American feudalism. For capitalism to develop slavery should be abolished and political power of planters in the south must be broken + the problem in new territories in the west (slavery or freedom?!), especially after the Mexican war (1848).
NORTH: industry & manufacture (clothing, furniture), NO slaves, produced expansive  products and had the protectionist on ones from other countries; larger population=>more representatives in Congress; the Union!; supported Lincoln.  
SOUTH: agriculture (cotton)=> needed slaves; preferred  cheap European products,  had smaller population => lost power in the House of Representatives; opposed the Union, created The Confederate States of America chose Davis Jefferson as the President of Confederation.
1854 –the Republican Party is founded by the northern Capitalists  (antislavery and progressive course). 1860 – Lincoln won the Presidential Elections stating that slavery was to continue where it already existed but the new territories were free. Before he took office 11 southern states separated from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America with Jefferson Davis as the President. April 1861 The Confederate  Government demanded the evacuation  of Fort Sumper in Charlsetone Harbour  garnisoned  by federal troops. The commander of the fort refused and the southerners opened fire – the war began! The North had the advantage but the South had the support of the british ruling class because it was necessary for the british cotton industry + talented generals of the south Robert Lee and “stonewall”  Jackson + the unity of purpose in the south while the ruling class in the north was confused as Lincoln hesitated to abolish slavery completely. January, 1 in 1863 the EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION was issued  (all slaves are FREE!) It was a turning point, because the war now had the revolutionary basis. A ΄military turning point was the Battle at Gettysborough in 1863. (famous address of Lincoln after that: Government of the people, by the people, for the people). In 1864 General Grant was appointed by Lincoln as the Commander of the Union Forces=> no doubt as to the victory of the Union, but the south kept on fighting. April, 1 in 1861 the northern troops captured Richmond (the capital of the Southern Confederacy). April, 9 in General Lee surrendered to Geneneral Grant=the end of the Civil War. 14 April Lincoln – assassinated.
Results: 215000 lives, the defeat of the Revolution in the South + abolition of slavery  => a slow and long consequence– the reconstruction of the economic and political structure of the Southern States (Henry Johnson – a new President). The Period of Reconstruction lasted for 12 years, progress of democracy (the Blacks could vote), economic development, bought Alaska in 1867 for 7 mln 200 tsd, in 1869 the first Transcontinental Railway opened the way to a rapid exploitation of the West. By 1890 the USA surpassed Britain and became the leading world power.

The War of Independence and the Civil War: differences and similarities.
Difference: basic reasons – War of Independence - to become a separate powerful state, Civil War - mostly because of the course of development of the country and different humane rights. War of Independence was between Americans and Britain, thus the control over the British troops was quite isolated. Civil war was of more revolutionary basis (esp after Lincoln’s state that ALL the slaves should be free).
Similarities: as the result of both wars two most important documents in the history of the country were issued: War of Independence – The Constitution (1789), Civil War – The Emancipation Proclamation (1862-during the war). After both wars there were long periods of the development of the country: after the 1st one it was territorial expansion  first of all, while after the Civil war it was primarily economic, social and political development (attitude towards the Blacks, industries, etc)

 The USA in the modern world
The latest period of the US history begins with the end of the Cold War tensions  between the USA and the USSR and the presidency of Bill Clinton. Thus it is from 1991-till nowadays. In the 1990's the United States played the role of world policeman, sometimes alone but more often in alliances. The decade began with Sadam Husein's invasion of Kuwait and the resultant  Gulf War. By September, 1994, the U.S. was once again sending troops to a foreign country to overthrow a military dictatorship, this time in Haiti. In 1996 about 20,000 American troops were deployed to Bosnia as part of a NATO peace keeping force. In late March 1999, the U.S. joined NATO in air strikes against Yugoslavia in an effort to halt the Yugoslavian government's policy of ethnic cleansing in its province of Kosovo. On the domestic front big issues were connected with violence and sex scandals dominated the media, e.g. President Clinton kept the gossip flowing as several women accused him of sexual misconduct. As for the presidency of George Bush, it was very rich in terms of foreign policy events. Bush decided to withdraw from global initiatives such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. The Bush presidency has also been marked by diplomatic tensions with China and North Korea, the latter of which admitted in 2003 to having been in the process of building nuclear weapons and threatened to use them if provoked by the U.S. The administration is concerned that Iran may also be developing nuclear weapons, although Iran has denied such accusations  and maintains that it is pursuing peaceful use of nuclear energy. The USA faced horrible terroristic attacks - On September 11, 2001 two hijacked planes crashed into and destroyed the World Trade Center in New York City. After that Bush announced that the U.S. was fighting a war on terrorism. On October 7, the U.S. started the military campaign in Afghanistan. The Bush administration has been criticized for holding several hundred people in jails without trial. To the “axis of evil Bush also related Iraq. Bush claimed that he was preparing to open a new front in the U.S global "war on terrorism". Bush declared, "Iraq continues to flaunt its hostility  toward  America and to support terror." American troops captured Baghdad and Iraqi Constitution  was signed. Throughout the course of the Iraq war, Bush was often the target of harsh criticism. After the terroristic acts through an act of Congress, the Department of Homeland Security was created. Thus the USA are often referred to as the superpower of the modern world. Apart from military actions the USA actively influences the rest of the world by movies, music, lifestyle etc.

The American Constitution, the Bill of Rights.  The US system of government is based on the Constitution adopted in 1787. Separated from the feudal  European states by the Atlantic Ocean the US was in a favourable position for the successful development of republican principles and the triumph  of the anti-colonial revolution. The American Revolution unlike the Great French Revolution didn’t have to defend itself from numerous feudal powers. This was favourable for the development of the progressive social system.
After the War of Independence the US was not a unified nation but a group of 13 former colonies  called states. Each had its own government and was like an independent nation. Each made its own laws, but there was the Congress of Delegates  who adopted the Articles of Confederation, but they failed as the states didn’t cooperate with the Congress and each other. The Constitutional Convention  opened in Philadelphia, May 25, 1787 with G.Washington presiding. The Constitution was adopted on Sept.17, 1787 it came into effect on March 4, 1789.
Out of 74 delegates chosen to represent the states only 55 attended sessionsthe Founding-Fathers- (G.Washington, Alexander Hamilton, T.Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Flaming). The Congress agreed upon with some amendments is in force to this date. Constitution consists of the preambule, 7 articles and 26 amendments.
When the Constitution was first adopted there was wide-spread dissatisfaction as it didn’t guarantee (against) certain basic freedoms, so in Dec., 1791 the Cogress adopted 10 amendments to the Constitution known as the Bill of Rights. The Bill enumerated what the Government was not allowed to do. Jefferson described it as “what the people are entitled to against every governmetn on Earth”. It was an important democratic gain
1) Freedom of press, speech, religion
2) The right to bear arms
3) Prohibition of ΄quartering of troops.
4) Protection against unlawful search and seizure.
5) the right of due process of law
6) the right to a fair and public trial (to have an attorney appointed by the court)  7) the right to a trial by jury 
8) Prohibiton of cruel punishments (electrocution)
9) Protection of non-enumerated rights
Reservation of powers
Powers not reserved for the Federal Government  reside in the States. Some amendments are now relatively unimportant, but №1, 4-8 continue to be important and significant. Other important amendments: 13 (1865) – abolished slavery, 15 (1870) – forbade the denial to vote on account of race] or color (black men got the right to vote), 18 (1919) – prohibited the production, trade and consumption  of spirits, 19 (1920) – established women’s ΄suffrage, 22 (1951) – limited the presidential tenure of office to 2 elective terms, 23 (1961) – gave to the residents of Washington DC the right to vote in presidential elections, 26 (1970) – lowered the voting age to 18. The 27th amendment proposed 20 years ago (1984) on women’s equality hasn’t been adopted yet. ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) passed by the Congress but not ratified by the required number of states. In the US Constitution there is no amendment on maintaining international peace.
The Bill has been repeatedly  violated, exspecially Mc Carthy campaign in New York in 1964 – the law was adopted allowing the police to break the doors or smash  windows to search a building. Also the rights of the blacks are not still equal.



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