An Outline of American History, 3 rd Edition Steven L. Rosen Mail: rosen@pu-hiroshima.ac.jp Homepage: http://stevenlrosen.yolasite.com 1
Chapter I The Colonization of America The Europeanization of the world starts with the discovery of America at the end of the 15 th century by Columbus. As we enter the 16 th century, Europe and the rest of the world begin a period of radical change in social structure, economy, religion, and politics. It is the end of feudal civilization in Europe, and the beginnings of a new social order. It is also the beginning of globalization. Europe would see an incredible growth in wealth and power, and individual Europeans would gradually experience more economic, political and religious freedom. For many people in the non-european world, we should remember, the 16 th century the beginning of the end of their civilizations. Early European Conquest: Spain and France In 1492 Columbus discovered America, and shortly after that, Spain, France and later England started colonies in the Americas. The appeal of unlimited free land, rich in natural resources was very great, and these countries actively tried to explore and settle the North American continent. The Spanish came in search of gold. They colonized Florida first and, by 1600, had colonized the American southwest, spreading their language and culture. In 1608 the French started a settlement in Eastern Canada and this became the beginning of New France, the 2
French empire in America. The French were mainly involved in the fur trade and had very good relations with many of the Indian tribes in America. They explored the region down to the Gulf of Mexico (1682) and all this land was put under French control. It was given the name Louisiana after King Louis XIV. In 1718 New Orleans was founded as a major trading port. 17 th century French map of North America The English Colonies Tudor Dynasty monarch, Queen Elizabeth I 3
(1533-1603; reigned from 1558 till her death; Shakespeare s queen) In 1584 Queen Elizabeth I of England allowed a colony to be started on the east coast of America north of Spanish Florida. It was named Virginia (because Elizabeth was known as the Virgin Queen ). Under Elizabeth, England had become a rich and powerful nation in competition with Spain and France. Also, Elizabeth had firmly established the Protestant religion (Anglican Church or Church of England) as the national religion of England. Spain and France were, of course, both Catholic, so there was also religious hostility between England and these nations. North America became a place where these European countries competed for colonial possessions. The spread of religion through missionary activities was also was a factor in colonialism. Under the next English King, King James I, the colony called Jamestown, in Virginia, was established (1607). This is really considered the first English colony in America. King James I of England gave the London Company the right to settle in Virginia and North Carolina, and the Plymouth Company was given the right to settle New England. In 1612 they started growing tobacco in Virginia and more and more English went there. America was becoming a good place for British merchants to invest. New England: the Puritans In 1620 the first group of Puritans landed in Massachusetts. They were called Puritans because they wanted to purify the Church of England (the Anglican Church), which they saw as corrupt. They were also called Separatists, because they wanted to separate from the Anglican Church. Their purpose in coming to America was to start a religious community. The Puritans were a product of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. This was a time when, not only Puritans, but many people saw hope for freedom from the old social and political systems in Europe, like the Church or the 4
monarchy. The first Puritans arrived in America on the ship, The Mayflower (Dec., 17, 1620). In 1629 a larger group of 400 came to start the Massachusetts Bay Colony around Boston and Salem. They were then followed by a great migration of mostly English Puritans. In 1620, a ship of 102 Puritans landed in Massachusetts after a 65 day journey across the Atlantic Ocean, and set up the Plymouth Colony there. Massachusetts s winters are very severe and about half of them died in the first winter. However, an Indian named Squanto (who could speak English before they arrived!) taught them how to plant corn and where to fish and hunt. In the fall, after their first harvest, they had a feast (1621) which was the first Thanksgiving. In 1629 other Puritans came to start the Massachusetts Bay Company (Boston). This was the start of the Puritan migration; by 1640 more than 20,000 had came to New England. Many of its members were quite wealthy and many highly educated. Unlike the Virginia colony, the leaders of the New England Puritans wanted to make a religious community that strictly followed God s laws. They saw a need for higher education for the training of clergy, and in 1636, 5
a wealthy colonist, John Harvard, help to start Harvard College. Social Stresses: the Salem Witch Trials In 1692 a kind of hysteria took over the people living in the village of Salem, Massachusetts. They believed there were witches among them, and 14 women and 6 men are executed. Later on, they realized that they had executed innocent people. This community of Puritans came under many social as well as environmental stresses and eventually died out or became absorbed in the growing communities started by the Massachusetts Bay Company. Eventually these first New England Puritan communities died out. The 13 British colonies in North America (17 th and 18 th centuries) 6
Historical and Economic Context: British Mercantilism and Colonialism The American colonies were part of a European system of trade called mercantilism. Mercantilism is an economic policy where a nation s government tries to actively protect domestic markets (merchants and industries). It does this by restricting imports (through heavy tariffs/duties and shipping regulations). This policy also encourages exports because this will mean more money coming in and less flowing out. If necessary, military power (war) was used to enforce mercantilist policies. In the 1620 s we see the first mercantilist laws: tobacco from American colonies could only be sold in Britain. Other countries that wanted to by tobacco had to buy through British merchants; they couldn t by directly from the colony in Virginia. In 1651, England passed the first law which helped to give a monopoly to British ships: only English ships could be used for importing goods from European countries into Britain. In the 1660 s, the Navigation Acts said that all European goods going to British colonies had to go through England first. In 1733, England put heavy taxes on sugar coming into to America from French colonies in the West Indies (i.e., the Caribbean). Also, certain products produced in America (tobacco, rice, and sugar) had to be shipped to England first before they could be sold to other European countries. Ships built in New England sailed all over the world in the expanding colonial trade markets and routes. In the case of North America, British colonies produced lumber, tobacco, rice, indigo, and in sugar in the West Indies (the Caribbean islands of Jamaica and Cuba). By the 18 th century, what some people call the triangular trade 7
developed. This was a system of highly profitable trade routes between the Caribbean islands, the British colonies on the east coast of North America, England, the wine islands of Spain (Madeira) and Africa (for slaves to work on sugar and tobacco plantations). Great Britain became one of the richest countries in the world thanks to colonialism and mercantilism. The rise of the British East India Company as the most powerful and world s richest company is an example of the success of both mercantilism and colonialism. America was one of the major importers of Indian tea. Ships of the British East India Company. North 8
The Middle Colonies New York Dutch West India Company Ships In 1621 the Dutch West India Company was formed to establish a colony in America (in the area of New York). They bought Manhattan Island from the Indians for about 26 dollars worth of jewels and tools and founded New Amsterdam there. In 1664 the English king Charles II sent warships to take the Dutch colony and rename it New York. 9
Dutch Manhattan King Charles II Pennsylvania and the Quakers The Quakers were another of the many new Protestant groups which were emerging in Europe and leaving to find freedom and independence in some place far from Europe. The Quakers were very similar to the Puritans in many ways, but unlike the Puritans of New England, the Quakers believed in toleration for other people s religious beliefs. Pennsylvania was founded in 1681 by William Penn, who was himself a Quaker. Because of the Quaker belief in peace and love for all men, Pennsylvania became a place of safety for Indians, who were treated very well there. For the main city of his colony, William Penn 10
chose an area on the Delaware River, which he called Philadelphia (from Greek, meaning Brotherly Love ). This city became an important port and later on, the first capital of America. The Southern Colonies Develop The people of Virginia grew tobacco as its cash crop. Tobacco was enormously popular in Europe and this helped bring great wealth into America s southern colonies. Tobacco, and also rice cultivation, required a large labor force, more than was available from whites or Indians. In the 17 th century blacks were shipped from Africa to work on southern plantations as well as plantations on Caribbean islands (the West Indies). The first Africans arrived in Virginia in 1619 (on a Dutch ship). By the mid 18 th century about 20% of the population of America was African-American. 11
The Carolinas were given to some private merchants in 1634 and grew quickly and became two colonies (North and South Carolina) in 1729. North Carolina was mostly small farms, but South Carolina has a large number of big plantations. In 1732 King George II gave land to a group of wealthy men north of Spanish Florida. This new colony was therefore called Georgia. Like the other southern colonies, Georgia rapidly grew and became a colony in 1752. Overview: Colonial Government in North America The 13 British colonies which stretched along the east coast of North America all had local governments based on a British model, which included ideas of democracy and legal civil rights. Summary: Colonial America ~~In general, the northern colonies had a stronger emphasis on education and religion, and in the southern colonies agricultural grew thanks to the labor of black slaves. Slavery was not legal in the northern colonies. ~~After 1680, in addition the British, there was a lot of immigration from many countries to North America. Large numbers of people came from France, Germany and Holland and other countries, particularly in Northern Europe. ~~England was becoming the most powerful country in the world, and, 12
in North America was gradually pushing out the French and Dutch to become the main colonial power there. 17 th century British soldier The Road to Revolution: the French and Indian War As the British colonies spread west they came into conflict with the French, particularly in the region of the Ohio Valley. The governor of Virginia organized a group of citizens (led by George Washington) to fight the French. It is called the French and Indian War because Indians were helping out on both sides. 13
This conflict spread beyond America when, in 1756, England and France declared war on each other in Europe. When the British finally captured the cities of Quebec and Montreal in New France (1760), the French finally surrendered. As a result of this victory over the French, the British colony of Canada was established in 1763. Two very important consequences of this war: 1) It helped to unite the 13 colonies and gave them a sense of their own power. 2) The debts from the war led to higher British taxes which, later on, made the Americans desire independence from England. 14
Chapter II The American Revolution By the end of the French and Indian war, Britain had emerged as the most powerful country in the world. However, the cost of having a large army meant that Britain had to raise money. One way to do this was to force the colonists to pay taxes on imports into the colonies, like tea, sugar, coffee, cloth and wine. The rich and powerful merchants of America, as well as the common people did not, however, want to have to pay British taxes. No taxation without representation, they complained. They resented Britain trying to take away the great wealth colonies from the colonies without any political representation in London. Resentment towards Britain and British soldiers in America began to grow. When a group of British soldiers in Boston fired on a crowd of protesters (March 5, 1770) people in Boston rioted. This was the famous Boston Massacre. (see picture below) The Boston Massacre Then, in 1773, Britain passed a law called the Tea Act, and this pushed the colonists to take action to protest British control of the American colonies. American merchants felt that the Tea Act would result in a monopoly by the East Indian Company and, in protest; tea 15
was thrown from British ships into Boston Harbor. This was the famous Boston Tea Party which symbolized America s determination to be free from British rule. The Boston Tea Party made the British so angry that they started to make even stricter laws in an effort to control their American colonies. American colonists dressed as Indians throw British tea into Boston Harbor ( The Boston Tea Party ) More British control, of course, only made the American colonists more angry at the British. They became even more united in their desire for independence. In 1775 fighting started, and in July of 1776 the American Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to formally declare independence from Britain. A document called the Declaration of Independence was written and signed which can be considered as the birth of the United States. It stated the principles of democracy and called for revolution using force in order to gain political freedom. Every 4 th of July in America is as Independence Day- to celebrate the day America formally declared its independence as a separate nation. (see picture below) 16
1776, Philadelphia: the signing of Declaration of Independence. IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776 The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America 1776 年 7 月 4 日 第 2 回 大 陸 会 議 ( 連 合 会 議 ) 決 議 アメリカ 合 衆 国 13 州 の 満 場 一 致 の 宣 言 When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any 17
Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. 人 の 営 みにおいて ある 人 民 にとって 他 の 人 民 と 結 びつけてきた 政 治 的 な 絆 (きずな)を 解 消 し 自 然 の 法 や 自 然 の 神 の 法 によってその 資 格 を 与 えられている 独 立 した 対 等 の 地 位 を 地 上 の 各 国 のうちに 得 ることが 必 要 となるとき 人 類 の 意 見 をしかるべく 尊 重 するならば その 人 民 をして 分 離 へと 駆 り 立 て た 原 因 を 宣 言 することが 必 要 とされるだろう 我 らは 以 下 の 諸 事 実 を 自 明 なものと 見 なす すべての 人 間 は 平 等 につくられている 創 造 主 によって 生 存 自 由 そして 幸 福 の 追 求 を 含 むある 侵 すべからざる 権 利 を 与 えられている これらの 権 利 を 確 実 なものとするために 人 は 政 府 という 機 関 をもつ その 正 当 な 権 力 は 被 統 治 者 の 同 意 に 基 づいている いかなる 形 態 であれ 政 府 がこれらの 目 的 にとって 破 壊 的 となるとき には それを 改 めまたは 廃 止 し 新 たな 政 府 を 設 立 し 人 民 にとってその 安 全 と 幸 福 をもたらすのに 最 も ふさわしいと 思 える 仕 方 でその 政 府 の 基 礎 を 据 え その 権 力 を 組 織 することは 人 民 の 権 利 である 確 かに 分 別 に 従 えば 長 く 根 を 下 ろしてきた 政 府 を 一 時 の 原 因 によって 軽 々に 変 えるべきでないとい うことになるだろう 事 実 あらゆる 経 験 の 示 すところによれば 人 類 は 害 悪 が 忍 びうるものである 限 り 慣 れ 親 しんだ 形 を 廃 することによって 非 を 正 そうとするよりは 堪 え 忍 ぼうとする 傾 向 がある しかし 常 に 変 わらず 同 じ 目 標 を 追 及 しての 権 力 濫 用 ( 乱 用 )と 権 利 侵 害 が 度 重 なり 人 民 を 絶 対 専 制 のもとに 帰 せしめようとする 企 図 が 明 らかとなるとき そのような 政 府 をなげうち 自 らの 将 来 の 安 全 を 守 る 新 たな 備 えをすることは 人 民 にとっての 権 利 であり 義 務 である これら 植 民 地 が 堪 え 忍 んできた 苦 難 はそうした 域 に 達 しており 植 民 地 をしてこれまでの 統 治 形 態 の 変 更 を 目 指 すことを 余 儀 なくさせる 必 要 性 もまたしかりである 今 日 の(スコットランド イングランド ウェールズの 三 地 方 から 成 る)グレートブリテン 国 王 の 歴 史 は 繰 り 返 された 侮 辱 と 権 利 侵 害 の 歴 史 であ り その 事 例 はすべてこれらの 諸 邦 に 絶 対 君 主 制 を 樹 立 することを 直 接 の 目 的 としている それを 証 明 す べく 偏 見 のない 世 界 に 向 かって 一 連 の 事 実 を 提 示 しよう 公 共 の 利 益 のために 最 も 穏 当 かつ 必 要 な 法 律 に 裁 可 を 与 えることを 拒 否 した 緊 急 かつ 切 迫 した 要 のある 法 律 を 通 過 させることを 総 督 に 禁 じ 総 督 を して 国 王 の 裁 可 が 得 られるまでその 権 能 において 保 留 させることを 課 し そのようにして 保 留 させた 上 で ( 裁 可 すべき) 法 を 全 く 閑 却 (かんきゃく=いい 加 減 に)した 広 範 な 地 域 の 人 民 のための 他 の 法 を 通 過 させることを 拒 み その 人 民 に 本 国 の 立 法 府 において 代 表 される 権 利 を 放 棄 することを 求 めた そのような 権 利 は 人 民 にとってかけがえのないものであり これを 恐 れるは 専 制 君 主 のみである 立 法 府 を 普 通 でない 公 文 書 の 保 管 所 からも 離 れた 不 便 な 地 に 召 集 した 疲 弊 (ひへい)させることにより 本 国 の 施 策 に 従 わせんとするためである 人 民 の 権 利 の 侵 害 に 対 し 断 固 とした 雄 々しい(おおしい= 力 強 い) 決 意 をもって 反 対 した 代 議 院 をたびたび 解 散 した そのような 解 散 ののち 長 きにわたって 新 たな 代 議 員 が 選 出 されるようにはからうことを 拒 否 した これにより 消 滅 す ることのない 立 法 権 限 は 人 民 全 体 にその 行 使 が 返 還 されたのである その 間 もその 邦 は 外 からの 侵 略 内 なる 騒 乱 のあらゆる 危 険 にさらされていたのである これら 諸 邦 の 人 口 を 抑 制 せんと 努 めた その 目 的 のために 外 国 人 帰 化 諸 法 を 妨 害 し この 地 への 移 民 を 促 進 する 他 の 諸 法 の 通 過 を 拒 み 新 たな 土 地 の 割 り 当 ての 条 件 をつり 上 げた 司 法 権 を 確 立 させる 諸 法 への 裁 可 を 拒 否 することにより 司 法 の 執 行 を 妨 害 した 判 事 を その 地 位 俸 給 額 俸 給 の 支 払 いに ついて 己 の 意 志 にのみ 依 存 せしめた おびただしい 数 の 新 たな 官 職 を 創 設 し この 地 へ 官 吏 の 大 群 を 送 って 我 らが 人 民 を 悩 ませ 我 らが 物 資 を 蚕 食 (さんしょく=カイコが 桑 の 葉 を 食 うように 端 から 次 第 に 奥 深 く 他 の 領 域 を 侵 略 すること)し た 平 時 において 我 らのうちに 我 らの 立 法 府 の 同 意 なく 常 備 軍 を 駐 留 させた 軍 部 を 文 民 権 力 から 独 立 させ それに 優 越 させようと 努 めた 我 らを 我 らが 国 制 にとって 異 質 で 我 らが 法 によって 認 められてい ない 権 限 のもとにおくべく( 本 国 議 会 と) 共 謀 し 本 来 の 権 能 を 逸 脱 した 立 法 府 の 下 記 の 目 的 の 諸 法 に 裁 可 を 与 えた 18
George Washington The British army and navy were the strongest in the world at that time, and the war was a long and hard one. Eventually the British gave up the fight, mostly because it was hard for them to fight so far from home in an environment very different from Europe. The French navy helped the Americans fight the British France was an enemy of Britain at this time and greatly supported the colonists in their fight for independence. In 1783 the Treaty of Paris was signed giving the colonies independence from England. Creating a New Nation: The United States Constitution The Treaty of Paris gave the American colonies the right to govern themselves, but the hard work of building a republic had to 19
begin. The great challenge was how to form a government which would you unite 13 separate colonies into one republic. In 1787 representatives from all over the former colonies were sent to Philadelphia to write a constitution, which would serve as the legal framework for a new system of government. On September 17, 1787, after much debate and with compromises, a constitution was accepted creating a republic with two levels of government- state and national- but with a strong central federal government having ultimate power over the states. The U.S. federal government is divided into three branches- the executive (=the president and his cabinet), the legislative (the two houses of the Senate and Congress), and the judicial (the court system with the Supreme Court at the top). This simple but elegant system was designed to make sure no single branch of government got too much power. The founding fathers of the U.S.A. were concerned that the president might become too powerful like a king, so the two other branches were given powers which could prevent this from happening. In addition to establishing the United States system of government, the writers of the constitution also added 10 amendments, called the Bill of Rights. These 10 amendments protect American s basic legal and human rights, such as the right to follow any religion, the right of free speech, the right to a trial by a jury with a lawyer, and the right to own a gun. These constitutional protections are a basic part of American social life, now as in the past. 20
The U.S. Constitution has served for more than two hundred years as the basic framework for American society. Although it has been changed or added to over time, the basic principles of democracy (rule by the people) have not changed. However, the fundamental problem of whether to give more power to the states or to the central government remains even now a major theme in American political life. Chapter III: The 19 th Century and Westward Expansion In 1800 a great area of land between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains was purchased from France for $10,000. This was called the Louisiana Purchase. It almost doubled the size of the United States. At this time St. Louis, Missouri was the edge of the frontier- beyond that were unknown and wild lands. The famous Lewis and Clark Expedition was sent to explore the new lands for America and go on as far as the Pacific Ocean. They crossed the Rocky Mountains and then followed the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean, returning to St. Louis in 1806. 21
The Lewis and Clark Expedition The expedition of Lewis and Clark opened up the Oregon Trail, and in 1841 the first covered wagons left Missouri and went north along the Platte River for the 6 months journey to Oregon. In 1843 the Oregon territory was settled with its own government and schools. More and more pioneers went west along the Oregon Trail, settling in the fertile lands of Washington and Oregon. Little by little these American pioneers replaced the British merchants who had trading stations there. The Oregon Trail Covered wagon 22
The Great Plains At this time, the population of the United States was increasing at a very fast pace, and cities were growing at a tremendous rate, especially in the north. The Great Plains seemed like a difficult place to farm so many people became interested in moving past them to the Pacific region. Soon a trade route extended across this dry region of the American west and on to the Pacific coast, to places like Los Angeles and to San Diego in southern California. An active China trade between New York and Canton made the west coast an important port for ships on their way to Asia. The event which really sped up development of the west was the discovery of gold in 1848 in northern California. This started an immediate rush of people to who went the west coast to try to make a quick fortune. People with money came by sea, and port towns all over the California coast boomed. San Francisco became a boom town almost overnight. People with less money came over land, increasing the growth of trails and towns throughout the western frontier. California gold rush The Native American Indians Some Americans were concerned about the condition of the American Indians (Native Americans), but most were not. America was 23
mostly involved with rapid growth and expansion and another problem was taking the attention of most people in the country- the problem of slavery, which led to a civil war. Native Americans were forced off their lands which the whites wanted, and sent to other places which were hard places to live--- many died. The Civil War 1861-1865s Background Britain had outlawed slavery in its empire early in the 19 th century, and many Americans in the north also were opposed to it. By 1804 many northern states passed laws freeing slaves who were living there. Many of the newly freed blacks in northern cities protested against slavery along with white groups and joined the movement to end slavery. Those who wanted to abolish slavery all over America were called abolitionists. The Amistad Case In June of 1839, the small ship Amistad left Havana, Cuba with 49 African slaves to be sold in America. Three days into the journey the slaves escaped from their chains and took over the ship. The ship ended up in New York and was seized by the U.S. federal government. 24
The Africans were then taken to Connecticut and charged with piracy and murder. The abolitionists got actively involved in the Amistad case. The legal issues of the case were quite complicated but the symbolic meaning of the case was simple and clear. If the blacks were sent back to Africa it would show America s opposition to slavery, but if the Africans were returned to Spain it would symbolize a victory for the pro-slavery people in the South. The case went all the way up the Supreme Court (March 1841), and the court said that the Africans were to be freed. The main reason for this was that the slaves had been taken illegally from Africa where slavery had already been outlawed. Therefore they could not be the property of Spain (or anyone else), and, being free men, they had a right to fight for their freedom. This famous case served to increase tensions even more in America over the slavery issue. Most southerners were not happy to hear that these Africans were to be seen as human beings with equal political rights. Causes of the Civil War Behind the argument over slavery in America was another major issue--- the legal question of states rights. Did individual states have the right or the power to make final decisions about how their citizens should live? Or was the federal government the ultimate authority in the United States? The South believed that the final place to decide important legal and social issues like slavery was in the states, and the 25
federal government had no right to make laws which would take slavery away from them. Since the North had more political power in Congress, the southern states were very nervous that they would be forced to give up their slaves. Southern politicians thought that the best thing to do to fight this situation was to make sure that the new states opening up in the West would have slavery. Since the northern states were opposed to slavery, the U.S. congress became deadlocked, and the southern states threatened to leave and start their own nation. To try to stop the South from leaving a number of compromises were made. One compromise was to make the new state of California a free state (= no slavery), but allow the white people in of Utah and New Mexico to decide whether or not to permit slavery. No one was really satisfied with this compromise, however. The problem then got worse in 1854, when plans were made for the first transcontinental railroad to go through the new Kansas and Nebraska Territory. First proslavery settlers came to Kansas, but then antislavery farmers came to prevent slavery from being established there. The two groups ended up setting up different governments in Kansas! Fighting broke out in Kansas with almost 200 people being killed. Lincoln and the Civil War 26
In 1860 Abraham Lincoln was elected president. At first he said that the South could keep slavery, but he was against slavery being allowed in any of the new territories or states in the West. Southerners, however, believed that Lincoln would really try to end slavery, and so, on December 20, 1860, South Carolina became the first state to separate from the United States. Six other states from the Deep South soon left, and together they formed their own nation called the Confederate States of America. Then the Border States joined bringing the total to eleven states in the Confederacy. When the southern confederate army attacked the federal Fort Sumpter in South Carolina, Lincoln had to respond and the war was begun between the Confederate army of the South and the Union army of the North. The War 27
The North was superior to the South in terms of economic power and even agriculture. The North had three times the population of the South, most of the railroads, and a large navy. The South had the advantage of fighting in their own country, trying to defend their own way of life. 28
Lincoln s purpose in fighting the war was, at first, not to end slavery in the South, but rather just to keep the country together. The southern states could not be allowed to leave. The power of the federal government over the individual states must be upheld. However, in 1863, as the North was winning some important battles, Lincoln then stated that all slaves were to be set free, everywhere- this was his famous Emancipation Proclamation. This had the effect of turning the war into a struggle for freedom. Black soldiers from the 54 th Massachusetts regiment were one of the first black regiments to fight. When they found out that their salary was less than white soldiers, the refused to accept any payment. In 1864 president Lincoln said they should be given the same pay as whites. The black soldiers fought bravely despite prejudice against them by white troops. The war was a terrible one, with almost 600,000 lives lost by the time it finally ended in 1865. The country was saved, however, from 29
being split into two different countries, and slavery was abolished in the whole of the United States. Also, the legal principle was upheld whereby the federal government, not an individual state is the final of the land. Chapter IV The Industrial Revolution 30
The period after the Civil War was a period of rapid economic and social change. New technological inventions developed in England and America helped this economic growth. The period of technological innovation and increased factory production is known a the Industrial Revolution. America was becoming the richest and most powerful nation on earth. The modern corporation was also born at this time. The corporation was a company which could hold stock and sell stock to the general public to raise money for investment. The two biggest industries in America were petroleum and railroads. Immigration America is a nation of immigrants. There were 3 big waves of immigration. The first was in the colonial period when mostly British came, but also some Germans, Dutch, Swedish and French came. In the 1830 s and 1940 s a second wave of immigrants came, 31
mostly from northern Europe: Ireland, England, Germany and Scandinavia. In the 19 th century, large numbers of immigrants (about 9,000,000) entered the United States, going to live mostly in cities like New York, Boston, and Chicago. On the west coast many Chinese and Japanese immigrated to California and Washington State. This immigration completely changed American society, culture and politics. The largest wave of immigration began in the 1880 s. Within 20 years about 9,000,000 came. From about 1900 till about 1924, even more came about 14,500,000. Most of these new immigrants were from Italy, Russia and other countries in southern and eastern Europe. The Italians were the largest group and the Jews (from Eastern Europe) were the second largest group of this last big wave of U.S. immigration. Chinese has come to the United States in large numbers around the time of the Gold Rush in California (1850 s), but by the 1880 s there was discrimination against them and laws were passed to limit their entry into the United States. However, Japanese were allowed to immigrate, especially to Hawaii and California. Hawaiian Japanese came to work on the sugar plantations. Most came from Hiroshima and other rural places in Japan. Most immigrants tried to maintain their traditional culture in America, however there was great pressure on the new immigrants to Americanize quickly. In most cases the second generation became Americanized. There was often conflict between the first generation immigrants and their children because the children were moving away from the traditional values of their parents as they tried to fit in to American life. Public schools worked hard to help the new immigrants assimilate into their new country. These immigrants in the last and largest wave of immigration were usually quite poor, having escaped bad economic conditions in their home countries. Because they had little money they usually settled in the port cities where they entered: New York, Boston, San Francisco. These cities became centers for Italian, Irish, Jewish and Asian cultures. New York and San Francisco had little Chinatowns to help new immigrants survive. 32
By the end of the 1860 s the Chinese population in California had reached 75,000. They worked hard as laborers, or operating laundries. By 1877 anti-chinese feelings were strong because White workers were angry that the Chinese were taking jobs away, and violent riots against the Chinese started in San Francisco s Chinatown and spread to other places in the West. In 1882 Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act banning Chinese immigration. Japanese, however, were allowed to enter the U.S. at this time to work on farms in California and sugar plantations in Hawaii. Anti-Japanese feelings started to rise in California and, in 1908, the Gentleman s agreement was worked out between president Roosevelt and the government of Japan. This said that no more Japanese laborers could come to the U.S. unless they were joining a family already there. This was the beginning of the picture bride period (yobikose jidai) where Japanese women would come to the U.S. to marry a Japanese man in America who needed a wife. 33
Chapter V The 20 th Century: Modern America The Gilded Age The period of time during America s industrial revolution is sometimes called the Gilded Age. Between the 1870 s and 1900 huge corporations generated a lot of wealth for America- especially the railroad industry, steel, and oil. By offering stock to the public, they could raise money for rapid expansion. Immigrants worked in factories to help these corporations grow. These companies would often merge to form monopolies so that they could control the market. Soon a few huge corporations and individuals controlled most of the nation s wealth. The Progressive Era From about 1900 till the start of the First World War (1917) some individuals became interested in working for social reform to make 34
society a better place to live, especially for the large immigrant population who lived and worked in the crowded cities in dirty and unhealthy conditions. People actively worked to improve public sanitation, working conditions, stopping child labor, and women s voting rights. The Roaring Twenties The 1920 s is sometimes also called the Jazz Age because of the new styles of music emerging in the new urban culture. Henry Ford manufactured and mass produced and sold a cheap automobile which many people could afford to buy, and so the American people became more mobile. Especially young people made the 20 s a time of exuberance and freedom. This was also a time of relative economic prosperity for much of the country. The Roaring 20 s or the Jazz Age 35
The Great Depression 1929-1941 In American at this time there was a large gap between rich and poor. Big companies were manufacturing a lot of goods, but most people s wages were quite low and they couldn t afford to buy most things. Furthermore, European countries which had borrowed money during the war, were having difficulty paying back their loans. During the 1920 s there had been a lot of risky investment. People and banks and companies would borrow lots of money at high interest rates, thinking that the economy would continue to expand and prosper in the future. When the future was not good, and people wanted their loans paid off, many were unable to pay what they had borrowed. When stocks started to drop in October of 29 people began to panic. Loans couldn t be paid off because people had borrowed so much money but had no way to pay it off. People ran to the banks but the banks closed their doors because they didn t have enough money to 36
cover people s deposits. Factories closed and businesses went bankrupt. They had to fire workers, resulting in high unemployment all over America. High unemployment means that people spend even less money, so businesses declined even more. There were huge inventories of goods which could not be sold, so prices dropped. By the time Franklin Roosevelt was elected in 1932 the economy was in the midst of the deepest depression in American history; people were desperate and wanted the government to take bold and immediate action. They did. Government Action: The New Deal During the Great Depression of the 1930 s the role of government completely changed. For the first time the U.S. federal government took an active role in managing the economy. The U.S. government designed program which gave such things as unemployment insurance for people who lost their jobs, social security for people over 65 so they could get a pension, welfare for people with no money and income, and a system of taxation which made the richest in American society pay a much higher percentage of their income in taxes. All these new government programs resulted in the federal government becoming a central part of people s lives. Today there are hundreds of federal agencies and departments in Washington, D.C. which are part of the huge government bureaucracy created by the New Deal. 37
World War II When the Japanese attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in Dec. of 1941, America entered the war in the Pacific and in Europe. The whole country mobilized for war which resulted in new levels of industrial output which helped to pull America out of the war. When war finally ended in 1945, although Europe and Asian were totally destroyed, America emerged as the number one superpower, economically and politically. The New Deal policies helped to make sure that the new American wealth was distributed more evenly throughout society, rather than a small number of rich people holding all the wealth. The 1950 s and the Cold War After the war ended against Japan and Germany (and Italy), those three countries became friends of the United States in the fight a new war the fight against communism. China became communist in 1949. (Russia had became communist in 1917).. In June, 1950, North Korean troops pushed south past the 37 th parallel with Chinese support, starting the Korean War. This increased Cold War tensions even more. Then, when the Russians launched the Sputnik satellite, America panicked and government and educational institutions felt an intense pressure to compete with the Russians in the area of military technology. 38
The 1960 s and Beyond: The Age of Disillusionment When President Richard Nixon resigned from the White House in 1974 because of the Watergate scandal, Americans had become disillusioned with their government and politicians. However, Watergate was just the end of a long decade of disillusionment. We might argue that this period of disillusionment began with the assassination of President John Kennedy in November of 1963. Kennedy represented a fresh and new vision for America. He symbolized youth and made many Americans feel good about the future direction of the country. With a man like Kennedy in the White House, many thought that America had a bright and splendid future waiting for them. This was not to be the case. After his assassination, the myth was shattered. Even the nature of the assassination left many questions unanswered. Was Kennedy killed by people from the C.I.A.by the Mafia? It is not often a president gets assassinated, and in this case a very dark cloud appeared over American society. The JFK Assassination On Nov. 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas Texas. His murder is one of the great mysteries of American history. Most Americans believe that he was killed as the result of a conspiracy, not by one crazy man (Lee Harvey Oswald). Some of the possibilities are as follows: He was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald, acting alone, shooting an old Italian army rifle from the sixth floor window of the Texas School Book Depository. 39
Members of the Mafia who probably hated him and his brother for trying to break up the organized crime groups killed him. The CIA or some group within the CIA killed him Castro s agents killed him as payback. A combination of the Mafia, the CIA and maybe also Oswald. Much of the mystery lies with Oswald. Who was he really??? After Kennedy s death, the war in Vietnam began to escalate year by year and was brought home to Americans on the T.V. sets each night. The Korean War of the 50 s was not so clearly seen by Americans, but young people were drafted to go to Vietnam and then seen being killed on television. At the same time, the Black civil rights movement was becoming a major force, upsetting a lot to conservatives. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other Black leaders organized nonviolent protests. Woman also began demanding more equal rights and equal pay for equal work at this time, challenging traditional stereotypes and gender roles. Women organized marches and became politically active to fight discrimination. Native Americas (=Indians), too began demanding certain rights and fair compensation for past wrongs. In general it was a time when many of the minority groups were becoming more and more vocal, making it difficult for anyone to accept the idea of America as a good and pure country. By exposing the treatment of Blacks, women, and Native Americans, it helped to destroy the patriotic idealism that was present during and after the war. With the Vietnam War getting worse, the student protest movement grew more powerful. Simultaneously with this was the rise of a powerful counterculture the hippies and other radicals criticized most of the traditional values and ideologies of American culture. They had a great distrust for politicians and a government which was lying to 40
the people about Vietnam. Student protests took to the streets and riots broke in various cities. 41