英美概况 u3American Beginnings.pptVIP

American Beginnings What is an American? letters from an American farmer by Crevecoeur The American is a new man ,who acts upon new principles;he must therefore entertain new ideas,and form new opinions. The New World The American continents were peopled as a result of two long-continuing immigration movements: The first from Asia The continent peopled first by Siberian tribes about 25,000 years ago crossing the Bering Strait to Alaska over 10-20 million people,called Indians mistakenly,they developed their own aboriginal culture. The New World The second from Europe and Africa (from 16th century) 16th century expansion of Europe 1492 Columbus’ discovery (Bahama Islands) 1497 John Cabot (Canada) 17th Permanent settlements Europe in the 16th and 17th Centuries Background: In the 17th century, western Europe was undergoing great changes. Europe was under the single spiritual authority of the Roman Catholic Church. Europe in the 16th and 17th Centuries Some new and powerful social forces: The first major force: the development of capitalism the bourgeois class and the working class. The English Revolution was the result of this growth of capitalism. the second major force: Renaissance more confident and more interest in the world Europe in the 16th and 17th Centuries The third influential force was the Religious Reformation Against the background of those emerging new forces, the 13 English colonies that would become the United States of America were planted in North America. The Settlement in Virginia The first English permanent settlement was founded in 1607 in Virginia. This was organized by the London Company with a charter from the English King James I. The Settlement in Virginia Two Important Events in Virginia: the elected delegate and the governor and his appointed council member discuss the enactment of laws for the colony. a Dutch ship brought in ov