Unit-3-American-Beginnings(I)

Unit3AmericanBeginnings(I)1.WhatisanAmerican?•J.HectorSt.JohndeCrevecoeur:LettersfromanAmericanFarmer(1782)–HeiseitheraEuropean,orthedescendantofaEuropean,hencethatstrangemixtureofblood,whichyouwillfindinnoothercountry.–HeisanAmerican,wholeavingbehindhimallhisancientprejudicesandmanners,receivesnewonesfromthenewmodeoflifehehasembraced,thenewgovernmentheobeys,andthenewrankheholds.1.WhatisanAmerican?•J.HectorSt.JohndeCrevecoeur:LettersfromanAmericanFarmer(1782)–Hereindividualsofallnationsaremeltedintoanewraceofmen,whoselaborsandposteritywillonedaycausegreatchangesintheworld.–TheAmericanisanewman,whoactsuponnewprinciples;hemustthereforeentertainnewideas,andformnewopinions.1.1J.HectorSt.JohndeCrèvecœur(1735-1813)•Frenchwriter,knownforhisworksinbothFrenchandEnglishdescribinglifeintheAmericancoloniesaroundthetimeoftheAmericanRevolution(1775-1783).•CrèvecoeurservedintheFrenchandIndianWar(1754-1763)underFrenchcommanderMarquisdeMontcalmandtraveledthroughouttheBritishcoloniesofNorthAmerica.In1765hebecameacitizenofthecolonyofNewYork,andin1769hesettledonafarminOrangeCounty,NewYork.1.2Crèvecoeur’sWorks•UnderthepseudonymJ.HectorSt.JohnhewroteinEnglishtheseriesofessays,LettersfromanAmericanFarmer(1782),whichprovideremarkabledetailsaboutlifeincolonialAmericaandduringtheearlyyearsoftheUnitedStates.•Crèvecoeur’sSketchesofEighteenthCenturyAmerica(1925),acollectionofnewspaperarticleshewroteunderthepseudonymAgricola,givefurtherevidenceofhisvigorousinsightintothedistinctivecharacteroftheUnitedStatesandtheAmericanpeople.2.TwoImmigrationMovementstotheNewLand(1)•Thefirstimmigration(about25000yearsago)–Siberiantribes,crossingovertheBeringStraittoAlaska,latermistakenlycalledIndiansbyChristopherColumbusin1492;–AboriginalculturesfromthoseoftheprimitivetribestothebrilliantcivilizationsoftheAztecs,theIncasandtheMayas.2.1.1BeringLandBridge2.TwoImmigrationMovementstotheNewLand(2)•Thesecondimmigration–ChristopherColumbusdiscoveredforSpaintheNewWorldaroundtheCaribbeanSeain1492,mistakingitforIndia;–JohnCabotarrivedinNorthAmericain1497,whichwaslaterclaimedtoEngland.–AmerigoVespuccisailedtoSouthAmericain1499,pronouncingthelandanewcontinent,notIndia,hencethenameofthecontinent.2.2.1EarlyEuropeanExplorers2.2.2ChristopherColumbus(1451-1506)•Italian-bornexplorerChristopherColumbusbrokewithtraditionin1492,sailingwestinanattempttofindashorterroutetoIndiaandChina.•ColumbusbasedhiscalculationsforthejourneyonBiblicalscripture,specificallythebooksofEsdrasintheApocrypha.OnAugust3,1492,ColumbusdepartedfromPalosdelaFrontera,Spain,onthefirstofseveralvoyagestowhathelatercalledthe“NewWorld.”2.2.3JohnCabot(1450?-1499)•In1497ItaliannavigatorJohnCabotsailedfromEnglandtoNorthAmericatofindaNorthwestPassagetoAsia.Cabotexploredthecoastsofpresent-dayLabradorandNewfoundland,becomingthefirstEuropeantosightthelandsincetheVikingsabout500yearsearlier.Cabot’svoyagecameontheheelsofChristopherColumbus’sfirsttwovoyagestotheCaribbeanin1492and1493.2.2.4AmerigoVespucci(1454-1512)•ItaliannavigatorAmerigoVespucciexploredthenorthernshoreofSouthAmericabetween1499and1500.TheAmericancontinentwasnamedinhishonorin1507.3.Europeinthe16thand17thcenturies(1)•Thedevelopmentofcapitalism–Withthefastdevelopmentofcommerceandtrade,thebourgeoisiebecameincreasinglypowerfulinpoliticsaswellasineconomy.Theywantedtosharepowerwiththefeudallordsorevenwantedtohavemorepowerfromthekingsothattheycouldhavefreedevelopment.3.Europeinthe16thand17thcenturies(2)•TheRenaissance–TheGod-centeredworldwaschallengedbythegreatprogressinnaturalandsocialscience.Peoplebegantobemoreconfidentinthemselvesandshowmoreinterestintheworldaboutthem.ManychallengedtheauthorityoftheBibleandwerewillingtoobserve,experimentandtesttruthsforthemselves.3.Europeinthe16thand17thcenturies(3)•TheReligiousReformation–MartinLuther(1483-1546),GermantheologianandleaderoftheReformation,declaring95Thesesinprotestagainstabusesandcorruptioninthechurch(indulgence),believingofsalvationbyfaithinJesusChrist(justificationbyfaith)andthroughadirectrelationshiptoGod.3.Europeinthe16thand17thcenturies(3)•TheReligiousReformation–JohnCalvin(1509-64),French-bornSwissProtestanttheologianwhofoundedPresbyterianismin1536;Calvinismemphasizingsalvationbygracealone.–KingHenryVIII(1509-47),breakingawayfromtheRomanCatholicChurchandproclaiminghimselfthesupremeheadoftheChurchofEngland.4.FourColonialPatternsinNorthAmerica(1)•TheSettlementinVirginia(1607)–100outof144Englishmen,instructedbyKingJamesItohuntforgoldandotherwealth,landedinVirginiaandbuiltJamestownin1607.–Theplantationoftobacco(JohnRolfe)–ThemeetingoftheHouseofBurgessesin1619,settingthefirstexampleofanelectedlegislatureinNorthAmerica.–ThebeginningoftheenslavementofAfricans.4.1.1Jamestown,Virginia•Jamestown,foundedin1607onanislandintheJamesRiver,wasthefirstpermanentsettlementofEnglishcolonistsinAmerica.4.1.2MarriageCeremonyofJohnRolfetoPocahontas•JamestownwasnotonlythefirstpermanentEnglishsettlementintheNewWorld,itwasthespotwhereProtestantChristianworshipwasbroughttothenewland.Infact,Jamestownisthesiteofthefirst“interrac