英美概况知识点总结(吐血编写)

Survey of the USA Foundation: 1776.7.4. The fourth largest country in the worldPosition: the central part of North America; Alaska in the northwestern part of North America and Hawaii inthe central Pacific Ocean.Northern temperature zone.North: Canada; South: Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico; East: Atlantic Ocean; West: Pacific OceanArea: 6% of the Earth the whole Europe (三大河流体系)The three river systems in the USA are: the system of the Gulf of Mexico, the system of the Atlantic Ocean and the system of the Pacific Ocean.(三大山脉) three great mountain ranges: the Appalachian Mountains, the Rocky Mountains and the Great Cordillera Mountain Range.(the Pacific河流体系的两大河流) the Columbia River and the Colorado River.(美国/世界最长的河流)the Mississippi River is the most important river in the system of the Gulf.The Rocky Mountains(落基山脉) are “the backbone of the continent”.Great lake(美国五大湖) They are located in the northeast part of America. 由西至东:Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario.(黄石国家公园)Yellowstone National Park ，Wyoming /(大峡谷)Grand Canyon/Three basic geographical areas or surface regions:1) The Atlantic Seacoast and the Appalachian Mountains in the east Eastern Coastal Plain; The first 13 colonies ：1624, Virginia 1629, New Hampshire 1632, Maryland 1662, Connecticut 1663, Rhode Island 1664, New York 1664, New Jersey 1681, Pennsylvania 1682, Delaware 1691, Massachusetts 1713, North Carolina 1713, South Carolina 1732, Georgia2) The great Mississippi River Valley in the middle Between Appalachian and the Rocky Mountains, 2,000 km from east to westChicago Great Plain: west part of Mississippi Valley3) The Rockies west to the Pacific OceanRocky Mountains: the backbone of the continentYellow Stone National Park,Hoover Dam Las Vegas, the gambling cityDeath Valley: 85m below the sea level, the lowest place with the highest temperature in America The highest point: Denali in Alaska (20,320 feet)Silicon Valley the center of Americas electronic industryThree river systems: one of the Gulf of Mexico, one of the Atlantic Ocean, one of the Pacific OceanMississippi River: the third longest river in the world (Nile River, Amazon River) “Father of Waters”Lake Superior: the largest fresh water lake of its kind in the world (only after the largest inland lake Caspian Sea salt water lake)Lake Michigan is wholly within the USANiagara Falls: Lake Erie & Lake OntarioGreat Salt Lake: the largest inland salt lake in North AmericaThree mountain ranges The Appalachian Mountains，The Rocky Mountains，The Great Cordillera Mountain People：European origin: 80% Melting pot Indians: original inhabitantsNational Anthem: the Star-Spangled BannerNational Flag: The Stars and StripesAt the left side on the top: blue background with white stars 9 lines of stars (six, five); 13 stripes: red and white; red bravery, white freedom, blue loyalty and justiceFifty stars: fifty states; thirteen stripes: thirteen coloniesSurvey of UK (=the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)Position: Northwestern Europe To the north of France, the west of the Netherlands, Denmark and NorwayComposition(Capital): England(London), Scotland(Edinburgh), Wales(Cardiff), Northern Ireland(Belfast)Geographic features:The Highland Zone: north and westThe Lowland Zone: south and southeastThe Pennines has been called “the backbone of England”.(第一长河流)Severn River (第二长河流)Thames River(最大的内陆湖)Lough Neagh which is located in Northern Ireland.Weather: Dreary, the rain in protracted drizzle but not in heavy showers.Lack of sunshine: overcast skies and fogFactors influencing English weatherA. the shores of the British Isles: warm stream North Atlantic Drift北大西洋暖流B. westerly wind belt: the west wind from the Atlantic Ocean is mild and moist西风带C. the configuration of Britain, particularly numerous inlets make oceanic influences penetrate more effectively National Anthem: God Save the Queen (King).The anthem demonstrates the spirit of the social system in terms of constitutional monarchy.National Flag: Union Jack: combines the crosses of St. George, St. Andrew, and St. Patrick(England)St. Georges cross was rectangular, red on a white background(Scotland)St. Andrews cross was diagonal, white on a blue background (Ireland)St. Patricks cross was red on a white background People: Anglo- Saxons, CeltsBritish History:Roman Occupation (55 B.C. 410)55 B.C., the Romans under Julius Caesar invaded Britain; influence Celtic43 A.D.: successful invasion Failed to conquer ScotlandBuilt two great walls: Hadrians Wall, Antonine WallInfluence The invasion marked the beginning of English recorded history.Roman civilization: baths, temples, amphitheatres, roads, cultivation, organized government, towns, minerals (lead, iron, pottery) New religion: ChristianityNo impact on the language or culture because Romans always treated the Britons as a lave class; no intermarry.Norman Conquest the Middle English period: the Great English Vowel Shift; Frenchs influenceWilliam the Conqueror : the first Anglo-Norman king of England, the first king to be crowned in Westminster Abbey the Battle of Hastings October 14th, 1066 Influence Sped up the development of feudalism in England。William built the Tower of London; strengthened the kings power。Domesday Book: description of England stated the extent, value, population and the ownership of the land。Feudal aristocracy developed with the appearance of noble titles。The Norman way of life, French civilization 。Change of language。The last invasion of England by freigners Magna Carta （Great charter）大宪章(1215)June 15, 1215, King John signed Great CharterInfluences The first step of constitutional experiment and rule of lawPaved the way for the new-born bourgeoisie to get political powerProtected the rights of the merchant class, which facilitated the development of commerce and handicraftLaid down the basic rules for the English and American legal systemThe War of Roses (1455-1458) It is the name given to the struggle for the English throne between two branches of the English royal family: the House of Lancaster, whose vadge was a red rose, and the House York, whose badge was a white rose. The wars lasted for thirty years from 1455 to 1485. From these wars English feudalism received its deathblow. The feudal nobility was much weakenedCauses:The nobles tried to gain power and dominate the government。No proper jobs for the mercenary soldiers so they fought each other。Two branches of the Plantagenet family: the House of Lancaster vs. the House of YorkDuke of York tried to displace the Lancaster king, Henry VI。Name: Sir Walter Scott the badge of the House of Lancaster was a red rose; that of York a white oneInfluences: the extinguishing of so many nobles enabled England to shake off much of its feudal burden in its capitalist development. The thinning-out of the old barony strengthened the position of the royal house and paved the way for the development of a centralized administration.Henry Tudor as Henry VII, the founder of the Tudor Monarchy; the ending of the Middle Ages.Chartist Movement (1836-1848)A mass movement of the working class to fight for equal political and social rights、The Peoples CharterSignificance:The workers struggle for liberation。The first nationwide working class movementThe first broad, really mass, politically formed, proletarian revolutionary movement Lenin Cause of failureThe particular social conditions。Leadership was weak for the lack of close cooperation between different participants。The working class was not mature。The English bourgeoisie was not a dying classDemands of the 6 points were achieved gradually over the period of 1858 1918, but the sixth was not practicalHundred Years War (1337-1453) the War between England and FranceCauses: territorial and economic disputes。To get back the lost territory on the Continent。To expand foreign markets。Suspected that France had been giving aid to the Scots in their opposition to EnglandInfluences Deprived the English king of his possessions of the Continent。Paved the way for the development of separate English and French national identities。Bi-linguistic period in English history came to and endTo develop the woolen textile industry。Sped up the decline of feudalism。Increased the power of the central government。Pushed the growing bourgeoisie onto a higher social statusBlack Death (1348)The deadly bubonic plague. About half the population died in England, from 4 to 2 millionStarted in Italy, spread to other parts of EuropeInfluences Shortage of labour 。Statute of Labourers: it was a crime for peasants to ask for more wagesPoll taxes to fund the War。Discontent among the peasantsThe Enclosure Acts: 圈地运动 The cloth industry increased the value of wool, Raiding sheep became more profitable. This in consequence encouraged the landlords to convert arable land and the “Commons” into pastures. Later some of the nobility and merchants who had bought up manors in the countryside started to enclose the land too. Large areas of land were often hedged or fenced without any warning to the peasants. This process, which started after the Black Death, was known as the Enclosure Movement.影响：Agriculture enclosure had good as well as bad resultes:1. Farms became bigger and bigger unites as the great bought up the small.2. More vegetables, more milk and more dairy products were consumed, and diet became more varied.3. Enclosure was a disaster for the tenants evicted from their land by the enclosures. These peasant farmers were forced to look for work in towns, enclosure led to mass emigration, particularly to the New World.4. A new class hostility was introduced into rural relationships.The Welfare StateIt is a system of government by which the state provides the economic and social security of its citizens through its organization of health services and other facilities. Britain began to try this system in the postwar years and it has ever since been regarded as a welfare state.独立宣言的意义：Declaration of Independence is a creeding document that the Independence of the United States was declared, which was drafted out by the bourgeois democrat T. Jefferson. It declared that everyone was equal and it described the theoretical foundation on which the people in the colony tried to win the independence, pointed out and bitterly attached the colonial tyranny of the British Queen. It solemnly declared to the whole world that the colony in the North America had broken away from Britain and that the United States of freedom and independence was formally founded. The issue of the Declaration of Independence played a great and important role in mobilizing the masses of the people, which caused a very good influence to promote the bourgeois revolution in all countries in North America and Europe.Independence War起因：The British government practiced unfair price policies and put into effect many taxes for example the Stamp Tax. The people in the colonies wanted more power to determine their own business and opposed the unfair treatment and all these policies. Thus a war was the only solution.1. The First Continental Congress 第一次大陆会 1774.9.5地点：Philadelphia人物：Samuel Adams, John Adams, George Washington and Patrick Henry内容：On September 5, 1774, delegates from all the colonies except Georgia met in the First continental Congress in Philadelphia. Samuel Adams, John Adams, George Washington and Patrick Henry agreed that what they wanted was only fair treatment from Great Britain, rather than independence. The delegates voted to cut off all trade with Great Britain until Parliament abolished the Intolerable Acts.2. LexingtonBeginning 1775.4.18 战争开始的标志The disobedience抗命 of the American Colonies angered the British government. In 1774，the British government ordered its troops in Boston.(General Gage received secret orders from the Vritish government to take military action against the Massachusetts troublemakers.盖奇将军)3. The Second Continental Congress 1775.5.10地点：Philadelphia人物：Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Hancock内容：On May 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia. To defend the colonies, the Congress organized an army. George Washington was appointed commander in chief. They asked King George III to prevent further hostile action by Great Britain, so that peaceful relation might be restored.4. The Battle of Bunker Hill (1775.5) 邦克山战役The most bloodiest war during the Independence War.5. “The Declaration of Independence” (1776.6)独立宣言In June, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was drafted by Thomas Jefferson. On July 4, the Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. All ties with Great British were now cut, and a new nation, the United States of America was born.6. Victory at Saratoga-Turning Point (1777.10.17)人物：William Howe英方-Burgoyne美方 威廉豪将军-伯戈意义：The victory at Saratoga was a turning point in the Independence War. It stopped the British invasion from Canada, and saved the New England colones. More important, it helped convince France that it could safely enter the war on the American side.7. “The Articles of Confederation” 邦联条例作用：They served as the new nations constitution. The Articles attempted to balance the need for an effective national government with the traditional independence of each state. The document gave Congress only a limited number of powers for government the nation. All the other powers and functions, however, were left to the separate states because many delegates distrusted a strong central government.8. Victory at Yorktown 约克敦大捷作用： The victory at Yorktown ended fighting in the Revolution and virtually assured success to the American cause. 实际上确保了美国独立事业的成功。9. The Treaty of Paris (1783)作用：In the Treaty of Paris, Britain recognized the independence of its former colonies and accepted the new nations borders. Britain gave Florida to Spain. In addition, it instructed the Congress to recommend that the states restore property taken from Loyalists during the war.Bill of Rights (1689) 权利法案the Constitutional Monarchy began in EnglandAn Act Declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject and Settling the Succession of the CrownThe king has no right to nullify the law or levy tax without Parliaments consent; Catholics cant take the throne; the king cant marry a Catholic. it plays the role of Constitution; its regarded as derivation of American Constitution Industrial Revolution It refers to the mechanization of industry and the consequent changes in social and economic organization in Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was mainly characterized by the inventions of many modern machines which greatly increased productivity and changed the appearance of Britain. Modem factories and big industrial cities were growing rapidly. It made Britain richer and stronger, and at the same time it also gave birth to an entirely new social class, the working class or the proletariat.BackgroundInternally: Parliament secured the dominant position in political life, which helped to pave the way for rule of law and peaceful developmentExternally: reign supreme on the sea; geographical advantage for foreign tradeEconomically: accomplish “primitive accumulation of capital”; colonization of Arica and America; triangular tradeEnclosure Movement: Enclosure Acts; primitive accumulation of capital and the continuation of the supply of cheap labour that paved the way for the development of capitalismProcess: first in the textile industryEffects“Workshop of the world”; No other country was strong enough to match Britain in 19th CenturySimplified the class structure in Britain: middle class, proletariat, aristocratic class major problem in English society: class contradiction between the capitalists and the proletariat, or capital and labour Gravitational center of economy changed: South declined, Central and North England became advancedWide-spread unemploymentJohn Kay: flying shuttle, 1733James Hargreaves: spinning jenny, 1766 beginning of Industrial RevolutionSamuel Crompton: the mule, 1779 foundation of modern textile factory systemEdmund Wright: power loom, 1784Power：James Watt: steam engine, 1765.Cotton gin, 1792 rapid development of Britains cotton textile industryAbraham Darby: puddling and rolling process, 1709Stephenson: steam locomotive, 1814Social Darwinism: cheap labour Belief of overpopulation: Malthusianism (Thomas Robert Malthus: the population always tended to increase faster than the food supply and that war, famine, and disease served as natural restrictions of the population increase)Law of economic development: Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations (1776), “invisible hand”, laissez-faire capitalism it denied the role of government in economic lifeCivil War (bourgeoisie revolution)1642-1646 The First Civil War1649 Charles I was beheaded by Parliament.a republican government was proclaimed by CromwellBackground: Expansion of Territory.Contradiction between the North and the SouthThe Antislavery Movement.Flash point: Lincolns successful presidential election of 1860Process:President Lincoln represented the interest of the North and accepted the war.In 1862, Lincoln issued the Homestead Act, solving the land problem.In 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, a declaration that stated that all slaves in States or parts of States then in rebellion were free. Slavery was abolished.(signing of these two historical documents led the turning point of Civil War)In 1865, the North defeat the South and government of Pr