美国文化期末答案(大部分)

1、1. What is the name of American national flag? What does it consist of? And what does each part represent?The name of American national flag is officially called as the national flag of the United States of America. And nicknames for the flag include the "Stars and Stripes", "Old Glor

2、y", and “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The flag consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of 7 red alternating with 6 white, with a blue rectangle in the canton (referred to specifically as the "union") bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal

3、 rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 states of the United States of America and the 13 stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain and became the first state

4、s in the Union. The red color is a symbol of hardiness and valor. The blue color represents vigilance, perseverance and justice and white color signifies purity and innocence.2. Being a nation of immigrants, the United States has been compared to, metaphorically, a “melting pot,” a “salad bowl,” or

5、even a “mosaic.” Do these metaphors help us understand the complex nature of the United States? And how?These metaphors help us understand the complex nature of the United States. The metaphor a “melting pot” means that various racial and ethnic groups have been combined into one culture in the USA.

6、 The “salad bowl” refers that various groups have remained somewhat distinct and different from one another, creating a richly diverse country. And the “mosaic”, a picture made up of many tiny pieces of different colors, represents that races and ethnic groups still tend to live in segregated commun

7、ities in America.3. Three primary characteristics of the American landscape are its insulation from Europe and Asia (by the Atlantic and Pacific oceans), its expanse and variety of resources, and its natural network of waterways. Until the 20th century, these factors eliminated the need for large st

8、anding armies, offered economic self-sufficiency, and provided internal mobility. To what extent have these and other physical features encouraged national integration of the U. S.?4. The regional culture of the United States is varied and distinctive. Describe, briefly, the three or four regions in

9、 the U. S., giving particular attention to their importance, respectively, to American culture. 5. What are the general characters of the Rocky Mountains?The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than 3,000 miles (4,830 km) from the nor

10、thernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States. The range's highest peak is Mount Elbert located in Colorado at 14,440 feet (4,401 m) above sea level. Zones in more southern, warmer, or drier areas are defined by the presence of pinyon pin

11、es/junipers, ponderosa pines, or oaks mixed with pines. In more northern, colder, or wetter areas, zones are defined by Douglas-firs, Cascadian species, lodgepole pines/quaking aspens, or firs mixed with spruce. Near treeline, zones can consist of white pines; or a mixture of white pine, fir, and sp

12、ruce that appear as shrub-like krummholz. Finally, rivers and canyons can create a unique forest zone in more arid parts of the mountain range. The Rocky Mountains are an important habitat for a great deal of well-known wildlife, such as elk, moose, mule and white-tailed deer, pronghorns, mountain g

13、oats, bighorn sheep, black bears, grizzly bears, coyotes, lynxes, and wolverines.6. What were some of the causes of the American Revolution? People in the colonies did not have their justified and lawful rights equally. The British Government began to impose taxes upon the American colonists. Britis

14、h citizens in the American colonies paid taxes but had no representatives in the British Parliament. Acts, such as the Proclamation Act, the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, the Townshed Acts, the Tea Act, the Intolerable Acts, neglected the colonists' interests and angered them. People started fightin

15、g, but the British Government would not give up their colonies lightly. All these caused the birth of the American Revolution. 7. What were the contradictions矛盾 between the Federalists and the Republicans?The Federalists were a powerful and wealthy party, made up mostly of the upper class such as la

16、wyers, big businessmen, bankers, merchants, and professionals, and were influential in New England and the northeastern part of the United States where big business thrived. In terms of political thought, the Federalists believed in strong government leadership and a loose constructionist interpreta

17、tion of the Constitution, meaning that key philosophies were implied by or simply understood by the wording of the Constitution, and thus could be adapted to the day-to-day running of the government. They also supported improved relations with England over France. In contrast, the Republicans, known

18、 as the "party of the common man," were made up of farmers, small businessmen, and laborers, and influenced the southern and western parts of the United States, where agriculture was strong. The Republicans adopted a strict constructionist interpretation of the Constitution, meaning that i

19、f an issue wasn't written or referred to directly in the Constitution then the federal government had no authority to regulate or manage those affairs. Both parties were relatively short-lived: besides Washington, an ipso facto Federalist, John Adams was the only Federalist president (served 179

20、7-1801); four presidents were Democratic-Republicans: Thomas Jefferson (served 1801-1809); James Madison (served 1809-1817); James Monroe (served 1817-1825); and John Quincy Adams (served 1825-1829).8. What are the results of the Louisiana Purchase?The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the U

21、nited States of America in 1803 of 828,000 square miles of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana. The U.S. paid 50 million francs plus cancellation of debts worth 18 million francs, for a total sum of 15 million dollars for the Louisiana territory. The Louisiana territory encompassed all

22、or part of 15 present U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. It doubled the size of the US. Jefferson sent out the Lewis and Clark expedition to explore the land. Great Britain and the US signed a treaty settling the territory's northern border. The land purchased contained all of present-day A

23、rkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska; parts of Minnesota that were west of the Mississippi River; most of North Dakota; most of South Dakota; northeastern New Mexico; northern Texas; the portions of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado east of the Continental Divide; Louisiana west of t

24、he Mississippi River, including the city of New Orleans; and small portions of land that would eventually become part of the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. But a dispute immediately arose between Spain and the United States regarding the extent of Louisiana. The United States claime

25、d Louisiana included the entire western portion of the Mississippi River drainage basin to the crest of the Rocky Mountains and land extending southeast to the Rio Grande and West Florida. Spain insisted that Louisiana comprised no more than the western bank of the Mississippi River and the cities o

26、f New Orleans and St. Louis.9. Do you know the phrase “Manifest Destiny?” A New York newspaper coined this phrase in the 1840s, when many Americans believed that the United States was clearly meant to expand to the Pacific, although, as late as the mid-1840s, only about 700 people from the United St

27、ates lived in California. Manifest Destiny had another side, too, Many Americans believed that they were better than Native Americans and Mexicans. For these Americans, racism justified taking over lands belonging to Indians and Mexicans whom they considered inferior. Illustrate your understanding o

28、f “Manifest Destiny” in American culture.In 1845, journalist John L. O'Sullivan wrote an essay entitled Annexation in the Democratic Review, in which he first used the phrase Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny was always a very general notion rather than a specific policy. The phrase has three k

29、ey themes:the virtue of the American people and their institutions, the mission to spread these institutions, thereby redeeming and remaking the world in the image of the United States, and the destiny under God to do this work. There were never a set of principles defining Manifest destiny. It was

30、the belief widely held by Americans in the 19th century that the United States was destined to expand across the continent. The phrase itself meant many different things to many different people. The unity of the definitions ended at "expansion, prearranged by Heaven". Mid-19th-century pol

31、iticians would use it to explain the need for expansion beyond the Louisiana Territory.Manifest destiny provided the dogma and tone for the largest acquisition of U.S. territory. It was used by Democrats in the 1840s to justify the war with Mexico and it was also used to acquire portions of Oregon f

32、rom the British Empire. But Manifest Destiny always limped along because of its internal limitations and the issue of slavery, says Merk, and never became a national priority.10. What are the major causes for the American Civil War?The Civil War lasted from 1861 to 1865 and led to over 618,000 casua

33、lties. Its causes can be traced back to tensions that formed early in the nation's history. Following are the top five causes that led to the "War Between the States.": economic and social differences between the North and the South, states versus federal rights, the fight between, Sla

34、ve and Non-Slave State Proponents, growth of the Abolition Movement, the election of Abraham Lincoln. The "direct" cause of the Civil War - the actions which lead to open hostility between the North and the South - was at Fort Sumter, SC. Confederate forces had already seized most federal

35、forts and munitions in the South. Sumter had been surrounded by Confederate troops and was running out of supplies. President Lincoln sent word to the Governor of South Carolina telling of his intentions to resupply the fort. With this action, Lincoln forced the South into assaulting and bombarding

36、a federal fort, starting the Civil War as the aggressors.11. When was the period referred to as the Gilded Age? What were the features of the 1920s? What were the important events and movements in post-World War I America?The Gilded Age was the period following the Civil War, running from 1877 to 18

37、93 when the next era began, the Progressive Era. The 1920s were a decade of prosperity, an age of creativity, an age of roaring jazz and a time full of rebellious youth culture. The 1920s, with mass production and mass culture, were an era of standardization and mechanization and uniformity of thoug

38、ht.The important events and movements in post-World War I America:1.the 18 Amendment which prohibited the manufacture and sales of alcohol; 2.the abolition of the prohibition of alcohol in 1933, which was the only time in US history, an amendment to the Constitution was repealed; 3.the Great Depress

39、ion which was the worst and longest economic collapse in the history of the modern industrial world, lasting from the end of 1929 until the early 1940s;4.the New Deal, which was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1938.12. What effect did the ideals of the

40、 free individual have on the development of the government before the Great Depression of the 1930s? Why?13. What major effect did the Great Depression have on the government?The Great Depression was a worldwide economic contraction which brought about economic hardship and in some nations, politica

41、l instability. In the United States a general banking failure brought about increased government regulation of the financial sector along with the broadening of the social safety net through the introduction of Social Security. Unemployment, which reached 25%, was relieved partially by Public Works

42、(The WPA). A general failure of the Agricultural sector which began well before the Great Depression was mitigated somewhat by Agricultural subsidies and by soil and land conservation projects (CCC). Other nations followed suit. The economic crisis caused the fall of the Weimer Republic in Germany w

43、ith the rise of Adolf Hitler and National Socialism, and is seen as a major cause of the Second World War. The Great Depression also saw a rise on import duties throughout the world, which caused the Japanese Empire to militarily expand and which was also a reason for World War II. The failure of ca

44、pitalism on the world stage also saw the growth of the influence of Communism throughout the world with the growth of Communist parties in Europe, North and South America and China, supported by the Soviet Union.14. What were the basic ideas of the New Deal? Please comment on it.The New Deal was a s

45、eries of economic programs enacted in the United States. The programs were in response to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call the "3 Rs": Relief, Recovery, and Reform. That is, Relief for the unemployed and poor; Recovery of the economy to normal levels; and Reform of

46、 the financial system to prevent a repeat depression. Its main ideas were Anti-racism, Civil liberties, Economic interventionism, Economic progressivism, Efficiency Movement, Environmental justice, Ethical conservation, Fair trade, Feminism, LGBT rights, Labor rights, Positive liberty, Social justic

47、e, Social progressivism, Techno-progressivism, Social welfare, Wisconsin Idea, Women's rights, and Women's suffrage.These ideas of the New Deal increased the direct or indirect intervention of government on economy. They eased the economic crisis and social conflicts brought about by the Gre

48、at Depression greatly. Although they did not correspond with free market nowadays, they were appropriate for that time.15. What do you know about the Cold War?The Cold War, often dated from 19451991, was a sustained state of political and military tension between powers in the Western Bloc, dominate

49、d by the United States with NATO and other allies; versus powers in the Eastern Bloc, dominated by the Soviet Union with the Warsaw Pact and other allies. This began after the success of their temporary wartime alliance against Nazi Germany, leaving the USSR and the US as two superpowers with profou

50、nd economic and political differences. A neutral faction arose with the Non-Aligned Movement founded by Egypt, India, and Yugoslavia, this faction rejected association with either the US-led West or the Soviet-led East.The Cold War was so named because the two major powerseach possessing nuclear wea

51、pons and thereby threatened with mutual assured destructiondid not meet in direct military combat. However, in their struggle for global influence they engaged in ongoing psychological warfare and in regular indirect confrontations through proxy wars. Cycles of relative calm would be followed by hig

52、h tension which could have led to war. The most tense involved the Berlin Blockade (19481949), the Korean War (19501953), the Berlin Crisis of 1961, the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962), the Vietnam War (19591975), the Yom Kippur War (1973), and the Soviet war in Afghanistan (19791989). The US and USSR b

53、ecame involved in political and military conflicts in the Third World countries of Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. To alleviate the risk of a potential nuclear war, both sides sought relief of political tensions through detente in the 1970s.In the 1980s, the United States

54、 increased diplomatic, military, and economic pressures on the Soviet Union, at a time when the communist state was already suffering from economic stagnation. The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, leaving the United States as the dominant military power. The Cold War and its events have left a signif

55、icant legacy, and it is often referred to in popular culture, especially in media featuring themes of espionage and the threat of nuclear warfare.16. How did America become the super power with world hegemony after WWII?During WWII, the home front of America was untouched. So it recovered faster tha

56、n other countries after WWII. War time spending stimulated an industrial boom and lifted the nation out of the depression. The federal government, especially the presidency enlarged. The business in the country and the foreign trade became bigger and military enlarged. All these changes catalyzed th

57、e racial relations in America. America was becoming stronger when fighting with another superpower the Soviet Union. America became the only super power with world hegemony after the collapse of the Soviet Union which is the end of the Cold War. 17. The U.S, Constitution is the “supreme law of the l

58、and.” What do you know about the U. S. Constitution? What kind of government does it outline?The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. The Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787, by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a

59、nd ratified by conventions in eleven states. It went into effect on March 4, 1789 when it consisted of one preamble and seven articles. The first ten constitutional amendments ratified by three-fourths of the states in 1791 are known as the Bill of Rights. The Constitution has been amended seventeen additional times (for a total of 27 amendments) and its principles are applied in courts of law by judicial review. The Constitution guides American law and political culture. Its writers composed the first constitution of its kind incorporating recent developments in