Title: American Beginnings
1American Beginnings
- Wang, Yueh-chiu
- National Penghu University
2- Here individuals of all nations are melted into
a new race of men, whose labors and posterity
will one day cause great changes in the worldThe
American is a new man, who acts upon new
principles he must therefore entertain new
ideas, and form new opinions. This is an
American.
3A New Land
- The American continents were peopled as a result
of two long-continuing immigration movements, the
first from Asia, and the second from Europe and
Africa.
4- The first movement began probably 25,000 years
ago when Siberian tribes, in search of new
hunting grounds or of refuge from pursuing
enemies, crossed over the Bering Strait to
Alaska.
5- The second migration to the American began with
the explanation of Europe at the start of the
modern period in the 16th century. In 1492,
Columbus persuaded the king and queen of Spain to
finance his voyage. He believed that by sailing
west from Europe, he could reach the Far East.
6- He never succeeded, instead he landed on one of
the Bahama Islands in the Caribbean Sea and
discovered the New World. Based on Columbuss
discovery, the Spanish king could claim the
territory in the Americans.
7Europe in the 16th and 17th Centuries
- The permanent English settlements in North
America began in the 17th century when Western
Europe was undergoing great changes. During the
Middle Ages, Europe was under the single
spiritual authority of the Roman Catholic Church.
The feudal system of serfdom prevailed. The
peasants or the serfs were tied to the
8- soil and worked in the fields for their lords.
- Art and learning were controlled by the Church.
By the 16th century, some new and powerful social
forces began to emerge which led to the awakening
of Europe and the discovery of America.
9- The growth of capitalism produced two new
classesthe bourgeois class and the working
class. With the fast development of commerce and
trade, the bourgeoisie became increasingly
powerful in politics as well as in economy.
10- The second major force that brought about the
modern development of Europe was the Renaissance,
which was marked by a changing outlook on life.
People began to be more confident in themselves
and show more interest in the world about them.
11- The third influential force was the Religious
Reformation, a religious reform movement that
started from Germany. - 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.
12The Settlement in Virginia
- The first permanent English settlement was
founded in 1607 in Virginia. This was organized
by the London Company with a charter from the
English king James I.
13Puritan New England
- New England today includes Massachusetts,
Conneticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and
Rhode Island in the Northeast of the United
States.
14- In 1620, 35 Puritans and 67 non-Puritans took the
ship Mayflower and left Holland for North
America. Before they reached their destination,
one of the Pilgrim Fathers drew up an agreement
which was called the Mayflower Compact and was
signed by 41 of the passengers.
15- Puritanism in New England changed gradually due
to the frontier environment and the mobility of
the population. As time went on, many of the new
generations no longer adhered to the orthodox
Puritanism. Many moved to the West and other
parts of the United States.
16- Today, Puritans are no longer in existence. But
their legacies are still felt in American society
and culture.
17- The Puritans also have left rich cultural
heritage to future Americans. The American
values, such as individualism, hard work, and
respect for education, owe very much to the
Puritan beliefs.
18Catholic Maryland
- Following the two patterns of early American
culture in Virginia and New England was the
pattern in the colony of Maryland founded by the
Catholics. The founder was the second Lord
Baltimore. His father, George Calvert, was born
into an ordinary English family, not from the
nobility nor from a Catholic background.
19- In 1623, he was granted a charter from the king
and was allowed to set up a colony in todays
Maryland. But before he could do so, he died.
His son, the second Lord Baltimore, carried out
his fathers will in 1632. He became the owner
of the colony.
20Quaker Pennsylvania
- The fourth colonial pattern in North America was
set by William Penn, an English Quaker who had
been looking for a place for his fellow believers
to live according to their religious faith. The
termQuakers was coined by their enemies because
the Quakers were so faithful to God that when
they spoke of God, they trembled.
21- Quakers had their own way of life too. They
lived a simple life, with thrift and self-denial.
They believed that God required everyone to work
hard and have a productive life. Even in jail,
they busily set about working at crafts. Their
religious beliefs taught them that everyone was
equal, so they refused to take off their caps to
nobles when they met them and even refused
22- to bow to the kings. They wore plain clothes
and used plain language. The Quakers argued that
religion was a persons private business with
God, therefore no government should interfere in
his or her religious beliefs.
23- In accordance with Quakerism, William Penn
carried out the policy of separation of state and
church in his colony. Penns holy experiment had
great impact on American culture. Voltaire
always held this colony up as a proof that man
could lead a good life without absolute monarch,
feudalism, or religious and racial uniformity.
24- Some American founding fathers such as Thomas
Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were inspired by
Penns experiment.
25The American Revolution
- By the early 1760s, the 13 English colonies in
North America had developed a similar American
pattern in politics, economy, and cultural life
and enjoyed the same frontier environment.
26- The English people and Europeans had become
Americans and they were ready to separate
themselves from the Old World. The American
Revolution officially proclaimed the birth of a
new nation of Americans.
27- In May 1775, a second Continental Congress met in
Philadelphia and began to assume the functions of
a national government. It founded a Continental
Army and Navy under the command of George
Washington.
28- Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, assisted by John
Adams and Benjamin Franklin, drafted the
Declaration of Independence, which the Congress
adopted on July 4, 1776. The Declaration
officially proclaimed the independence of 13
North American colonies.
29- It solemnly declared We hold these truths to
be self-evident, that all men are created equal
that they were endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable rights that among these, are
life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
30- Most importantly, it explained the philosophy of
governments to secure these rights,
governments are instituted among men, deriving
their just powers from the consent of the
governed whenever any form of government
becomes destructive of these ends, it is
31- the right of people to alter or to abolish it,
and to institute a 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.
32- The theory of politics and a guiding principle of
the American Revolution came from John Locke, an
English political philosopher in the 17th century.
33- The War of Independence came to an end in 1781
with the victory of North Americans. The Treaty
of Paris was signed in 1783 and Britain had to
recognize the independence of the United States.
A new American nation was thus born.
34American Economy
- Industrial Revolution
- The Industrial Revolution changed the ways that
people worked. Instead of weaving cloth at home,
people worked in factories where the machinery
made much more cloth in a short time.
35- The United States that emerged from the American
Revolution of 1776 was principally an
agricultural country.
36- Early American industries depended largely on
skilled artisans working in small shops to serve
a local market. But the Industrial Revolution
that started in England during the 18th century
did not take long to cross the Atlantic. It
brought many changes to American industry between
1776 and 1860.
37- Because labor was scarce in the United States and
wages were high, employers welcomed any new
method that could reduce the requirement for
labors. One key development was the introduction
of the factory system, which gathered many
workers together in one workplace and produced
goods for distribution over a wide area.
38- A second development was the American system of
mass production which originated in the firearms
industry about 1800. The new system required
precision engineering to create parts that were
interchangeable.
39- Lower costs made possible both higher wages for
workers and lower prices for consumers. More and
more Americans were gaining the ability to
purchase products made in the United States.
During the first half of the 29th century, mass
production of consumer goods such as cars,
refrigerators and kitchen ranges
40- helped to revolutionize the ways in which
Americans lived. - A third development was the application of new
technologies to industrial tasks. Large water
wheels and water turbines drove the machinery of
early factories.
41- The economic activity increased as a result of
new inventions. Some of the inventions were
original American ideas others were adapted from
inventions created elsewhere. The 19th century
saw the introduction of new farm machinery,
sewing machines, the telegraph, railroads,
food-processing plants, the telephone, the
perfection of the electric light bulb, the
42- the phonograph, the camera, moving pictures, and
many other devices. - A fourth development was the emergence of new
forms of business organization, notably the bank
and the corporation, which facilitated the growth
of industry.
43- Finally, the construction of railroads, beginning
in the 1830s, marked the start of a new era for
the United States.
44Free Enterprise
- Most Americans think that the rise of their
nation as a leading producer of manufactured
goods, food, and services could not have occurred
without the economic freedom of capitalismwhich
many prefer to call free enterprise.
45- The story of American economic growth is a story
of people inventing new devices and processes,
starting new businesses, and launching new
ventures. For each of these endeavors, money is
needed. That money is known as capital.
46- Immigration and the rapid growth of American
cities resulted in a large urban population
seeking to earn a living. Factory owners often
exploited this situation by offering low wages
for long working hours, by providing unsafe and
unhealthy working conditions and by hiring the
children of poor families.
47The Roots of Affluence
- No single factor is responsible for the successes
of American business and industry. Bountiful
resources, the geographical size of the country,
and population trends have all contributed to
these successes. Religious, social, and
political traditions the institutional
structures of government and business
48- and the courage, hard work, and determination of
countless entrepreneurs and workers have also
played a part. - The vast dimensions and ample natural resources
of the United States from the first to be a major
advantage for national economic development.
49- Rapid growth helped to promote a remarkable
mobility in the American populationa mobility
that contributes a useful flexibility to business
life. Mobility has been not only geographical
but also social and economic. Lacking the rigid
social classes of many European nations, the
early United States provided many
50- Opportunities for advancement, although mainly
for those who were Caucasian. Racial barriers
that long blocked advancement for darker-skinned
peoples, however, have largely disappeared in the
past three decades. Class structure today is
quite fluid.
51- The American people have possessed to an unusual
degree the entrepreneurial spirit that finds its
outlet in such business activities as
manufacturing, transporting, buying, and selling.
52- The relative reluctance of American political
leaders to intervene in economic activities gave
great freedom to market forces.
53American Agriculture
- From the earliest days, the sight of farmers
working the land has been at the heart of the
American experience. Agriculture represents a
bond of continuity between present and past,
linking new generations with the rhythms and
dreams of generations of long ago.
54- From the nations infancy, American leaders have
extolled the virtues of the hardy,
self-sufficient farmer as those most worthy of
emulation by the people as a whole. Please refer
to p. 52.
55- American farmers have shown a spirit of
individualism and egalitarianism that the rest of
society has widely admired.
56- Both American and foreign consumers benefit from
the American farmers, low-cost output. American
consumers pay far less for their food than the
people of many other industrial countries.
57- The standard of living of American farmers is
generally high. Incomes of farm families average
about three-quarters of those of nonfarm
families, but because farm families living
expenses are lowers, their standard of living is
close to the national average.
58- The readiness of many farmers to adopt new
technology has been one of the strengths of
American agriculture. Computers are but the
latest in a long line of innovations that have
helped American farmers to cut costs and improve
productivity.
59- Though responding to innovation and evolving with
the passage of time, agriculture remains the
foundation upon which American well-being and
prosperity are based. This bond linking past,
present and future is fundamental to the American
way of life.
60American Literature
- From the beginning of American history to the
present day, American literature has recorded the
story of a quest. At different times the quest
has taken different forms. In the 16th century
Europeans come to the New World in search of the
lost continent of Atlantis.
61- These fantastic dreams changed in time to more
down-to-earth dreams of success. These dreams
brought millions of young men and women from
farms and small towns to cities in the hope of
winning fame and fortune.
62- In one way or another, however, it has always
been a pursuit of happiness. American
literature is the continuous narrative of that
pursuit.
63Early Fiction
- In his accounts of his history of The Alhambra
(1832), the fabulous palace of the Moors in
Granada, Spain, Irving also demonstrated that an
American writer need not write only about America
in order to remain a patriot.
64Transcendentalists
- The country was expanding westward, but in the
older cities of the northeastern statesstill
referred to as New Englandthe influence of
early Puritan teachings remained strong.
However, such authoritarian religious
organizations inevitably produce dissenters.
65- Emerson claimed that by studying and responding
to nature individuals could reach a higher
spiritual state without formal religion. For the
next several years, Emersons essays made his
extremely influential, not only upon other
thinkers and writers, but upon the general
population as well.
66- In his poetry, Emerson developed a free-form,
natural style, using symbols and imagery drawn
from nature. His work had an immense impact on
other poets of the time.
67- Transcendentalists are based on their acceptance
of Emersons theories about spiritual
transcendence. One of Emersons most gifted
fellow-thinkers was Henry David Thoreau
(1817-1862).
68- Thoreau was passionate about individuals
learning to think for themselves and being
independent, both traditional American values.
69- In Walden, many of its statements about the
individuals role in societysimply put, that the
dictates of an individuals conscience should
take precedence over the demands, even the laws,
of societysound radical even today.
70Power of Imagination
- While these new England intellectuals presented
perspectives of literature and life, other
writers were concentrating upon human imagination
and emotion rather than the intellect. Edgar
Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne were the
symbols of imagination writers.
71New Visions of America
- Poe, Hawthorne, and Melville all struggled to
find their individual voices, and through them
American literature began to acquire its own
personality.
72- One more figure emerged in the 1850s to assert a
truly American voice, one that celebrated the
American landscape, the American people, their
speech, and democratic form of government.
73(No Transcript)
74- Like Melville in Moby Dick, Whitman ventured
beyond traditional forms to meet his need for
more space to express the American spirit.
Whitman dwelt on himself simply because he saw
himself as a prototype of The American.
75Reform and Liberation
- New intellectuals had, in fact, a tradition of
involvement in liberal reform. In the 1850s,
this took the form of a movement to end the
institution of slavery, which by that time was
practiced chiefly in the southern states.
76- Harriet Beecher Stowes Uncle Toms Cabin was an
antislavery novel that galvanized political
opinion across the nation. Sentimental and
melodramatic as it was, this novel portrayed
black slaves as sympathetic, suffering figures,
and created an image of the cruel slaveowner in
the character of Simon Legree.
77Regionalism
- One of the most important leaders of this
regionalism movement was William Dean Howells,
who in 1866 became editor of the influential
Atlantic magazine. Howells published stories
from all over the United States, and in his
literary reviews he praised writers who described
local life
78- realistically.
- Mark Twain was the first major American writer to
be born away from the East Coast. Twain was a
new voice, an original genius, a man of the
people, and he quickly won readers. He captured
a peculiarly American sense of humor, telling
outrageous jokes and tall tales in a
79- calm, innocent, matter-of-fact manner.
- Twain had a synical streak that matched the
countrys skeptical post-Civil War blood.
80- Emily Dickinsons poetry mixed gaiety and gloom.
Her verses are filled with the names of faraway,
exotic places that she visited only in
imagination.
81A New Wave
- As the wounds of the Civil War slowly healed,
many Americans became discontented with the
growing materialism of society in the United
States. Henry James, an American who lived in
Europe, examined American society by observing
the divergence between American and European
culture in novels like The American and the
Portrait of a Lady.
82- James people were trapped in their environment,
struggling to find happiness. James interest
was psychological rather than social, however.
Recording the most minute details of perception,
he drew his readers close to his characters
mental and emotional processes. His writing
style became increasingly complex, but this
focused attention away from action and
83- Setting and onto what the characters were
feeling.
84Sympathetic Views
- Three other women, in different parts of the
country, were also writing sympathetic
psychological studies.
85- American literature entered the 20th century not
as optimistic or patriotic as it had been a
century earlier, yet full of democratic spirit.
Black Americans were just beginning to make their
mark in literature in the wake of the Civil Wars
having freed them from slavery.
86Rebellious Spirit
- In the first decades of the 20th century the
United States became increasingly urban. Two
major works of literature expressed this new
attitude of rebellion against the limited life of
the typical small American town.
87- To urban Americans and Europeans both, Lewis
seemed to sum up what small-town America was all
about. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for
Literature in 1930, the first American to be so
honored.
88The Modernists
- One important literary movement of the time was
Imagism, whose poets focused on strong,
concrete images. Ezra Pound began as an Imagist
but soon went beyond, into complex, sometimes
obscure poetry, full of references to other art
forms and to vast range of literature.
89- Living in Europe, Pound influenced many other
poets, especially T.S. Eliot. He wrote spare,
intellectual poetry, carried by a dense structure
of symbols.
90Lost Generation
- In the aftermath of World War I many novelists
produced a literature of disillusionment. Some
lived abroad and were known as the Lost
Generation. F. Scott Fitzgeralds novels
captured the restless, pleasure-hungry, defiant
mood of the 1920s. Fitzgeralds great theme,
expressed poignantly in The Great Gatsby, was of
youths gold dreams turning to disappointment.
His prose was exquisite, yet
91- Vision was essentially melancholy and nostalgic.
- War had also affected Earnest Hemingway. Having
seen violence and death close at hand, Hemingway
adopted a moral code exalting simple survival and
the basic values of strength, courage, and
honesty.
92Harlem Renaissance
- The 1920s also saw the rise of an artistic black
community centered in New York City in Harlem, a
fashionable black neighborhood.
African-Americans had brought a lively, powerful
music called jazz with them as they moved to
northern cities the jazz clubs of Harlem became
chic night spots in the 1920s.
93- The Harlem Renaissance gave African-American
prominence and an impetus to grow.
94New Drama
- There were another burst of intense literary
activity in the 1920s in drama. Although the
premiere theater town was the large eastern city
of New York, most cities had their own theaters.
Professional actors toured the United States,
performing British classics, musical reviews or
second-rate melodramas.
95- ONeill borrowed ideas from European playwrights.
Like the Modernists, he used symbolism, adapted
stories from classical mythology and the Bible,
and drew upon the new science of psychology to
explore his characters inner lives. What made
ONeill unique was his incorporation of all these
elements into a new American voice and dramatic
style.
96Depression Realism and Escapism
- The Depression caused novelists to focus on
social forces. In the West, John Steinbeck told
sympathetic stories about drifting farm laborers
and factory workers. - By interweaving chapters of social commentary
with his story, Steinbeck made this portrait of
the Joad family into a major statement about the
Depression.
97- Historical fiction became increasingly popular in
the Depression, for it allowed readers to retreat
to the past.
98Postwar Voices and the Beat Generation
- The new receptivity of American society to a
diversity of voices incorporated black writers
and black protest into the mainstream of American
literature.
99- The San Francisco writers were part of a large
group called the Beat Generation, a name that
referred simultaneously to the rhythm of jazz
music, to their sense that society was worn out,
and to their interest in new forms of experience,
through drus, alcohol, or Eastern mysticism.
100New American Voices
- The feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s
fueled creative energies for many women writers.
Some poets, with their personal poetry, revealed
the pain and joy of being a woman. As the
womens movement gained more acceptance, however,
women wrote less in protest and more in
affirmation.
101Education in the United States
- Going to school in America today Each fall
almost 50 million young Americans walk through
the doorways of about 100,000 elementary and
secondary schools for the start of a new school
year. Filling classrooms from kindergarten to
the 12th grade, they attend classes for an
average of five hours a day, five days a week,
until the beginning of the following summer.
102- These students are part of one of the most
ambitious undertakings in the history of
education the American effort to educate an
entire national population. The goal isand have
been since the early decades of the republic to
achieve universal literacy and to provide
individuals with the knowledge and skills
103- necessary to promote both their own individual
welfare as well as that of the general public.
Though this goal has not yet been fully achieved,
it remains an ideal towards which the American
educational system is directed. The progress
which has been made is notable both for its scope
and for the educational methods
104- which has been developed in the process of
achieving it.
105Educationa local matter
- From Hawaii to Delaware, from Alaska to
Louisiana, each of the 50 states in the United
States has its own laws regulating education.
From state to state, some laws are similar
others are not.
106- Americans have a strong tendency to educate their
children about major public concernsproblems
such as environmental pollution, nuclear issues,
neighborhood crime, and drugs.
107What an American Student Learns
- American students pass through several levels of
schoolingand thus, several curriculaon their
way to a high school diploma.
108- Almost every elementary school provides
instruction in these subjects mathematics
language arts, penmanship science social
studies music art and physical education.
109Education in a New Nation
- Americans trace the origins of their nation to
the English colonists (settlers) who came to the
eastern coast of North America in the early 17th
century. The largest group of these first
colonists, the Puritans, founded the
Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630.
110- The Puritans sought the freedom to practice their
religiona freedom they could not enjoy in their
native country. They found this freedom in the
small towns and villages they built on the edge
of the forest in Massachusetts.
111- One of the things the Puritans believed was that
every person should be able to read the Bible.
One hundred percent literacy seemed like a dream
in the 17th century.
112- Throughout the colonies, young men and women
could receive an education in reading by becoming
an apprentice in a small business. It had been a
practice in England to have young boys and girls
live with the families of those for whom they
worked.
113- In return for a youths work, the business owner
promised to teach him or her to read, as well as
how to do a craft. This practice was brought to
North America.
114- The new United States was to be a federal
republica union of states with a strong central
government representing all the people.
115Learning to be World Citizens
- After 1920, the K to 12 education in America
remained very much the same until World War II.
That tragic event introduced changes that
affected every institution in Americaincluding
the schools. American parentsespecially young
couples who married in the late 1940swanted
their children to be educated for the post-war
world.
116- Schools were asked not only to teach this new
information, but also to help students ask their
own questions about it. The inquiry method of
learning, focusing on solving problems rather
than memorizing facts, became popular.
117- By the early 1980s, the federal government was
spending about 8 to 10 billion dollars annually
on elementary and secondary education.
118- But a good secondary education was no longer
enough for many Americans. In one school
district after another, parents insisted on high
school programs that would prepare their sons and
daughters for admission to a university.
119- More and more Americans viewed the university as
the doorway to a medical or law degree, a
position in government, or a management position
in a major business office.
120Higher Education
- Simply by being admitted into one of the most
respected universities in the United States, a
high school graduate achieve a degree of success.
A leading university might receive application
from 2 of these high school graduates, and then
accept only one out of every ten who apply.
121- The system of higher education in the United
States is complex. It comprises four categories
of institutions (1) the university, which may
contain (a) several major departments for
undergraduate students seeking a bachelors
degree and (b) one or more graduate schools for
those continuing in specializing studies beyond
the bachelors degree to obtain
122- a masters or a doctors degree.
- Any of these institutions, in any category, might
be either public or private, depending on the
source of its funding.
123- Many universities and colleges, both public and
private, have gained reputations for offering
particularly challenging courses and for
providing their students with a higher quality of
education. The great majority are generally
regarded as quite satisfactory.
124- In the United States it is generally recognized
that there are more and less desirable
institutions in which to study and from which to
graduate.
125Selecting a College or University
- In addition to learning about a schools entrance
requirements (and its fees), Americans have a lot
of questions to think about when they choose a
university or college. They need to know What
degree does the school offer? How long does it
take to earn one?
126- What curricular does a college or university
offer? What are the requirements for earning a
degree? In an American university, each
department and graduate school has its own
curriculum.
127- Typically, an undergraduate students has to earn
a certain number of credits in order to receive a
degree at the end of four years of college.
128- About 25 percent of all schools of higher
education in the United States are privately
operated by religious organizations. Most are
open to students of different faiths, but in some
religious school students are required to attend
religious services. There are also privately
owned school with no religious connection.
129- Both public and private colleges depended on
three sources of income student tuition,
endowments, and government funding.
130Trends in Degree Programs
- During the 1970s and 1980s, there was a trend
away from the traditional liberal arts. Instead,
students were choosing major fields that would
prepare them for specific jobs. - In many ways, this new popularity of liberal arts
is a return to the early tradition of American
education.
131Education for All
- As with most (but not all) problems in American
public life, the conflict was resolved by change
and compromise. Colleges continued to serve the
goal of affirmative actionbut in less
controversial ways. One large university, for
example, announced a new policy It would seek to
admit students who would ad diverse talents to
student body.
132- What success did these efforts have? American
college students are an increasingly diverse
group. In 1987, 54 were women. Women received
51 of the bachelors and masters degrees
awarded that year, and 35 of the doctorates and
professional degrees.
133Social Movements of the 1960s
- Background and Definition
- This quiet sit-in by black students in
Greensboro began the civil rights movement in the
1960s, the first of several social movements
during that decade.
134- The civil rights movement, and the youth
anti-war, and the womens liberation movements
which followed, had long roots in United States
history. However, many people who worked in the
1960s movements believed they were creating
something new and exciting which would make deep
changes in American society.
135Why did the Social Movements begin?
- During the fifteen years between the end of World
War II and the 1960s, many American men worked
hard to achieve their dreams. The federal
government subsidized education and home
ownership for veterans of World War II and the
Korean War. They remembered the hard times of
the depression of the 1930s and believed they
could protect their families
136- by working hard for long hours. Many of them
encouraged their wives to stay in their
middle-class homes in the suburbs, raising their
three or four children. They believed they were
living the American Dream.
137Who worked in the Social Movements?
- Many people who believed the government and the
society were wrong joined one or more of the
social movements. Black and white young people
worked in all the movements, as did many
middle-class white women and some men.
138- Those who worked in the civil rights movement
included older, usually male, Negro leaders
black and white young people, some white
professional men and women, and some white
housewives.
139- Not only did some of the same people worked in
several movements, but the movements also used
many of the same strategies and tactics, and
songs. When the civil rights movement began,
nonviolent, direct action tactics like sit-ins
and boycotts were used to protest segregation
laws.
140What is a Social Movement?
- There are many definitions of social movement.
One professor argues that a social movement is
a type of behavior in which a large number of
participants consciously attempt to change
existing institutions and establish a new order
of life. In other words, people work together
to change government policies and society.
141The Civil rights Movement
- Segregation laws in Southern states in the US
prevented black and white people from sitting
together in movie theaters, easting in the same
restaurants, drinking from the same water
fountain, using the same washrooms or riding
together on buses on trains. Black and white
children could not go to the same schools, and
most Negroes
142- were not allowed to vote. Although these
segregation laws were illegal under the 14th
Amendment to the United States Constitution, the
US government would not declare the Southern laws
unconstitutional until there were cases brought
in federal courts.
143Organizations
- One reason that the sit-ins in Greenboro were
successful was that black students had formed a
new organization, the Student Nonviolent
Coordinating Committee (SNCC).
144Direct Action Tactics
- The next important direct action of the three
civil rights organizations was voter
registration. Voting laws in southern states
tried to prevent Negroes from voting.
145Changes
- In January 1965, President Johnson began his war
on poverty. As racial violence continued, black
people began to question the nonviolent tactics
used in the South, and black leaders in other
parts of the country spoke in favor of black
separation and against nonviolence in fighting
discrimination and racism.
146The Youth Movement/Anti-war Movement
- As the youth movement spread outside the
campuses, some young people formed a
counter-culture. They rejected capitalism and
other American principles. They had morals that
were different from those taught by their
parents. The Hippies called themselves the
love generation.
147- Happiness became their only goal in life. Their
music was different from any other music, and the
words they sang sounded rebellious to older
people.
148Social Problems in the United States
- Racial problems
- Unlike most other people, Americans are primarily
a nation of immigrants. The citizens or their
ancestors immigrated from many parts of the
globesome as refugees from religious and
political persecution, some as adventurers from
the Old World seeking a better life, some as
149- Captives brought to America against their own
will to be sold into slavery. Though people all
share a common American culture, the nation
contains many racial and ethnic subcultures with
their own distinctive characteristics.
150- The United States was founded on the principle of
human equality, but in practice the nation has
fallen far short of that ideal. American society
is a stratified one, in which power, wealth, and
prestige are unequally distributed among the
population. This inequality is not simply a
151- matter of distinctions between social classes it
tends to follow racial and ethnic lines as well,
with the result that class divisions often
parallel racial divisions. The first settlers
from Anglo-Saxon northern Europe quickly took
control of economic assets and political power in
the United States. And they have maintained this
control, to a greater or lesser degree,
152- ever since.
- These racial and ethnic minorities mainly refer
to the blacks, Native Americans or American
Indians, the Hispanics, and Asian Americans. The
social and economic conditions of Native
Americans are probably worse than those of any
other minority group.
153- Race relations between black and white still
leave much to be desired, although there is
unmistakable evidence of some improvements in
attitudes. However, there is a sharp divergence
between the races on the question of how much
progress has been made in ending discrimination.
154Poverty
- By many standards the United States is the most
fabulously wealthy society in history. Yet over
24 million people, more than 1 American in 10,
are living at or below the official poverty line,
on incomes that the federal government considers
insufficient to meet basic requirement of food,
clothing, and shelter. These people are not the
only poor in the United States
155- There are millions more, living slightly above
the poverty line, whole plight is not much
better. Poverty can mean low self-esteem,
despair, and stunting of human potential.
156- The problem of poverty in the United States is
aggravated because it occurs in a society in
which the overall distribution of wealth and
income is very unequal.
157- The distribution of income in the United States
follows a similar pattern. The richest fifth of
American families receives over 40 of the
national income, whereas the poorest fifth
receives only 5.2. This pattern has remained
virtually unchanged at least since World War II.
158- The continued existence of poverty in a generally
affluent American society raises serious moral
questionsand inevitably creates fierce conflicts
of interest and many political controversies.
159Drug Abuse
- Drug abuse in the United States has come to be
regarded as one of the most challenging social
problems facing the nation. Indeed, the very
word drug excites strong emotions, and opinion
polls since the late 1960s have shown that the
drug problem is perceived by most Americans as
a major threat to our society, particularly to
its younger members.
160- Drug abuse in the United States is a social
problem because it has a wide range of social
costs, or dysfunctionssome obvious and
measurable, some hidden and difficult to quantify.
161- Crime There is a strong association between some
forms of drug use and crime. The use of alcohol
is highly correlated with violent crime.
162- Automobile accidents Alcohol use is directly
responsible for tens of thousands of highway
accidents and injuries the drug is blamed for
half of the annual total of road traffic
fatalities.
163- Economic losses the cost of alcohol abuse alone
totals over 43 billion a year in accidents,
medical bill, lost production, and so on. One
reason is that there are many indirect costs
society must pay to support drug-dependent
persons. Treatment and control of drug abuse
constitute a major drain on law-enforcement and
other public resources.
164Crime
- Crime is one of the most serious social problems
facing the nation. - It is general agreed that serious, violent crime
has reached alarming proportions in the United
States.
165- In summary, the Serious Crime Index of the FBI
provides an indication of the rates and trends of
certain crimes in the United States.
166The Abuse of Power by Government and Corporations
- A crucial problem of government and corporations
concerns powerand the abuse of it. American
lives are dominated by large public and private
organizations. The public organizations affects
almost every area of their experience.
167- The private organizations provide jobs for the
bulk of the population and supply most of
consumer needs, from banking and television
services to clothing and gasoline. American lives
and their entire complex civilization are largely
dependent on big organizations.
168Scenic America
- The setting sun turns the western sky crimson
red, lining higher clouds with golden borders. A
dark shadow crawls slowly up the sides of the
canyon ahead, first blotting out the tiny silver
thread of the Colorado River 15,000 meters below.
169- This scenic area is one of the U.S. National
Parks, hence there are guides, Park Rangers,
available for information in addition to small
exhibition buildings where experts inform
visitors about the geology, the flora and the
fauna, and the history of the area.
170The Southwest
- There are other scenic spots nearby. To the
east, the Painted Desert includes multicolored
hills and small uprisings from the desert floor
(buttes) that glow in the daylight in colors of
reddish-brown, yellow, orange, and even purple.
171- Moving north from Grand Canyon National Park, one
encounters many scenic areas that not in parks.
The desert areas of Nevada and the mountains and
steams of southwestern Colorada are all quite
beautiful.
172The North west
- To the far north, near the Canadian border is
Yellowstone National Park, named after the river
flowing through the area. Yellowstone was
established in 1872, and is the oldest of the
national parks and also one of the largest in
area.
173The Rock Mountains
- All of the places mentioned so far are to the
west of the Rocky mountains, which are themselves
worth touring.
174The Pacific Coast
- To the west of the Rocky Mountains, towards the
Pacific coast, there is in the south of a stretch
of desert area that suddenly becomes verdant in
the Imperial Valley of California.
175- There are few places of natural beauty in
Southern California. Most of the interest lies
in human creations such Hollywood and Disneyland.
176The Middle West
- The Rock Mountains slide down easterly towards
the great Plains states, flat lands where grain
fields extend for miles in either direction. In
the north part of this region, in the state of
South Dakota, is the unusual artistic project at
Mt. Rushmore, there enormous portait of four
famous U.S. Presidents.
177Floria
- At southernmost tip of the eastern United States
is the state of Florida. Here the climate is
mild all year, so when the weather is harsh and
severe in the north, many people, especially
older folks, visit Florida.
178The Southwest
- These states have the unusual property of having
a cost line filled with beaches and fishing
vessels to their east, and hills and mountains
for hunting, camping, and freshwater fishing to
their west.
179The Northeast
- The Blue Ridge Mountains extend up through North
Carolina to Virginia, but most visitors prefer to
visit the Eastern seaboard to enjoy the Outer
Banks, where deep sea fishing is a major
attraction.
180New York State
- The Adrindack Mountains, located mainly in the
state of New York, contain some of the oldest
rocks in the world. Mount March at 1, 629 m , is
the tallest peak, but Whiteface Mountain is more
accessible.
181Urban Scenes
- During this brief visit to some of the scenic
places in America, we have not had the chance to
mention the different and distinctive urban
centers that stretches from San Diego to Boston,
from Seattle to Miami.
182Sports in America
- American professional football is played during
the summer, the fall, and the winter until late
in January. All this culminate in the Super Bowl
to decide the champion team for the year.
183- Professional sports in America is entertainment,
especially football. Spectators are as much
interested in eating and drinking as they are in
the game itself. It is a time to party. And a
time to advertise products for consumption.
184- Professional football used to be a minor activity
on the American scene. Because games were played
only once a week, a football stadium had to
accommodate many paying customers, so they were
quite large. The largest stadium today is the
Pontinac Siverdome in Michigan with a capacity of
a little over 80,000 seats.
185- Interest in professional football suddenly
increased with the advent of color television.
It had to be color television and not the simple
black-and-white sort, because without viewing
colors, the players on opposing teams could not
easily be distinguished, making it quite
difficult to follow the game.
186- IN addition to professional football, most
colleges and universities have a varsity football
team, with additional personnel in a marching
band and a squad of cheerleaders, whose task is
to lead the spectators in cheering for their team.
187How game is played?
- The ball may be carried by a runner, or it may be
thrown forward down the field to another player.
There are four quarters of playing time lasting
15 minutes for each quarter. At the end of an
hour of playing, the team with the most points
wins.
188Baseball
- Baseball may still be the great American game,
even though many other countries are deeply, for
instance, in Japan, in Cuba, and in the Dominican
Republic.
189- The less intense activity on the playing field
also means that spectators can watch the game in
a more relaxed and lazy way, an ideal way to
fritter away a hot summer afternoon. Beer and
soft drinks are available in addition to such
snacks as peanuts, popcorns.
190- The baseball season now begins with Spring
Training in February at places such as Florida
and Arizona, where the weather is mild at that
time of year.
191How the Game is Played
- Baseball is one of the few team sports that is
not controlled by a clock the location of the
ball determines the play of the game. The
pitcher of the defensive team throws the ball
toward the home a plate at a speed often at bat,
attempts to hit the baseball somewhere in fair
territory outlined by the lines running to the
right over first base and to the left over third
base.
192Basketball
- Basketball was deliberately created in 1891 by a
physical educaiton teacher in Massachusetts,
Canadian-born James Naismith, to provide an
indoor sports activity during the snowy winter
months when outdoor playing fields could not be
used.
193How the game is played?
- A football court can vary slightly in dimensions,
but they are all approximately 26 m long and 15 m
wide. Professional courts tend to be a little
longer. At each end a basket is fixed to a board
about 3.1 m from the floor. Back boards are now
made of transparent material so that spectators
behind the basket can see the game.
194Other Sport Activities
- American are avid sports fans. One sport that
has been gaining in popularity is ice hockey,
first played in Canada and states bordering that
country. Yet it has spread throughout the United
States with professional teams in the warm states
of Florida and California. It is also popular as
a collegiate sport. P. 221
195Early American Jazz
- The whole world is familiar with American jazz
music. Musicians and performers have
appreciative fans in nearly every country. The
newest songs are heard everywhere, and live
performances are well attended. Yet many are not
familiar with the early forms of jazz, a uniquely
American contribution to the arts.
196- The individual style of jazz musicians is worth
special comment. Violinists in an orchestra are
interchangeable. One trumpet in a classical
orchestra plays like every other there is no
distinctive tone or texture that separates
clarinet players.
197- Perhaps this identification of the individual
player appeals to those American values that
stress the importance of the distinctive and
different individual.
198Early New Orleans Jazz
- At the end of the nineteenth century in America,
folk music could be found in every state and
territory. Yet it was in New Orleans that a new
blend of folk music, work chants, spirituals,
marches, and even European classical music,
blended together in the form known as jazz.
199- A definitive mark of this early New Orleans jazz
was ensemble of musicians improvising their notes
in changing chords around a specific melodic
line.
200- The percussion section was behind the front line,
and set the rhythm. Early jazz was also
identified by its polyrhythmic structure, a clear
contribution from the complex drumming of West
Africa brought over to America by black slaves.
201- Much of the appeal of jazz of jazz comes from
these complex rhythmic devices. People from all
cultures sway back and forth, or tap their feet,
or clap their hands in time with jazz. It has a
universal effect it speaks to everyone.
202- Another percussion instrument was the banjo, a
common folk music instrument. The chords
strummed on this instrument provided a general
background for the other instruments as well as
serving the rhythm section. Guitars were also
found with, or instead of, a banjo.
203- Jazz bands played dance music as well as marches
and ragtime music. They also played cakewalks,
a type of strutting dance, and blues, derived
from a blend of field chantey and spiritual.
204- The music of the blues has a peculiar, poignant
sadness, which is mainly the effect of a
flattened seventh note in the scale.
Furthermore, the lyrics of many blues pieces are
sardonic, filled with wry, self-depreciating
humor.
205- One other major source of this distinctively
American type of music is European classical
music operas, chamber music, and formal dances
such as the quadrille.
206- Music was an important ingredient in the lives of
Americans, black or white, at the end of the
nineteenth century. From formal concerts and
balls, where formal dances occurred, to weddings,
funerals, and holiday fairs, music was an
important part of everyones life.
207Jazz in Chicago and New York in the 1920s
- Jazz did establish a foothold in California, but
it flourished in Chicago and New York. In the
early 1920s, Chicago emerged as the creative
center for jazz. While New York had its
musicians, especially in the predominantly
African American district called Harlem, it was
still the south Side of Chicago that was the most
active and creative jazz venue.
208- In Chicago, the music was played at a faster
tempo than was usually the case with New Orleans
style jazz.
209The Piano
- Piano music had its own history. Primarily
employed in taverns and houses of pleasure, the
piano was used for sounding out melodies in
addition to establishing a rhythm. A special
style of music called ragtime was particularly
well suited for a solo piano.
210- Originally based on tunes for marching bands,
ragtime music is marked by a syncopated melodic
line with a regularly accented bass.
211- Ragtime piano and jazz together in the first
decade of the century. In New York however a
new, distinctive style of piano playing called
stride piano emerged in Harlem, the most
notable proponent of this style being James P.
Johnson.
212The County and Its People
- In size, Canada is the second largest country on
earth. In terms of economic power, it is the
member of the Big Seven, the world leading
industrial nations. Canada plays an active role
in international affairs, often taking part in
peacekeeping and humanitarian missions and
spearheading aid and development
213- Programs. It scenery of mountains, oceans,
forests, and prairies is spectacular. It has a
lively and rich culture, with many world famous
actors, pop stars, and writers.
214- Harlem at this time was a breeding ground for
many jazz musicians who earned fame later in the
1930s.
215Boogie Woogie
- Another piano style was emerging in Chicago in
the late 1920s and early 1930s. Pianists
drifting into Chicago from the midwest were
playing blues pieces with a distinctive, rock
bass figure.
216- Jazz developments after World War II until the
end of the 20th century, a period of over 50
years, are another, even more complex story to
tell.
217The Canada Economy
- Canada is a leading industrial nation with a
highly developed economy. The economy is
influenced greatly by Canadas physical
geography, which is rich in natural resources
but the huge size and small population of the
country has made extracting and transporting
goods to markets difficult.
218- The second major influence, as a result, is the
United States, which has a much more powerful
economy and a larger market. Given that most
Canadians live close to the border, trade has
quite naturally developed north to south, across
the Can-Am border, rather than east-west, between
provinces and regions. This accounts for a third
influence on the eco