1、Puritanism
Puritans were those who followed the doctrine of John Calvin and wanted to purify the Church of England.They believe that human beings were predestined by God before they were born.Some were God\'s chosen people while others were damned to hell.No church nor good works could save people.The sign of being God\'s elect was the succe in his work or the prosperity in his calling.They also argued that everyone must read the Bible in order to find God\'s will and establish a direct contact with God.These beliefs had great impact on American culture.
2.the American Revolution
Between 1689 and 1815, france and Britain fought Seven Years’ war, and North American was drawn into everyone of them.Britain’s victory led directly to a conflict with its American colonies.The British government argued that Britain had spent large sums of money to defend their American colonies in those wars, and that the colonists therefore should pay a part of those expenses.So the british government began to charge new taxes .But the colonists refused to obey the british laws and cry” no taxation without representation”.On April 19,1775,the first shot was fired when 700 British soldiers went to capture a colonial arms depot in a small town of Concord near Boston.The American War of Independence began.And the war came to an end in 1781 with the victory of north american.The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783 and Britian had to recognize the independence of the United States.A new nation was thus born.
3.the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was mainly drafted by Thomas Jefferson and adopted by the Congre on July 4,1776,when the people of 13 English colonials in North America were fighting for their freedom and independence from the British colonial rule.The document declared that all men were equal and that they were entitled to have some unalienable rights such as life,liberty and the pursuit of happine.It also explained the philosophy of government:the powers of governments came from the consent of the governed and the purpose of governments were to secure the rights mentioned above.The theory of politics and the guiding principles of the American Revolution mainly came from John Locke.
4.American Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America.The Constitution is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The Constitution creates the three branches of the national government: a legislature, the bicameral Congre; an executive branch led by the President; and a judicial branch headed by the Supreme Court.The Constitution specifies the powers and duties of each branch.The Constitution reserves all unenumerated powers to the respective states and the people, thereby establishing the federal system of government.
5.checks and balances
When Americans talk about their three-part national government, they often refer to what they call its system of “checks and balances”.This system works in many ways to keep serious mistakes from being made by legislative branch or executive branch or judicial branch.
6.Federalism
Federalism in the United States is the evolving relationship between state governments and the federal government of the United States.American government has evolved from a system of dual federalism to one of aociative federalism.In \"Federalist No.46,\" James Madison aerted that the states and national government \"are in fact but different agents and trustees of the people, constituted with different powers.\" Alexander Hamilton, writing in \"Federalist No.28,\" suggested that both levels of government would exercise authority to the citizens\' benefit: \"If their [the peoples\'] rights are invaded by either, they can make use of the other as the instrument of redre.\"
7.the Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights consists of the first 10 amendments which were added to the Constitution in 1791.The Bill of Rights was paed to guarantee freedom and individual rights such as freedom of speech,the right to aemble in public places,the right to own weapons and so on.
8.Political parties in the US
Political parties are organized groups of people who share a set of ideas about how the US should be governed and who work together to have members of their group elected in order to influence the governing of the country.today ,the US has two major political parties.one in the Democratic Party,which evolved out of Thomas Jefferson\'s party,formed before 1800.the symbol of the party is the donkey.the other is the Republican Party,which was formed in the 1850s,and its symbol is the elephant.
9、the roots of affluence in America
No single factor is responsible for the succe of American busine and industry.Bountiful resources,the geographical size of the country and population trends have all contributed to these succe.Religious,social and political traditions;the institutional structures of government and busine;and the courage,hard work and determination of countle entrepreners and workers have also played a part.
10.American industrial revolution
After independence, America was principally an agricultural country.The industrial revolution in England brought many changes to American industry between 1776 and 1860.One key development was the introduction of the factory system.A second development was the “American system” of ma production.A third development was the application of new technologies to industrial task.A fourth development was the emergence of new forms of busine organization—the bank and the corporation.11.Civil Rights Movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980.In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance.In some situations it was accompanied, or followed, by civil unrest and armed rebellion.The proce was long and tenuous in many countries, and many of these movements did not fully achieve their goals although, the efforts of these movements did lead to improvements in the legal rights of previously oppreed groups of people.
12.Martin luther King
Martin Luther King, Jr.(January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement.He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.King is often presented as a heroic leader in the history of modern American liberalism.
A Baptist minister, King became a civil rights activist early in his career.He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, serving as its first president.King\'s efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his \"I Have a Dream\" speech.There, he expanded American values to include the vision of a color blind society, and established his reputation as one of the greatest orators in American history.
13.Counterculture
In the wake of the Free Speech Movement and the New Left,there appeared a phenomenon that historians called the \"counterculture.\"the counterculture rejected capitalism and other American principles.they had morals different from those taught by their parents.some groups of youth tried to construct different ways of life.among the most famous were the hippies.they sought new experience through dropping out,and drug taking.but it was music,rock music in particular,that became the chief vehicle for the counter cultural aault on the traditional American society.the counterculture exerted a great influence upon people\'s attitudes toward social morals,marriage,career and succe.
14、Hippies
The hippies called themselves “the love generation.” Hippine became their only goal in life.Their music was different from any other music, and the words they sang sounded rebellious to older people.Small groups of youth lived together in cities like San Francisco,turning their lives into one big party.They wore long hair,strange and colorful clothes and many of them used drugs.They went in huge numbers to rock music concerts, and tyey made very interesting news on TV.
15.Multiculturalism in Canada
Multiculturalism in Canada was adopted as the official policy of the Canadian government during the prime ministership of Pierre Elliot Trudeau in the 1970s and 1980s.The Canadian government has often been described as the instigator of multicultural ideology because of its public emphasis on the social importance of immigration.Multiculturalism is reflected in the law through the Canadian Multiculturalism Act and section 27 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
