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1、Introduction Area:total:9,631,418sqkm,(worldsthird-largestcountrybysize,afterRussiaandCanada)land:9,161,923sqkmwater:469,495sqkmnote:includesonlythe50statesandDistrictofColumbiaPopulation:293,027,571(July2004est.),(worldsthird-largestcountrybypopulation,afterChinaandIndia)Capital:Washington,DCMoneta
2、ry unit:USdollar($)Languages:English,Spanish(spokenbyasizableminority)Location:NorthAmerica,borderingboththeNorthAtlanticOceanandtheNorthPacificOcean,betweenCanadaandMexico1Washington,Oregon,California,Nevada,Idaho,Utah,Arizona,Montana,Wyoming,Colorado,NewMexico,NorthDakota,SouthDakota,Nebraska,Kans
3、as,Oklahoma,Texas,Minnesota,Iowa,Missouri,Arkansas,Louisiana,Wisconsin,Illinois,Mississippi,Michigan,Indiana,Kentucky,Tennessee,Alabama,Ohio,WestVirginia,Virginia,NorthCarolina,SouthCarolina,Georgia,Florida,Maine,Vermont,NewHampshire,NewYork,Massachusetts,RhodeIsland,Connecticut,NewJersey,Delaware,P
4、ennsylvania,Maryland,Alaska,Hawaii2American HistoryThe first Americans:ThefirstpeoplereachedNorthAmericaprobably25,000yearsagofromSiberiaovertheBeringStraittoAlaska.By1492,over10-20millionpeople,mistakenlycalledIndiansbyChristopherColumbus,inhabitedtheAmericas.3ThefirstEuropeanstoarriveinNorthAmeric
5、aaroundtheyear985 were Norse,people fromthe Scandinavians(Sweden,Denmark,Norway,andIceland).The early 1600s saw thebeginning of a great tide ofemigration from Europe toNorthAmerica.TheEnglishmenbegantoestablishpermanentsettlements in North Americaby the beginning of the 17thcentury.4Reasons for Euro
6、pean ImmigrationMost European emigrants left their homelands to escapepoliticaloppression,toseekthefreedomtopracticetheirreligion,orforadventureandopportunities.Between 1620 and 1635,economic difficulties sweptEngland.Colonial expansion became an outlet for thisdisplacedpopulation.In the 1630s,arbit
7、rary rule by Englands Charles I gaveimpetustothemigrationtotheNewWorld.In contrast to the colonizationpoliciesof other countriesand other periods,the emigration from England was notdirectlysponsoredbythegovernmentbutbyprivategroupsofindividualswhosechiefmotivewasprofit.5 The Settlement in VirginiaTh
8、efirstoftheBritishcoloniestotakehold in North America in 1607 wasJamestown,Virginia.OnMay14,1607,theVirginiaCompanyexplorerslandedonJamestownIsland,toestablishtheVirginiaEnglishcolonyonthebanksoftheJamesRiver60milesfromthemouthoftheChesapeakeBay.ThefirstrepresentativeassemblyintheNewWorldconvenedint
9、heJamestownchurchonJuly30,1619.ThisisthefirstexampleforthefutureUnitedStates.6The Historical Importance of JamestownThe Far East has its Mecca,Palestine its Jerusalem,France its Lourdes,and Italy its Loretto,but Americas only shrines are her altars of patriotism-the first and most potent being James
10、town;the sire of Virginia,and Virginia the mother of this great Republic.7Puritan New EnglandNewEnglandincludesMassachusetts,Connecticut,NewHampshire,Vermont,MaineandRhodeIsland.ThesecondEnglishsettlementwasestablishedbyEnglishpuritansinMassachusettsin1620when35Puritansand67non-PuritanstooktheshipMa
11、yflowerforNorthAmerica.ThePuritanshopedtobuild“acityuponhill”-anidealcommunity,aworthymodelforothers.8Catholic MarylandIn1634theshipsArkandDovebroughtsettlers(bothCatholicandProtestant)totheWesternShore,andasettlementcalledSt.Maryswassetup.LordBaltimore,founderofMaryland,wishedtointroduceafeudalsyst
12、emtohiscolonybutfailednotlongafterthefoundingofhiscolony.9Quaker PennsylvaniaIn1681KingCharlesIIgaveWilliamPennahugetractoflandinNorthAmericaandnamedit,Pennsilvania,orPennsWoods.WilliamPenncametoNorthAmericain1682andsetthe4thcolonialpatterninPennsylvania:allthosewhosettledinhislandwouldenjoyreligiou
13、sfreedom;anyonewhowouldsettleinhiscolonycouldgetsomelandalmostfornothing.ThomasJeffersoncalledPennthegreatestlaw-givertheworldhasproduced.10The American Revolution(1775-1783)Thehistoricalimportance:TheAmericanRevolutionofficiallyproclaimedthebirthofanewnationofAmericans.TheAmericanRevolutionendedtwo
14、centuriesofBritishruleformostoftheNorthAmericancoloniesandcreatedthemodernUnitedStatesofAmerica.InthewakeoftheRevolutioncameeventsasvariedasthedraftingandratificationoftheConstitutionoftheUnitedStatesofAmericaandtherebellionsofslaveswhosawthecontrastbetweenslaveryandproclamationsofliberty.11Importan
15、t Figures of the RevolutionGeorgeWashington(1732-1799):Bornin1732intoaVirginiaplanterfamily.From1759totheoutbreakoftheAmericanRevolution,WashingtonmanagedhislandsaroundMountVernonandservedintheVirginiaHouseofBurgesses.In1775electedCommanderinChiefoftheContinentalArmy.In1781launchedthebrilliantlyplan
16、nedandexecutedYorktownCampaignagainstCharlesCornwallis,securingtheAmericanvictory.BecamethefirstPresidentoftheUnitedStatesin1789.12Thomas Jefferson(1743-1826)Bornin1743intoaVirginiaplanterfamily.DraftedtheDeclarationofIndependence.ServedasgovernorofVirginia,asU.S.ministertoFrance,assecretaryofstateu
17、nderGeorgeWashington,asvice-presidentintheadministrationofJohnAdams.BecamethethirdPresidentoftheUnitedStatesin1801.13The Declaration of IndependenceAdoptedin1776andofficiallyproclaimedtheindependenceof13NorthAmericancolonies.Regardedasthewant,will,andhopesofthepeople.Thenationsmostcherishedsymbolofl
18、iberty14TheWarofIndependencecametoanendin1781withthevictoryofNorthAmericans.TheTreatyofPariswassignedin1783andBritainhadtorecognizetheindependenceoftheUnitedStates.“HisBrittanicMajestyacknowledgesthesaidUnitedStates,viz.,NewHampshire,MassachusettsBay,RhodeIslandandProvidencePlantations,Connecticut,N
19、ewYork,NewJersey,Pennsylvania,Maryland,Virginia,NorthCarolina,SouthCarolinaandGeorgia,tobefreesovereignandindependentstates,thathetreatswiththemassuch,andforhimself,hisheirs,andsuccessors,relinquishesallclaimstothegovernment,propriety,andterritorialrightsofthesameandeverypartthereof.”(fromtheTreatyo
20、fParis)AnewAmericannationwasthusborn.15The Treaty of Paris(1783)AlthoughCornwallissurrenderatYorktownintheFallof1781markedtheendoftheRevolutionaryWar,minorbattlesbetweentheBritishandthecolonistscontinuedforanothertwoyears.Finally,inFebruaryof1783GeorgeIIIissuedhisProclamationofCessationofHostilities
21、,culminatinginthePeaceTreatyof1783.SignedinParisonSeptember3,1783,theagreement-alsoknownastheParisPeaceTreaty-formallyendedtheUnitedStatesWarforIndependence.16RepresentingtheUnitedStateswereJohnAdams,BenjaminFranklinandJohnJay,allofwhomsignedthetreaty.InadditiontogivingformalrecognitiontotheU.S.,the
22、ninearticlesthatembodiedthetreaty:establishedU.S.boundaries,specifiedcertainfishingrights,allowedcreditorsofeachcountrytobepaidbycitizensoftheother,restoredtherightsandpropertyofLoyalists,openeduptheMississippiRivertocitizensofbothnationsandprovidedforevacuationofallBritishforces.PaintingbyBenjaminW
23、estdepictingJohnJay,JohnAdams,BenjaminFranklin,HenryLaurens,andWilliamTempleFranklin.TheBritishcommissionersrefusedtopose,andthepicturewasneverfinished.17The Political SystemTheArticlesofConfederation:thefirstconstitutionoftheUnitedStates.Draftedin1777bythesameContinentalCongressthatpassedtheDeclara
24、tionofIndependence,thearticlesestablishedafirmleagueoffriendshipbetweenandamongthe13states.ItbecameoperativeonMarch1,1781whenthelastofthe13statessignedontothedocument.18Constitution AftertheWarofIndependence,eachnewstatehaditsowngovernment,madeitsownlawsandhandledallofitsinternalaffairs.Thestatesdid
25、ntcooperatewitheachother.Soin1787theCongressheldameeting,laterknownastheConstitutionalConvention,tomakeanewconstitution.TheConstitutionopenswithaPreamble,whichmakesitclearthatthegovernmentissetupby“We,thepeople”anditspurposeisto“promotethegeneralwelfareandsecuretheblessingoflibertytoourselvesandourp
26、osterity.”AccordingtotheConstitution,thegovernmentshouldconsistofthreebranches:theexecutive,thelegislativeandthejudicial.Eachbranchhaspowersthattheothersdonthaveandeachbranchhasawayofcounteractingandlimitinganywrongfulactionbyanotherbranch.19Bill of RightsSomerepresentatives,ledbyThomasJefferson,cri
27、ticizedthenewConstitutionbecauseitdidntprovideguaranteeforindividualandstaterights.SotheBillofRightswasaddedtotheConstitutionin1791.Itwasintheformofthefirsttenamendments.Thefirstnineprovidedguaranteeforindividualrightswhichincludedthefreedomofspeech,freedomofthepress,therighttobeararms,andtherightto
28、havefairtrials.Thetenthguaranteedstatepowers.20Legislative BranchTheConstitutioninvestedthelegislativepowerintheCongress,whichistheonlybranchthatcanmakefederallaws,levytaxes,declarewar,decidethegovernmentbudget,establishamonetarysystem,putforeigntreatiesintoeffect,impeachthePresident,VicePresident,f
29、ederaljudges,andallothercivilofficers.TheU.S.Congressiscomposedoftwohouses:theSenateandtheHouseofRepresentatives.The U.S.Capitol21The SenateItconsistsof100members,twofromeachofthefiftystatesregardlessofpopulationsothatthesmallstateshaveanequalvoiceintheCongress.Senatorsserveforsixyearsandtheirtermsa
30、restaggered.Soonlyone-thirdoftheSenateiselectedeverytwoyears.TheVicePresidentoftheUnitedStatesisthePresidentoftheSenate.Buthedoesntvoteunlessthevotesareequallydivided.22The House of RepresentativesTheseatsareapportionedamongthe50statesaccordingtopopulation.Thewholecountryisdividedinto435congressiona
31、ldistricts.Votersineachdistrictelectonerepresentative.Houserepresentativesservefortwoyears.TheleaderoftheHouseofRepresentativesistheSpeaker,whoiselectedbymembersoftheHouseandusuallyistheleaderoftheMajorityPartyintheHouse.23The SpeakerTheSpeakertypicallymaintainsthreeroles,astheRepresentativeforhisor
32、herdistrict,asaleaderofhisorherparty,andastheleaderoftheHouseasawhole.OnJanuary6,2009,NancyPelosiwassworninasSpeakeroftheHouseofRepresentativesofthe111thCongress.24Procedure of LawmakingTheprocessoflawmakingstartswhenamemberofCongressproposesabill.Thebillcanoriginateineitherhouse,exceptthatbillsrela
33、tedtobudgetandexpenseshavetooriginateintheHouseofRepresentatives.IfthebillispassedintheHouse,itgoestotheSenate.Whenbothhousesapprovethebill,itgoestothePresidenttobesignedintolaw.25Executive BranchThepoweroftheexecutivebranchisvestedinthePresident.Asthechiefexecutiveofficerofthenation,thePresidentsdu
34、tyisto“preserve,protectanddefendtheConstitutionoftheUnitedStates”andtofaithfullyexecutelawspassedbyCongress.ThePresidentisassistedbyaCabinetintheexecutionofhisduty.TheCabinetincludestheVicePresidentandtheheadsofexecutivedepartments.26Presidential ElectionThePresidentiselectedforafour-yeartermandcanb
35、eelectedtoonlytwoterms.ThePresidentiselectedbytheElectoralCollege.ThenumberofelectorsintheElectoralCollegeisthesameasthetotalnumberofmembersinCongress,butnosenators,representatives,orpeoplewhoholdimportantofficescanbeelectors.ThePresidentialcandidatewhogetsthemajorityofelectoralvotesbecomesthePresid
36、ent.27TheConstitutionrequiresthepresidenttobeanative-bornAmericancitizenatleast35yearsofage.Candidatesforthepresidency are chosen by politicalparties several monthsbefore the presidential election,which is held every fouryears(inyearsdivisibleevenlybyfour)onthefirstTuesdayafterthefirstMondayinNovemb
37、er.The method of electing the president is peculiar to theAmerican system.Although the names of the candidatesappearontheballots,technicallythepeopleofeachstatedonot vote directly for the president(and vice president).Instead,theyselectaslateofpresidentialelectors,equaltothenumberofsenatorsandrepres
38、entativeseachstatehasinCongress.Thecandidatewiththehighestnumberofvotesineachstatewinsalltheelectoralvotesofthatstate.28Theelectorsofall50statesandtheDistrictofColumbia-atotalof538persons-composewhatisknownastheElectoralCollege.UnderthetermsoftheConstitution,theCollegenevermeetsasabody.Instead,theel
39、ectorsgatherinthestatecapitalsshortlyaftertheelectionandcasttheirvotesforthecandidatewiththelargestnumberofpopularvotesintheirrespectivestates.Tobesuccessful,acandidateforthepresidencymustreceive270votes.TheConstitutionstipulatesthatifnocandidatehasamajority,thedecisionshallbemadebytheHouseofReprese
40、ntatives,withallmembersfromastatevotingasaunit.Inthisevent,eachstateandtheDistrictofColumbiawouldbeallottedonevoteonly.29ThepresidentialtermoffouryearsbeginsonJanuary20(itwaschangedfromMarchbythe20thAmendment,ratifiedin1933)followingaNovemberelection.Thepresidentstartshis or her official duties with
41、 an inauguration ceremony,traditionallyheldonthestepsoftheU.S.Capitol,whereCongress meets.The president publicly takes an oath ofoffice,which is traditionally administered by the chiefjusticeof the United States.The words are prescribedinArticleIIoftheConstitution:“I do solemnly swear(or affirm)that
42、 I will faithfullyexecutetheofficeofPresidentoftheUnitedStates,andwilltothebestofmyability,preserve,protectanddefendtheConstitutionoftheUnitedStates.”The oath-taking ceremony is usually followed by aninauguraladdressinwhichthenewpresidentoutlinesthepoliciesandplansofhisorheradministration.30Abraham
43、LincolnBornonFeb.12,1809inKentucky.Electedas16thU.S.presidentonNov.6,1860andthefirstRepublican.Re-electedpresidentonNov 8,1864.LincolnwasshotintheheadonApril 14,1865anddiedthenextday.31Emperor Norton Joshua A.Norton:BorninLondon,EnglandonFeb.14,1819.Sep.17,1859“JoshuaA.Norton,wholosthismoneyinanatte
44、mpttocornerthericemarket,todaydeclaredhimselfNortonI,EmperoroftheUnitedStatesandProtectorofMexico.”(SanFranciscoBulletin)DeadonJan.8,1880.Le Roi Est MortJanuary7,1980SanFranciscomarkedthe100thanniversaryofthedeathofitsonlymonarch,EmperorNorton.32Judicial BranchThejudicialbranch,headedbytheSupremeCou
45、rt,isresponsiblefortheinterpretationoftheU.S.Constitution,Congressionallaws,andpresidentialpolicies.Judicialpowersareexercisedbythefederalcourtswhicharedividedintothreetiers:thedistrictcourts,thecircuitcourts,andtheSupremeCourt.Thedistrictcourtsaretrialcourtswhichhearallkindsoffederalcases.Thereare9
46、4districtcourtsandtwospecialtrialcourts,theCourtofInternationalTradeandtheUnitedStatesCourtofFederalClaims.33Abovethedistrictcourts,thereare13courtsofappeals,alsoknownascircuitcourts,whichhearcasesfromthedistrictcourtslocatedinthecircuit.AtthetopofthejudicialbranchistheUnitedStatesSupremeCourt,which
47、isthehighestcourtforthewholenationonissuesinvolvingtheinterpretationoftheU.S.Constitution.KenStarr,independentprosecutor34Legal ProceduresIncivilcases,theplaintiffstartsacasebyfilingacomplaintatcourt.Thenthedefendantwouldplead.Manycasesendinnegotiatedsettlements,onlyasmallnumberofcivilcasesendinjury
48、trials.Incriminalcases,thegovernmentistheprosecutorandisresponsibleforprovidingevidencetoprovethatthedefendantisguilty.Ifthesuspectisconvicted,heissentencedbythejudgeorbythejury.35Political PartiesTherearetwomajorpoliticalpartiesintheUnitedStates:theRepublicanPartyandtheDemocraticParty.Therearemanyo
49、thersmallpartiessuchasGreenPartyoftheUnitedStates,LibertarianParty,All-AfricanPeoplesRevolutionaryParty,AmericanBeerDrinkersParty,AmericanFascistMovement,AmericanHeritageParty,AmericanistParty,AmericanNaziParty,AmericanPaganParty,AmericanParty,AmericanReformParty,AmericanRenewalPartyandsoon.Actually
50、allelections,especiallythePresidentialelection,areusuallythefightsbetweenthetwomajorpartiesbecauseotherpartieshaveneverwonanypresidentialelection.36The Republican PartyTheRepublicanParty,withtheelephantasitssymbol,startedinthelate1850sandwonitsfirstpresidentialelectionin1860withAbrahamLincolnasitspr