UNIT 3
1.what is an American? Comment on the answer to the question by crevecoeur?
(1)American is either a European, or the descendant of a European , hence that strange mixture of blood, which you will find in no other country.
He is an American, who leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he holds
The American is a new man ,who acts upon new principles. He must therefore entertain new ideas and form new opinions...this is an American.
(2)According to Crevecoeur, The American in those days had the mixed blood of Europeans or their descendants without taking into consideration other nationalities such as American Indians and blacks. But today , the picture of an American is more complex.
2 How did modern development in Europe influence the settlement of North American colonies?
Some new and powerful social forces began to emerge which led to the awakening of Europe and the discovery of America.
The first new force was the development of capitalism['k?p?t(?)l.?z?m], and it produced the bourgeois[b?r'?wɑ] class and the working class.
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The second major force was Renaissance [r?'ne?s?ns], which was marked by a changing outlook on life. The third influential force was Religious Reformation, a religious reform movement that started form Germany. 3 What was the unique American phenomenon ? How did it come into being? Do you think it still exists in today's American society?
on the one hand, the English and other Europeans went to North American for seeking freedom. But on the other hand, these very white people who were seeking and fighting for their own freedom deprived black Africans of their freedom
The two events combined constituted a unique American . First one is that on July, 30,1619,the first meeting of an elected legislature ['led??.sle?t??r] took place in North American. The second one is a dutch ship brought in over 20 Negroes ['niɡro?], who were acted as servants for years. Yes, I do.
4 In what way did Puritanism influence American culture?
The Puritans['pj?r?t(?)n] believed that governments should enforce God's morality [m?'r?l?ti]. They strictly punished drunks, adulterers [?'d?lt?r?r], violators ['va??le?t?(r)] of the Sabbath['s?b?θ] and other religious believers different from themselves. Roger [?rɑd??r] Williams, one of the Puritans who protested that the state should not interfere [.?nt?r'f?r] with religion[r?'l?d??n], was driven out of Massachusetts. In
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1635, he set up Rhode Island['a?l?nd] colony, which guaranteed religious freedom and the separation of church [t??rt?] and state. The Puritans also have left rich cultural heritage['her?t?d?] to future Americans. The American values such as individualism[.?nd?'v?d?u?.l?z?m], hard work, respect of education owe very much to the Puritan beliefs.
5.what were some causes of the American Revolution？Explain the Declaration of Independence.
Long-term social, economic, and political changes in the colonies before 1750 provided the basis for an independent nation with representatives political institutions.
More immediately, the French and Indian War (1754-1763) changed the relationship between the colonies['kɑl?ni] and their mother country.
Finally, a decade of conflicts between the British government and the colonist, beginning with the Stamp Act crisis in 1765, led to the outbreak of war in 1775 and the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
In 1776, it was adopted by the Congress. It officially proclaimed the independence of 13 North American colonies. It declared that all men were
created
equal
and
were
endowed
with
such
unalienable[?n'e?li?n?bl] rights as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It explained the philosophy of governments: governments should secure these rights and derive their power from the consent of
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the governed. The theory of American politics and the American Revolution originated mainly from John Locke.
North Americans won the victory in 1781. In 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed and Britain had to recognize the independence of America. UNIT 4
1. Why did the Ariticles of Confederation fail? Was it necessary to change the Articles of Confederation and write a new constitution for the new nation of the United States at the time?
The Articles of Confederation failed because the states did not cooperate with the Congress or with each other. When the Congress needed money to pay the national army or to pay debts owed to France and other nations, some states refused to contribute. The Congress had been given no authority to force any state to do anything. It could not tax any citizen. Only the state in which a citizen lived could do that.
2.What is a federal system? What are some of the major differences between a federal system and a confederation?
The Constitution set up a federal system with a strong central government. A federal system is one in which power is shared between a central authority and its constituent parts, with some rights reserved to each. The Constitution also called for the election of a national leader, or president. It provided that federal laws would be made only by a Congress made up of representatives elected by the people. It also provided for a natio
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nal court system headed by a Supreme Court.
3.What are some of the major powers of each of the three branches of the U.S. government? How are the three branches supposed to check and balance each other?
If Congress proposes a law that the president thinks is unwise, the president can veto it. That means the proposal does not become law. Congress can enact the law despite the president's views only if two-thirds of the members of both houses vote in favor of it. If Congress passes a law which is then challenged in the courts as unconstitutional, the Supreme Court has the power to declare the law unconstitutional and therefore no longer in effect. The president has the power to make treaties with other nations and to make all appointments to federal positions, including the position of Supreme Court justice. The Senate, however, must approve all treaties and confirm all appointments before they become official. In this way the Congress can prevent the president from making unwise appointments
4.What is the Bill of Rights? Do you think that it was necessary to write the Bill of Rights explicitly into the U.S. Constitution?
The Bill of Rights: the first 10 amendments, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were added within two years of the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. These amendments remain intact today, as they were written two centuries ago. The first guarantees freedom of worship, speech and p
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