American History

Early settlers• Christopher Columbus was dispatched from

Spain to find a route to Asia through the Pacific.

• In 1493 he came to Puerto Rico• The new continent was named 'America'

after Amerigo Vespucci, another explorer with a claim to the discovery of North America

The first settlers 1492-1600

• The Spanish explores after Columbus were the first to settle in the US. – Mainly along the

Californian coast or the Santa Fe River in New Mexico

French Colonies

• New France (French colonization 1534 - 1712) extended from The Gulf of Mexico to Canada. Divided into five colonies:

• Canada• Acadia • Hudson Bay• New Foundland • Louisiana

First English colonies• The East coast became occupied with

British settlers during the 17th century• First colony: James Town Virginia 1607• New England colonies 1620s (today New

York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware)• The thirteen colonies (British America)

were established in 1733

Formation of the United States of America

• Boston Tea party 1773 - a direct action to protest against British colonization

• 1775 the 13 colonies began a rebellion against British rule• 1783 the acknowledgement of the United States as an

independent nation

John Trumbull: ”The death of General Warren at The Battle of Bunker Hill” 1786

Independence of America

• 4th of July 1776, Declaration of Independence • 1789, first American president, George

Washington• 1791 Bill of rights ratified to guarantee the

individual rights such as freedom of speech and religious practice, as well as the first ten amendments of The Constitution

• The American Dream in its essence: equality of opportunity

John Trumbull (1756-1843) ”The Declaration of Independence”

American Government

The Frontier 1800-1850The people who came to America believed it was their destiny to control the land and get a new beginning – unfortunately this meant killing and marginalising the indigenous Indians

The Civil War• During the 1840s and 1850s 4.5 million immigrants came

to America.

• The nation underwent several economic and cultural changes as industrialization and the transportation revolution changed the economics of the north and west

• 1861-1865 the Civil War, dispute over long and bitter issues of slavery and states rights

• The North won and in 1865 slavery was abolished in all states– the 13th Amendment , "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude... shall

exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

After the Civil War

• United States remained divided as reconstruction failed despite a “colorblind Constitution”

• Southern whites despite the treaty denied the black population their civil rights -keeping them in economic, social, and political second class status. E.g. school segregation.

”In the land of Promise”

Industrial growth and

white collar economy

• 37 million people immigrated to America between 1840-1920• Natives were forced onto reservations• White farmers and ranchers took their lands• By the late nineteenth century, the United States had become

a leading global industrial power building on new technologies and transportation (telephone, telegraph, iron, steel, oil, rail work etc)

Lily Furedi ”Subway” 1934

Charles L. Goeller ”Third Avenue” 1934

C o rp o rate A m erica an d th e en trep en eu r

• ”The business of America is business”• Freedom for the individual is more

important than government• The ideal is competition

• Daniel Celentano ”Festival” 1934

Land of opportunities and abundance“an ever expanding pie”

Pictures Thomas Hart Benton

Post World War I

• In 1920, the manufacture, sale, import and export of alcohol was prohibited.

• During most of the 1920s, the United States enjoyed a period of sustained prosperity.

• The Immigration Act of 1924 restricting the Southern and Eastern Europeans, especially Jews and Italians

The Great Depression

• In 1929, The Wall street crash - the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States.

• Recovery was slow and the 1930s were poor years for the Americans

• With “New Deal” Roosewelt introduced economic reforms and security - a kind of “welfare state”

• 1941, Attack on Pearl Harbor - the US entered the Second World War.

• Italy surrendered 1943, Japan and Germany in 1945. • USA stood as winners and rescuer of Europe

Edward Hopper ”Nighthawks” 1942

The Civil Rights

• Discrimination remained widespread in the South through the 1950s

• From 1955 to 1965, "direct action" was the strategy - primarily bus boycotts, sit-ins, freedom rides, and social movements to obtain assimilation

• The modern civil rights movement was designed, led, organized, and manned by African Americans, who placed themselves and their families on the front lines in the struggle for freedom

Martin Luther King• Malcolm X advocated black power and black separatism• Martin Luther King, Jr, American activist and prominent leader

in the African- American civil rights movement advocated non-violent methods.

• Delivered his” I have a Dream Speech” in 1963, raising consciousness of the civil rights movement and established himself as one of the greatest public speakers in U.S. history.

• King was killed in 1968

Edward Burra “Harlem” 1934

Vietnam War and Cold War

• Fear of communism lead to involvement in Vietnam. In 1975 North Vietnam conquered South Vietnam and the US lost its first war

• During the 70’s the USA suffered from economic recession ad oil crisis

• Reagan 1981-1989: greatest increase in military weapons in history

USA TODAY

• End of the Cold War; the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

• 9/11 2001; The war against terror• Global economic crisis from 2008 and onwards