英美概況知識點總結(jié)(吐血編寫)

1、Survey of the USA Foundation : 1776.74 The fourth largest country in the worldPositi on : the cen tral part of North America; Alaska in the no rthwestern part of North America and Hawaii in thecen tral Pacific Ocea n.N orther n temperature zone.North: Canada; South: Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico; East:

2、 Atlantic Ocean; West: Pacific OceanArea: 6% of the Earth the whole Europe（三大河流體系 ）The three river systems in the USA ar e: the system of the Gulf of Mexico, the system of theAtla ntic Ocea n and the system of the Pacific Ocea n.（三大山脈）three great mountain ranges: the Appalachian Mountains, the Rocky

3、 Mountains and the GreatCordillera Mountain Ran ge.（the Pacific 河流體系的兩大河流 ）the Columbia River and the Colorado River.（美國 /世界最長的河流）the Mississippi Rive r is the most important river in the system of the Gulf.The Rocky Mountains（ 落基山脈）are fhe backbone of the continent ”.Great lake（美國五大湖）They are locat

4、ed in the northeast part of America. 由西至東:Lake Superior, LakeMichigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario.（黃石國家公園）Yellowstone National Park ， Wyoming /（大峽谷）Grand Canyon /Three basic geographical areas or surface regi ons:1）The Atlantic Seacoast and the Appalachian Mountains in the eastEastern C

5、oastal Plai n; The first 13 colo nies: 1624, Virgi nia 1629, New Hampshire 1632, Maryla nd1662, Conn ecticut 1663, Rhode Isla nd1664, New York 1664, New Jersey 1681, Pe nn sylva nia1682, Delaware 1691, Massachusetts 1713, North Caroli na 1713, South Caroli na1732, Georgia2）The great Mississippi Rive

6、r Valley in the middleBetwee n Appalachia n and the Rocky Mountains, 2,000 km from east to westChicago Great Plain : west part of Mississippi Valley3）The Rockies west to the Pacific Ocea nRocky Mountains: the backb one of the con ti nentYellow Sto ne Natio nal Park ,Hoover Dam Las Vegas , the gambli

7、ng cityDeath Valley : 85m below the sea level, the lowest place with the highest temperature in AmericaThe highest point : Denali in Alaska （20,320 feet）Silicon Valley -the center of America s electronic industryThree river systems : one of the Gulf of Mexico, one of the Atlantic Ocean, one of the P

8、acific OceanMississippi River: the third Iongest river in the world （Nile River, Amazon River）“ Father of WatersLake Superior : the largest fresh water lake of its kind in the world （only after the largest inland lake Caspian Sea -salt water lake）Lake Michiga n is wholly within the USANiagara Falls

9、: Lake Erie & Lake OntarioGreat Salt Lake: the largest inland salt lake in North AmericaThree mountain ranges The Appalachian Mountains , The Rocky Mountains , The Great Cordillera MountainPeople: European origin: 80% Melting pot Indians: original inhabitantsNati onal An them : the Star-Spa ngled Ba

10、nnerNational Flag : The Stars and StripesAt the left side on the top: blue background with white stars-9 lines of stars （six, five）; 13 stripes: red and white;red -bravery, white -freedom, blue -loyalty and justiceFifty stars : fifty states; thirteen stripes : thirteen coloniesSurvey of UK (=the Uni

11、ted Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)Position : Northwestern Europe To the north of France, the west of the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway Composition (Capital): England(London), Scotland(Edinburgh), Wales(Cardiff), Northern Ireland(Belfast) Geographic features:The Highland Zone: north

12、 and westThe Lowland Zone: south and southeastThe Pennines has been called “the backbone of England ”.( 第一長河流 )Severn River(第二長河流 )Thames River( 最大的內(nèi)陸湖 )Lough Neagh which is located in Northern Ireland.Weather : Dreary, the rain in protracted drizzle but not in heavy showers.Lack of sunshine: overca

13、st skies and fog Factors influencing English weatherA. the shores of the British Isles: warm stream North Atlantic Drift 北大西洋暖流B. westerly wind belt: the west wind from the Atlantic Ocean is mild and moist 西風(fēng)帶C. the configuration of Britain, particularly numerous inlets make oceanic influences penet

14、rate more effectively National Anthem: God Save the Queen (King).The anthem demonstrates the spirit of the social system in terms of constitutional monarchy.National Flag : Union Jack: combines the crosses of St. George, St. Andrew, and St. Patrick(England )St. George s cross was rectangular, red on

15、 a white background(Scotland )St. Andrew s cross was diagonal, white on a blue background(Ireland )St. Patrick s cross woans arewdhite backgroundPeople: Anglo- Saxons, CeltsBritish History:Roman Occupation (55 B.C. -410)55 B.C., the Romans under Julius Caesar invaded Britain; influence Celtic43 A.D.

16、: successful invasion Failed to conquer ScotlandBuilt two great wal ls: Hadrian s Wall, Antonine WallInfluence The invasion marked the beginning of English recorded history.Roman civilization : baths, temples, amphitheatres, roads, cultivation, organized government, towns, minerals (lead, iron, pott

17、ery) New religion : ChristianityNo impact on the language or culture because Romans always treated the Britons as a lave class; no intermarry.Norman Conquestthe Middle English period: the Great English Vowel Shift; Frenchs influenceWilliam the Conqueror : the first Anglo-Norman king of England, the

18、first king to be crowned in Westminster Abbey the Battle of Hastings - October 14th, 1066Influence Sped up the development of feudalism in England 。 William built the Tower of London; strengthened the king s poweDomesday Book: description of England-stated the extent, value, population and the owner

19、ship ofthe land。Feudal aristocracy developed with the appearanee of noble titles。The Norman way of life, French civilization 。 Change of language。 The last invasion of England by freignersMagna Carta (Great charter )大憲章(1215)June 15, 1215, King John signed Great CharterIn flue nces The first step of

20、 con stituti onal experime nt and rule of lawPaved the way for the n ew-bor n bourgeoisie to get political powerProtected the rights of the mercha nt class, which facilitated the developme nt of commerce and han dicraftLaid dow n the basic rules for the En glish and America n legal systemThe War of

21、Roses (1455-1458) _It is the name given to the struggle for the English throne between two branches of the En glish royal family: the House of Lan caster, whose vadge was a red rose, and the House York, whose badge was a white rose. The wars lasted for thirty years from 1455 to 1485. From these wars

22、 En glish feudalism received its deathblow. The feudal n obility was much weake nedCauses:The nobles tried to gain power and dominate the government。No proper jobs for the mercenary soldiers so they fought each other。 Two bran ches of the Plan tage net family: the House of Lan caster vs. the House o

23、f York Duke of York tried to displace the Lan caster king, Henry VI 。 Name: Sir Walter Scott -the badge of the House of Lan caster was a red rose; that of York a white oneIn flue nces : the ext in guish ing of so many n obles en abled En gla nd to shake off much of its feudal burde n in its capitali

24、st developme nt. The thi nnin g-out of the old barony stre ngthe ned the positi on of the royal house and paved the way for the developme nt of a cen tralized admi nistratio n.Henry Tudor as Henry VII, the foun der of the Tudor Mon archy; the ending of the Middle Ages.Chartist Moveme nt (1836-1848)A

25、 mass moveme nt of the work ing class to fight for equal political and social rights 、The People s CharterSigni fica nee: The workers struggle for liberationThe first n ati on wide worki ng class moveme ntThe first broad, really mass, politically formed, proletaria n revoluti onary moveme nt-Le ninC

26、ause of failureThe particular social conditions。 Leadership was weak for the lack of close cooperation between different participants。 The working class was not mature。 The English bourgeoisie was not a dying classDema nds of the 6 points were achieved gradually over the period of 1858-1918, but the

27、 sixth was not practicalHun dred Years Wa1r3(37-1453) the War betwee n En gla nd and FranceCauses: territorial and economic disputes。 To get back the lost territory on the Continent。 To expand foreign marketso Suspected that France had been giving aid to the Scots in their opposition to EnglandIn fl

28、ue nces Deprived the En glish king of his possessi ons of the Continent 。 Paved the way for the developme nt of separate English and French national identities。 Bi-linguistic period in English history came to and endTo develop the woole n textile in dustry。 Sped up the decli ne of feudalism。 In crea

29、sed the power of the central government。Pushed the growing bourgeoisie onto a higher social statusBlack Death (1348) The deadly bubonic plague. About half the population died in England, from 4 to 2 millionStarted in Italy, spread to other parts of EuropeIn flue nces Shortage of labour 。 Statute of

30、Labourers: it was a crime for peasa nts to ask for more wagesPoll taxes to fund the War。Discontent among the peasantsThe Enclosure Acts: 圈地運動The cloth industry increased the value of wool, Raiding sheep became more profitable. This in consequence encouraged the landlords to convert arable land and t

31、he “Commons”into pastures. Later some of the nobility and merchants who had bought up manors in the countryside started to enclose the land too. Large areas of land were often hedged or fenced without any warning to the peasants. This process, which started after the Black Death, was known as the En

32、closure Movement.影響： Agriculture enclosure had good as well as bad resultes:1. Farms became bigger and bigger unites as the great bought up the small.2. More vegetables, more milk and more dairy products were consumed, and diet became more varied.3. Enclosure was a disaster for the tenants evicted f

33、rom their land by the enclosures. These peasant farmers were forced to look for work in towns, enclosure led to mass emigration, particularly to the New World.4. A new class hostility was introduced into rural relationships.The Welfare StateIt is a system of government by which the state provides th

34、e economic and social security of its citizens through its organization of health services and other facilities. Britain began to try this system in the postwar years and it has ever since been regarded as a welfare state.獨立宣言的意義：Declaration of Independence is a creeding document that the Independen

35、ce of the United States was declared, which was drafted out by the bourgeois democrat T. Jefferson. It declared that everyone was equal and it described the theoretical foundation on which the people in the colony tried to win the independence, pointed out and bitterly attached the colonial tyranny

36、of the British Queen. It solemnly declared to the whole world that the colony in the North America had broken away from Britain and that the United States of freedom and independence was formally founded. The issue of the Declaration of Independence played a great and important role in mobilizing th

37、e masses of the people, which caused a very good influence to promote the bourgeois revolution in all countries in North America and Europe.17 / 18 Independence War起因： The British government practiced unfair price policies and put into effect many taxes for example the Stamp Tax. The people in the c

38、olonies wanted more power to determine their own business and opposed the unfair treatment and all these policies. Thus a war was the only solution.1. The First Continental Congress 第一次大陸會 1774.9.5地點： Philadelphia 人物： Samuel Adams, John Adams, George Washington and Patrick Henry 內(nèi)容： On September 5,

39、1774, delegates from all the colonies except Georgia met in the First continental Congress in Philadelphia. Samuel Adams, John Adams, George Washington and Patrick Henry agreed that what they wanted was only fair treatment from Great Britain, rather than independence. The delegates voted to cut off

40、all trade with Great Britain until Parliament abolished the Intolerable Acts.2. Lexington Beginning 1775.4.18 戰(zhàn)爭開始的標(biāo)志The disobedience 抗命 of the American Colonies angered the British government.In 1774， the British government ordered its troops in Boston.(General Gage received secret orders from the

41、Vritish government to take military action against the Massachusetts troublemakers .蓋奇 將軍 )3. The Second Continental Congress 1775.5.10地點： Philadelphia 人物： Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Hancock內(nèi)容： On May 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia. To defend the col

42、onies, the Congress organized an army. George Washington was appointed commander in chief. They asked King George III to prevent further hostile action by Great Britain, so that peaceful relation might be restored.4. The Battle of Bunker Hill (1775.5) 邦克山戰(zhàn)役 The most bloodiest war during the Independ

43、ence War.5. “The Declaration of Independence ” (1776.6) 獨立宣言 In June, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was drafted by Thomas Jefferson.On July 4, the Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. All ties with Great British were now cut, and a new nation, the United States of America was bo

44、rn.6. Victory at Saratoga-Turning Point (1777.10.17)人物： William Howe 英方 Burgoyne 美方 威廉豪將軍 - 伯戈意義： The victory at Saratoga was a turning point in the Independence War. It stopped the British invasion from Canada, and saved the New England colones. More important, it helped convince France that it cou

45、ld safely enter the war on the American side.7. “The Articles of Confederation ”邦聯(lián)條例作用： They served as the new nation s constitution. The Articles attempted to balance the need for an effective national government with the traditional independence of each state. The document gave Congress only a lim

46、ited number of powers for government the nation. All the other powers and functions, however, were left to the separate states because many delegates distrusted a strong central government.8. Victory at Yorktown 約克敦大捷作用： The victory at Yorktown ended fighting in the Revolution and virtually assured

47、success to the American cause. 實際上確保了美國獨立事業(yè)的成功。9. The Treaty of Paris (1783)作用： In the Treaty of Paris, Britain recognized the independence of its former colonies and accepted the new nation s borders. Britain gave Florida to Spain. In addition, it instructed the Congress to recommend that the state

48、s restore property taken from Loyalists during the war.Bill of Rights (1689) 權(quán)利法案 the Constitutional Monarchy began in EnglandAn Act Declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject and Settling the Succession of the CrownThe king has no right to nullify the law or levy tax without Parliament s con

49、sent; Catholics canthe king can rharry a Catholic. it plays the role of Constitution; it regarded as derivation of American ConstitutionIndustrial Revolution It refers to the mechanization of industry and the consequent changes in social and economic organization in Britain in the late 18th and earl

50、y 19th centuries. It was mainly characterized by the inventions of many modern machines which greatly increased productivity and changed the appearance of Britain. Modem factories and big industrial cities were growing rapidly. It made Britain richer and stronger, and at the same time it also gave b

51、irth to an entirely new social class, the working class or the proletariat.Background Internally: Parliament secured the dominant position in political life, which helped to pave the way for rule of law and peaceful developmentExternally: reign supreme on the sea; geographical advantage for foreign

52、tradeEconomically: accomplish“primitive accumulation of capital”; colonization of Arica and America; triangularEnclosure Movement: Enclosure Acts; primitive accumulation of capital and the continuation of the supply of cheap labour that paved the way for the development of capitalismProcess: first i

53、n the textile industryEffects“Workshop of the world ”; No other country was strong enough to match Britain in 19th CenturySimplified the class structure in Britain: middle class, proletariat, aristocratic class major problem in English society: class contradiction between the capitalists and the pro

54、letariat, or capital and labour Gravitational center of economy changed: South declined, Central and North England became advanced Wide-spread unemployment John Kay : flying shuttle, 1733James Hargreaves : spinning jenny, 1766 -begi nning of In dustrial Revoluti onSamuel Crompton : the mule, 1779 fo

55、undation of modern textile factory systemEdmund Wright : power loom, 1784 Power：James Watt : steam engine, 1765.Cotton gin , 1792 -rapid development of Britain s cotton textile industryAbraham Darby : puddling and rolling process, 1709Stephenson: steam locomotive, 1814Social Darwinism : cheap labour

56、Belief of overpopulation : Malthusianism (Thomas Robert Malthus: the population always tended to increase faster than the food supply and that war, famine, and disease served as natural restrictions of the population increase) Law of economic development : Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations (1776), “

57、invisible hand”l,aissez-faire capitalism -it denied the role of government in economic lifeCivil War (bourgeoisie revolution) 1642-1646 The First Civil War1649 Charles I was beheaded by Parliament .a republican government was proclaimed by CromwellBackground: Expansion of Territory .Contradiction be

58、tween the North and the SouthThe Antislavery Movement. Flash point: Lincoln s successful presidential election of 1860 Process:President Lincoln represented the interest of the North and accepted the war.In 1862, Lincoln issued the Homestead Act, solving the land problem.In 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation , a declaration that stated that all slaves in States or parts of States then in rebellion were free. Slavery was abolished.(signing of these two historical documents led the turning poin