The Founding of the 13 Colonies
– Between 1607 and 1733 the British established 13 colonies along the east coast of North America.
The Founding of the 13 Colonies
Christopher Columbus
Amerigo Vespucci
Why did the early settlers come to America?
• Opportunity
– It drew English merchants who dreamed of establishing great new estates out of the wildness. – It drew carpenters, bakers, tailors and other skilled workmen who could not find job in England. – It drew the poor and the homeless from farmlands and villages.
• Unlike most other nations, the United States never had a feudal aristocracy. Land was plentiful and labor was scarce in colonial America, and every free man had an opportunity to achieve economic independence, if not prosperity. The English king appointed many of the colonial governors, but they all had to rule in cooperation with an elected assembly. Voting was restricted to landowning white males. Britain could not exercise direct control over her American colonies. The colonists were too independent-minded.
American History
Chapter 9 American History
I. America in the Colonial Era II. The American War of Independence III. The American Civil War IV. America in the 20th Century V. America in the 21st Century
– It drew many English in search of religious freedom.
English
Settlements
The first successful English colony in the Americas was founded at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607; the settlement was financed by a London company which expected to make a profit from the settlement.
Exercises
5. San Francisco is the second largest city after New York and the world famous Hollywood and Disneyland are located here. 6. During the 1830s and 1840s, many northern Europeans and Irish immigrants came to America. 7. Almost half of the immigrants coming to the United States in the 1980s were Asians. 8. Basic American cultural values are freedom, equality and desire to work hard for a higher standard of living.
Exercises
II. Read the following statements carefully and decide whether they are True or False. 1. The eastern highlands formed by the Appalachians hold one third of the country's continental territory. 2. The climate in the United States can be classified as temperate, with some mild subtropical and tropical zones. 3. Almost through the middle of the United States, north to south, runs a well--known 50-centimeter the commercial and financial center of the United States , and it is composed of five boroughs including Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island, and Queens.
Jamestown：詹姆斯敦

• Pilgrim Fathers
In 1620, a tiny ship called the “May flower” sailed from England for the New world, with 102 passengers. 50% were Pilgrims. Landed in what is now Plymouth( 普利茅 斯), Massachusetts.
Colonization of North America (1607-1776)
1
Indians
The discovery of America Early Colonial Era
2
3
Indians: The “first Americans”
The Discovery of the New World
English Settlements
In 1621, the puritans gathered in a large crop and the settlers fixed a date to celebrate their harvest in order to express their thanks to God and the help of the Indians. This is the beginning of the holiday called Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Day:(美国是11月的第四个星期四)
Exercises
5. The native Alaskan population includes the following except the . A. Indians B. Eskimos C. Aleuts D. Blacks 6. The largest minority in the United States is the . A. Pacific Islanders B. Blacks C. Native Americans D. Asians 7. The Immigrants Act of 1924 restricted the further immigration into the United States, particularly from . A. Europe B. Asia C. Africa D. South America 8. The characteristic of dominant American culture is . A. English-speaking, northern European, Roman Catholic and middle-class B. English-speaking, western European, Roman Catholic and upper-class C. English-speaking, northern European, Protestant and upper-class D. English-speaking, western European, Protestant and middle-class
•
The Causes of the American Revolution Britain’s victory of the Seven Years’ war 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, so the colonists should pay a part of the expenses.
Exercises I. Choose the one that best completes each of the following