The formation of the United States as a state took place only in the 18th century. The Declaration of Independence is the main document from which the countdown is based. It was signed on July 4, 1776. There is still a myth in Russia that Empress Catherine II sold Alaska to the United States. However, at that time the States had just formed in single state. No one thought about any expansions at that time. July 4 became in the US. How the States achieved it will be discussed in this article.
America's spheres of influence
The formation of the United States as a state took a long time. In the 16th century, the future territory was inhabited by local Indians. Later, Europeans began to move here, many of whom were bandits fleeing persecution in their countries. Also among the first settlers were many desperate people from Old Europe. They came to a new continent in search of happiness and wealth. By the beginning of the 18th century, Europeans had mastered almost the entire continent. The entire territory of the future United States, with the exception of Alaska, was divided into spheres of influence of three states in order to prevent military clashes. Britain got the Atlantic coast, France - the Great Lakes region, Spain - the Pacific coast, Florida, Texas.
However, not all colonies wanted to be dependent on the mother countries. The states of Britain opposed London. But no one was going to let them go so easily. The war has begun.
War of Independence (1775-1783): causes
One of the wars in North America was the War of Independence. There were many reasons for this:
- The metropolis treated the States only as territories for the extraction of wealth.
- Raw materials were exported to England: furs, cotton, and finished goods were imported. The colony was forbidden to create manufactories, produce fabrics, iron products, and trade with other countries.
- The colonists were forbidden to move west beyond the Allegheny Mountains, since the administration could not extend its influence there.
- Constantly increased various taxes and fees. So, in 1765, another one appeared. According to him, it was supposed to pay for all documents with stamps.
The last point was especially acutely perceived by the Americans. If they had previously understood that taxes were necessary for development, then stamp duty opened their eyes. It was an act of blatant robbery of the colonists. Due to this, the metropolis was going to maintain an army of 10 thousand people in America.
The first meetings of the "Sons of Liberty"
It was "freedom" that was the main credo of the colonists. The formation of the United States as a state proceeded under these slogans. In 1765, the "Congress Against the Stamp Duty" met in New York. It developed a document - the Declaration of the Rights of the Colonies. future document of independence. There were no rituals. "Sons of Liberty" burned effigies, symbolizing British officials. One of the leaders of the movement was John Adams - the future one of the founding fathers of the state.
The Sons got their way. England was frightened and canceled the stamp duty in 1766.
"Boston Tea Party", the beginning of the confrontation
However, England on the colony was growing all the time. In 1770, the first clashes appeared in Boston between soldiers and civilians. 5 people died.
Here, in 1773, an event took place, which in history was called the Boston Tea Party. Local residents, under the guise of Indians, entered the British ships, which delivered a large batch of tea for the colony, and threw all the cargo into the sea. The entire coast was painted in the black color of the drink.
In response, England took a series of extreme measures that led to war:
- The Boston port was declared closed.
- The state of Massachusetts was deprived of the charter, and all citizens in it - the right to assemble, rallies.
- The governor received the status of governor-general with unlimited rights.
- The houses of citizens were declared free for soldiers to stand, all disobedience was interpreted as treason and severely punished.
Creation of the Congress as an alternative to the English administration
Behind Massachusetts were all the British colonies. In September-October 1774, in Philadelphia, 56 representatives from 12 states (all except Georgia) created the First Continental Congress. It was attended by the founding fathers: D. Washington, Samuel and John Adams and others. Congress voted on the principle of "one state - one vote." It adopted the Declaration of the Rights and Needs of the Colonies. It reflected such principles as freedom and property, the right to fair justice, peaceful meetings, rallies, etc. The official date of the formation of the United States falls on a later period, but this event marked the beginning of independence.
The colonies prepare for war
Congress stirred up the society. Many began to prepare for war. So, Virginia did declare war on England. The state began to form a militia - the Minutemen. At the same time, a Communications Committee was created - a center for coordinating all the states in the war against the metropolis. The formation of the United States as a state is connected with a future bloody war.
The split of society
Society was not united in the impulse to start a war against England. There were many who actively opposed it. In general, the country was divided into supporters of independence ("Whigs") and opponents ("Tories", "loyalists"). The locals decided to remain neutral in this matter. For them, it was just a conflict of some Europeans with others. However, evidence remains of the participation of some tribes on both sides.
Slaves took advantage of the situation. They began to flee their plantations en masse, using chaos and confusion. The slaves wanted to support England in exchange for freedom. However, she was afraid of a precedent that could provoke an uprising in other colonies.
An interesting fact, but many fighters for independence proclaimed honest work, freedom, equality, but in fact they were large slave owners.
Date of formation of the USA
The Revolutionary War lasted almost ten years, from 1775 to 1783. There were many battles during this time. In addition to the Americans and the British, the French, Russians, and Spaniards took part in it. All of them supported the rebels. In this war, a new tactic was developed - a quick offensive by dashes, borrowed from the Indians. This was effective against the line formation of the British. The colonists also used ambushes, difficult terrain, attacked at night, and actively used camouflage. The English soldiers in red uniforms were not ready for this, accustomed to fighting in the open, to the beat of drums, in a linear march.
1776 - the date of the formation of the United States as an independent state, and this July day is recognized as Independence Day. The colonists won the war and finally approved their Declaration, based on modern basic democratic principles.
The United States of America plays a leading role in the world community. Researchers call this state an empire that influences politics Western countries. Tourists who plan to visit the American states should familiarize themselves with the history of its formation.
The United States of America is easy to find on the map - they are located on the continent called North America and occupy a large part of it. A state in the United States is a territorial unit, by joining them over a number of years, the United States of America was formed.
The exact answer to the question of how many states there are in the United States can be given to those who are seriously engaged in the study of this state. To be precise, today the USA consists of 50 states. Colombia, sometimes listed as the 51 states, is actually federal district, an independent federal unit. In addition to this, the United States has several island territories that also have sovereignty, they are not subordinate to any state. Each state is divided into districts administered by city municipalities. Rural areas may consist of townships.
Each state is a federation, and they all have equal rights. There is nothing unusual in this, a similar structure can be found in other large states. It is interesting that all states are equal, but they have their own branches of government and their own constitution. Therefore, for the same crime in each state, there may be a different punishment.
US state names, detailed alphabetical list
When studying the United States, questions may arise from a person who knows well English language. The thing is that the word "state" can be translated not only as "states", but also as "state". In the middle of the 17th century, when the United States was in the formative stage, individual colonies were considered states.
Each state has not only its own capital, but also a flag and a motto. Next, we list the US states and their capitals.
| # | State name (in Russian) | State name (in English) | State capital (in Russian) | State capital (in English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Idaho | Idaho | boise | Boise |
| 2 | Iowa | Iowa | Des Moines | Des Moines |
| 3 | Alabama | Alabama | Montgomery | Montgomery |
| 4 | Alaska | Alaska | Juneau | Juneau |
| 5 | Arizona | Arizona | Phoenix | Phoenix |
| 6 | Arkansas | Arkansas | Little Rock | little rock |
| 7 | Wyoming | Wyoming | Cheyenne | Cheyenne |
| 8 | Washington | Washington | Olympia | Olympia |
| 9 | Vermont | Vermont | Montpelier | Montpelier |
| 10 | Virginia | Virginia | richmond | Richmond |
| 11 | Wisconsin | Wisconsin | Madison | Madison |
| 12 | Hawaii | Honolulu | Honolulu | |
| 13 | Delaware | Delaware | Dover | Dover |
| 14 | Georgia | Georgia | Atlanta | Atlanta |
| 15 | West Virginia | West Virginia | Charston | Charleston |
| 16 | Illinois | Illinois | springfield | Springfield |
| 17 | Indiana | Indiana | Indianapolis | Indianapolis |
| 18 | California | California | Sacramento | Sacramento |
| 19 | Kansas | Kansas | Topeka | Topeka |
| 20 | Kentucky | Kentucky | frankfort | frankfort |
| 21 | Colorado | Colorado | Denver | Denver |
| 22 | Connecticut | Connecticut | Hartford | Hartford |
| 23 | Louisiana | Louisiana | baton rouge | Baton Rouge |
| 24 | Massachusetts | Massachusetts | Boston | Boston |
| 25 | Minnesota | Minnesota | Saint Paul | St. Paul |
| 26 | Mississippi | Mississippi | Jackson | Jackson |
| 27 | Missouri | Missouri | Jefferson City | Jefferson City |
| 28 | Michigan | Michigan | Lansing | Lansing |
| 29 | Montana | Montana | Helena | Helena |
| 30 | Maine | Maine | Augusta | Augusta |
| 31 | Maryland | Maryland | Annapolis | Annapolis |
| 32 | Nebraska | Nebraska | Lincoln | Lincoln |
| 33 | Nevada | Nevada | Carson City | carson city |
| 34 | New Hampshire | New Hampshire | Concord | Concord |
| 35 | New Jersey | New Jersey | Trenton | Trenton |
| 36 | New York | New York | Albany | Albany |
| 37 | New Mexico | New Mexico | Santa Fe | Santa Fe |
| 38 | Ohio | Ohio | Columbus | Columbus |
| 39 | Oklahoma | Oklahoma | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma City |
| 40 | Oregon | Oregon | Salem | Salem |
| 41 | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | Harrisburg | Harrisburg |
| 42 | Rhode Island | Rhode Island | Providence | Providence |
| 43 | North Dakota | North Dakota | Bismarck | Bismarck |
| 44 | North Carolina | North Carolina | Roles | Raleigh |
| 45 | Tennessee | Tennessee | Nashville | Nashville |
| 46 | Texas | Texas | Austin | Austin |
| 47 | Florida | Florida | Tallahassee | Tallahassee |
| 48 | South Dakota | South Dakota | Pyrrhus | Pierre |
| 49 | South Carolina | South Carolina | Colombia | Columbia |
| 50 | Utah | utah | Salt Lake City | Salt Lake City |
Moreover, the state capital is not necessarily the most Big City. The word "state" has been used in its modern sense since 1776, after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. At that time, the United States consisted of 46 states. Although you can still find indications that these were separate states. For example, the official flag of California has the inscription "Republic of California".
Confederate States of America
There was a period in the history of the United States when the state was practically divided into two parts. And although this lasted only 4 years, the fact remains: in 1861, the Confederate States of America (CSA) appeared. This is a self-proclaimed independent state, which was also called "Confederation" or "Dixie". It existed until 1865. What was the reason for its occurrence?
It is sometimes believed that the Confederation was formed as a result of the abolition of slavery in the United States, which started the Civil War. This is not entirely correct, because the CSA appeared after Abraham Lincoln won the presidential election. As a result, 6 southern states announced their withdrawal from the United States. A month later, Texas joined them. And when Abraham Lincoln announced that he intended to achieve the preservation of the Union, 4 more states announced that they would join the Confederacy.
Sometimes it is believed that the Confederation included not 11, but 13 American states. This is partly correct. The fact is that Kentucky and Missouri turned out to be “border states” between the USA and the CSA. For a while, there were two governments, one on the side of the United States, and the second supported the Confederation. Basically, the CSA included states that did not want to abandon the slave system. Although Maryland was a slave state, martial law was introduced in time, so it remained part of the United States. Delaware remained neutral until the very end of the war. In 1865, the Confederation, having suffered a defeat in hostilities, ceased to exist. These states changed the constitution and abolished slavery.
Texas is a state in the southern United States. It is in second place in terms of territory (only Alaska is larger) and in second place after California in terms of population. At first, this territory belonged to Mexico, and then there was a separate state that existed for almost 10 years - from 1836 to 1845. It appeared as a result of the war in the north-east of Mexico.
Several reasons are given as to why problems in Mexico led to war. On the one hand, the dictatorship of the Mexican president, on the other, the adoption of a new constitution in the country, thanks to which slavery was abolished in 1835. As a result, Texas gained independence in 1836. The state was recognized by the international community as a separate state. But the hostilities did not stop.
Clashes between Mexico and Texas continued for another 10 years. And only as a result of the US victory in the war with Mexico (1846-1848), the issue of territorial claims was settled - Texas received freedom. But most Texans have wanted to join the United States before. Texas is the only independent state in the United States recognized by other countries. Although the separatist movements seeking the independence of this state of America are still active. They believe that Texas was annexed by the United States.
Kingdom and Republic
are islands located in the Pacific Ocean. They are located at a distance of 3700 km from the continental part of America. This is the most recent state that became part of the United States, and this happened already in the 20th century - in 1959. But at first it was a kingdom, and then a separate republic. Why did the islands, located far from the USA, become part of this state as one of the states?
In the 18th century, Hawaii had several semi-state structures. Then King Kamehameha I managed to unite the islands by force and establish a single kingdom. Since 1810, for 85 years, one dynasty ruled here. In 1893, a coup d'état took place in Hawaii with the support of American sailors. But the United States refused to annex the islands, believing that it was contrary to the popular will of the Hawaiians. As a result of the coup, a republic appeared instead of a kingdom. But in 1898 they fell under the protectorate of the United States, and already in the middle of the 20th century they became one of the states. It is considered to be the “sugar” state of the USA.
The most amazing states in the US
What American states can be distinguished and what should you pay attention to? It is difficult to find an unambiguous answer to this question, because each of them has a “zest”. Absence state language is also a hallmark of America.
The names of many states have unusual origins.
- As the researchers note, 25 or 26 names have Indian roots.
- The name of the northernmost state of Alaska is taken from the language of the Eskimos.
- Only 20 states have names of European origin: 11 are English, 6 are Spanish and 3 are French.
- There is an assumption that Rhode Island is a Dutch toponym.
But what about the Americans, did they really not give a name to a single state? It turns out that there is one, and we are talking about the state of Washington. It is named after President D. Washington.
There are states that are distinguished by their extraordinary beauty.
- Florida is the most southern part North America. It is often referred to as the "Sunshine State".
- Oregon is full of contrasts and variety of landscapes. He could easily compete with the panoramas presented in the film "The Lord of the Rings".
- Michigan is known for its natural beauty. In addition, there are many large lakes.
- Colorado is famous for rocky mountains and unusually beautiful canyons. This state is often called the home of wonderful national parks.
- stands out for its richness of flora and fauna.
- Arizona has amazingly beautiful canyons. They are visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.
The United States was formed in 1776 when 13 British colonies signed the Declaration of Independence. From that moment on, England lost power over them. In order to regain the colonial territories again, troops had to be sent in. This provoked the war, thanks to which the United States gained independence. But some of the colonies still remained loyal to the English crown. In 1787, the Constitution was adopted, which was ratified by 9 of the 13 states. For late XVIII and throughout the 19th century, other states joined. In the 20th century, the United States included the remaining five: Oklahoma (1907), New Mexico (1912), Arizona (1912), Alaska (1959) and (1959).
Why is the District of Columbia (Washington) not part of any state
The District of Columbia is the capital city of the United States of Washington, as well as the territory adjacent to it. Repeated attempts were made to make it a separate state, but the American legislators did not come to an unequivocal decision. The last time this issue was submitted for discussion in Congress was in 1993. But the project was rejected. This is also due to the fact that only one person from the district is delegated to the House of Representatives. Yes, and without the right to vote.
Conclusion
Can it be argued that the number of US states will remain the same tomorrow? There is no specific answer to this question. For more than 100 years, this figure has been unstable. Today, several territories and states would not refuse to join the United States as separate states. The most likely candidate is Puerto Rico. It is quite possible that the 51st state under this name will soon appear. The Philippines, Haiti, and Yucatan are also candidates.
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US states on the map 
USA map online
What is a "state" and how many are there in the US?
The United States of America is a federation of 50 states US states).
The state is the basic state-territorial unit of the United States. Since 1959 there have been 50 of them. Each of them has its own flag and motto.
Word state(state) appeared back in the colonial period (about 1648). This word was sometimes used to refer to individual colonies. It began to be used everywhere after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The state has its own constitution, legislative, executive and judicial powers.
Each US state is divided into districts - administrative-territorial units of the second level. They are smaller than a state, but larger than or equal to a city. The exception is the five counties (boroughs) within New York City. There are 3,140 counties in the country, according to the Census Bureau.
The third level of administrative-territorial division are city municipalities and townships, which manage the local life of settlements. In 2002, there were 19,429 city municipalities and 16,504 townships in the United States, according to the National League of Cities.
50 US states borrowed their names from many languages. The names of half of them came from the languages of the North American Indians. The remaining states received names from European languages: Latin, English and French.
In addition to the states, the country includes and is governed by administrative-territorial units with the status of a federal district or federal territory - the District of Columbia and a number of islands.
District of Columbia(The District of Columbia, D.C.) is not part of any state. Just in it is the capital of the country Washington.
The US island territories include: Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa.
51st state
There is such a term as "51st state". This term refers to the territories that claim to receive the status of a US state in addition to the already existing fifty states. Among the possible candidates for the title of "fifty-first state" are the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia, Puerto Rico. The question of granting statehood to the City of New York has also been repeatedly raised.
There is one curious fact in history. In 2012, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, in support of American colonization satellite, said: "When we have 13,000 Americans living on the moon, they will be able to petition to become a state." However, in accordance with article II of the Outer Space Treaty, outer space, the Moon and other celestial bodies shall not be subject to national appropriation, either by claiming sovereignty over them, or by use or occupation, or by any other means.
How are they part of the United States
In order for any territory to become part of the United States, a lengthy procedure is required. The territory must adopt its own constitution. The constitution must satisfy the US Congress, which decides whether to admit the territory to the US.
States cannot secede from the United States unilaterally.
First Americans
According to one theory, the first people appeared in America 10-15 thousand years ago, having got to Alaska through the frozen or shallow Bering Strait. The tribes of the mainland of North America were divided and periodically feuded with each other. The famous Icelandic Viking Leif Eriksson discovered America, calling it Vinland. The first visits to America by Europeans did not have an impact on the life of the indigenous population.
Discovery of America by Europeans
After the Vikings, the first Europeans in the New World were the Spaniards. In October, a Spanish expedition led by Admiral Christopher Columbus arrived on the island of San Salvador. At the end of the XV - beginning of the XVI century. Several expeditions were made to the regions of the Western Hemisphere. The Italian Giovanni Cabot, who was in the service of the English King Henry VII, reached the coast of Canada (1497-1498), the Portuguese Pedro Alvares Cabral discovered Brazil (1500-1501), the Spaniard Vasco Nunez de Balboa founded the first city on the American mainland and left to the Pacific Ocean (1500-1513), who was in the service of the Spanish king Ferdinand Magellan in 1519-1521. circumnavigated America from the south.
In 1507, the Lorraine geographer Martin Waldseemüller proposed that the New World be called America in honor of the Florentine navigator Amerigo Vespucci. At the same time, the development of the mainland began. In 1513, the Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon discovered the Florida peninsula, where the first permanent European colony and the city of St. Augustine was laid out. In the late 1530s, Hernando de Soto discovered the Mississippi and reached the Arkansas River valley.
By the time the British and French began to colonize America, the Spaniards were well established in Florida and the American Southwest. The power and influence of the Spaniards in the New World began to decline after the defeat in the Spanish Invincible Armada. During the 16th century, information was collected about new lands, documentary sources were translated into many European languages.
Colonial period (1607-1775)
Colonization of America by the British (1607-1775)
The first English settlement in America began in 1607 in Virginia and was named Jamestown. The trading post, founded by members of the crews of three English ships under the command of Captain Newport, served at the same time as an outpost on the path of the Spanish advance deep into the continent. In just a few years, Jamestown turned into a prosperous village thanks to the tobacco plantations laid there in 1609. Already by 1620 the population of the village was about 1000 people. European immigrants were attracted to America by the rich Natural resources distant continent, and its remoteness from European religious dogmas and political predilections. The exodus to the New World was financed primarily by private companies and individuals who received income from the transportation of goods and people. In 1606, the London and Plymouth Companies were formed in England, which took up the development of the northeast coast of America. Many immigrants moved to the New World with entire families and communities at their own expense. Despite the attractiveness of the new lands, there was a constant shortage of human resources in the colonies.
thirteen colonies
Over the course of 75 years after the appearance of the first English colony of Virginia in 1607, 12 more colonies arose - New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
In each colony, a section of the population remained loyal to the royal government, but nowhere did the loyalists wield sufficient influence to control local governments. Their actions came under the scrutiny of the local Committees of Safety, created by resolutions of the first Continental Congress in 1774, which now acted as provisional local executive bodies of the Congress. The property of loyalists who opposed the revolution was confiscated, and they themselves fled to the protection of the royal troops.
After the revolution, the rest of the federal authorities were created as a result of the constitutional reform of 1786-1791.
The course of hostilities
Hostilities began even before independence was declared as a result of severe pressure from the British army, who tried to disarm the local police and arrest the leaders of the colonists. Since the forces of the British crown in America that were available by 1776 were not enough to take control of the entire territory of the colonies, and the armed detachments of the colonists even tried, in August 1776 landed in New York big army English. Detachments of the local militia were defeated, and the approaching army of General Washington, after several defeats, was forced to retreat through New Jersey to Pennsylvania. The British held New York City until the peace treaty of 1783, turning it into their main stronghold in North America.
Following the retreating American troops, the British army invaded New Jersey, but here it was attacked by the army of General Washington, which by this time had regrouped and crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night, in December 1776. The British were defeated at Trenton and Princeton and retreated back to New York.
The British master plan, developed in London, was to organize a simultaneous offensive from Canada and along the Hudson River in order to capture Albany in 1777 and cut off New England from the southern colonies. But the Canadian army under the command of General Burgoyne was defeated at Saratoga, and from New York the British army headed not for Albany, but for Philadelphia. As a result, the British who survived near Saratoga were captured with the condition of repatriation to Great Britain, but the Continental Congress did not approve the terms of their surrender, and the prisoners were imprisoned.
The victory of the colonists hastened the entry of France into an alliance with the United States, which was concluded in 1778. Spain and the Netherlands then joined the alliance, and a new global war began.
In the future, the British concentrated their forces on attempts to capture the southern states. With a limited contingent of troops, they relied on loyalist mobilization. Such tactics helped them to hold their ground in the Northwest Territories, despite the defeat of Canadian troops in an attempt to advance on Albany.
At the end of 1778, the British fleet landed troops and captured the capital of Georgia, the city of Savannah. Charleston was taken in the same way in 1780. But the loyalists gathered under the British banner were not enough to advance inland, and the British had to be content with control over the port cities. Further advances into North Carolina and Virginia faltered, guerrilla warfare broke out in the occupied territories, and loyalist units were massacred.
The remnants of the British army headed for the city of Yorktown, where they were going to board the ships of the British fleet. But the fleet ran into the Chesapeake Bay with the French fleet and retreated. The trapped troops of the British General Cornwallis surrendered in October 1781 to General Washington. When news of this defeat reached Britain, Parliament decided to start peace talks with the American rebels.
The Formation of the American State (1783-1865)
Expansion (1783-1853)
Since the early 19th century, thousands of Americans have been leaving the increasingly densely populated east of the United States and heading west from the Mississippi, into a completely undeveloped region called the Great Plains. At the same time, New Englanders rushed to forest-rich Oregon, and people from the southern states settled in the expanses of Texas, New Mexico and California.
The main means of transport for these pioneer settlers were wagons drawn by horses or oxen. Caravans of several dozen wagons each set off on their way. In order to get from the Mississippi Valley to the Pacific coast, such a caravan took an average of about six months.
Settlers. 1866
Louisiana Purchase (1803-1804)
The growth of the US territory in 1800-10.
In 1803, thanks to the successful actions of American diplomats, a deal was concluded between the United States of North America and France, called the Louisiana Purchase, which allowed the States to almost double its territory. But the main achievement of this deal for the United States of that time was the provision of the Mississippi River, an important transportation artery that was previously a border river, at the full disposal of American farmers and merchants.
Anglo-American War (1812-1815) and demarcation of borders with Canada
In the Napoleonic Wars, the US remained neutral and tried to trade with all belligerents, but both France and Britain discouraged trade with their adversaries. After the defeat of the French fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), the British fleet blockaded American ports in an attempt to prevent Franco-American trade relations. Moreover, on their ships, the British still treated the Americans as their rebellious subjects and forced the sailors from the intercepted American ships to serve in the Royal Navy. In addition, Great Britain entered into an alliance with Indian tribes and supported their resistance to American expansion into Indian territories. In 1812 Congress declared war on England. After heavy fighting, which lasted until 1815, a peace was concluded, as a result of which the warring parties remained in the same borders, but Great Britain refused to ally with the Indians, who turned out to be the most affected side of the conflict. The United States emerged from the war with self-confidence, in particular, thanks to an impressive victory in the decisive battle with the British near New Orleans.
Despite the end of hostilities, there were still many contentious issues between the United States and Great Britain, including the borders between the United States and British Canada. To a large extent, they were settled in the course of post-war negotiations, which ended with the conclusion of the Anglo-American Convention of 1818. Issues that remained unsettled, in particular, about the status of the modern Northwest of the United States, were settled at the conclusion of the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842 and the Oregon treaties of 1846
Treaty of Adams-Onis (1819)
Main article: Adams-Onis Treaty
In 1819, an agreement was also concluded on the demarcation of the Spanish-American border in North America, according to which Florida was part of the United States.
Rent War (1839-1846)
Main article: Anti-Rent War
In the middle of the XIX century. in the United States, a series of local civil wars took place, which became a prelude to the crisis of American statehood and the civil war of 1861-1865. Among them in 1839-1846. a series of civil unrest and armed clashes took place in the state of New York. Local laws, which had developed during the period of Dutch domination, no longer corresponded to the economic and political realities of the United States. In 1839 the Albany County farmers refused to pay what they considered extortionate land rents. The impetus for this was the death on January 26, 1839 of the largest landowner and lieutenant governor of New York, Stephen Van Rensselaer. Farmers soon moved from protest meetings to pogroms. The governor of the state was forced to turn to the federal army to put an end to the violence, but the farmers put up armed resistance and started a guerrilla war in the state. In 1845 martial law was declared in the region. By 1846, the US government made concessions and abolished enslaving rent laws.
Oregon Treaty
In April 1861, the first battle took place in the state of South Carolina, during which armed forces The Confederates took control of Fort Sumter, a federal military base. At first, the war was fought with varying success and mainly in the territory of Virginia and Maryland. The turning point in it occurred in 1864, when Lincoln appointed Ulysses Grant as commander in chief. The northern army under William Sherman led a successful advance from Tennessee to Atlanta, Georgia, defeating troops led by Confederate Generals Johnston and Hood. During the famous "march to the sea", Sherman's army destroyed about 20% of all farms in Georgia and reached Atlantic Ocean in Savannah in December 1864. The war ended with the surrender of General Lee's army in Virginia on April 9, 1865.
Reconstruction and industrialization (1865-1890)
Reconstruction, the period after the end of the Civil War, lasted from 1877 to 1877. During this time, the "Reconstruction Amendments" were made to the Constitution, expanding civil rights for Americans. These amendments include the Thirteenth Amendment, which outlaws slavery, the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to all born or naturalized within the United States, and the Fifteenth Amendment, which guarantees the right to vote for men of all races. In response to Reconstruction, a number of Southern organizations emerged, including the Ku Klux Klan, which opposed the realization of the civil rights of the colored population. Violence by such organizations was opposed by the federal army and the authorities, who passed, in particular, the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1870, which declared it a terrorist organization. However, in the U.S. v. Cruikshank Supreme Court case, it was up to the states to uphold the civil rights of the population. The economic crisis of 1873 exacerbated the failure of the Republican authorities. Eventually, the Republican governments lost the support of the voters of the southern states, and the Democrats returned to power in the South, who did not restore slavery, but passed discriminatory laws called Jim Crow laws. In 1877, the participation of the army in public administration stopped in the South. As a result, African Americans became second-class citizens, and racist white supremacy continued to dominate public opinion. The Democratic party's monopoly of power in the southern states continued thereafter until the 1960s.
The expansion of gold miners, farmers and owners of vast ranches to the "Wild West" was accompanied by numerous conflicts with the Indians. The last large-scale armed conflict between white Americans and the native population was the Black Hills War (1876-77), although some skirmishes with small groups of Indians continued until 1918.
By 1871, the US authorities had come to the conclusion that agreements with the Indians were no longer required and that no Indian people or tribe should be considered an independent people or state. By 1880, as a result of the mass shooting of the American bison, almost its entire population had disappeared, and the Indians had lost the object of their main trade. The authorities forced the Indians to give up their usual way of life and live only on reservations. Many Indians resisted this. One of the leaders of the resisters was Puke the Cat, chief of the Sioux tribe. The Sioux dealt some stunning blows to the American cavalry, winning the Battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876. But the Indians could not live on the prairies without bison, and, exhausted by hunger, they eventually submitted and moved to reservations.
USA at the end of the 19th century
The end of the 19th century was a time of powerful industrial development in the United States. "Gilded Age", as the classic of American literature dubbed this era Mark Twain. The wealthiest class in American society basked in luxury, but also philanthropy, which Carnegie called "the gospel of wealth," supported thousands of colleges, hospitals, museums, academies, schools, theaters, libraries, orchestras, and charitable societies. John Rockefeller alone donated over $500 million to charity, which accounted for more than half of his total income. An unprecedented wave of immigrants brought to the United States not only the labor force for American industry, but also created a diversity of national communities that inhabited the sparsely populated western territories.
It is believed that the modern American economy was created during the Gilded Age. In the 1870s and 1880s, both the economy as a whole and wages, wealth, national product, and capital in the United States grew at the fastest pace in the history of the country. So between 1865 and 1898. wheat crops increased by 256%, corn - by 222%, coal production - by 800%, and the total length of railway lines - by 567%. The corporation has become the dominant form of business organization. By the beginning of the 20th century, per capita income and industrial output in the United States had become the highest in the world. Per capita income in the US was twice that of Germany and France, and 50% that of Britain. In the era of the technological revolution, businessmen built new industrial cities in the Northeast of the United States with city-forming factories and plants, which employed hired workers from different European countries. Multimillionaires such as John Rockefeller, Andrew Mellon, Andrew Carnegie, John Morgan, Cornelius Vanderbilt, the Astor family, gained a reputation as robber barons. Workers began organizing into then-small trade unions such as the American Federation of Labor.
USA before World War I (1890-1914)
United States between the world wars (1918-1941)
Main article: US History (1918-1945)
"Prosperity" (1922-1929)
The era of "prosperity" or prosperity refers to the period of economic growth in the United States in the 1920s. In literature, the era of "prosperity" most often means unhealthy, dubious prosperity. Post-war America took the lead in terms of economic growth, thanks to which it further strengthened its leading position in the world. By the end of the 1920s, America produced almost as much industrial output as the rest of the world. The wages of the average worker increased by 25%. The unemployment rate did not exceed 5%, and in some periods even 3%. Consumer credit flourished. Prices were kept stable. The pace of US economic development remained the highest in the world.
After the end of the second presidential term of Woodrow Wilson, Republicans came to power for 12 years: Warren Harding (1921-1923), then after his death Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) and Herbert Hoover (1929-1933). The US population was tired of progressive reforms, and therefore the transition to conservatism was more than ever welcome. Republicans in this period saw as their main goal: 1. stability, 2. ensuring reliable economic performance, 3. helping firms with the organization of their activities, opening foreign markets for them.
However, the boom period began very unpleasantly: government orders and overseas demand for American goods decreased. The soldiers who returned from the fronts could not find work. The number of unemployed increased from 0.5 million to 5 million. In 1920, the 18th amendment to the Constitution - the Dry Law - came into force. The smuggling of alcohol and the production of moonshine at home began. In this regard, in 1920-21. there was a recession in the economy and only 1923 began with the process of recovery.
The reasons for the rise of the American economy are seen in the strengthening of American imperialism, the emergence of the United States in a leading position in international politics and its transformation into the financial center of the world. With considerable funds at their disposal, the American monopolies successfully renewed their fixed capital and built new plants and factories. In 1924, the Dawes Plan was adopted to restore the German economy. The United States took the lead. Germany was allocated a loan, a significant part of which was provided by US banks. The desire of the United States to contribute to the economic stability of Europe was explained by the desire to conquer new markets for American goods, as well as the desire to prevent the spread of communist ideology. At the same time, in 1921, the United States provided Soviet Russia, where famine was rampant, with charitable assistance. By 1929, the total value of American exports was $85 million.
President Harding formed a cabinet of prominent financiers, millionaires, and people versed in economics. In 1921-1932, the post of US Secretary of the Treasury was held by the multimillionaire E. Mellon. On his initiative, the tax rate on incomes exceeding $1 million was reduced first to 66-50%, and in 1926 even to 20%. The wartime laws enacted to control the price level were abolished. With respect to corporations, the use of antitrust laws has ceased, which were effectively annulled by the Supreme Court through various clarifications and interpretations. At the same time, the persecution of trade unions intensified, and by 1930 their number had decreased by 1.5 times. In 1925, Calvin Coolidge declared, "The business of America is business," domestic politics meant following the principles of Laissez-faire, which opened up freedom of action for businessmen and guaranteed them from state interference in the activities of the private sector of the economy.
High protectionist customs tariffs were returned late XIX century, which declared one of the foundations of prosperity. The public debt has decreased, taxes have gone down.
During the years of prosperity, the increase in per capita income and production efficiency led to a 40% increase in GNP. The country has established the highest level life in the world, with low unemployment, low inflation and low interest rates on loans. industrial production as a whole increased by 1929 by 72%. The production of consumer goods developed especially successfully. The impetus for its development was the widespread use of electrical energy. The electrified homes of Americans began to be equipped with household appliances - radios, refrigerators, etc. By the end of the 1920s, most industrial enterprises switched to electricity.
During the presidency of Coolidge, extremely low purchase prices were set for agricultural raw materials to be used in industry. The concentration of capital took place mainly in the electric power industry, the automotive industry, the radio and the developing film industry. The national wealth of the USA by 1928 reached $450 billion.
Big business just got bigger. Corporations such as General Motors, Chrysler, General Electric, US Rubber and others came to the fore. Increasing the output of goods and capturing sales markets, such companies received more and more profits, which went to further development and expansion of production capacities. As a result, even more goods were produced, which were eagerly bought up by consumers. In the 1920s, the United States became the world's largest lender and increased its share of loans by 58%.
Symbol of America in the 1920s. can be considered Henry Ford and his Ford Model T, the first mass-produced car in world history. This vehicle was affordable to many, as it cost less than $300, and the average annual earnings of an industrial worker was $1,300. As a result, the car ceased to be a luxury and turned into a means of transportation. In the 1920s the car park grew by 250%, and by 1929 it exceeded 25 million cars, despite the fact that the US population at that time was 125 million people.
The development of the automotive industry contributed to: infrastructure development (construction and development of roads, hotels, gas stations, fast food outlets). Legislative acts of 1916, 1921 and 1925 provided for the creation of a nationwide network of numbered highways. By 1929, 250,000 miles of modern highways had been built - 1.5 times more than existed 20 years earlier; growth in US exports as the automobile became a top export product; the development of the chemical and steel industries (production increased by 20% per year), the fuel and energy complex (oil production increased 1.5 times), the production of glass, rubber, etc.; the emergence of new jobs: every 12th worker was employed in the automotive industry; the development of conveyor production (this allowed the capitalists to reduce the number of workers, leaving only the most hardy and able-bodied, who received higher wages).
In general, the 1920s is the time of the formation of a consumer society. The average American was under massive pressure from the manufacturers of goods: he was constantly besieged by calls to buy and buy more. In this regard, modern advertising began to develop. Manufacturers did everything to force the buyer not to save money on the back burner, but to immediately spend it. Those who did not have the required amount with them were offered an installment purchase. There was a concept - life on credit, when most of the cars, refrigerators, radios were purchased in this way. However, the problem of uneven distribution of income was not taken into account: two-thirds of American families were unable to purchase even basic necessities.
Part of the profits of the monopolies turned into securities (shares), which absorbed retained earnings. Stocks were valued because they were bought and could be earned. The country advertised easy ways to wealth through stocks. And by 1929, at least 1 million Americans were playing on the stock exchange, who, having invested all their limited funds in buying shares, were waiting for success. J. Raskob, chairman of the financial committee of General Motors, argued in those years that if you save $ 15 a week and buy shares with this money, then in 20 years you will be able to accumulate capital of $ 80,000. Holders of securities got into huge debts and actively used loans.
Results:
For the first time in American history, cities outnumbered rural areas, resulting in the emergence of urban agglomerations (the so-called decline in the rural population in the prosperity decade was 6.3 million people).
By the end of 1929, the US was producing 5.4 million cars annually. The United States accounted for 48% of the industrial production of the entire capitalist world - 10% more than Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan combined. The lion's share of production fell on large corporations, which can be called the creators of prosperity. The volume of production increased by 4.5 times, and the total market value tripled. The development of the US economy was not of a permanent nature: in 1924 and 1927. there were minor, short-term recessions. But each time after the American economy continued to develop with renewed vigor.
However, in 1929, at the end of October, the Great Depression began and after 4 years the United States lay in economic ruins. Living on credit has not led to endless and unhindered growth. In banking, 5,000 banks were closed in the 1920s. The level of industrial production fell by a third, unemployment rose by 20%. The decline in agriculture was outlined as early as 1921. There were also problems in the international arena: persistently seeking debt repayment from the European powers (in total, the Entente countries owed about 20 billion dollars), the Americans contributed to an increase in customs duties on European goods.
At the same time, during the period of Prosperity, such industries as coal, light (shoe, food and textile) industries, shipbuilding did not develop properly. Coal production decreased by 30%. The economic boom led to a crisis of overproduction: by 1929 the market was overflowing with various goods, but these goods were no longer in demand.
The Great Depression and the New Deal
The Great Depression in the United States began with the stock market crash at the end of 1929 and continued until the entry into the Second world war. Unwinding deflation made the production of goods unprofitable. As a result, production declined while unemployment rose sharply, rising from 3% in 1929 to 25% in 1933. A drought occurred in the rural areas of the Great Plains, which, combined with shortcomings in agricultural practices, led to extensive soil erosion. , caused ecological catastrophe. Cities have been bombarded by dust storms for several years. The population, deprived of housing and livelihoods in the Dust Bowl, migrated further west, mainly to California, taking on any low-paying job and knocking down wages there, already low due to the economic crisis. Local authorities were looking for a way out in the deportation of illegal immigrants from Mexico. In the American South, an already fragile economy was collapsing. Rural residents migrated in droves to the North in search of work in industrial centers, in particular, Detroit. In the Great Lakes region, farmers, suffering from lower prices for their products, flooded the courts with cases of private bankruptcy.
From the USA, the crisis spread to the rest of the capitalist world. Industrial production declined in the US by 46%, in the UK by 24%, in Germany by 41%, in France by 32%. Stock prices of industrial companies fell in the US by 87%, in the UK by 48%, in Germany by 64%, in France by 60%. Unemployment reached colossal proportions. According to official data, in 1933 there were 30 million unemployed in 32 capitalist countries, including 14 million in the United States. These circumstances required state intervention in the economy, the use of methods of state influence on spontaneous processes in the capitalist economy in order to avoid shocks, which accelerated the outgrowth of monopoly capitalism into state-monopoly capitalism.
In 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt, a candidate from the Democratic Party, came to power in the United States, who offered the American people a "new course", as his policy was later called. The Republicans, who were accused, if not of the onset of the economic crisis, then of inability to cope with it, suffered a crushing defeat in the presidential elections of 1932 and for many years could not subsequently take White House. Such was the success of the New Deal that Roosevelt became the only president in US history to be re-elected four times in a row, and he remained in office until his death in 1945. period, for example, the Social Security program, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the Securities and Exchange Commission are still operating in the United States. The most successful initiative of President Roosevelt is considered to be assistance to the unemployed, who were recruited by the federal government to work in the Civilian Environmental Protection Corps and a number of other government services.
Although the measures taken by the Roosevelt administration prevented a further decline in production, or at least eased the effects of the economic crisis on the general population, ultimately the Great Depression in America ended only with the outbreak of World War II. The administration began financing military orders, while the production of civilian products was sharply reduced, and its consumption became a quota. This allowed the economy to cope with difficulties. From 1939 to 1944 production has almost doubled. Unemployment fell from 14% in 1940 to less than 2% in 1943, although the labor force grew by 10 million people.
World War II (1939-1945)
As in World War I, the United States did not enter World War II for a long time. However, already in September 1940, the United States, under the Lend-Lease program, provided assistance with weapons to Great Britain, which, after the occupation of France, fought alone with Nazi Germany. The US also supported China, which was at war with Japan and declared an oil embargo on Japan. After the German attack on the USSR in June 1941, the lend-lease program was extended to the USSR.
On December 7, 1941, Japan launched a surprise attack on the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, justifying its actions with references to the American embargo. The next day, the US declared war on Japan. In response, Germany declared war on the United States.
| Paradoxically, the defeat of Nazi Germany raised the international status of America, although it did not play a decisive role in the military victory over Nazism. The credit for achieving this victory must be given to Stalin's Soviet Union, Hitler's odious rival. |
In the 16th century, the territory of the United States was inhabited by Indian tribes, and during this period the first Europeans appeared here. By the 18th century, the entire North American continent was colonized by Europeans, as a result of which three zones of influence were formed. The British zone appeared in the areas of the Atlantic coast, the French zone appeared in the Great Lakes region, and the Spanish zone arose on the Pacific coast, in and.
In 1774, 13 English colonies began hostilities in the struggle for independence and achieved their goal on July 4, 1776 - the date of the formation of the new sovereign state of the United States of America. On September 17, 1787, the Constitution was adopted with the main convictions of the democratic formation of the country. The approved Constitution contained the rights of "free" states with powerful state power.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the territory increased due to the acquisition of Louisiana from the French, Florida from the Spaniards and the conquest of colonies of other lands, for example,. The capture of local states was accompanied either by the forced eviction of the Indian people in the reservation, or the complete destruction of the population.
In 1861, disagreements arose between the southern and northern states related to economic and cultural issues, as a result of which the Confederation of 11 southern states arose, declaring its separation. In the beginning, the southerners won several victories, but in the end it ended with the victory of the northern states and the preservation of the federation. In 1867 the United States bought the Aleutian Islands and Alaska from Russia. The end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century were distinguished by the grandiose rise of the United States into a strong economic state, thanks to the influx of immigrants from other continents. By 1914, the population of the state already amounted to 95 million inhabitants.
April 4, 1917 America entered the First World War. Until that time, the state preferred to take a neutral position in relation to the events that were taking place at that time in Europe, since the United States was engaged in creating zones of influence in countries Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean and Central America. At the end of the war, the US Senate refused to vote for the Treaty of Versailles.
After the war in 1929, a sharp jump in the country's economy gave way to a terrible crisis. During the Great Depression, production dropped significantly and unemployment increased. On December 7, 1941, the US Army entered World War II with Japan as a result of the bombing of the American base at Pearl Harbor by Japanese fighters. After December 11, 1941, America entered into a military conflict with Italy and Germany. The Americans deployed all their military operations mainly in the Pacific. After the Tehran Conference on June 6, 1944, the US Army figured in the defeat of the German army on the Atlantic coast of France. fighting against Japan were successfully held in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. August 6, 1945 the Americans threw on Hiroshima atomic bomb, and on August 9, a bomb was dropped on another Japanese city - Nagasaki. On September 2, 1945, the Japanese Emperor Hirohito signed an act of surrender.
After the war, the strongest world state, the United States, contributed to the economic recovery of the countries of Western Europe and launched the Cold War, preventing the spread of communist influence around the world, and especially in Europe. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, directly within the state, the American authorities persecuted all those suspected of participating in the communist movement.
In the future, America, one way or another, got involved in international conflicts: Cuba, Vietnam, Arab-Israeli war. In the United States, a pacifist movement emerged against the military action against the Vietnamese, which coincided with the struggle of African American residents against racial discrimination. In April 1968, the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., was committed, urging the peaceful resolution of the issue of upholding their civil rights of the African American population. His constructive political activity did not go unnoticed, as African Americans subsequently became integrated into the American public.
The 1970s saw a significant political turnaround with the resignation of President Nixon, fueled by the Watergate scandal. In 1979 China's relations with the United States normalized, of which J. Carter was President during this period. This, in turn, favorably influenced the signing of a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. But, since an unsuccessful operation was carried out to free American citizens who were hostages in the US Embassy in Tehran, the Democratic Party failed in the elections. As a result of these events, R. Reagan was elected President of the United States in 1980. Thanks to the negotiations with the USSR, initiated by R. Reagan and picked up by George W. Bush, who took over as president in 1989, the arms race was localized and the Cold War ended.