There were essential changes on a political map of Northern America in XVIII century. France has lost the majority of the dominance in this region that has led to the expansion of dominance of England and Spain. A leading role was played by English colonies at the Atlantic coast of Northern America. Already in the 30th years the formation of 13 English colonies has come to the end. A great part of them has been formed by the religious communities, a part – by the trade companies, some – by private persons. From here there were also the distinctions in management of colonies. Three colonies represented a private property: Pennsylvania – William Penn’s possession; Maryland – possession of lord of Baltimore; the possession of lord Delavera.
Already right at the beginning of the process of formation of colonies the significant social and economic distinctions between northern and southern colonies were designated. Northern group consisted of more democratic emigrants who have moved to America because of political or religious prosecutions at the native land. The southern group consisted mainly of noblemen, including rescued in America from English revolution. Therefore from the initial stage of development, the northern and southern colonies have gone different ways, creating contradictions between the North and the South (Guides, 2003).
The English bourgeoisie considered North American colonies as a source of raw material and a commodity market for the goods. The mother country in every possible way interfered the independent economic development of colonies. In particular: it was forbidden to take out the woolen fabrics, to construct the metal cutting enterprises, to move to the West. The trade with other countries was regulated. It is natural, that it should cause discontent of the population of developing colonies. Outburst of indignation has occurred in December, 1773. These events have received the name of the Boston tea drinking. As a token of the protest against duty-free import of tea to Northern America the East Indian company that undermined the economy of colonies, group of members of secret anticolonial organization. English authorities have entered into the answer in Boston state of emergency and have closed the Boston port for trade. It was an incitement to the beginning of revolt in all colonies and became a prologue of war of colonies for independence.
The war proceeded from 1775 to 1783 and has led to the formation of the new independent state on the American continent. In May, 1776 in Philadelphia the Second continental congress which has proclaimed creation of the sovereign state of the United States of America has gathered. On July, the 4th the Declaration of independence which project has been prepared by the visible American educator and bourgeois democrat Thomas Jefferson, subsequently has been accepted by the third president of the USA. Under the peace treaty signed in 1783 in Versailles, England has been compelled to recognize the independence of the USA. As a result on a place of 13 former English colonies 13 staffs of the new state were formed. In the American historiography the initial states are usually called so.
Initial states have found the reflection in the state symbolic of the USA. Now the number of stars has changed by present quantity of states of the USA, the number of strips remains constant. On the State Emblem of the USA the eagle holds in paws a bunch from 13 arrows and above its head the socket with 13-th five-pointed stars is placed.
In first half of the XIX century there is a prompt expansion of territory of the USA. This territorial expansion was defined by ample opportunities for the colonization of the new grounds as the radical American Indian population could not show serious resistance to Americans. The methods of expansion were various. First Louisiana colonized in the end of the XVII century by the Frenchmen. France as a result of Seven-year war has conceded east part of Louisiana of England, and western to Spain. With the formation of the USA east part of Louisiana up to Mississippi has entered into their structure, and western has passed France. Napoleon has read out for the best to sell this territory of the USA for 15 million dollars. Florida belonged to Spain, has been attached by a little bit other way. First the western part of Florida has been attached to the USA, and then the American armies under a pretext of prosecution of Indians have grasped also East Florida. This capture also has been issued in the form of purchase, and the USA have paid Spain for Florida rather modest sum of 5 million dollars. The USA have suggested Mexico to buy from it Texas but when it has refused, direct annexation of Texas which has been included in structure of the USA as separate state has been carried out. Against Mexico the war was broke out, and at the end it has been untied by the peace treaty favorable to the USA (Smith,1989).
The expansion went and in a northwest direction. The USA have achieved from England a recognition of the claims on extensive territory of Oregon, and in second half the XIX century the USA have got Russia Alaska for 7,2 million dollars (11 million rubles gold). So to the beginning of the XX century formation of the state territory of the USA which in the further did not change any more has ended. After the War for independence which has actually played a role of bourgeois revolution, the economy of the USA began to develop such rates of what were not known within any of the countries of the Europe. Already in the middle of the XIX century the USA send on the fourth place in the world on total amount of industrial production. Such rapid growth was caused by many reasons. The feudalism as developed and universal system never existed in the USA. The basic part of the lands has been nationalized and sold from auction. Already in the end of the XVIII and in the beginning of the XIX centuries distinction was outlined in ways of development of the North and the South. The manufactory, and then the factory industry, preconditions for industrial revolution which has begun in the USA in 20 – 30th years of the XIX century were created In the North quickly. It has captured textile industries, has mentioned food (flour-grinding), metallurgy, mechanical engineering, transport. Railway construction roughly developed. So, the first railway of the USA has connected Baltimore and Washington. In agriculture of the North at this time there was a region specialization of manufacture of agricultural products, the farm developed.
The south of the USA has been a little influenced by the industrial revolution. It remained as a region of the plantation agriculture based on the work of slaves. The Agriculture became more and more single-crop the king-cotton gradually superseded tobacco and other cultures of former specialization of the South. The number of slaves in the south on the boundary of the XVIII-XIX centuries made 1 million person, to the middle of XIX century 4 million. In 60th years of XIX century of the contradiction between the North and the South become aggravated and finally lead to the Civil war of 1861-1865(Guides, 2003).
In the North at this time 22 million people lived nearby, in the south 9 million. The leader of northerners in this war became republican Abraham Lincoln. The southern were first who passed to military actions. War lasted for 5 years and has ended with a victory of the North. During the Civil war it was accepted essentially important 2 laws: about releasing of Blacks (Brogan, 2001).
After the civil war the USA have entered a strip of new economic rise that was promoted by the absence of vestiges of feudalism and a serfdom, presence of huge quantity of the free grounds (the grounds have been included in an agricultural turn equal to England, France, and Germany), a variety and riches of the natural resources comparable only with Russia, unity of the political and economic organization of huge territory. New York became the economic capital of the USA.
On this economic and sociopolitical background there was a process of formation of the American nation. Americans as the nation have developed basically in second half the XVIII century. The kernel of the nation was made by Englishmen, Scots, and Irish. Then Germans, Dutch, Scandinavians, the Frenchmen, Italians, representatives of Slavic people have joined them. Together with natives of Africa and Indians this ethnic boiler has created finally the American nation. Greater role in its development two waves of immigration XIX of the beginning of the XX century have played. The first wave – old immigration – lasted during the XIX century and was accompanied by the inflow of Englishmen, Scots, then Irish and Germans. It was urged forward also with a gold fever in California. The second, or new immigration, fell to the beginning of the XX century and included immigrants from Southern and the East Europe (Poles, Jews, Lithuanians, and Ukrainians) (Guides, 2003).
The culture of the USA was formed in focus of various European influences; however, there was soon an individual feature. City construction and architecture of the USA though they and have influenced English and the French classicism, a modernist style, and other styles is most original. However in the XIX century style of the new architecture – skyscrapers was developed.
So, it should be mentioned that the result of uniting two opposite poles of the USA – The Northern and the Southern colonies was really obvious.
The victory upon slavery proved the democratic features of the new state.
References
- Brogan Hugh (2001) The Penguin History of the USA: New edition, Penguin (Non-Classics); 2 edition
- Guides Rough (2003) The Rough Guide to the History of the USA (Rough Guide Histories), Rough Guides
- Smith Page (1989) The Shaping of America: A People’s History of the Young Republic (People’s History of the USA), Penguin (Non-Classics)