history of America
The history of America can be divided into
three great periods: the continent before its discovery by Christophe Colomb (one speaks about civilizations
précolombiennes); the continent for the colonial period of Europeans;
finally, the continent since the independence of the States to the xix
E century.
AMERICA PRÉCOLOMBIENNE
A relatively late settlement
The settlement of America is rather
recent, in comparison with that of the other continents. It is probable that
the first men from Asia 70 000 years ago,
while crossing to foot the cold Bering Strait (in the north of the continent).
Towards the end of the VIII E thousand-year-old before J-C,
agriculture makes its appearance. The first prehistoric companies develop
starting from the II E thousand-year-old before J-C, in particular
in the south-west of the current United States (like Pueblo), then in Mexico
(Olmèques, Zapotèques, etc).
Great civilizations précolombiennes
It is starting from the III E century after J-C,
and more still starting from X E century, than are
born great civilizations known
as précolombiennes
(i.e. before the arrival of Christophe
Colomb): Mayas, Toltèques, the Aztec ones and Incas. The three first are primarily in
Central America; Incas for their part are installed in the Andes cordillera (in
South America). Drawing their power from agriculture and equipped with political
and religious structures developed, these civilizations with their way founded
each one of great empires. The archaeological traces that they left are
significant: Palenque, Tikal and Chichén Itzá (quoted Maya), Assemble Albán
(quoted zapotèque) or Machu Picchu (quoted INCA).
As brilliance as that is to say their art,
these civilizations précolombiennes appear fragile, of technical training and a
genuine metallurgy. They do not resist the attacks of Europeans who unload on
the continent starting from the xvi E century.
THE DISCOVERY OF THE "NEW
WORLD"
Today, there is not any more a doubt
that ships Vikings, ordered by the Scandinavians Erik the Red and Leif
Eriksson (his son), reached the coasts of America with X E
century. However, the capital date remains that of the
voyage of Christophe Colomb in 1492,
because this one opens the period of European colonization. On board three
caravels, Christophe Colomb, with the service of Spain, accosts on October
12 the 1492 shores of the islands of
the Bahamas (or San El Salvador), before discovering Cuba, Haiti and
Saint-Domingue. The navigator accomplishes then two other voyages, believing to
have joined Asia, from where the name of Indians whom it gives to the
inhabitants of the New World (one speaks today about Amérindiens).
To its continuation, other European
navigators launch out in the adventure. In 1497, Jean
Cabot discovers the coasts of
Canada. Three years later, Pedro Alvarez Cabral reaches Brazil. In 1513, Vasco
Núñez de Balboa crosses the isthmus
of Panamá and sees the Pacific Ocean. In 1520,
Fernand of Magellan crosses the strait which carries since its
name, in the extreme south of America. Lastly, between 1534 and 1541, Jacques
Cartier explores the coasts of North
America on behalf of the king François I er of France.
EUROPEAN COLONIZATION
In 1507, the New World is baptized
"America", in homage to the explorer Amerigo Vespucci who, the first,
spoke about these new grounds like new continent. America then gives birth to
covetousness from the European powers. Since 1493, the pope distributes the
future grounds to be discovered between the Spaniards and the Portuguese,
starting from an artificial line traced in the Atlantic Ocean and dividing the
world into two parts; the treaty of Tordesillas, signed the
following year by Spain and Portugal, is strongly disputed by the other
European countries, in particular by England and France.
Spanish Empire
Spain launches out the first in the
conquest of America. In 1519, Hernán Cortés unloads in Mexico. With a hundred soldiers,
the conquistadors, the weather seizes the Aztec Empire in less than two years, being captive the last
emperor, Moctezuma II A little later between 1532 and 1533, Francisco
Pizarro conquers the INCA Empire, in Peru.
On all the continent, thanks to their
weapons with fire and their horses, a handle of Spanish adventurers come to end
from resistance from Amérindiens. In a few years, the Spanish territories in
America become a colonial empire very well organized, directed by senior officials
come from the court of Spain. The gold mines, and more still the
mines of money of Peru, feed the
treasure of the Spanish Crown regularly.
The exploitation of the richnesses of the
continent requires a significant labour: Amérindiens are then reduced in
slavery. Made indignant by this practice, missionnaire Bartolomé de Las Put
obtains in 1542 of king d' Espagne an improvement of their fate… which leads
however to the development of the traffic of black slaves of Africa.
Gradually, the Spaniards build cities,
where a Baroque architecture specific
develops to the continent (in particular in the churches). Many catholic
priests, in particular the Jesuits, try to convert Amérindiens with their religion.
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese colonize for their
part Brazil since 1500. At the
end of the
xvii E century, the discovery of great quantities
of gold reinforces the role of the
American colony within the vast Portuguese empire. In spite of the treaty of
Tordesillas in 1494, the quarrels of borders between Portuguese and Spanish
possessions in America are regulated definitively only in second half of the
xviii E century.
The Empires British and French
As of the
xvi E century, the French take possession of part of Canada (
News-France) and the Antilles.
Thus, Samuel Champlain melts the
town of Quebec in 1608. In 1682, Cavelier of the Room reaches the mouth of Mississippi (today in the
United States) and calls this area Louisiana, in homage to the king Louis
XIV.
Following the political struggles and
chocolate éclairs which tear England to the xvii E century, several
religious minorities are expatrient in America with the hope to found a city or
a colony. Thus, arriving on the East coast
on board Mayflower
in 1620, the
Fathers Pilgrims melt in
Massachusetts the first permanent colony in America. A little later the British
repurchase with the Dutchmen the peninsula of Manhattan and melt the town of New York
there. Enough quickly, thirteen British colonies is established on the East coast of North
America.
At the end of the xvii E century, British and French dispute
the control of the trade of the furs and clash during fatal conflicts, each one
being pressed on tribes amérindiennes. This long continuation of battles is
completed by the British victory with the
Plains of Abraham and by the catch of Quebec (1759). The treaty of Paris,
signed in 1763, only leaves in France Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon and of the islands
in the Antilles. But this victory was expensive Britanniques who increases the
taxes and the customs duties in their American colonies.
The ACCESSION OF The CONTINENT To
INDEPENDENCE
The creation of the United States
The increase in the British taxes causes a
revolt of the American colonists. They elect a continental Congress, adopt a
declaration of Independence of the United States of America (on July 4, 1776) and name George Washington
ordering as a head of their armies. The colonists oblige the British to
capitulate in Yorktown, and in 1783, at the end of the war of American
Independence, Great Britain must recognize the independence of the United
States.
Wars of independence of South America
This victory of the colonists of the north
of the continent has a great repercussion in South America, where the hope to
release itself from the Spaniards and the Portuguese animates also the Creoles
(Spaniard descendants born in America). The weakening of Spain (allied of France
at the time of the wars napoléoniennes) gives to the Creoles the signal of the
revolt. The government of Madrid does not have any more the means of sending
troops to restore the order.
Between 1808 and 1826, wars
of liberation are carried out on all
the territory of South America by large revolutionists: Vénézuélien Simón
Bolívar (called el
Libertador, "the Liberator") releases Venezuela, Ecuador and
Peru;it is also at the origin of the creation of Bolivia; Argentinian José
de San Martín and Vénézuélien Antonio
José de Sucre take part in the
release of the Latin America, in particular of Chile and Peru. For its part,
Brazil releases itself peacefully from the supervision of the Portuguese in
1822.
Thus at the beginning of the xix E century, the
American continent is disengaged overall from the influence of Europe; there
still remain nothing any more but some States under European supervision, as
British Canada (which starts its process of autonomy in 1867).
THE AMERICAN CONTINENT SINCE ITS
INDEPENDENCE
Birth of the power of the United States
Throughout xix
E century, the United States does not cease developing. They
enter in war against Mexico (1846-1848) to conquer frontier territories
(Texas, New Mexico and California). They launch out to the
conquest of the territories of the West, destroying and massacring
many tribes amérindiennes. Seriously touched by the
American Civil War (1861-1865) —which is completed by the victory of North
over the South favorable to slavery—, the United States abolishes
slavery during the presidency of
Abraham Lincoln.
In same time, the country starts to impose
its capacity. The United States repurchases Alaska in Russia (in 1867),
seize the Spanish territories of Puerto Rico (1898) and
the Philippines (1898), obtain the concession of a ground
in Panamá
—in order to build a channel connecting the Atlantic Oceans and the
Pacific. They send their soldiers in America everywhere where their interests
must be defended. They thus occupy during the first decades of the xx E
century Nicaragua, Haiti,
the Dominican Republic and control the island of Cuba.
Political and economic difficulties in
South America
In many countries of South America, the
army plays a significant role and
authoritative dictatorships or modes are with the
capacity since their independence: to Mexico, Porfirio Díaz directs to three
recoveries the country between the end of
the xix E and the beginning of the xx E
century; in Brazil, Getúlio Vargas controls by twice between the years
1930-1950; in Argentina, Juan Perón asserts itself twice during years 1940-1970;
in Uruguay,
Alfredo Stroessner directs the country of the medium of the xx E
century at the end of the years 1980.
To this absence of democracy is often
added economic misery:
the populations amérindiennes are put at the variation and the ground belongs
to very great landowners. One often practises
monoculture (only one culture), to sell the production in
Europe, without taking account of the needs for the population: culture of the
coffee in Brazil and in Colombia,
of sugar
in Cuba, bananas
in the countries of Central America.
The question of the land reform is in the heart of the political problems of
these countries.
As from the years 1960, guerrillas
ignite many countries of Latin
America, where the population claims a better distribution of the grounds. The
first guerrilla sees the victory of the guérilleros of Fidel Castro, who founds in
1959 a dictatorship in Cuba. In Chile, the government of El Salvador
Allende (elected democratically) is reversed in 1973 by the
coup d'etat of the Pinochet General, who imposes a dictatorial régime as of
the following year.
Relations between American States
Created in 1948, the Organization of the
American States (the OAS) aims at an economic co-operation and a policy of
common defense of the Member States located on the continent. However, in spite
of the creation of the OAS and the installation of a Common Market, the Latin
America always knows problems of development. A many countries must accept the
assistance of international organizations, whose measurements dissatisfy the
local populations. In 2002, the election with the presidency of Brazil of Luiz
Inácio Lula da Silva, known as Lula (in favour of a universalization more
favorable to the poor countries) raised much hope in South America.
TO GO FURTHER
? America
On America précolombienne:
? Olmèques
? Mayas
? Toltèques
? the Aztec ones
? Incas
On the discovery of the New World:
? great explorations to the xv E and xvi E centuries
? to be a pioneer of the New World
? News-France
On the recent history:
? the war of American Independence
? the American Civil War
? the First World War
? the Second World war
? the cold war
? the war of Viêt Nam
? Inuit
? characters: Christophe Colomb –Jacques Cartier –Hernán Cortés –Samuel de Champlain –George Washington –Davy Crockett –Simón Bolívar –Abraham Lincoln –Woodrow Wilson –Al Capone –Franklin Delano Roosevelt –Che Guevara –John Fitzgerald Kennedy –Martin Luther King
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