American history can be divided into three periods: the early period (1492 years ago-1776 years ago); Modern (1776 ——1898); And modern times (1898 to present). The landmark events that distinguish the three periods are 1776 American independence and 1898 Spanish-American War.

1. Early American Development History (A.D. 1492 years ago-A.D. 1776 years ago)

The development of this stage is characterized by the development from primitive clan society to capitalist mode of production, accompanied by the leap of pre-capitalist form. During this period, the development of social forms did not transition in turn, nor did it go through the development stage dominated by slavery and feudal social system. As far as the dominant form of production relations is concerned, it is the period when pre-capitalism and capitalist mode of production began to develop. As far as social and political life is concerned, it was a 13 colonial period in British North America, dominated by indigenous Indians and mainly by English. The fundamental reason lies in the influence of the British who have been in the advanced stage of capitalist development coming to the United States.

The United States can be divided into three stages of development.

1) The period when Indians explored North America (former 1492-)

Indians are the earliest primitive inhabitants of the North American continent. They have long been the main force in developing North America. Before the establishment of British North America 13 colony, their activities constituted the mainstream of ancient North American history. But the Indians developed North America very slowly. If it weren't for the exploration and colonization of white Europeans in North America since the end of15th century, North American Indians would still have influenced the evolution of the history of the North American continent.

2) European powers' exploration, development and colonization in North America (1492-1early 7th century).

At this time, Indians are still the main residents of the North American continent, but it is the European whites who dominate the fate of this continent. European powers, mainly Spain, Holland, France and Britain, successively invaded the North American continent and established their own colonies. Generally speaking, the colonization of Spain and France in North America has a strong color of feudal plunder. The colonization of the British and Dutch in North America is mainly related to the capitalist mode of production.

3) 13 British colonial period in North America (1607-1775).

During this period, Britain established 13 colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America, from Jamestown, Virginia to 1733, Georgia, which lasted 126 years. Before and after this, the French had huge colonies on the Mississippi River, while the Spanish controlled Florida and Mexico, and the Dutch controlled new york. 1756- 1763 after the seven-year war, the British controlled Canada and the vast area west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Mississippi River, and became the hegemon in the area east of the Appalachian Mountains in North America.

It should be pointed out that, firstly, the mainstream of immigrants in this period was WASP, mainly English, that is, Puritans among Anglo-Saxon whites in Europe; There are white, black immigrants and native Indians among the residents; Free immigrants and indentured servants are different in nature.

During this period, Britain established 13 colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America, from Jamestown, Virginia to 1733, Georgia, which lasted 126 years. Before and after this, the French had huge colonies on the Mississippi River, while the Spanish controlled Florida and Mexico, and the Dutch controlled new york. 1756- 1763 after the seven-year war, the British controlled Canada and the vast area west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Mississippi River, and became the hegemon in the area east of the Appalachian Mountains in North America.

It should be pointed out that, firstly, the mainstream of immigrants in this period was WASP, mainly English, that is, Puritans among Anglo-Saxon whites in Europe; There are white, black immigrants and native Indians among the residents; Free immigrants and indentured servants are different in nature.

Second, the British model in the colonial period was different from the Spanish model. The former is basically capitalist colonization, while the latter is basically feudal commercial plunder.

Third, the social nature of the colonial period was a capitalist society, with dependency and pre-capitalist remnants. Generally speaking, it is basically the transplantation of British capitalism in North America under special conditions, which can be said to have North American characteristics.

2. Modern American History (1776- 1898)

This period is the full development period of American liberal capitalism. The young bourgeoisie has achieved decisive and significant victories in the fields of politics, economy, ideology and culture, and territorial development. The United States firmly established and expanded the bourgeois democratic republic, gradually established the leading position of the industrial bourgeoisie, and the national economy developed rapidly, becoming one of the world's industrial powers in a very short time. At the same time, in the last 30 years of the19th century, it began to transition to the modern capitalist stage, and began to expand overseas after completing the mainland expansion. Modern America can be divided into the following four stages:

1) Two stages of the war against Britain (1776- 18 15).

1775- 1783 The North American Revolution overthrew British colonial rule in North America, liberated social productive forces, and opened up broad prospects for the rapid development of American capitalism. 1776 The publication of the Declaration of Independence is a milestone in American history. It is a programmatic document of the American bourgeoisie, marking the birth of the United States of America and the beginning of modern America.

1783- 18 12 During the past 30 years, the bourgeois republic in the United States has been firmly established, including the establishment of a republic, a federalism, a presidential system and a stable federal constitution. The second war against Britain1812-1815 was mainly the war of the young United States of America against the world's industrial powers that oppressed it, which led to the consolidation of the federal government and the rise of American national spirit, which eliminated the greatest external threat to the development of capitalism and began the industrial revolution and the long-term peaceful founding of the country.

2) The period of westward advancement, territorial expansion and intensification of contradictions between the two social systems (1815-1860).

The westward movement played an important role in connecting the preceding with the following in nearly a hundred years from the North American Revolution to the Civil War. This is the result of the North American Revolution of Independence and the prelude to the Civil War. It precedes territorial expansion, and its activities are richer and more lasting than territorial expansion. This large-scale economic development and social migration activities have had a great impact on the development of modern American industrialization and social and economic activities, the formation of American national character and the development of ideology and culture. The process of territorial expansion lasted for more than half a century. It has one side of colonial plunder and struggle, and the other side of the transformation from a colony to a free territory in a sense.

From the purchase of Louisiana in 1803 to the purchase of Alaska in 1867, the territory of the United States increased rapidly from 2.3 million square kilometers to 9.3 million square kilometers in just a few decades, and the total cost paid was only $55.55 million. Obviously, the formation of American economic strength and superior natural conditions are inseparable from the rapid expansion of American territory.

During this period, the United States put forward the idea of "Monroe Doctrine" in its European and American policies. She opposed European interference in American affairs and acted as a protector of American national interests, but the proposal of "Monroe Doctrine" was different from its expansion.

In the process of American westward movement, continental expansion and early industrialization, two different social and economic systems, North and South, were gradually formed. Namely, capitalist industry in the north and plantation slavery agriculture in the south. The main forces representing the interests of the industrial bourgeoisie in the north demand to expand the domestic market, limit the development of slavery, supplement the free labor force needed for capitalist production, implement high tariffs and protect the development of national industries. The main southern forces representing the interests of plantation slavery demanded expanding plantation economy, producing more commercial cotton for the world market, implementing low tariffs and importing cheap industrial products from Britain.

The political struggle between the two economic forces is mainly reflected in whether to limit or expand slavery. The American people have formed a broad United front to limit and oppose slavery. The Missouri compromise case of 1820, the compromise cases of 1833 and 1850, the Kansas civil war of 1854 and the Scott case of 1857 all reflect the struggle between the north and the south. 1860 the election of the Republican presidential candidate shattered the dream of expanding slavery in the south.

In this way, the development and intensification of contradictions between two different social and economic systems make civil war inevitable. Prior to this, the United States established a modern bourgeois two-party system.

3) Southern Civil War and Post-war Reconstruction Period (1861-1877).

186 1- 1865 The Civil War was a decisive event in American history. Since 1862, the Lincoln government implemented a series of revolutionary measures such as liberating slaves and promoting homestead law, and since the second half of 1862, the war situation has changed in favor of northern industrial capitalism. The final outcome is that the bourgeoisie defeated plantation slavery in the south, thus eliminating the biggest internal obstacle to the rapid development of capitalism. Since then, the American economy has embarked on a new stage of rapid development.

The important period in American history was the reconstruction of the south from 1865 to 1887. This is the continuation of the struggle between the North and the South for bourgeois economic democracy and political democracy politically and economically. It has gone through three stages of reconstruction of two presidents, Lincoln and Johnson, and the radicals in Congress. Although the reconstruction of the South ended with a compromise between the two forces, the social and economic structure of the South has gradually transformed into capitalist agriculture, and the contradiction between the North and the South has also undergone a corresponding important transformation, that is, the contradiction between political forces representing two different social systems has changed into an internal factional struggle representing different interest groups that safeguard capitalist relations of production.

Generally speaking, the economic system and social politics in the South changed slowly after the war, which was beneficial to the development of the industrial bourgeoisie and capitalism. However, this compromise also kept a huge gap between the North and the South in the United States, and the South still retained some residual forms and forces of slavery.

4) The completion of modern industrialization and the transition period to monopoly capitalism (1877- 1898)

This is a hurricane period in the history of American economic development. The United States began the scientific and technological revolution marked by the electric power revolution and the internal combustion engine revolution, completed the world's highest level of modern industrialization at that time, caught up with Germany and Britain, and became the world's number one industrial power. At the same time, liberal capitalism has developed into a typical modern enterprise organization and trust country, and modern organizations such as Poole, trust and holding company have appeared, and entered the development stage of modern capitalism, that is, monopoly capitalism.

In the political field, the United States has formed a bourgeois two-party system, which mainly represents the interests of monopoly capitalism. With the rise of modern industrialization and urbanization and the upsurge of workers and peasants' movement, a series of social problems have emerged.

In the ideological field, anarchism, socialism, progressivism, populism and expansionism prevailed during this period.

In the diplomatic field, the United States began to end its early isolationist diplomacy and pursued an active foreign expansion policy.

Generally speaking, this is a great turning point at the turn of the century. Beginning to change from a period dominated by free competition to a period dominated by monopoly; The transformation from a modern agricultural country to a modern industrial country; The transformation from rural society to urban society; The transformation from early technological revolution to modern new technological revolution; The transformation of local periods and departments from laissez-faire to state intervention; And the transition from inland expansion to overseas expansion.

3. Modern American History (1898- present)

The modern American history since the Spanish-American War in 1898 has been 100 years. This is the development period of American modern capitalism, that is, monopoly capitalism. This is also the history of the struggle of the American people and progressives against oligarchy and for democracy, progress and social equality. It is also a period of constant reform and adjustment of modern capitalism. During this period, the United States rapidly developed from a world industrial power to the world's number one superpower 1945, and has remained so far. Generally speaking, the development and relatively rapid development of the United States during this period are the main ones. The development of modern America can also be divided into the following four stages.

1) The period of rapid economic development before and after the First World War (1898- 1929)

The Spanish-American War marked the transformation of the United States from liberal capitalism to modern capitalism, and it was also a milestone in the division of modern American history. As a result of the Spanish-American War, the United States really entered the ranks of the world's economic powers, embarked on the road of foreign economic expansion, and formulated an "open door" policy in the Far East United States. After World War I, the United States made a fortune in the war and became the largest capital exporter in the world in 19 16.

The American economy reached a new peak in the 1920s after the war. Due to theodore roosevelt's "Fair Trade", Woodrow Wilson's "New Freedom" policy, the American progressive movement and the laissez-faire of the American economy in the 1920s, the economic and political rule of modern capitalism has been further consolidated, but at the same time, it is pregnant with potential serious crises.

The United States was neutral in World War I and then entered the war. At this time, from the economic and political strength, it is basically a fledgling emerging modern capitalist country. She tried to dominate the world, but she could do nothing, and was frustrated at the Paris Peace Conference. After the war, while consolidating its Latin American base, the United States launched a battle for global economic hegemony.

2) The Great Economic Crisis, Roosevelt's New Deal and World War II (1929- 1945).

1929- 1933, the United States experienced a serious economic and political crisis unprecedented in human history. President herbert hoover's voluntary alliance policy failed to stop the spread of the crisis. 1in March, 933, franklin roosevelt came to power and implemented the New Deal. Following the historical development trend, he eased the serious consequences of the economic crisis, protected labor productivity, prevented the United States from taking the road of fascism and prepared the material conditions for the United States to win the Second World War by strengthening the state's comprehensive intervention in the fields of finance, industry, agriculture, public works and social security.

The improvement measures of Roosevelt's New Deal are progressive reform measures conducive to modernization. It strengthened the state intervention policy in an all-round way, and made monopolism develop to a new stage of state monopoly capital, which marked the maturity of modern capitalism and had a far-reaching impact on the development of modern American history.

The United States was first neutral in the Second World War. With the outbreak of the Pearl Harbor incident at the end of 194 1, it participated in the organization of the world anti-fascist war. The United States plays the role of the arsenal of democratic countries economically; Militarily, he has made important contributions by organizing and participating in a series of major battles; Politically, it promoted the establishment and development of the international anti-fascist alliance and ensured the victory of the world anti-fascist war. As a result of this war, the United States became the only superpower that benefited the most, laying the foundation for the United States to dominate the capitalist world after the war.

3) The heyday of dominating the capital world in the first 25 years after the war (1945- 1969).

The United States reached the peak of the capitalist world during this period. Due to the new scientific and technological revolution marked by the development of atomic energy technology, aerospace technology and computer technology, the rise of the United States has promoted the highly modern development of the American economy. Coupled with the new development of American modern enterprise organizations, national and international monopoly organizations and the rapid rise of multinational corporations, the United States has become a highly modern superpower and has begun to transform into a post-industrial society and an information society.

The 1960s witnessed the rapid development of American capitalism. During this period, the United States expanded from overseas to global, pursued the policy of cold war against the Soviet Union and containing China, and also confronted the vast number of third world countries and people, as well as Western Europe and Japan willing to improve relations with socialist countries such as China. In terms of domestic policy, in the early post-war period, the United States once strengthened its anti-communist McCarthyism and anti-democratic policy, but on the whole, the United States still implemented the policy of expanding the bourgeois democratic system.

Economically, from Truman's "fair administration" to Kennedy's "new frontier" policy and Johnson's "great society" policy, Roosevelt's New Deal policy has been extended to varying degrees under the new conditions. Eisenhower's compromise route of "modern republicanism" has not changed the basic track of strengthening state intervention and welfare state policy.

4) The period of continuous superpower status (starting from 1969)

Since 1970s, the United States has maintained its position as a global superpower, and since 1990s, the United States has become the only global superpower, and its comprehensive strength still maintains its super position in the capitalist world. Although the United States has experienced three economic crises, namely, economic stagflation and 1979- 1982, 1990- 1992, on the whole, the American economy is still developing, and there has been a rare good momentum of economic development since the mid-1980s and 1992. However, in order to adapt to the stagflation economy and the new changes in the international economic situation, the United States is faced with major adjustments in its domestic economic policies to control the scale and focus of government intervention and strengthen the market economic mechanism. Nixon's "new federalism", Carter's "anti-stagflation policy", Reagan's economic revitalization policy and Clinton's new democratic government's new economic policy to stimulate economic and social development all prove this development trend.

In foreign policy, the United States has implemented a major adjustment of a more realistic line. In the political and ideological fields, the conservative trend of thought in the United States has obviously strengthened.

2. The main features of American historical development

In the historical development of the United States, there are five obvious characteristics that are interrelated and influenced each other.

1. A young, fast, powerful and dynamic country.

The United States has a history of only 222 years, far younger than other big countries. America is a rapidly developing country in the world. She has three periods of rapid development:

1607- 1775 in less than a century and a half, the matriarchal clan society dominated by indigenous Indians has been transformed into a dependent capitalist colony.

During the 80 years from 18 15- 1894, the United States jumped from a developing country to the largest industrialized country in the world.

In the 100 years since 1898, the level of modernization and post-modernization, the level of science and technology, and the modernization level of social material and cultural and social life in the United States have been ahead of other countries in the world. As the most powerful country, the United States has always maintained a leading position in the world, from 1894 to 104. 19 16, the United States became the largest creditor country in the world, with obvious comprehensive advantages in various economic fields. In the 1920s, America became the automobile kingdom. 1938 On the eve of World War II, the United States accounted for 36% of the industry in the capitalist world. After World War II, the United States accounted for 54.8% of 1948, and it has been a superpower for 53 years since the end of World War II. On the whole, the contemporary American economy is in a period of continuous development in history; Although compared with western Europe, especially Japan and Germany, the development gap between the United States and other western powers has been relatively narrowed since the 1970s. As a super economic power, although the economic hegemony of the United States once declined relatively, the sustained and steady growth of the American economy in the 1990s consolidated its position as an economic superpower.

The vitality of the United States is reflected in the consideration of American private operation and state, group and private monopoly ownership; Based on market economy, taking into account government intervention.

The United States is a democratic republic country with monopoly as the main body (the trend of interest collectivization and political democratization with monopoly capital democracy as the main body).

Promote liberalism-oriented ideological pluralism (ideological pluralism with individualism, liberalism, capitalism and republicanism as the main body).

Implement a policy of absorbing immigrants that is open to the whole world; Promote multiculturalism with American culture as the main body (the trend of various sects in the world with Protestantism as the main body.

The convergence trend of coexistence and blending of national cultures with wasp culture as the main body)

2. Countries with continuous migration

3. A typical bourgeois democratic republic country.

Among the bourgeois countries, the United States is a typical democratic republic. This is bourgeois subject democracy and wallet democracy. It is obviously a prejudice to deify American bourgeois democracy and say that it is the only superior system. It is also a prejudice to think that this kind of democracy is completely illusory, even very reactionary.

The democratic system in the United States includes republicanism, federalism, written constitution, bicameral system, presidential system, two-party system, judicial system and electoral system. In the form of state power, the United States is a bourgeois republic, not a constitutional monarchy like Britain, the Netherlands and Japan.

In the relationship between the central and local governments, the United States implements a dual federalism, rather than a single centralized system like Britain, France and Japan, which is more typical than the federalism of the Federal Republic of Germany and Canada.

In the form of constitution, the United States implements a stable written federal constitution supplemented by amendments, rather than an unwritten constitution like Britain or a written constitution that has been replaced several times like France.

The power structure of the United States is the separation of powers and checks and balances. In terms of the legislature, the United States implements a bicameral system of the Senate and the House of Representatives, which is elected by state voters. Unlike the upper and lower houses in Britain and the upper house in the Federal Republic of Germany, the French Senate is indirectly elected.

In terms of administrative power, the United States implements the presidential system, not the prime minister system or cabinet system like Britain and Japan, nor the cabinet system where the prime minister is appointed by the president like France.

In terms of judicial power, the court system is gradually implemented and the special court system is implemented.

In terms of political party system, the United States implements a two-party system, instead of the multi-party system implemented by most capitalist countries such as France and Italy, or the nominal multi-party system in Japan, which is actually a one-party system of the Liberal Democratic Party, while Britain implements a two-party system of the Labour Party and the Conservative Party. In the United States, the third party, as a supplement to the two-party system, excludes the possibility of any third party in power.

In terms of electoral system, the United States implements the system of direct election of central and local principal officials.

The main democratic system in the United States is also a democratic debate within the ruling group. Over the years, in the fields of internal affairs, diplomacy, social economy and culture, all kinds of arguments have been allowed within the scope of benefiting the national interests of the United States. For example, the dispute between big government and small government, centralization and decentralization of government functions.

The bourgeois democracy in the United States was supplemented by undemocratic fascist means in a specific period. Fascism was rampant in the 1930s, and McCarthyism was rampant in the early 1950s. However, this is not a wise move for the ruling class to maintain long-term stability.

The democratic expansion of the American bourgeoisie has a process. For example, the expansion of independent and free power, from white indentured servants to white freemen, from black slaves to free blacks, from non-free Indians to Indians with civil rights. On the issue of participation in politics, the restrictions on the right to vote have been gradually reduced and abolished. Political participants have changed from a few political activists to some middle and lower class representatives, from whites to blacks to Indians, from men to women. There is also the expansion of economic equal power, which is manifested in fairness, justice and openness in the field of market economy, the formulation of anti-monopoly legislation and fair competition regulations, and the redistribution of wealth through social welfare guarantee mechanism.

There are also bourgeois traditions of democracy and reform in American political life. It can be traced back to the colonial autonomous parliament in 17 century and the "Mayflower Convention" for immigrants in 1620.

From the declaration of independence of 1776 to the federal constitution of 1878 and the constitution of 179 1 year, the amendments of 10 years ago were all bills of rights. From Jefferson's Democratic Thought to Jackson's Democratic Politics.

From 1863, the emancipation proclamation, Lincoln's famous Gettysburg address of the government of "of the people, by the people and for the people", to the amendment of Article 14 of the Constitution that gave blacks full democratic rights in 14.

From populism at the end of 19 to progressivism at the beginning of the 20th century.

From theodore roosevelt's Fair Trade to Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom, to franklin roosevelt's New Deal and the Atlantic Charter and the Four Freedoms in 194 1.

From the Truman administration's "fair administration" to the Kennedy administration's "new frontier" policy and the lyndon johnson administration's "great society" policy to the Clinton administration's "New Democracy Party" policy, to some extent, they all reflect the reform measures taken by the people to fight for democratic rights.

4. Countries with fully developed commodity economy and monopoly capitalism

The United States is a typical example of a highly developed commodity economy; It is also a typical example of highly developed private monopoly capitalism; And the typical development of state monopoly capitalism. It can be said that as a capitalist industrialized country, the United States is a latecomer, and as a modern capitalist monopoly organization, the United States is an old brand. It is a typical development history of commodity economy and monopoly capitalism.

The development of American modernization is in step with modern production and organization. It is wrong to think that the development of American commodity economy is capitalist and therefore needs to be ruled out. Obviously, the development process of modernization is confused with the nature of capitalism, but it is wrong to think that this development has no American characteristics and is not in the interest of American capitalism.

5. The country opens to the outside world and constantly adjusts social mechanisms.

This problem can be summarized as the following four points: first, the kingdom of population mobility; Second, foreign trade superpower; Third, countries with open doors; Fourth, countries that are constantly carrying out reforms and policies.

America is a typical open country. Since the colonial era in North America, the United States has forged an indissoluble bond with opening up. Without opening up, the capitalist system could not have appeared in the North American continent at the beginning of the17th century; Without opening up, there would be no birth of the United States of America and no formation of the American nation. The development of American liberal capitalism and the formation of a big country in North America are inseparable from opening to the outside world and invigorating the country. In modern history, without opening up, there would be no great development of the United States in the 20th century.

The United States is not only an immigrant country, but also a kingdom with frequent domestic residents. It is the product of the high development of American commodity economy and the constant immigration tide, and it is also an important driving force to promote American economic development. The mobile North American continent is characterized by the constant changes in the migration and distribution of residents, the rapid development of urbanization and the sharp changes in the population distribution of urban and rural residents. It reflects the mobility of American population redistribution.

A highly developed commodity economy provides an objective economic premise for high liquidity; Westward advancement and mainland expansion are powerful driving forces for high liquidity; The process of modern industrialization and modernization has strongly promoted the development of high mobility; Pioneers in transportation and communication have created a favorable environment for high mobility; The capitalist market economy system and the innovative spirit of the American nation are the driving factors for the high immigration rate. The benign and frequent population movement in the United States is conducive to the process of American economic modernization; Conducive to the development of American social, ideological and cultural diversity; Conducive to the rational layout and overall development of the United States; It is also conducive to improving the quality of the population.

As a superpower from trade to foreign trade, there would be no establishment of the United States of America without foreign trade; There would be no rapid development of American modernization; There would be no superpower. In the process of becoming a big trading country, the United States has adopted the policy of alternating free trade and protecting trade balance. As an open Republic, an important performance is that since the 20th century, the United States has basically pursued an open-door foreign policy. From the open-door policy to the global open-door policy, it fully illustrates the far-reaching influence of this policy on international relations in the process of global economic modernization and political democratization.

As for the continuous reform and policy adjustment, we will elaborate in detail in later lectures. The road of reform and opening up in the United States tells us that in less than 400 years, the United States has developed from a wasteland to the number one superpower in the world, benefiting from reform and opening up; Without reform and opening up, there would be no American characteristics. Among modern capitalist countries, the reform and opening up of the United States is the best in the western world.