History of USA

The date of the beginning of U.S. history is a matter of debate among historians. Older textbooks
begin with the arrival of Christopher Columbus on October 12, 1492 (October twelf, fortin nairu
tu), or around 1600 (sixtin jondred), with the arrival of the Mayflower. However, in recent
decades, American schools and universities have gone back in time to include more information
about Native Americans.

Native Americans and early European settlements

In 1492, the explorer Christopher Columbus, sponsored by the Spanish Crown, arrived from
Europe to several Caribbean islands, making the first contact with the indigenous peoples. On April
2, 1513, Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon landed in what he called Florida, the first
documented European arrival in the United States.

In 1674, the Netherlands ceded its territory to England and the province of the New Netherlands
was renamed New York, which became the most important city in the United States in the mid-
19th century. By the end of that century, African slaves became the main source of bonded labor.

Independence and expansion

Tensions between the colonists and the British during the 1760s and 1770s led to the War of
Independence, which lasted from 1775 to 1781. On June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress,
meeting in Philadelphia, established a Continental Army under the command of George
Washington.

With the new autonomy, attitudes toward slavery were changing; a clause in the Constitution
protected the slave trade until 1808. The northern states abolished slavery between 1780 and
1804, leaving the southern slave states as defenders of the "peculiar institution."

In 1803, the purchase of Louisiana from France under President Thomas Jefferson nearly doubled
the size of the nation, at the same time that the Anglo-American War of 1812 further
strengthened nationalism among the population.

Industrialization

In the north, unprecedented urbanization and an influx of immigrants accelerated the

industrialization of the country. The wave of immigration, which lasted until 1929, provided labor
for business, in turn transforming the culture.

Victory in the Spanish-American War that same year proved that the United States was a world
power and led to the annexation of Puerto Rico and the Philippines. The Philippines gained
independence in 1946, while Puerto Rico remains a commonwealth.

World War I, Great Depression and World War II

At the outbreak of World War I in Europe in 1914, the United States declared neutrality.
Subsequently, Americans showed solidarity with the British and French, even though many
citizens, especially those from Ireland and Germany, opposed the intervention. In 1917 they joined
the Allies, contributing to the defeat of the Central Powers.
For most of the 1920s, the country enjoyed a period of prosperity, with the balance of payments
imbalance declining and industrial farm profits growing. This period, known as the Roaring
Twenties, culminated in the crisis of 1929 that triggered the Great Depression.

The United States, officially neutral during the early stages of World War II, began supplying
supplies to the Allies in March 1941 through the Lend-Lease Program. On December 7, 1941, the
country joined the Allied fight against the Axis Powers after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
World War II boosted the economy by providing investment capital and jobs, bringing many
women into the labor market. Of the major combatants, the United States was the only nation to
be enriched by the war.

Cold War and political protests

In the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union competed in the aftermath of World War
II, dominating Europe's military affairs through NATO and the Warsaw Pact. The former promoted
liberal democracy and capitalism, while the latter extended communism and a government-
planned economy. Both supported various dictatorships and participated in subsidiary wars.
Between 1950 and 1953, U.S. troops fought Chinese communist forces in the Korean War.

In 1961, the Soviet launch of the first manned spacecraft prompted President John F. Kennedy to
propose that the country be the first to send "a man to the moon," which was achieved in 1969.
Kennedy also faced a tense nuclear conflict with Soviet forces in Cuba, while the economy grew
and expanded steadily.

Contemporary period

Under President George H. W. Bush, the country took on a hegemonic global leadership role, as in
the Gulf War (1991). The longest economic expansion in modern U.S. history, from March 1991 to
March 2001, spanned the Bill Clinton administration and the dot-com bubble.

On September 11, 2001, Al-Qaeda terrorists attacked the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center
in New York City (which were destroyed) and the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., in a series of
attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. In response, the Bush administration launched the "war on
terror". In late 2001, U.S. forces invaded Afghanistan, overthrew the Taliban government and
destroyed Al-Qaeda training camps.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina, which would end up being the deadliest natural disaster in the nation's
history, caused severe destruction along the Gulf Coast: the city of New Orleans was devastated,
with 1,833 deaths.

On November 4, 2008, in the midst of a global economic recession, Barack Obama was elected
president, having been the first African-American to hold the office. In May 2011, U.S. special
forces succeeded in killing Osama bin Laden, hiding in Pakistan. The following year, Barack Obama
was re-elected. Under his second term he waged war against the Islamic State and diplomatic
relations with Cuba were restored.

On November 8, 2016, tycoon Donald Trump for the Republican Party defeated former first lady
Hillary Clinton for the presidency in an unusual election and whose plans have been described by
political analysts as populist, protectionist and nationalist, being sworn in on January 20, 2017.
On November 7, 2020, Joe Biden wins the presidential election, defeating Donald Trump who
failed to win presidential re-election. This is the second time a U.S. president has failed to win re-
election after George H. W. Bush. Biden was sworn into office on January 20, 2021. On January 6,
2021, supporters of outgoing President Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in an unsuccessful effort to
disrupt the presidential Electoral College vote count.

Preguntas

1. What happened en 1674?

2. Can you list three of the contemporary events that happened in USA?

3. What can you say about the industrialization of USA?

4. What are the advantages of independence of USA?

5. What were the results when the Second World War was ending?

6. Which arguments support the multiple terrorist attacks in 2001?

Respuestas

1. In 1674, the Netherlands ceded its territory to England and the province of the New
Netherlands was renamed New York, which became the most important city in the United
States in the mid-19th century.
2. – Al-Qaeda’s multiple terrorist attacks in 2001 to the Twin Towers of the World Trade
Center in New York City and to the Pentagon near Washington.
- The Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
- The election of Barack Obama as president of the United States in 2008.
3. The industrialization of the country was accelerated by unprecedented urbanization and
an influx of immigrants. The wave of immigration provided labor for business, in turn
transforming the culture. High tariff protection, the creation of national infrastructure and
new banking regulations also helped industrial growth.
4. With this independence, attitudes toward slavery were changing; a clause in the
Constitution protected the slave trade until 1808. The northern states abolished slavery
between 1780 and 1804.
5. World War II boosted the economy by providing investment capital and jobs, causing
many women to enter the labor market.
6. All this because the vision of al-Qaeda's ideology is an extreme form of Islam, in the face of
countries or governments that supposedly act against Islam, religious communities and
ethnic groups as the only possibility to represent the interests of Islam. Al-Qaeda believes
that the only answer is for Islam to develop its rightful role in the world, that there is a
conspiracy from various parts of the world against Islam, which is led by Israel, the U.S.
and Western European countries.