U.S.A. [antikvár]

Five hundred years agoNorth America was a virtually unknown land. Bears, moose, foxes and wolves roamed the vast forests and the rivers, lakes and coastal waters teemed with salmon and cod. In the center of the continent immense grassy plains supported enormous bison herds, and to the east and west stood rugged and imposingmountain chains. In the south and south-west lay what is still somé of the most desolate country in the world, a wilderness of sand and rock, spectacular scenery and scorching temperatures. Each Indián tribe that lived in these areas had its own language and customs, and they lived by hunting, fishing and farming, traveling everywhere on foot or by canoe. Horses at that time were unknown to them and so too were guns which, when they were later introduced by Europeans, resulted in many bloody battles as well as the virtual extinction of the bison. In 1492 Christopher Columbus landed at San Salvador, near the Florida coast and in so doing the 'New World' was discovered. The early exploration, settlement and development, mainly by English, French and Spanish invaders, was the start of what is now one of the greatest and most powerful nations of the 20th century. The Spanish concentrated on the western and south-western parts of the continent and the French explored the area around the Great Lakes and along the Mississippi River. Many of the first English immigrants had left their country to escape religious persecution and they settled chiefly on or near the Atlantic coast. There were many other reasons, however, for exploring this unknown land. Fur-bearing animals were prolific and furs were in great demand in fashion-conscious Europe. The promise of gold encouraged somé, timber from the huge forests and the sale of land attracted others. Later came the commercial production of crops such as sugar-cane, ' :>bacco and indigó. By 1750, the originál thirteen English Colonies w re taken over by the British Crown under the rule of King George III. His autocratic policy, howt ver, was largely responsible for their loss. He introduced certain laws and taxes which incurred the resentment of the settlers. One of these was the infamous tea tax. In Boston, particularly, feeling was so strong against it that citizens of the town, disguised as Indians, boarded the ships of the East India Company and, as a protest, threw the tea into the harbour; an event now famous in history, known as the Boston Tea Party. This conflict between England and her colonies culminated in the American War of Independence and the establishment of the United States of America. The first shots of the war were fired at Lexington and the opening battle was fought at Bunker Hill, near Charlestown, in 1775. On July 4th, 1776 Congress issued its Declaration of Independence, renouncing all allegiance to the British Crown and stating: "that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states." The war, however, continued for another seven years, during which time Spain and Francé joined in as America's allies. Eventually peace negotiations were opened which resulted in the recognition of American Independence through the Treaty of Paris of 1783. Encouraged by the Mexican Government to trade and settle in Texas, the Americans gradually outnumbered the Mexicans living there. Conditions were unsatisfactory and the Texas Revolution resulted. One ofthe famous battles was that of the Alamo, in which many frontiersmen, including the legendary Davy Crockett, died. Later confrontations were more successful and Texas became annexed to America in 1844. Meanwhile, many settlers were attracted to the far west, with its fine climate, good farming land and mineral deposits. During their migrations, pioneer farmers faced enormous hardships, shortage of food and water, attacks by Indians and lawless whites, extreme weather conditions and, eventually, the barrier posed by the Rocky Mountains. Between 1783 and 1848, however, American expansion was at its greatest, America quadrupled its size and, with the rich resources it had acquired became, by 1900, the world's largest industrial and agricultural nation. Vast fortunes were made from coal, oil, steel, timber, railways, milling and meat packaging - to mention just a few of the boom industries of the time. Cities like Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Detroit and New York grew rapidly as a result, and the influx of millions of immigrants from Europe, many of them highly skilled, eventually made America into not only a prosperous country but alsó a fascinating melting-pot of races and a land of rich opportunity.