American architecture, art, theatre, film and music

Architecture

Colonial architecture

When the Europeans settled in North America, they brought their architectural traditions and construction techniques for building. Construction was dependent upon the available resources: wood and brick are the common elements of English buildings in New England. Excavations at the first permanent English speaking settlement Jamestown in Virginia have unearthed part of the James Fort. These settlers often came to the New World for economic purposes, therefore revealing why most early homes reflect the influences of modest village homes and small farms. The appearance of structures was very plain and made with little imported material. Windows, for example, were extremely small.  The glass that was used was imported from England and was incredibly expensive.

American mass media

The mass media are all those media technologies that are intended to reach a large audience by mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise television, film and radio. Print media use a physical object as a means of sending their information, such as newspaper, magazines, newsletters, books, leaflets and pamphlets. Internet media is able to achieve mass media status in its own right, due to the many mass media services it provides, such as email, websites, blogging and television.

Postwar America

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America at war in the 20th century

WWI

The incident meant little to most Americans, but it would have great consequences for them as for much of the world. On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was shot and killed by a young Serbian nationalist at Sarajevo in the Austrian province of Bosnia. WWI was a result of leaders' aggression towards other countries which was supported by the rising nationalism and imperialism. Soon two camps emerged: Central powers with Germany and Austria-Hungary x Allies with Great Britain, Russia and France. Early they got engaged in an armed conflict that would soon engulf the rest of the Europe.

America at the beginning of the 20th century and economy

Progressivism

Progressive Era dates from 1890s to 1920s and the USA entered the new century as the world’s richest and most productive economic power. Within two decades, progressivism had touched nearly every aspect of American life: cities, corporations and trade unions, the education of children and the interpretation of laws, the conservation of natural resources and the socialization of immigrants, the status of women and the labour of children, the quality of food and the content of magazines.

Reconstruction, Gilded Age and education

Reconstruction Era

Since the Civil War was fought mainly in the south, South states were devastated and had no infrastructure, institutions collapsed and people were jobless. In addition, there was a problem what to do with freed slaves and farmers could not managed huge plantations without them. The Reconstruction Era 1865–1877 focuses on reconstruction of devastated South. It started even before the end of war with Abraham Lincoln’s Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction in 1863 but had condition of acceptance – he wanted to get rid of individual officers who lead rebellion and conditions.

Civil War and abolitionism of slavery

Antebellum era

As Antebellum era 1781-1860 is considered the period between the American Revolution and the Civil War. After American Revolution, almost whole country was rural, most people lived on farms, plantations or in small villages. There were just 5 important cities: Philadelphia (42 000), New York (33 000), Boston (18 000), Charleston (16 000) and Baltimore (13 000). However, cities started to rapidly grow with massive immigration caused by a wave of economic distress, political repression and religious prosecution in 1840s Europe. A big improvement were railroads that ran thought rich territories.

American expansion and geography

Settling the West

The first expansion of newly formed United States happened in 1787 with an act Northwest Ordinance by Nathan Dane that permitted admitting other states to Union if their land had 6000 inhabitants. It also prohibited slavery and provided freedom of religion. United States soon became interested in the continental west since no-one knew what lay behind Mississippi river but it certainly offered possibility of wealth.

American revolution and government

The way to American Independence

When searching for the initial cause we have to go back to the French and Indian War (in Europe Seven Years´ War) that occurred from 1754 to 1763 between Great Britain and France. The name refers to the two main enemies of the British colonists - French and Natives, although Great Britain also had Native allies. Great Britain was victorious so English-speaking settlers could stop worrying about being taken over by France. However, every war is expensive and to pay for that war the British government made the British colonists pay more taxes which naturally made the settlers angry. Especially, because they could not speak for themselves in England – it was taxation without representation.

Colonial America and American population

The early history of the settlement of the American continent is connected with the Indians, who came 20 000 years BC from Asia. The very first European who landed in North American was a Norse Viking Leif Ericson (the son of Erik the Red) about 1000. He established a Norse settlement Vinland, nowadays Canada. In 1492 an Italian explorer Christopher Columbus was sent by the Spanish queen Isabella of Castile to explore new route to India. Columbus, convinced he really found India, named inhabitants Indians. In 1507 a German geographer called the New World America in honour of Amerigo Vespucci, who was the first one to realize it is a new continent.