II. America in the 17th-18th centuries

One of the first English colonies was called Roanoke. In 1587 over a hundred English men, women, and children landed on Roanoke Island off the coast of what is now North Carolina. But three years later the colonists were gone. No one ever found out what happened to them. The Roanoke settlement became known as the Lost Colony. Then, in 1606 three small ships set sail from England and head­ed for North America. In May, 1607 they started a settlement and named it Jamestown for King James I of England. The colony faced a lot of problems: hunger, living in a wilderness; the ruling of the colony belonged to the Virginia Company which didn't give the colonists freedom to do what they wanted. In 1624 the English king took control of the colony away from the Virginia Company, and from then on Virginia was called a royal colony. A governor ruled the colony in the king's name, but the settlers elect­ed their representatives to help make laws for the colony. This idea of self-government was very important for the further histo­ry of the U.S. The changes helped the colony survive. The first black colonists " -20 Africans - were brought to Jamestown in 1619 by a Dutch ship. The year 1624 saw the birth of the first black child born in English North America. His name was William Tucker. The first black colonists were indentured servants, i.e. they were supposed to work for an owner for a certain number of years and then be given their freedom. In 1661, however, black people in Virginia were sold as slaves.In time, more English people crossed the Atlantic Ocean. The first settlers who came to America for religious reasons were the Pilgrims.

The 180-ton ship Mayflower, carrying the Pilgrim Fathers to their new life across the Atlantic, left England oft September 6, 1620. The ship sailed from Plymouth and carried 102 passengers. They were the Separatists, or members of the radical wing of the Puritan movement, who were looking for a land where they could worship in their own way, free from persecution. They came from the district now often referred to as the "Pilgrim Country" and formied the borderland of three counties - Yorkshire, Notting­hamshire and Lincolnshire.

More than two months later, on November 10, the Pilgrim Fa­thers first sighted Cape Cod - and, as tradition has it, stepped ashore at Plymouth Rock. They arrived in what is now Massachusetts.

Before anyone went ashore, two actions with far-reaching con­sequences were taken. One was the signing by most of the men of the so-called Mayflower Compact - the first modern example of a system of government instituted as a result of voluntary agree­ment by men accepting equal rights. Secondly the election of Deacon Carver as Governor, the first elected colonial governor in history.

The Pilgrims called their colony Plymouth. They suffered ter­ribly through the cold winter. Nearly half of them died. Finally, with the help of friendly Indians, the Pilgrims were able to build houses and raise food crops. To show how they felt about the Indians' help, they invited the Indians to share their first Thanks­giving feast.

Soon after the Pilgrims, some other people in 1630 started the Massachusetts Bay Colony. They were Puritans, and Boston was the main town. The Puritans hoped to build a new society based on their religion. More colonies were started in New England. One group of settlers followed a minister named Thomas Hooker south and east of Massachusetts. They built villages in the valley of the Connecticut River. The Pequot Indians tried to stop the English people from set­tling on their land but they lost a war they fought with the English settlers, so the new villages became a colony called Connecticut.

Other pioneers settled farther north. In 1623 a few trading posts were started in the area that became the colony of New Hamp­shire. Little villages started to grow, and one settlement became the seaport of Portsmouth.

South of New England, more colonies were started. Four of them became known as the Middle Colonies.

One of the Middle Colonies was settled by the Dutch and was called New Netherland. In 1664, a British fleet ordered them to surrender and New Netherland became the English colony of New York. The seaport village of New Amsterdam also had its name changed to New York. The New York colony was given by the king of England to his brother, the Duke of York. The duke gave a part of it to friends. They started a colony called New Jersey.

One of the most successful colonies began when the Duke of York gave a large area to William Penn. In 1682, Penn started planning a colony called Pennsylvania. Penn belonged to a small religious group called the Friends, or Quakers. Pennsylvania soon became the largest and wealthiest colony. One part of the colony was later separated from Pennsylvania and became the colony of Delaware in 1701. Swedish people had ear­lier settled in Delaware and had brought a new idea to America -to build cabins made of logs.

Colonial towns and cities were centers of trade and govern­ment. But most colonists did not live in towns and cities: nine out of every ten people lived on farms or in small villages. Some set­tlers headed west to live on the frontier, beyond the settled places. When pioneers found a place in the wilderness they liked, they cleared trees and built log cabins. Again and again, as settlers moved to the west, the Indians found people moving into their hunting grounds and burned cabins and crops, hoping to stop the settlements.

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR

By the 1750's the English colonies were spreading westward from the Atlantic coast. The French rulers of Canada were alarmed: as English colonists spread into the frontier, they moved into the land claimed by the French. The French government decided on a plan. A line of French forts would be built along the frontier. With the help of their Indi­an friends, French soldiers stationed at those forts would hold back the English settlers.

The forts were built, and frontier settlements of the English colonists were raided by Indian war parties. The colonists were sure the French were helping the Indians make those attacks. The frontier settlers demanded that the British government do some­thing , they wanted the British troops to protect their settlements.

The war started in 1754: Britain and France fought a war over land that they both claimed , they fought to decide who would con­trol Canada and the Ohio Valley. The French were supported by Indians, and the war was called the French and Indian War by the American colonists. The British soldiers (called redcoats because of their bright red uniforms), sent by the British government, were joined by men from Virginia. One of the Virginians was a young colonel named George Washington. The first battle (not far from Fort Duquesne, which stood at a place where two rivers came to­gether to form the Ohio River) was won by the French - more than 600 Indians and 200 Frenchmen fired from behind trees, bushes and fallen logs, and the British, caught by surprise, were mowed down.

In 1759 the British captured the fortress town of Quebec. A year later, the British also captured Montreal. Finally, the French gave up the struggle to hold on to Canada, and in 1763 a peace treaty was signed. France gave up all its land on the North Amer­ican continent. Canada became a British colony.

Most French settlers stayed in Canada and accepted British rule, but when French-speaking people in eastern Canada refused to swear loyalty to Britain, they were forced to leave their villages.

The American colonists were thrilled over the victory. Now that the French had been defeated, the lands to the west seemed open to frontier settlers. The Americans felt grateful to Britain and its new young king, George III. In 1763 few colonists ever thought that the problem of paying for the war expenses would lead to serious trouble with Britain.

In fact, Britain had started its first colonies in America to gain new wealth - it needed raw materials, it needed places to sell its goods (furniture, hats, glass, paint, etc.). For example, to help the British hat business, colonists had to buy hats made in Britain -they were not allowed to make hats in America.

The war left Parliament with a large bill to pay. One law passed by Parliament to raise money was the Stamp Act. This law said that the colonists would have to buy certain stamps, and the stamps would have to be used on things like newspapers, calendars, and business papers.

The meeting of protest took place in New York City in October, 1765, and it was called the Stamp Act Congress. The colonists did not agree to being taxed as they had no representation in Parliament to be protected from unjust actions. The words "no taxation with­out representation" were repeated all over the colonies.

THE BOSTON TEA PAR TY

Resentment against the British government was growing strong. That was especially true in Boston, were British soldiers were on duty. One night in March, 1770, there was a strong opposition between some British soldiers on guard duty and a small crowd of people who started yelling at the soldiers and throwing stones and snowballs. Suddenly the soldiers started to shoot, and three peo­ple fell dead. Eight others were wounded. This event caused an uproar and was called the Boston Massa­cre by colonists. As news of the Boston Massacre spread to other colonies, more Americans began to wonder whether it was right for them to be under British rule. People who were against strict British control called themselves Patriots. In Boston the Patriots called themselves the Sons and Daugh­ters of Liberty. They decided to do something to show their pro­test against the tax on tea which had to be paid when buying tea from Britain. British ships were kept from unloading. One night, late in 1773, Sons of Liberty dressed up like Indians, went to the harbor and boarded three British ships. Seizing the tea chests, they dumped their contents into the water. That raid became known as the Boston Tea Party.

The British government thought it could bring about obedience by being strict and passed some laws to punish Boston. No trade was to be allowed in Boston's port. The port would stay closed until the tea was paid for. Then, Parliament said the Massachusetts assembly could no longer meet, and a British general was made governor of the colony. So Massachusetts lost its right of self-government. More Brit­ish soldiers were sent to live in the homes o f the people of Boston.

The other colonies sent food and money to Boston, and their messages of support.

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE

Virginia sent out invitations for a meeting of the colonies. The meeting was held in Philadelphia in the fall of 1774 and it was called the Continental Congress. It decided to stop all trade with Britain, start collecting guns and practice using them and not to obey the laws passed for punishing the colonies.

That meant an open conflict. The Patriots were watching every move of the British. Fighting broke out at Lexington and then at Concord, where the soldiers had arrived to look for the hidden weap­ons. Shooting started between the British and the colonists, who called themselves minutemen as they could get ready with their guns so fast. The minutemen attacked the retreating soldiers and finally won a victory. The battles of Lexington and of Concord were the start of the war that became known as the American Revolution.

In every colony people who chose the Patriot side joined with others who planned to fight the British. The Continental Congress organized the Continental Army. George Washington of Virginia was chosen to be the army's commander.

On July 4, 1776, the members of the Continental Congress agreed to issue the paper that is now called the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration said that "these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states".

The Declaration of Independence helped give Americans an even stronger belief in the rightness of their cause. But they still had to win independence.

The American soldiers turned out to be brave and able fighters, but at first they were no match for the trained British soldiers. At that time Britain was the most powerful country in the world. When George Washington became commander of the American forces, he had no real army to lead, as the Americans who fought in the Revolution were citizen-soldiers, volunteers. They joined the army because they wanted to and not because they were ordered to. But the Americans got more experience, and the things improved.

Throughout the war, supplies were a serious problem. General Washington pleaded with Congress to find enough food, clothes, and guns for his army. His leadership made it possible for the Amer­ican army to keep fighting , he encouraged the soldiers not to lose heart in spite of losing some battles in the first years of the war. The Americans were fighting for the freedom of their country and believed in their cause.

In 1777 the Patriots won an important victory at Saratoga in New York State.

By 1781 the Americans had been fighting for six long years. Finally the American Army forced the British soldiers who had gathered at Yorktown, Virginia, and could not retreat by sea be­cause of some French ships, to surrender. As the British soldiers piled up their weapons, a band played a tune called "The World Turned Upside Down."

The Battle of Yorktown marked the end of the fighting. But it was two years before a peace treaty was signed. In the treaty, Great Britain agreed that the thirteen colonies would be independent. The new nation was called the United States. The treaty also said what land was to be part of the United States. The new nation reached from Canada to Florida and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River.

EXERCISES:

I TRANSLATE THE FOLLOWING WORD EXPRESSIONS INTO RUSSIAN AND MAKE UP YOUR OWN SENTENCES WITH THEM:

Columbus’ accidental discovery; several flourishing civilizations; expert crafsmanship; to structure the daily lives of people; to explore the oceans; to find sea route ;to claim the island for Spain; seafarer; far-reaching consequences; to spread onto the frontier; to hold back the settlers; to be caught by surprise; to refuse to swear the loyalty; to be protected from unjust actions; resentment against government; to cause the uproar; to bring about obedience; strong belief in the rightness of one’s cause; to lose heart; to force somebody to surrender;indentured servants.

II FIND ENGLISH EQUIVALENTS FOR THE FOLLOWING

EXPRESSIONS:

Достигать определенного уровня культурного развития; исследовать океанические просторы; найти морской путь в Азию; отправиться в плавание; взять колонии под контроль; сформировать окраинную зону; свободно исповедывать свою религию; отдать приказ о капитуляции; расчищать дикую местность; захватить крепость; дорого заплатить по счетам; добиться повиновения строгими мерами; нападать на отступающих;верить в правоту своего дела;сложить оружие.

III DISCUSS THE QUESTIONS:

1 Where does the term New World originate from?

2 What do know about explorations of America made before Columbus?

3 What were Columbus’s intentions in his sail across the Atlantic?

4 What territories were discovered by Columbus after long, six-weeks trip across the ocean?

5 Why did Columbus claim the island he discovered not for Italy but for Spain ?

6 What were the first English colonies inn America?

7 How did black colonists happen to come to America?

8 What settlers come to America for religious reasons?

9 What were Pilgrims looking for on a new land?

10 How did Pilgrims call their colony?

11 What way did they find to survive cold winters and starvation?

12 What colony was founded by Puritans?

13 What other colonies were established on the territory of New England?

14 How did Indians try to stop the English people from setting on their land?

15 Why was French government alarmed by the spreading of English colonies westwards from the Atlantic coast?

16 What was the object of claims on the part of France and Btitain?

17 What measures were undertaken by French government?

18 Why was the war called French and Indian one?

19 What did the war result in?

20 What territories of Canada refused to swear loyalty to Britain?

21 What were the reasons of resentment against the British government on the part of the colonists?

22 What were the premises of Boston Tea Party?

23 What was the British government reaction to the raid in Boston?

24 What was summoned in Philadelphia in 1774?

25 What were the Patriots fighting for?

26 What battles are considered to be the start of the War of Independence?

27 When did the Declatation of Independence appear?

28 Who was the leader of American army?

29What event marked the end of fighting?

30 What were the achievements of American forces?

IV TRANSLATE INTO ENGLISH:

В 1497 г. судно под начальством Джона Кабота в поисках морского пути в Китай прибыло к о-ву Ньюфаундленд. Затем французы Вераццано (1524) и Картье (1535) открыли устье р. Гудзон и устье р. Св. Лаврентия. Поиски морских путей в Китай и Индию на севере продолжались в XVIиXVIIвв. Четыре плавания с этой целью предпринял Генри Гудзон. Он пытался отыскать проход в обход Северной Америки. Отважные мореходы Т. Баттон, Р.Байлот, В. Баффин, Т.Джемс, Л.Фокс оставили заметный след, открыв все северовосточное побережье Северной Америки. К половинеXVIIв. очертания Нового Света были определены на всем протяжении от Огненной Земли до Калифорнии на западе и до Баффиновой Земли на Атлантическом побережье.