American civilization

Author: Qian Manru
Editor-in-Chief: Ru Xin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-02-01
Features: Renowned female scholar Qian Manru explores how and why American civilization played a pivotal role in 20th-century world civilization.
Editor's Note: The original World Civilization Studies initially covered 8 topics: Confucian Civilization, European Civilization, Islamic Civilization, Indian Civilization, Japanese Civilization, Slavic Civilization, Latin American Civilization, and African Civilization. Later, based on practical experience, European Civilization was divided into Western European Civilization and American Civilization, with the addition of Jewish Civilization, Ancient Civilization, and Canadian Civilization. The number of civilizations increased from 8 to 12. Each civilization is a separate monograph, approximately 300,000 words in length. Each author describes the formation, growth, and development trends of multiple civilizations from three perspectives—material, spiritual, and institutional—and from two dimensions. Published by the Chinese Social Sciences Press. Later, for the purpose of popularization, we added the compilation of illustrated editions, also divided into 12 civilizations. Each illustrated edition contains 500 images, published by Shanghai Literature and Art Press. Finally, Hong Kong Joint Publishing House requested that we depict the 12 civilizations in the form of historical tales. As a result, the World Civilization Research Team undertook the writing task of 36 books: the textual edition "The Great Series of World Civilizations" (12 volumes), the illustrated edition "The Treasury of World Civilizations" (12 volumes), and the "Series of World Civilization Tales" (12 volumes). This book provides a comprehensive introduction to American civilization, divided into three parts. The first part discusses the historical formation and development of American civilization, from the colonial period to the 20th-century United States, including the current status and overview of the 50 states. The second part covers American politics, institutions, education, judiciary, mass media, and mass culture. The third part delves from the material to the metaphysical, primarily discussing the American spirit, including religion, social philosophy trends, and more. This book is systematic yet distinct from general handbooks, rich in content, engaging to read, and serves as a popular reference.
Excerpt: The Colonial Period
I. Columbus Discovers the New World
Geographical Discovery in European History
The 15th century was an era of great geographical discoveries. Before this time, the eastern and western hemispheres were unknown to each other, with only the Eurasian continent and the northern African coast of the Mediterranean interacting. The discovery of the Americas can be considered a result of European development, allowing Europeans to expand to every corner of the world. The exploration of unknown regions by Western Europe was primarily driven by the following developments.
Over the two centuries following 1095, European Christians launched seven major Crusades to the East, attempting to reclaim Palestine from the Islamic Ottoman Empire. Although the intended goal was not achieved, these Crusades sparked Europeans' curiosity about the East, promoted Eurasian trade, and, to some extent, altered their lifestyles, fostering a demand for Eastern goods such as spices and silk. In 1453, the Ottoman Empire conquered the Byzantine Empire, occupying Constantinople and the Near East, blocking Western Europe's passage to the East. This led to an urgent desire to find new routes to the Far East. At the time, the Renaissance had introduced new ways of thinking to Europe, and the rational humanistic spirit it fostered created an atmosphere of pursuit of knowledge and free inquiry. People were deeply interested in different civilizations and eager to explore the unknown. With the gradual advancement of technology, by the 15th century, many Europeans accepted the ancient Greek view of a spherical Earth. Combined with the growing wealth of navigational knowledge, the development of shipbuilding, improved cartographic skills, and the use of the compass, all created both ideological and technological conditions for Europe to embark on maritime exploration.
However, such long-distance voyages could not be undertaken by individuals alone. The rise of European nation-states and the prosperity of trade, along with the wealth generated by merchants, provided strong financial backing for such maritime ventures. New monarchs not only sought to open new markets and gain high profits from trade but also aimed to occupy new territories and expand their rule. They invested and raised funds to support maritime exploration, offering land grants as incentives, which generated significant public participation. The combination of necessity and feasibility enabled Western Europeans to fulfill their historical mission of exploring the entire globe, with Portugal and Spain leading the way. Their explorers sailed across the oceans, searching for new routes and channels, seeking undiscovered wealth and land. They rounded the Cape of Good Hope into the Pacific, reaching India and the Philippines, and accidentally discovered the Americas.