论美国西进运动的影响.docx
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论美国西进运动的影响.docx
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论美国西进运动的影响
AnAnalysisoftheTwo-EdgedFactorsinAmericanWestwardMovement
Abstract
AmericanWestwardMovementin19thcentury,infact,isalarge-scaleadvancementofAmericaneconomyexploitationandaterritorialexpansion.Itplaysavitalroleintheformation,thedevelopmentandthepresentsituationoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Particularly,WestwardMovementhasseepedintothisyoungnationalityonitsculturalinfluence.However,atthesametimeWestwardMovementisalsotheIndians’tragichistory.IsWestwardMovementcivilizedorbarbaric,successfulornot?
ToanswerthesequestionsthisthesismainlyanalyzesAmericanWestwardMovementfromahistoricalangletohelpustorecognizeAmericancultureandhistory.Forthispurpose,thisthesisdiscussesWestwardMovement’sinfluencesonAmericaneconomy,itsnationalcharacteristicandtheformationofitsvalues.Also,thewriterreflectsitsdarksideinthethesis.
KeyWords
WestwardMovement;nationalcharacter;pioneer;Indianculture
.
摘 要
19世纪的美国“西进运动”实际上是美国经济与领土扩张的一次大规模进程。
它对于美利坚民族的形成、发展与现状都起了重要的作用。
尤其是它对美国的文化影响,更是渗透进了这个年轻的民族。
然而,“西进运动”同时也是印地安人民的血泪史!
美国“西进运动”是文明还是野蛮、是成功还是失败?
带着这些问题本文主要通过对美国“西进运动”的历史辩证地分析,以达到深刻了解、分析美国文化历史,并正确认识和看待美国文化历史。
基于这一目的,本文主要探讨“西进运动”对于美国经济推动、民族性格、价值观的形成等积极影响,并真实地反映其阴暗面,正确看待历史,做到一分为二地分析问题。
关键词
西进运动;民族性格;拓荒者;印第安文化
Introduction
AmericanWestwardMovementinthe19thcenturywastheprocessofeconomyexploitationandterritoryexpansionwagedbytheAmericansfromAppalachianMountainstothewestfromtheendof18thcenturytotheendof19thcentury.Itlastedaboutonehundredyears,andAmericanterritorywasexpandedfromthe13coloniesatthecoastoftheAtlanticOceanintheIndependenceWartothevastarea-theshoreofthePacificOcean.Thismovementwasaspaceandtime-spanning,large-scale,andfar-reachingsocialmigrant.“Tillnow,toacertainextent,thehistoryofAmericacanbesaidthatitisahistoryofcolonizing.”[1](P136)ThefirstperiodofWestwardMovementwasfromtheAmericanWarofIndependencetotheperiodoftheCivilWar.Duringthisperiod,itmainlydevelopedagriculture.ThewestlandwasveryimportantforUSAafteritsindependence.ButforWestwardMovement,therewouldbenotoday’sAmerica.
Byexpandingthenation’sborderstoincludemorethanthreemillionsquaremiles,theUnitedStatesbecameoneofthemostpowerfulnationsofthe20thcentury.Firstly,capitalisticagriculturegrewup,andthenanimalhusbandry,commerce,mining,andindustrywerefollowingup.Atlast,itexistedasituationinwhichagricultureandanimalhusbandrydevelopedatthesametime,industryandagriculturepromotedeachother,transportationandcommercetradeprogressedoverall.
However,thisexpansionalsoresultedingreatsuffering,destruction,andculturallossfortheNativeAmericansofNorthAmerica.IsWestwardMovementbarbaricorcivilized?
Theanswerisnotabsolute.KarlMaxmaterialismholdsthateverythinghastwosides.Weshouldmakeaconcreteandhistoricalanalysis.InWestwardMovement,wespeakofnotonlyitscivilizationbutitsbarbarity.Underthewhites’bulletandnaturalacutedisease,thosesurvivalIndiantribeshavesufferedso-calledgenocideandcultureextinction.ThetwooppositeandrelatedsidesofWestwardMovementarecomposedofthemainmelodyofthedevelopmentofAmericain19thcentury.
I.ThePositiveContributionsofAmericanWestwardMovement
AsthefirstindependentcapitalismcountryofthemainlandofAmerica,thebirthofthenewUSAsymbolizedthetremendousleapinAmericanhistory.NewlyindependentAmericadrewonthepolicyofwesternaggrandizement.Ononehand,thousandsuponthousandimmigrantsmovedfromeasttowest.Ontheotherhand,thewholecountrychangedfromanagriculturecountrytoanindustrialcountry.FinallyithelpedtobringaboutabirthofmodernUSA.
DuringWestwardMovement,thegovernmentlaidoutaseriesofpolicies,suchasimmigrantpolicyandcapitalinvestment.Between1820~1860,aboutfivemillionimmigrantscameintoUSA,itprovidedadequatelabors.Furthermore,theHomesteadActof1862wastheimportantlegislativeactof19thcentury.ThelandpolicyofAmericangovernmentatthatmomentprovidedinstitutionandpolicyguaranteeforpeasantstogetthesoilsanddevelopagriculture.Therefore,itpromotedthewestwardexploitation,andalsospurredUSAtoagreatagriculturecountryrapidly.During1815-1840,governmentinvested125milliondollarstoeverystateforbuilding3000miles’canal.ThisperiodAmericantransportationgotabigboost.Foranother,therewerepoliciesoffosteringdevelopmentofeducation,attractingmoreforeigninvestment,perfectmanpower,environmentalprotectionandsothelike.[2](P365-412)Undertheseeffectivestrategies,Americanpeopleconstantlyopenedup.Thiswestwardmovement,acrosswhatwasoftencalledtheAmericanfrontier,wasofenormoussignificance. TheynotonlycontributedtotheexpansionofAmericanterritory,influenceonAmericanpolitics,butalsoformedAmericancharacters.Atlast,thefrontierlifeinWestwardMovementbroughtplentifulsourcematerialtoAmericancultureandartinthefuture.
A.PromotingAmericanEconomicDevelopment
WesternexploitationutterlychangedAmericanappearance:
largequantitiesofbarrenlandswerereclaimed;alotofcapitalfarmsweresetup;thedevelopmentofagricultureinwestprovidedalargeamountoffood,materialanddomesticmarketonindustrialdevelopment;naturerecourseswereopeneduptodevelopindustries.Furthermore,tradeandtransportationhadgotnewleaps……Awell-knownBritishstatisticiansParkersaidinthebookoftheSecretofAmericanEconomicSuccess:
“The
UnitedStatesisinanespeciallyoutstandingnaturalenvironment.Shecanenjoythecommercialmarine.TheEastersPortsareopentothebusiestEurope.TheUnitedStatesisleadingthedevelopmentoftheworld.”[3](P23)TheeconomistsFalklandoftheU.S.EconomySchoolsaid:
“NoothercountyinthehistorylikeAmericahassuchabundantresources.Asoneofthelargeindustrialcountries,Americamusthavealargenumberofimportantminerals.WestwardMovementstimulatescreativityandeconomicvitalityoftheUnitedStates.ItisenhancingtheComprehensivenationalstrengthandinternationalstatusintheUnitedStates.ItispavingthewayoftheeconomyoftheUnitedStates.”[1](P142).
However,recallingthehistoryofthedevelopingprocessoftheUnitedStates,thefirst13BritishcoloniesbeforeindependencehadonlyasmallplacefromAppalachianMountainstotheeastoftheAtlanticcoastalstrip.Theoutstandingnatureconditionsweremainlybroughtfortheexpansionnearly100-year-westwardmovement.ItiseasyforustogetachievementsWestwardMovementcreatedandfosteredthesituationofAmerica.
B.ShapingAmericanCharacteristics
WesternuniquesurvivalrequirementformedimportantattributewhichmoldedtheAmericannationalitydispositionandthevalues,anditalsoplantedthespiritandthedreamoftheAmerican.[4](P136) Thefrontierexperienceencouragedthedevelopmentofcertain"American"characteristics.Frontierswereisolatedplaces,andsopioneershadtomakemanyitemstheymightotherwisehavetradedfororbought.Theybuilttheirownhousesandbarnsandproducedtheirownfood.Theymadetheirowncandles,clothing,furniture,pots,tools,andothernecessities.Asjacksofalltrades,pioneersbecameinventiveandself-reliant.Inaddition,frontiersofferedopportunitiesforsuccesstothosewhoworkedhard.Asaresult,pioneerstendedtobeoptimisticaboutthefutureandconcernedwithmaterialwealth.Boastfulnessandself-confidenceemergedasfrontiertraitsaswell.
1.TheContinuousMigrationandExploitation
WestwardMovementranthroughthetimeoffreecapitalism.Itwasamassparticipationmovementforexploitingthewest,whichcarriedoutasindividual,familyorcollective.Inthiscampaign,millionsofthelabormassesenduredhardshipinpioneerwork,theyhadcreatedenormousmaterialandspiritualwealth.Thepioneersonlytookalongthemostimportantlivingnecessaries,suchasseeds,farmimplements,guns,corns,domesticanimalsandthelike.Theystruggledwestwardacrosshills,mountains,andprairiesonfootandonhorseback.SomefloatedthroughtheErieCanalonbargesortraveleddownriversonflatboatsandsteamboats.Otherscrossedtheruggedwildernessincoveredwagons.Menbroughttheirwivesandchildrenalong,andundertakeheavytasks.Womengatheredfirewoodandcollectedmanuretocookfood.Howeverthefoodtheytookalongcouldnotholdouttillthedestination.Consequently,ediblewildherbsandwildfruitsbecametheirsupplementaryfood.Theyexperiencedthesimpleandcrudeboardandlodgingconditions,unpredictedweather,thedangerousshoal,cliffandprecipice,banditsandcholera,dysenterydisease.Allofthesemadethemtiredout,bedownwithillness,andevenlosttheirlives.Nevertheless,yearningforabetterandbrighterfuture,theyputalleggsinonebasketandconquerallobstaclesforstridingtowardsthewest.Formanypioneers,theCumberlandGap,theOregonTrail,andotherroadswestbecamepathstoopportunity,anditopenedwideforthemostcourageousandthemostdecisiveperson.AlloftheseaffectandmoldAmericans’characters.Itstremendousinfluencesevenradiatetoday’sAmericans.Thustheyarenotsatisfiedwiththeexistingstateperpetually,andseektheirbeautifuldreamsconstantly.SosomeonecallsAmerica“anationfoundingonthewheels”.
2.AffectionfortheWork
Aftertheearlypioneersarrivedinthewestland,firstly,theylookedforthemostfavoriteland.Havingsettleddown,theysetouttobuildtheirownhomeland.Theydrew
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