historical background…

WhenChristopherColumbusreachedNorthAmericain1492，thecontinentwasalreadypopulated，thoughsparsely，byseveralhundredNativeAmericantribes.Europeansdidnotencounterthesetribesallatonetime.Explorersfromdifferentnationscameintocontactwiththematdifferenttimes.Aswenowknow，thesewidelydispersedtribesofNativeAmericansdifferedgreatlyfromonetoanotherinlanguage，government，socialorganization，customs，housing，andmethodsofsurvival.TheNativeAmericansNooneknowsforcertainwhenorhowthefirstAmericansarrivedinwhatisnowtheUnitedStates.Itmayhavebeenasrecentlyas12，000yearsagooraslongagoas70，000years.Eveniftheshorterestimateiscorrect，NativeAmericanshavebeenonthecontinentthirtytimeslongerthanthe’s.WhatweretheearliestAmericansdoingforthosemanycenturies?Toagreatextent，theanswerisshroudedinmystery.NowrittenstoryoftheNativeAmericansexists.Archaeologistshavededucedagreatdealfromartifacts，howev－er，andfolkoristshaverecordedarichvarietyofsongs，legends，andmyths.WhatwedoknowisthattheNativeAmericansusually，butbynomeansal－ways，greetedtheearliestEuropeansettlersasfriends.Theyinstructedthenew－comersintheiragricultureandwoodcraft，introducedthemtomaize，beans，squash，maplesugar，snowshoes，toboggans，andbirchbarkcanoes.Indeed，manymoreoftheEuropeansettlerswouldhavesuccumbedtothebitternortheasternwintershaditnotbeenforthehelpofthesefirstAmericans.PilgrimsandPuritansAsmallgroupofEuropeanssailedfromEnglandontheMayflowerin1620.Thepassengerswerereligiousreformers—PuritanswhowerecriticaloftheChurchofEngland.Havinggivenuphopeof“purifying”theChurchfromwithin，theychoseinsteadtowithdrawfromtheChurch.ThisactionearnedthemthenameSeparatists.WeknowthemasthePilgrims.TheylandedinNorthAmericaandestablishedasettlementatwhatisnowPly－mouth，Massachusetts.WithhelpfromfriendlytribesofNativeAmericans，thePlymouthsettlementmanagedtosurvivetherigourofNorthAmerica.Thecolonynevergrewverylarge，however.Eventually，itwasengulfedbytheMassachusettsBayColony，themuchlargersettlementtothenorth.LikethePlymouthColony，theMassachusettsBayColonywasalsofoundedbyreligiousreformers.Thesereformers，however，didnotwithdrawfromtheChurchofEngland.UnliketheSeparatists，theywerePuritanswhointendedin－steadtoreformtheChurchfromwithin.InAmerica，thePuritanshopedtoestab－lishwhatJohnWinthrop，governoroftheColony，calleda“cityuponahill，”amodelcommunityguidedinallaspectsbytheBible.Theirformofgovernmentwouldbeatheocra－cy，astateundertheimmediateguidanceofGod.AmongthePuritans’centralbeliefsweretheideasthathumanbeingsexistforthegloryofGodandthattheBibleisthesoleexpressionofGod’swill.Theyalsobelievedinpredestina－tion—JohnCalvin’sdoctrinethatGodhasal－readydecidedwhowillachievesalvationandwhowillnot.Theelect，orsaints，whoaretobesavedcannottakeelectionforgranted，，alldevoutPuritanssearchedtheirsoulswithgreatrigorandfre－quencyforsignsofgrace.ThePuritansfeltthattheycouldaccomplishgoodonlythroughcontinualhardworkandself-discipline.Whenpeopletodayspeakofthe“Puritanethic”，thatiswhattheymean.PuritanismwasindeclinethroughoutNewEnglandbytheearly1700’s，asmoreliberalProtestantcongregationsattractedfollowers.Areactionagainstthisnewfreedom，however，setinaround1720.TheGreatAwakening，aseriesofreli－giousrevivalsledbysucheloquentministersasthefamousJonathanEdwardsandGeorgeWhitefield，sweptthroughthecolonies.TheGreatAwakeningattract－edthousandsofconvertstomanyProtestantgroups，butitdidlittletoreviveold—fashionedPuritanism.Nevertheless，Puritanidealsofhardwork，frugality，self-improvement，andself-reliancearestillregardedasbasicAmericanvirtues.TheSouthernPlantersTheSouthernColoniesdifferedfromNewEnglandinclimate，crops，socialorganization，andreligion.ProsperouscoastalcitiesgrewupintheSouth，justasintheNorth，butbeyondthesoutherncitieslaylargeplantations，notsmallfarms.Despiteitsromanticimage，theplantationwasinfactalarge-scaleagriculturalen－terpriseandacenterofcommerce.Uptoathousandpeople，manyofthemen－slaved，mightliveandworkonasingleplantation.ThefirstblackslaveswerebroughttoVirginiain1619，ayearbeforethePil－grimslandedatPlymouth.Theplantationsystemandtheinstitutionofslaverywerecloselyconnectedfromtheverybeginning，althoughslaveryexistedineverycolony，includingMassachusetts.  [返]