Today, the United States has the largest economic and technological strength in the world. It has the most military bases and the strongest military configuration, and it is the only superpower. But the United States has only been established for more than two hundred years, and it has also been nearly 80 years since the United States became a superpower. How did this young country rise step by step? Everything must start from the colonial era of North America.
Independence of North American Colonies
The aboriginal people in North America are Indians. At the beginning of the 15th century, there were about 1 million people living in the United States and Canada in the North American continent. With the religious reforms and overseas colonial expansion in Western Europe, a large number of British people came to the North American continent to cultivate and plant on this vast land.
British colonists successively established thirteen colonies along the east coast of North America. Britain adopted a laissez-faire policy for newly-built colonies, allowing local immigrants to engage in development after obtaining permits, so a uniquely North American culture has gradually formed.
The first 13 colonies in the United States
The North Americans of that era were more independent, diligent, and united than the native British aristocracy. They contributed to the building of the British Empire. They respected the royal family. The unhappiness gradually intensified. The pride of the British Empire was in the diary letters of the people at that time. It's very common here.
But the pride of North Americans did not last long. After Britain defeated France in the Seven Years' War, it began to directly manage the North American colonies, increasing taxes and restricting the autonomy of the colonies. The North Americans could not accept the British arbitrariness, and the free colonial people began to rebel against the king.
The War of Independence broke out under this historical background. In the war, Americans showed more desire to pursue freedom and independent development. These spirits were the foundation of the American dream.
Land transaction: the United States continues to expand westward
When the United States first became independent in 1776, there were only 13 colonies on the Atlantic coast, covering an area of about 800,000 square kilometers. But the current US territory is 9.37 million square kilometers, an increase of nearly 11 times. The strength of the United States is directly related to its continuous westward expansion.
After independence, the first new territory acquired by the United States was bought from the French. At that time, France was defeated by the British in the Battle of Trafalgar. Napoleon considered that the French army's advantage was on land rather than in the sea and finally decided to sell 2.6 million square kilometers of land to the United States at a price of 15 million U.S.D
Such a cost-effective business is unexpected to the Americans, and the price is only $5 per square kilometer. The Americans tasted the sweetness, acquired a large tract of land in the central part, and continued their journey westward.
The next goal of the Americans was in southern Florida, which is adjacent to Louisiana and is a colony run by the Spanish. The mild climate here is conducive to plantation management.
Florida
Opportunities always go to the Americans. In 1808, the Spanish mainland was occupied by Napoleon, and the Spanish colonies in North America suddenly lost contact with their home country. The Americans took the opportunity to immigrate to Florida in large numbers. A few years later, the proportion of Americans in the area rose greatly. By 1814, when the time was right, the United States quickly entered Florida.
The two land purchases made by the United States with France and Spain were extremely cost-effective, and the vast expansion of the United States territories also inspired the Americans' willingness to move westward and colonize.
Then the United States took Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona from Mexico through trade and war, and Oregon from the British. The most cost-effective deal was to buy the Alaska Peninsula and its surrounding Aleutian Islands, covering an area of more than 1.5 million square kilometers, for US$7.2 million.
Alaska
By the end of the 19th century, the United States had seized the colonies of Cuba, the Philippines, and Guam through the Spanish-American War against Spain.
The continuous expansion has brought too many benefits to the United States.
The first is a secure geopolitical pattern. If the United States did not expand and had British, French, and Western colonies around it, it would be difficult for it to develop and grow due to interference from foreign powers. The United States acquired large tracts of land from the Atlantic to the Pacific through expansion, suppressed the power of European powers in North America, and laid a good external environment for its own construction.
The unique geographical location of the United States
Secondly, the United States has vast land, and the newly developed areas are rich in natural resources, including copper, gold, lead, sulfur, petroleum, coal, etc. These mineral resources provide inexhaustible raw materials for the development of industry and modernization in the United States, and also make The United States has a relatively complete industrial system, so there is no need to worry about lack of resources during the war.
Check the situation and change the policy
For most of the period before World War II, the United States pursued an isolationist policy, avoided intervening in disputes in Europe, did not participate in alliances, and handled diplomatic and international affairs completely independently. However, the essence of U.S. foreign policy is a unilateralist line, that is, "taking all means for one's own benefit only."
After the outbreak of World War II, France was vulnerable, and only Britain was still resisting the crazy German offensive. American President Roosevelt actively promoted a shift in American foreign policy and began to intervene in the war, providing weapons and other materials for Britain and the Soviet Union.
The relatively flexible policies of the United States enable it to make choices that are most beneficial to itself. In the early stage, he chose an isolationist policy to avoid being involved in the vortex of disputes between the powers, and concentrated his efforts to develop the domestic economy and industry, and accumulate wealth; later, he actively participated in international diplomacy and participated in the two world wars. Through wars, national power and influence were multiplied.
Battle of Iwo Jima
Attract talents from all over the world, attach great importance to science and technology
In the US population composition, whites account for about 64% of the total population, blacks account for 12.6%, in addition to Indians, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Hispanics, and Chinese. Whites include descendants of immigrants from Britain, Germany, Italy, Ireland, and Jews.
Because of the steady stream of immigration and diverse population composition, Americans can view different ethnic cultures with a relatively open mind. Of course, this has also brought excellent talents from all countries and nationalities to the United States.
During the two world wars, the United States stayed away from the war, which promoted the immigration of a large number of European immigrants. After the war, many German scientists came to the United States to work in United States. This partly resulted in the rapid advancement of American science and technology.
Werner von Braun, one of the space pioneers who worked for the Nazis in World War II and moved to the United States
During the Cold War, the United States actively promoted the cause of space exploration and launched the "Star Wars Program" in order to compete with the Soviet Union for hegemony. These measures also greatly promoted the development of modern science and provided a more reliable guarantee for the strength of the United States.
Today, the United States is full of domestic problems, racism is deep-rooted, and isolationism is on the rise again. However, this young country has successfully repaired itself and made history many times. We will wait and see where the future of the United States will go.
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