American literature - přednášky

Slavery

• The American Colonization Society

• Liberia – group of people that thought that African slaves should be sent home

• The Liberator – special newspaper in US which suggested all slaves should be free

• The American Anti-Slavery Society

Northern colonies

• More evaluated than southern states

• Blockade of the southern states

• Better guns

• Major cause – slavery (some colonies wanted, some did not), also because they inquired new land (todays Mexico)

• Lincoln (republican) assassinated,, won elections 1860 – wanted to forbid slavery

• Black codes – limited slavery, but also rights of African were restricted

• 23 states remained in the Union, South had less soldiers and North was also more developed (70% of railways was on the North)

• Government – taxes, conscript soldiers – important

• British government tried to help Southern states

• Commanders – Northern colonies – situation was better (Lincoln had no army experiences, but he learnt quickly), much better platform to choose from; Southern states – worse

• Anakonda plan – strategic ideas, Union blockade was well prepared

• Lee, Jackson, Johnson – major leaders of the South

• Civil war – the last of the old wars (because of the tactics)

• Submarine was used

• 1890 – 1920 – age of urban reform, nation had difficulties with poverty

• Major objectives – industry revolution (problems – alienation, pollution, workers health – chemicals, factories – children, dangerous work conditions)

• More people trying to get into the cities – housing problems, overpopulated cities, immigration problems – huge number of Irish people, government corruption

• 1900 – president election – chance for people to change a politics and policy = they agreed on „the open door policy“ - dealing with foreign countries (China – an area USA wanted to get advantage in)

• Other territories were taken, China was the only free (Russia was getting more and more powerful, wanted to have upper hand in China as well)

• China remained undivided, but problems between USA and Russia remained

• President was McKinley – he was positive, well liked – assassinated

• Roosevelt, assumed the office after him, wanted to deal with political corruption, wanted to win the fight through the number of civil reforms; was not supposed to be a president; considered to be a hero

• Corruption – if you wanted to be a member of government – competitive exam (people did not get their position because of favour)

• Insurance for injury – Progressives

• Merit system – hiring people according to their status

• Muck raking (kydání hnoje – only figuratively) – tried to poke the history to find a problems (whether they were corrupted or excepted bribes) – they wrote novels about it/put it into a magazine

• 7. 84 – of all people own 84 of wealth

• Taft – a good friend of Roosevelt, he served as his secretary

• 1920 – Wilson – govern of New Jersey, Roosevelt was govern of New York

• Wilson – workers compensation programme (utilities – light,...)

• 1917 – new immigration law/act – tried to limit the number of people who entranced USA

• Liber unions tried to limit the number based on nationality = xenophobic

• 1921 – mainly aimed to Asian immigrants

• Eugenics – wasp (white Anglo-Saxons protestant) – based on racial patriarchy

• Revival of ku-klux-klan

• Chain stores being established, industrial revival, enabled mass production

• Creation of parks, baseball stadiums, transportation

• 1904 – one of three people was starving to death

• Natural resources were exploited, people were wasting natural resources, mainly in the west (nature was polluted, mines)

• First natural parks were established, conservation was necessary, Roosevelt