美国历史：西进运动(Westward Movement)(西进运动)

背景知识

西进运动（Westward Movement）是指美国东部居民向西部地区迁移和进行开发的群众性运动，始于18世纪末，终于19世纪末20世纪初。运动大大促进了美国经济的发展，但是，随着西进运动的进行，大批印第安人遭到屠杀，幸存者被强行赶到更为荒凉的“保留地”。印第安人被迫迁徙之路也被称为印第安人的“血泪之路”。

美国独立后掀起了长达一个世纪的西进运动，西进过程中，大批移民出于不同的原因迁往西部，客观上缓和了资产阶级内部矛盾，扩大了国内市场，破坏了自由州与蓄奴州的平衡，为南北战争的胜利打下基础。从某种意义上说，没有西进运动，就没有后来美国在资本主义世界举足轻重的地位。正因为如此，有的学者在研究西进运动时，对它的积极作用大肆赞扬，而对另一方面却轻描淡写，那就是对土著印第安人的野蛮屠杀。

西进运动是美国拓宽疆土，吞并土地的一种侵略行为，它开发了如今的美国西部地区，消灭了众多印第安文明，当时只是东边的殖民地地区，需要大量的土地，当地已经满足不了人口和经济发展的需要，于是把目光投向了西部，当时西部的土地都是印第安部落的。有一帮先驱者向西部探索，并和印第安部落建立了良好的关系，一直行进到太平洋，就是现在墨西哥一带。后来大量人包括政府和军队涌入西部，通过劫掠、诱导、欺骗、屠杀印第安人，并开发西部地区。

A Brief Introduction

Westward movement in America carried settlers across America, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The westward movement began in the early 1600’s with European settlements along the Atlantic Coast of North America. It continued until the late 1800’s. An abundance of land and other natural resources lured America’s pioneers westward.

Fur traders, cattle ranchers, farmers, and miners led the push to the west. Merchants and other business people followed. These hard-working men and women faced great dangers, endured severe hardships, and suffered loneliness and boredom in the hope of making a better life for themselves and their children. Some of them looked to the west for wealth or adventure. Others sought to improve their social position or increase their political power. The pioneers struggled westward across hills, mountains, and prairies on foot and on horseback. Some floated through the Erie Canal on barges or traveled down rivers on flatboats and steamboats. Others crossed the rugged wilderness in covered wagons.

The First Period

The first period (from the War of Independence to the Civil War) — the mainly agriculture-based initial development period

The federal government took a number of political measures to promote the westward movement in the land and agricultural development, mainly in the following areas:

(A) land policy（土地政策）

Firstly, the U.S. government issued the procedures and requirements in the statehood in the West.

Secondly, the U.S. government enacted the policy to ensure the residents’ access to the land.

In 1785 “Land Ordinance” (土地条例) determined the state-owned land for sale to the immigrants – 国有土地向移民出售

From 1802 to 1832a number of “Relief Act” delayed the period of unpaid confiscation of land – 延缓未付土地被没收的期限 (poor farmers got the land)

In 1832Jackson administration allowed farmers to occupy the land, and they could buy the land they have cultivated and improved with the lowest price .

In 1862Lincoln Government the “Homestead Act (宅地法)” required that citizens of 21 years old could acquire at most 160 acres of lands, as long as they could afford 10 dollars and farm it for 5 years. 年满21岁的公民从1863年1月1日起，只要付10美元的费用，就有权取得160英亩或以下的土地，耕种5年后，土地就归个人所有

(B) immigration policy（移民政策）

American Land Act in 1787 provided some principles for establishment of a new state, and the third part in it also made provision for the rights of citizens, particularly people could move westward freely. It greatly promoted the influx of American immigration to the west. Since then, the mass of the large-scale westward movement flourished, and the immigrants provided sufficient labor.

(C) infrastructural development policies（基础设施发展政策）

Westward Movement in the United States attached great importance to infrastructure, in particular paid great attention to railways, highways, waterways and other transportation infrastructure. In the railway construction the U.S. Government has taken a “much more railroads more benefit policy”（多修铁路多得益政策）. In road construction, an important U.S. government policy was to encourage private investment.To address the lack of highway construction funds, toll roads (收费公路) became the first priority in the development of the business. With the invention of the steam engine and the use of the ship, the U.S. government stepped up the construction of water transport, and became the world’s most developed country in canal in the 1940s.

The Second Period

The second period refers to the time between the Civil War and World War II, and it was mainly based on industry. By the end of the Civil War, especially after the reconstruction of the South, the economy grew rapidly in South, and there emerged a relatively stable political situation. At the same time, the second industrial revolution was rapidly rising, and the United States began the transformation from an agricultural country to an industrial one. Government adopted a more favorable and open policy to promote the westward movement.

(1) The U.S. government adopted preferential policies to attract foreign investment in infrastructure, and took more favorable subsidies to attract private investment to build canals and railways.

(2) It adopted an open policy to attract outstanding foreign labor. Law of wood stone (Laws enacted ) in Northern Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, and many other countries there appeared “American fever”, the dream of hundreds of people who traveled tirelessly across the oceans, and were looking forward to the American “Western Garden.” In the period of 1861 -1914 more than 27 million foreign immigrants settled in the United States with certain finance and technique, and made an indelible (永久的/不可磨灭的) contribution .

(3) The us government put more emphasis on environmental protection and the use of technology.

– 1877 “Sandy Act”

– 1894 “Carey Act”

(4) The government paid attention to the balanced development of industry and mining in the east and the west.

The Third Period

After the end of World War II, the computer network technology, nuclear technology, biotechnology and space technology first occurred in the United States as an important symbol of the third technological revolution. During this period the U.S. government’s major policies were:

v1. the use of risk-investment mechanism, and establishment of high-tech parks.利用风险投资机制，建立高科技园

Silicon Valley high-tech parks in the 60’s in San Jose, California

v2. the use of regional economic management policies to promote development of the west

– 1961 Redevelopment Area Law 地区再开发法

– 1965 Law of “Public Works and Economic Development”,

“Appalachian Regional Development Act” 《阿巴拉契亚区域开发法》

– 1977 Community Reinvestment Act 社区再投资法

v3. the use of market forces, to promote the economic development of backward areas.