Petit résumé sur l'histoire de l'Amérique (document en anglais).

For talk about the history of America, we've chosen to speak about The Discovery of America, the Declaration of Independence, The Civil War and The civil Right Movements. To us, the civil right movement was the most important, that's why we developped more about it.

Discovery of America :

It's in 1484 that Christopher Columbus had the idea to find a way to cross the Atlantlic Ocean to go to India. Christopher Columbus was born in 1451 in Genoa, and died in 1506 in Spain. He was an Italian navigator. In 1492, Christopher Columbus, went to India,and ended up discovering America.

Amerigo Vespucci, an other Italian navigator doubt that Christopher Columbus has found a way to India. Later, he said that this land was perhaps a new country, so he proposed an expedition to the New World to confirm his feelings.After this trip, King Ferdinand II of Aragon, named the new continent by the name of Amerigo Vespucci "America".

The Pilgrim Fathers and the declaration of Independence :

In 1620, thousands of Europeans, mainly English, called the Pilgrim fathers came in America in order to settled down. They obtained the independence in 1776. At this moment, the new Americans came in Africa to kidnap black people and they forced them to work very hard for no money ; it was slavery. This mechanism made the USA the richest country in the world. But after many years, there were much more black people than white people and they were still slaves ; they started to rebell.

The civil war :

The birth of the civil war came from the oppositions between the slave South and the industrial North. The December 20th 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected. Then the South seceded, they seperated from the North. Indeed, in 1862, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the emancipation of black slaves. He hoped weaken economically the South States, while some slave states joined the North. Assassinated before the last South States capitulation, Lincoln wouldn't assist to the official adoption of the abolition of slavery the december 6 in 1865. It's the president Johson who would led the country to the reconstruction. But, despite this freedom, black people didn't have the same rights than the white people.

In the 50's, the victims of the segregation are fed up ; they are separated from the white in publics places, bus, restaurants, etc... Also, they are victims of racism everyday.

In 1955, the 1rst of December, a black woman called Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in a bus to white man ; she said that she were tired not only by her work but also by all the racism treatment she and her companions received. She was arrested and this incident led to a 381 day bus boycott. Rosa Parks is nowadays an icon of the fight of African-american against segrergation.

The bus boycott were led by Martin Luther King a black leader.

Martin Luther King Junior, was born in 1929. He was an American pastor, activist, humanitarian, and leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. The 28 august of 91963, he pronouced his speech « I have a dream » behind the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. It became one of the most famous speech in the world. Martin Luther King is best known for his role

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