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American Civilization An Introduction DAVID MAUK AND JOHN OAKLAND FIFTH EDITION

American Civilization

This hugely successful text provides students of American studies with the perfect background and introductory information on contemporary American life. Thoroughly revised, this fifth edition covers all the central dimensions of American society from geography and the environment, government and politics, to religion, education, media and the arts. American Civilization: ■ ■ ■ ■

covers all core American studies topics at introductory level contains essential historical background for American studies students at the start of the twenty-first century analyzes gender, class and race, and America’s cosmopolitan population contains photos, case studies, questions and terms for discussion, and suggests websites for further research.

With new illustrations and case studies, this edition of American Civilization includes expanded sections on Asian and Latino minorities and US foreign policy activities, and provides new material including coverage of the 2008 election and the shifting economic situation. An invaluable online resource, the American Civilization companion website features a wealth of material, including extensive references for further reading, links to key primary sources, filmographies and advice to students on how to approach essay questions. Visit www.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415481625 to discover more. David Mauk is Senior Lecturer in North American Area Studies at the University of Oslo and is also the author of The Colony that Rose from the Sea: Norwegian Maritime Migration and Community in Brooklyn. John Oakland is the author of British Civilization (now in its 6th edition), Contemporary Britain, and British Civilization: A Student’s Dictionary. He is a former Senior Lecturer in English at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

American Civilization An introduction Fifth edition

David Mauk and John Oakland

First published in 1995 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Simultaneoulsy published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Second edition published in 1997 Third edition published in 2002 Fourth edition published in 2005 Fifth edition published in 2009 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 1995, 1997, 2002, 2005, 2009 David Mauk and John Oakland Typeset in Berling and Futura by Keystroke, 28 High Street, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Mauk, David, 1945– American civilization : an introduction / David Mauk and John Oakland. -- 5th ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. United States--Civilization. 2. United States--Civilization--Study and teaching--Foreign countries. I. Oakland, John. II. Title. E169.1.M45 2009 973--dc22 2009001241 ISBN10: 0–415–48161–9 (hbk) ISBN10: 0–415–48162–7 (pbk) ISBN13: 978–0–415–48161–8 (hbk) ISBN13: 978–0–415–48162–5 (pbk)

Contents

List of plates List of figures List of tables Preface and acknowledgements Chronology of significant dates in American history

1

The American context Ethnic culture Religious culture Political-legal culture Economic culture Americanness and national identity Social and institutional change American attitudes to US society Exercises Further reading Websites

2 The country Political ecology Natural resources, economic development and environmental concerns Climate The regions: cultural geography Native-American cultural regions Cultural regions in the contemporary USA Changing public attitudes: where do we go from here?

xi xv xvi xvii xviii

1 4 7 7 9 10 15 16 19 20 20

23 24 24 34 35 35 40 48

vi

Con t e n t s

Exercises Further reading Websites

3 The people: settlement and immigration Mother of exiles ‘The New Colossus’ Early encounters between Europeans and Native Americans The founders The first wave: colonial immigration, 1680–1776 The second wave: the ‘old’ immigrants, 1820–90 Settlement patterns and nativism The third wave: the ‘new’ immigrants, 1890–1930 A renewed immigration debate and immigration restriction Wartime policies and the search for principle in immigration policy The fourth wave: 1965 to the present Attitudes to immigrants: the contemporary debate Exercises Further reading Websites

4 The people: women and minorities The reason for American women’s and minority history Women in America Native Americans African Americans Asian Americans Latinos Exercises Further reading Websites

5 Political institutions: the federal government Historical origins The constitutional framework The political parties The legislative branch The executive branch The judicial branch Attitudes to branches of the federal government Exercises Further reading Websites

50 50 50

53 54 55 55 56 59 61 62 63 63 66 67 70 74 74 75

77 78 78 85 94 100 105 109 110 110

113 114 117 121 125 132 146 149 150 151 151

Con t e n t s

6 Political institutions: state and local government 153 The place of state government in American federalism The evolution of state government and federalism in the USA The structure of state government Local government Exercises Further reading Websites

7 Foreign policy A nation apart? American attitudes to world affairs From neutrality to isolationism, 1776–1830 From expansionism to imperialism, 1783–1914 Isolationism and internationalism, 1914–45 The Cold War era, 1946–92 The sole superpower in the post-Cold War era The foreign-policy establishment debate Exercises Further reading Websites

8 The legal system Legal history The sources of US law The court system Federal and state court proceedings The legal profession Crime and punishment Attitudes to the legal system Exercises Further reading Websites

9 The economy Economic history American economic liberalism: theory and practice Social class and economic inequality The contemporary economy Industry and manufacturing Service industries Agriculture, forestry and fisheries Financial and industrial institutions

154 157 160 164 169 170 170

171 172 176 177 180 183 188 192 195 195 196

197 200 203 203 208 210 213 221 222 223 223

225 226 231 232 234 238 240 240 242

vi i

vi i i

Con t e n t s

Attitudes to the economic system Exercises Further reading Websites

10

Social services Social services history The organization of contemporary social services Public social services The needy and the poverty line Voluntary services Health care Housing Attitudes to social services Exercises Further reading Websites

11

Education American attitudes to education: high expectations American educational history Elementary and secondary schools Higher education Recent problems and policy debates Exercises Further reading Websites

12

The media Media history Freedom of the media The contemporary print media The contemporary broadcasting media Attitudes to the media Exercises Further reading Websites

13

Religion Religious history Contemporary US religion Church, state and politics Religion and education

247 249 250 250

251 253 256 257 261 262 264 268 271 274 275 275

277 278 279 286 294 298 300 301 301

303 305 308 311 316 321 323 324 324

325 327 335 339 342

Con t e n t s

Attitudes to religion Exercises Further reading Websites

14

The arts, sports and leisure The arts Sports Leisure Exercises Further reading Websites Appendices Declaration of Independence in Congress, July 4, 1776 Constitution of the United States of America and Amendments Index

343 345 346 346

347 350 360 365 369 369 370

371 374 393

ix

Plates

1.1 Visitors (May 18, 2004) at Ground Zero, the site of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, New York City 4 1.2 Ventura shopping mall, California 9 1.3 A girl in Cedarburg, Wisconsin celebrates Independence Day, July 4 13 2.1 A smoggy morning in downtown Los Angeles, California 26 2.2 Crop spraying in Idaho 30 2.3 The skyline of downtown Seattle with its famous ‘space needle’ tower 33 2.4 Waits River, Vermont, with autumn foliage 36 2.5 The Navajo Indian Nation Reservation, Monument Valley, New Mexico 39 2.6 Vineyard in Napa Valley, California 47 3.1 The Statue of Liberty, New York 54 3.2 King Powhatan ordering English adventurer John Smith to be executed while the King’s daughter Pocahontas begs for his life to be spared 58 3.3 The registration room at Ellis Island in New York Bay in 1912 65 3.4 Mexican illegal immigrants crossing the border fence, Tijuana, Mexico, 1999 69 3.5 A crowd enjoying a recent Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City 70 3.6 A US Customs officer takes biometric data from a traveler entering the United States through JFK International Airport, New York 73 4.1 A female suffragist stands alone before a crowd of men in New York City in 1910 to lobby publicly for help in winning the vote 82

xii

Pl at e s

4.2 Abortion pro-choice march on Washington DC, April 27, 2004 4.3 Tecumseh (1768–1813), Native-American chief of the Shawnee tribe 4.4 Malcolm X speaking at a rally in New York City in 1964 4.5 Chinatown in Manhattan, New York City 4.6 César Chávez, leader of the United Farm Workers, speaking to union members in California in 1979 5.1 The Capitol, Washington, DC 5.2 The first cabinet of the USA in 1789 5.3 Republican McCain and Democrat Obama in first presidential debate, 2008 5.4 Nancy Pelosi addresses the House of Representatives of the 110th Congress after being elected (January 4, 2007) as the first female Speaker of the House 5.5 Chief Justice John G. Roberts administers the oath of office to Barack H. Obama 5.6 The US Supreme Court in session 6.1 Florida’s Supreme Court Justices 6.2 A street sign outside Los Angeles City Hall shows its sister cities 7.1 The World Trade Center south tower in New York City on September 11, 2001 after being struck by hijacked United Airlines flight 175 7.2 British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Soviet leader Josef Stalin at the Yalta Conference, February 1945 7.3 Nuclear test explosion ‘Grable’, Nevada, 1953 7.4 Coalition soldiers in central Baghdad during the Iraq War, 2003 8.1 The sitting justices of the US Supreme Court pose for a group photo at the Supreme Court in Washington DC 8.2 US Court House 8.3 Scene in a local court 8.4 Prisoner on death row, Angola State Prison, Louisiana, 2000 9.1 Aerial view of Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington, main corporate campus 9.2 Employee working in Boeing factory, Washington 9.3 The New York Stock Exchange 10.1 Gangster Al Capone attempts to help unemployed men with his soup kitchen ‘Big Al’s Kitchen for the Needy’, Chicago, November 16, 1930 10.2 Citizens in favor of protecting and continuing Social Security as currently constituted at a rally on the US Capitol grounds 10.3 A Franciscan nun cuts a girl’s hair at St Raphael Social Service Centre, Hamilton, Ohio, 1995

84 88 99 101 108 115 116 124

126 133 148 164 166

175

182 184 192 201 205 207 216 228 239 244

254 258 263

Pl at e s

10.4 Doctors and nurses at the Hackensack University Medical Center, New Jersey 10.5 Graffiti on shopfront in Harlem, New York City 11.1 Kindergarten play 11.2 Harvard University 12.1 Business people talk on cell phones at the Pierre Hotel in Manhattan, New York City 13.1 St. John’s Episcopal Church, the oldest church in Richmond, Virginia 13.2 Mosque, Michigan 13.3 Service at St. Gertrude’s Roman Catholic Church, Chicago, Illinois 14.1 Martin Scorsese presents Oscars to Ethan and Joel Coen at the 80th annual Academy Awards, 2008 14.2 Goose Tatum of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team 14.3 Pre-game activities on the field before the Super Bowl XLII (New York Giants vs. New England Patriots) at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, 2008

265 269 289 297 310 329 336 338 358 361

364

xiii

Figures

2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 5.1 6.1 8.1 8.2 11.1

The United States of America Physical geography of the USA Native-American cultural regions Contemporary regions of the USA Electoral-college geography after the 2000 census Local governments and cities in the Great Lakes region The main US courts Outline of procedure in criminal cases The structure of education in the USA

25 28 37 42 142 168 204 209 288

Tables

1.1 The most important problems facing the country today, 2008 1.2 Alienation in the USA, 2003–7 2.1 Ranking of the environment among top priorities for the new president, 2009 3.1 The effects of the fourth wave on the ten largest immigrant groups, 1960 contrasted with 2007 5.1 US presidential elections, 1932–2008 9.1 US annual inflation rate, 1988–2008 (CPI) 9.2 US unemployment rate (percentage of workforce), 1990–2007 12.1 Average circulation of main daily newspapers, 2006 12.2 Main general magazines: average circulation, 2006 12.3 Favorite prime-time commercial TV programs, 2006–7 13.1 American personal beliefs, 2003 14.1 Selection (1–13) from 100 best American movies of all time, 2007 14.2 Top 20 favorite leisure-time activities, 2007

17 18 49 68 144–5 236 237 312 314 318 344 357 366

Preface and acknowledgements

This book deals mainly with central structural features of American (US) society, such as politics and government, the law, the economy, social services, the media, education and religion. Chapters on the country and the people are also included in order to emphasize the geographical and human diversity of US civilization. Each chapter attempts to assess the attitudes of Americans to the social and cultural structures in which they live and operate. Methodologically, the book combines descriptive and analytical approaches within a historical context. Each chapter has its own historical perspectives and provides information on debates and recent developments in the USA. The book is intended to allow students to organize their own responses to American society and to encourage discussion. Essay and term exercises at the end of each chapter can be adequately approached from material contained in the text. Information may be also found in relevant web sites, ‘Further reading’ and a recommended dictionary for terms (Alicia Duchak, 1999, A–Z of Modern America. London: Routledge). A book of this type is indebted for many of its ideas, facts and statistics to a range of reference sources, which cannot all be mentioned here, but to which general acknowledgement is made (see also ‘Further reading’ in each chapter). Particular thanks are due to public-opinion poll sources and media, such as Gallup, Harris, Polling Report, Pew, the Roper Center, The Economist/YouGov, CNN, USA Today, Fox News, CBS, NBC, ABC, Newsweek, Time, the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post. The term billion in this book follows the internationally approved standard, i.e. l,000,000,000.

Chronology of significant dates in American history 20,000– 12,000 BC

Asians and Mediterranean peoples migrate to the Americas

c.3000–2600 Mayan civilization flourishes in Central America c. AD 350– 1250

Anasazi build pueblo ‘apartment’ complexes in the American south-west

1001

Vikings establish ‘Vinland’ settlement in Newfoundland

1050–1250

Mississippian culture dominates the mid-western and south-eastern United States

1300s

Aztec civilization rises in Mexico

1492

Columbus comes ashore in the Bahama Islands

1492–1542

European explorers visit and map parts of the Americas

1497

Europeans begin fishing in the Great Banks off the east coast of North America

1519–21

Hernán Cortéz invades and conquers Mexico

1518–1620

Smallpox and other European diseases decimate Native Americans

1607

Jamestown, Virginia settlement established

1619

First African workers arrive in Virginia

1622

Native Americans and Virginians wage war

1620–30

Pilgrims and then Puritans found New England colonies

1637

Native Americans and Puritans wage war

1624–81

New Amsterdam (New York), Maryland, New Sweden, Carolina, New Jersey and Pennsylvania are founded

1636, 1647

Harvard College and then public schools start in Massachusetts

1680–1776

The first wave of non-English immigrants arrive in the North American colonies

1732

Georgia, the last of the thirteen English colonies, is founded

Ch ron ol ogy of si gn i fi can t dat e s

1730s–1740s

Religious ferment reaches a peak during the first Great Awakening

1757

New Yorkers riot against British policies

1770

British troops fire on Boston protestors

1775, 1776

The American Revolution begins; the Declaration of Independence

1783

The Treaty of Paris recognizes the independence of the United States and grants it the territory south of Canada to the Mississippi River

1787

A strong federal government under the US Constitution replaces the loose league of states under the Articles of Confederation

1789

George Washington takes office as President; federalists and anti-federalists compete in Congress

1792

The New York Stock Exchange opens

1803

The Louisiana Purchase from France adds a huge slice of the continent’s mid-section to the USA; the US Supreme Court claims the power to declare laws unconstitutional

1808

Congress outlaws the import of African slaves

1810

New York passes Philadelphia in population at third US census

1808–13

Shawnee leaders Tecumseh and the Prophet organize the eastern tribes to resist US expansion beyond the Appalachians

1812–15

The USA wins no major battle in the war with Britain on American soil

1815–25

Industrialization starts in the New England and mid-Atlantic states

1820s–1840s

A religious revival sweeps across the frontier in the second Great Awakening; social and utopian reform movements spread

1820s–1880s

About 16 million Europeans and smaller numbers of Asians and Latinos immigrate in the second wave

1825

Opening the Erie Canal secures the economic power of the east

1831–8

Native Americans removed from the south along the Trail of Tears to ‘Indian Territory’ in Oklahoma

1830s

The Democratic Party emerges and competes with the Whigs

1845–8

Conflict and war with Mexico; annexation of Texas, California and the south-west