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Chapter 6

Chapter 6. Human Geography of the United States Shaping an Abundant Land. History and Government of the United States 6.1. The Untied States is the third largest country in both size and population The United States is a nation of immigrants Nomads crossing Beringia and the Bering Sea

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Chapter 6

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  1. Chapter 6 Human Geography of the United States Shaping an Abundant Land

  2. History and Government of the United States 6.1 • The Untied States is the third largest country in both size and population • The United States is a nation of immigrants • Nomads crossing Beringia and the Bering Sea • Native Americans, Athapascans, Aleuts and Inuit • Spanish arrived in the 1500s: seeking Gold and other treasure • St. Augustine, FL is the oldest permanent European settlement in the USA • France: Came in the 1600s for fish and fur • England: Came to settle colonies • European settlement often displaced Native Americans • With “secret” biological weapons of mass destruction: diseases

  3. First contact of Europeans with the Americas led to the greatest ecological events in history

  4. Establishing the Union • English won land from the French during the French and Indian War (1763) • Colonists fought the British efforts to make them share paying for the war • Colonists won the Revolutionary War (1775-1783) • US expanded with the Louisiana Purchase (from France) of 1803 • Land west of the Mississippi to the Rockies • Early immigration was from Western Europe to the Northeast

  5. Sectionalism • The different economic systems that developed in each section of the US led to competing interests • Northeast: Industry and trade • Southeast: Cash crop agriculture based on slavery • West: Staple crop agriculture, mining and livestock • One result was the Civil War • Fought 1861-1865 • North won

  6. In the second half of the 1800s, millions of Americans were on the move • Settlement expanded westward • During the same period, immigrants poured in from Europe • During the 19th century, the USA transformed from a rural agricultural nation to an urban, industrial one

  7. As the 20th century began, the USA was the most powerful country in the Western Hemisphere • Up to this point the US was practically self-sufficient • Beginning with the Spanish American War, and through World Wars I & II, the US became the strongest world power

  8. The final half of the 20th century was a time of rapid social change • Movement: • Large numbers of families moved to suburbs • Many moved west and south to warmer climates • Immigrants continued to flock to the USA • The 60s and 70s • Civil Rights movement • Feminist movement • Students and others protested the Vietnamese War • Technological change • Computers revolutionized the workplace • Providing services and informational technology surpassed industrial production in importance

  9. The United States & Globalization • The US became the world’s greatest economic power • The rest of the world competes with the US as they develop economically • Many industrial jobs have been exported to other countries • The USA led the non-communist nations during the Cold War • When communism in Europe collapsed in 1991, the US became the world’s sole superpower

  10. Government: the United States is a Presidential Federal Republic • The current governmental form comes from the Constitution of 1787 • People are governed through elected representatives • Separation of Powers between Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches • The president is NOT a member of the legislature • Congress (Legislature): House of Representatives and Senate • The 50 states also have legislative, executive and judicial branches and exercise powers not specifically granted to the federal (national) government)

  11. Economy and Culture of the United States 6.2 • The United States is the leading economic power • The US economy is run largely on free-enterprise (free market, capitalist) system

  12. An agricultural and industrial giant • The US not only feeds itself, but also helps to feed the world • Different part of the US provide different products • Midwest and South: crop farming • West: Livestock

  13. The industrial output of the US is larger than any other country • Advances in technology revolutionized industry and led to new products and methods

  14. Postindustrial economy • Service industries (producing a service rather than a product) • Nearly three-fourths of American workers work in the service sector • Information processing, finance, medicine, transportation, and education • Known as postindustrial economy • The US leads the world in both exports and imports • Exports: raw materials, agricultural products, and manufactured goods • Imports: automobiles, electronic equipment, machinery and apparel • Our chief trading partners are Mexico and Canada • Many US corporations engage in business worldwide and are called multinationals

  15. Because the USA is a nation of immigrants, it is a nation of different races and ethnicities • English is the dominant language • Religious freedom is guaranteed by the Constitution

  16. Arts and Popular Culture • Native Americans made pottery, weavings and carvings • Europeans brought artistic traditions of their homelands • Truly American styles developed in the 1800s • Paintings of the expansive landscape • Scenes of American life on both the frontier and in the cities • Skyscrapers shaped world architecture • Today: motion pictures, popular music • Hollywood • African influence: jazz, blues, gospel, rock and roll, hip-hop • Southern (European ancestry) influence: country, bluegrass

  17. American Life today • More than 280 million people live in the USA • 80% live in cities • 50% of American Adults are employed • America has always valued education • Americans enjoy a high amount of leisure time • Not all Americans live well

  18. Subregions 6.3

  19. Subregions of the United States 6.3 • Northeast • 5% of the land area, but 20% of the population • Six northern states: Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island make-up New England • Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey are known as the Middle Atlantic States • One of the first areas settled by Europeans • Served as the “Gateway” for many immigrants

  20. More Northeast • The first activities were fishing and farming • Coastal and inland waters turned the region into a heart of trade, commerce and industry • Many “rustbelt” industries have moved to the “sunbelt” or overseas • The nations first Megalopolis developed in the Northeast: “Boswash”

  21. Midwest • America’s heartland • 20% of area and 25% of population of the US • Mostly flat plains, with numerous waterways • Great Lakes, Mississippi River and its tributaries • The nation’s “breadbasket” • Fertile soils, adequate rainfall, and a favorable climate enable farmers to produce more food and feed more people than any comparable area in the world • Agriculture is the foundation for many of the region’s industries • meatpacking, food processing, farm equipment, and grain milling

  22. More Midwest • Its central location and excellent waterways make the Midwest a trade and distribution center • Chicago is the cultural, financial and transportation “hub” • Others are also located near large bodies of water: • Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee are on the Great Lakes; • Cincinnati, St. Louis, Minneapolis, St.. Paul, and Omaha developed along rivers • Changing face of the Midwest: • Number of farms is declining; • Cities are growing; • Industries are moving to the sunbelt and overseas

  23. The South • 25% of area and 33% of population • 11 of the sixteen states were part of the Confederacy during the Civil War • Like the Northeast, the South was an early destination for immigration • Its mix of cultures comes from • early European settlement, • imported slave labor, • and later immigration of Mexicans into Texas, French-Canadian “Cajuns” and Creoles to Louisiana • Once a rural, agricultural area, the South is rapidly changing and its cities growing

  24. The West (Hey, that’s us!) • 50% of the area, 20% of the population • People settle where landforms and climate are favorable • Deserts are sparsely settled, yet California is the most populous state • The West is the most rapidly growing region • Los Angeles is the West’s cultural and commercial center

  25. Developing the West • Helped by air conditioning and irrigation • The Colorado River has been diverted to serve many areas (except Mexico) • Las Vegas, Tucson and Phoenix, as well as L.A. • Economic activities: farming, ranching, food processing, logging, fishing, mining, oil refining, tourism, filmmaking and the production of computers • The West has many good harbors that make foreign trade—especially with Asia—important: • Los Angeles/Long Beach, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego

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