众所周知，美洲大陆最早的居民是我们通常所说的“印第安人”。美洲的印第安人是一个勤劳、勇敢和智慧的民族，他们在长期劳动生活中，创造了许多灿烂的文化成就，对人类社会的发展作出了巨大的贡献。十五世纪末，当欧洲殖民者侵入北美洲改变了这里的历史，这段历史也成为后人研究的对象。考研政治中对这段北美殖民史“情有独钟”，在历年真题中多有涉及，今天老师就带同学们一起来看看这些真题的特点。
一、真题大搜索
在88、07、09年的考研英语真题中，对这段殖民史都有涉及。美利坚合众国是一首丰富的歌，它不仅是一个民族，而是由许多民族组合成的民族。好好学习这段历史，对考生解题会有意想不到的作用。老师建议考生首先通读以上两篇考研真题，对这段殖民史有所了解，再把句中的这类文体常用的重点词汇找出进行详细记忆，将主要观点的英语表述方法熟记于心。
(2007年完形填空)西班牙和葡萄牙前殖民地独立后面临的问题:
（注：划线部分为原题设问处）
By 1830 the former Spanish and Portuguese colonies had become independent nations.
The roughly 20 million inhabitant of these nations looked hopefully to the future. Born in the crisis of the old regime and Iberian Colonialism, many of the leaders of independence shared the ideas of representative government, careers opento talent, freedom of commerce and trade,the rightto private property, and a belief in the individual as the basis of society. Generally there was a belief that the new nations should be sovereign and independent states, large enough to be economically viable and integrated by a common set of 1aws.
On the issue of freedom of religion and the position of the Church,however there was less
agreement among the leadership. Roman Catholicism had been the state religion and the only one granted by the Spanish crown. while most leaders sought to maintain Catholicism as the official religion of the new states, some sought to end the exclusion of other faiths. The defense of the Church became a rallying cry for the conservative forces.
The ideals of the early leaders of independence were often egalitarian, valuing equality of everything. Bolivar had received aid from Haiti and had promised in return to abolish slavery in the areas he liberated. By 1854 slavery had been abolished everywhere except Spain’s remaining colonies. Early promises to end Indian tribute and taxes on people of mixed origin came much slower because the new nations still needed the revenue such policies produced .Egalitarian sentiments were often tempered by fears that the mass of the population was unprepared to self-rule and democracy.
全文翻译：到了1830年，原来的西班牙和葡萄牙殖民地变成了独立的国家。这些国家的大约2千万居民对未来充满期待。许多独立国家的领导人在旧政权和伊比利亚殖民注意岌岌可危时出生，他们都认同议会制政府，向人才开放职业，商业贸易自由，私有财产所有权，认为个人是社会的基础。他们普遍认为新国家应该是独立的主权国家，足够大，能够在经济上切实可行，由一套共同法律让各个新的独立国家联合起来。
但是，在宗教自由和教会地位这个问题上，各国领导人之间存在着分歧。罗马天主教过去是西班牙国教，是唯一得到西班牙王室承认的宗教。多数领导人致力于保留天主教为新国家的官方宗教，而一些领导人致力于终结不能有其他宗教信仰的状况。保卫教会成为保守势力的战斗口号。
独立国家早期领导者们的理想通常是平等主义，重视一切平等。玻利瓦尔得到海地的援助，作为回报，他承诺在自己解放的地区废除奴隶制。到了1854年，除了西班牙前殖民地外，奴隶制在其他地区都已被废除。对结素印地安人的上贡问题和对混血人种的税收问题的早期承诺较晚才实现，这是因为新独立的国家仍然需要这些政策所带来的税收收入。平等的情绪通常由于担心大众没有准备好自治和民主而有所缓解。
(2009年Text 4 ) 美国早期移民历史：
The most thoroughly studied intellectuals in the history of the new world are the ministers and political leaders of seventeenth-century New England. According to the standard history of American philosophy, nowhere else in colonial America was“So much important attachedto intellectual pursuits.” According to many books and articles, NewEngland’s leaders established the basic themes and preoccupations of an unfolding, dominant Puritan tradition in American intellectual life.
To take this approach to the New Englanders normally mean to start with the Puritans' theological innovations and their distinctive ideas about the church —— important subjects that we may not neglect. But in keeping with our examination of southern intellectual life,we may consider the original Puritans as carriers of European culture, adjusting to New world circumstances. The New England colonies were the scenes of important episodes in the pursuit of widely understood ideals of civility and virtuosity.
The early settlers of Massachusetts Bay included men of impressive education and influence in England. Besides the ninety or so learned ministers who came to Massachusetts church in the decade after 1629, there were political leaders like John Winthrop, an educated gentleman, lawyer, and official of the Crown before he journeyed to Boston. These men wrote and published extensively, reaching both New World and Old World audiences, and giving New England an atmosphere of intellectual earnestness.
The most thoroughly studied intellectuals in the history of the new world are the ministers and political leaders of seventeenth-century New England. According to the standard history of American philosophy, nowhere else in colonial America was “So much important attached to intellectual pursuits.” According to many books and articles, New England’s leaders established the basic themes and preoccupations of an unfolding, dominant Puritan tradition in American intellectual life.
To take this approach to the New Englanders normally mean to start with the Puritans' theological innovations and their distinctive ideas about the church —— important subjects that we may not neglect. But in keeping with our examination of southern intellectual life, we may consider the original Puritans as carriers of European culture, adjusting to New world circumstances. The New England colonies were the scenes of important episodes in the pursuit of widely understood ideals of civility and virtuosity.
The early settlers of Massachusetts Bay included men of impressive education and influence in England.Besides the ninety or so learned ministers who came to Massachusetts church in the decade after 1629, there were political leaders like John Winthrop, an educated gentleman, lawyer, and official of the Crown before he journeyed to Boston. These men wrote and published extensively, reaching both New World and Old World audiences, and giving New England an atmosphere of intellectual earnestness.
We should not forget, however, that most New Englanders were less well educated. While few crafts men or farmers, let alone dependents and servants, left literary compositions to be analyzed, it is obvious that their views were less fully intellectualized. Their thinking often had a traditional superstitions quality. A tailor named John Dane, who emigrated in the late 1630s, left an account of his reasons for leaving England that is filled with signs. Sexual confusion, economic frustrations , and religious hope —— all came together in a decisive moment when he opened the Bible, told his father the first line he saw would settle his fate, and read the magical words: “come out from among them, touch no unclean thing , and I will be your God and you shall be my people.” One wonders what Dane thought of the careful sermons explaining the Bible that he heard in puritan churches.
Meanwhile, many settlers had slighter religious commitments than Dane’s, as one clergyman learned in confronting folk along the coastwho mocked that they had not come to the New world for religion.“Our main end was to catch fish.”
在新大陆的历史上，被研究的最彻底的学者是17世纪新英格兰的牧师和政治领袖们。根据美国标准哲学史的记载，在美洲殖民地中，没有任何地方比新英格兰地区“更重视对学术的追求。”据许多书籍及文章认为，新英格兰的领袖们在美国学术界中确立了正在发展、后来成为主流的清教传统的基本主题和关注点。
通过这条途径来了解新英格兰人，通常意味着要首先研究清教徒的神学创新和对于教会的独特看法——这是我们不可忽略的重要课题。但是为了与我们对南部思想生活的研究保持一致，我们可以将最初的清教徒们视作欧洲文化的传递者，他们根据新大陆的情况进行了调整。在追求一些广泛认同的文化艺术理想过程中，新英格兰殖民地发生了许多重要的事情。
马萨诸塞州的最早定居者包括那些在英格兰接受过良好的教育并深具影响力的英国人。在1629年之后的十年间，除了90多位来到马萨诸塞教堂的有学识的牧师，还有像约翰·温斯罗普（John Winthrop）这样的政治领袖，他是一位受过良好教育的绅士、律师，到波士顿之前曾是皇室官员。这些人大量撰写、出版书籍，在新旧大陆都有读者，这给新英格兰带来了热衷思想研究的氛围。
在新大陆的历史上，被研究的最彻底的学者是17世纪新英格兰的牧师和政治领袖们。根据美国标准哲学史的记载，在美洲殖民地中，没有任何地方比新英格兰地区“更重视对学术的追求。”据许多书籍及文章认为，新英格兰的领袖们在美国学术界中确立了正在发展、后来成为主流的清教传统的基本主题和关注点。
通过这条途径来了解新英格兰人，通常意味着要首先研究清教徒的神学创新和对于教会的独特看法——这是我们不可忽略的重要课题。但是为了与我们对南部思想生活的研究保持一致，我们可以将最初的清教徒们视作欧洲文化的传递者，他们根据新大陆的情况进行了调整。在追求一些广泛认同的文化艺术理想过程中，新英格兰殖民地发生了许多重要的事情。
马萨诸塞州的最早定居者包括那些在英格兰接受过良好的教育并深具影响力的英国人。在1629年之后的十年间，除了90多位来到马萨诸塞教堂的有学识的牧师，还有像约翰·温斯罗普（John Winthrop）这样的政治领袖，他是一位受过良好教育的绅士、律师，到波士顿之前曾是皇室官员。这些人大量撰写、出版书籍，在新旧大陆都有读者，这给新英格兰带来了热衷思想研究的氛围。
但是，我们不应该忘记，大多数新英格兰人没有接受过良好教育。虽然，几乎没有工匠或农民（更不用说其家人及仆人）给我们留下一些文学作品以供分析，但是，很明显他们的观点并不具有太大的思想性。他们的思想中往往有一种传统的迷信色彩。一个名为约翰·戴恩（John Dane）的裁缝于17世纪30年代末期移民到新大陆，他留下一个记录，陈述了离开英格兰的理由，其内容充满了各种符号征兆。性的困惑，经济挫折和宗教期望都会在一个决定性的时刻汇集涌现出来。这个时刻就是当他打开圣经对父亲说，他看到的第一行字将会决定他的命运，于是他把那些神奇的话语念了出来：“从他们当中走出来，不要沾不洁之物，我将成为你们的上帝，你就是我的子民”。人们会纳闷，戴恩（Dane）在清教徒教堂里听到那些仔细解释圣经的布道后会做何感想。
与此同时，许多定居者并没有戴恩（Dane）那样虔诚，就像一位牧师在海边遇到一些人时听到的那样，那些人揶揄道，他们来新大陆可不是为了宗教，“我们的主要目的是捕鱼。”
二、单词拓展
natives本地人，当地人，出生于某国的人
colonial殖民的
colonialism殖民主义
people民族，种族
individual单个人，有某种特点的人
inhabitant居民（广泛意义的）