Chapter One General Introduction 1
1.1 Topography 2
1.2 Rivers,Lakes and Coast 8
1.3 Climate 12
1.4 Natural Resources 14
1.5 Population and Language 15
1.6 The American Dream 17
1.7 American Family Life 19
1.8 Holidays and Festivals 21
Chapter Two A Brief History（Ⅰ） 25
2.1 The Discovery of America 25
2.2 Overview of Colonial America 1607-1754 30
2.3 Mayflower Compact 33
2.4 The American War of Independence 35
2.5 The American Civil War 38
Chapter Three A Brief History（Ⅱ） 41
3.1 World War Ⅰ 41
3.2 Prosperity and Depression 43
3.3 The New Deal and World War Ⅱ 46
3.4 The Modern Era 53
Chapter Four Political System 62
4.1 The Political Culture of America 63
4.2 The 1787 Constitution 64
4.3 The Federal System 68
4.4 The Party System 74
Chapter Five Economy 79
5.1 The Economic System 80
5.2 A Historical Overview 81
5.3 Natural Resources 83
5.4 Different Sectors 85
Chapter Six Literature 91
6.1 Literature and American Revolution(1746-1815) 92
6.2 American Romanticism(1815-1865) 94
6.3 American Realism(1865-1914) 99
6.4 Modern Period(1914-1945) 102
Chapter Seven Education 110
7.1 School Grades 110
7.2 Basic Curricular Structure 114
7.3 College and University 116
Chapter Eight Foreign Policy 120
8.1 The American Heritage in Decision of Foreign Policy 120
8.2 The Foreign Policy in and out of the World War Time 123
8.3 Three Dimensions of the US Foreign Policy 127
Chapter Nine Religion 135
9.1 Protestants 136
9.2 Catholics 137
9.3 The Orthodox Church 139
9.4 Judaism 140
9.5 Religion and Politics 141
Chapter Ten News Media 145
10.1 Different Forms of News Media 145
10.2 Features of News Media 161
10.3 New Trends 163
Bibliography 166