Compared with the history of China, the history of the United States of America is quite short. It began about 220 years ago. In 1776, 13 colonies on the eastern seashore of North America delcared independence and fought a revolution against the British. In 1783 the colonists won the revolution and gained their independence.
After the revolution, the United States bought a large part of country from Napoleon of France. As a result, it doubled the size of the United States. Napoleon needed money for his war. If he hadn't needed that money, the United Sates might have stayed a small country.
Texas and most of what is now the southeastern part of the USA belonged ot Mexico. The people of Texas became independent later and joined the United States. Before long, the United States and Mexico went to war. If Mexico had defeated states in that war, California and New Mexico would have been part of Mexico today.
In 1861 one-half of the United Sates did go to war against the other half. This was the Civil War. President Lincoln wanted to free slaves. He was supported by the North but opposed by the South. The South wanted to separate from the rest of the country. After four years of the war, the South was defeated.
Following the Civil War, the United Sates bought Alaska from Russia which is today the largest state in the country and a very important one, too.
美國簡史
與中國的悠久歷史相比， 美國歷史微不足道。 美國于220年前建國。 1776年北美東海岸的13個殖民地宣佈獨立， 併發致賀了反抗英國統治的革命戰爭。 1783年， 革命勝利， 美國獲得獨立。
革命之後， 美國又從拿破崙法國政府手中購得北美洲的一大片地。 結果， 美國的國土面積翻了一翻。 由於歐洲的戰爭， 拿破崙急需一大筆錢。 可以說， 如果當時法國不出賣這片土地， 美國現在可能只是北美的一個小國。
德克薩斯州以及現在的美國東南部當年都墨西哥的領土。 後來， 德克薩斯人鬧獨立， 並加入了美國。 不久以後，
1861年， 美國的南方和北方爆發了戰爭， 史稱“南北戰爭”。 起因是林肯總統想要廢除南方的奴隸制。 北方各洲支持總統， 而南方是罵聲一遍， 並打算退出聯邦。 內戰不可避免， 一打就是4年。 最終， 南方戰敗。
南北戰爭之後， 美國又從俄國手中購入阿拉斯加州。 現在它是美國最大的州， 戰略地位十分重要
