AMERICA: (The People & the History)

By El Mouatamid Ben Rochd

THIS BOOK is a brief summary of the history and culture of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ever since the "Reds"(Native Americans) crossed the Bering Strait, represented by one of their most famous leaders GERONIMO. The second chapter is about the advent of Christianity from Europe to America and the later mashrooming of different Protestant churches. Finally, the last chapter is about the Afro-Americans as represented by Rosa Parks, Black Panther Eldridge Cleaver and Black Muslim spokesman Malcolm X.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Books on Demand
• Release date: Apr 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9782322182626

El Mouatamid Ben Rochd

THE AUTHOR Dr. El Mouatamid Ben Rochd graduated from Fez University in 1978 (BA in American Civilization), obtained his Masters from York University in 1982 (MA in French Syntax) and his Doctorate in 1990 from the National University of Ireland (PhD in Theoretical Linguistics and the Structure of Arabic). He spent one year as Visiting Professor at the University of Washington. He is currently a freelance scholar of languages, cultures and philosophy.

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AMERICA

Pages de titre

Contents

Introduction

1. NATIVE AMERICANS: GERONIMO (1829-1909)

2. WASP: PILGRIM FATHERS (1620)

3. AFRO-AMERICANS: MALCOLM X (1925-1965)

CONCLUSION

A SHORT HISTORY OF AMERICA

GLOSSARY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Page de copyright

El Mouatamid Ben Rochd

AMERICA

(the People & the History)

Contents

INTRODUCTION

1. NATIVE AMERICANS: GERONIMO (1829-1909)

2. WASP: PILGRIM FATHERS (1620)

3. AFRO-AMERICANS: MALCOLM X (1925-65)

CONCLUSION

A SHORT HISTORY OF AMERICA

GLOSSARY

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Introduction

‘Culture’ will be defined as all aspects of human endeavor, excluding agriculture, industry and finance. It includes history, language, cuisine, social étiquette, folklore, arts and religion.

‘America’ alternatively refers to the two American continents (North and South), or more specifically to the United States of America (300,000,000 inhabitants). The latter is geographically comprised between the Atlantic on the East coast, Canada in the North, the Pacific in the West coast, and Mexico in the South. It comprises two major mountain chains the Appalachians in the East and the Rocky Mountains in the West. It has its longest river Mississippi (3,780 km), the Great Lakes in the North West (over the Windy City), the Grand Canyon and the desert of Arizona in the South. It has major metropolises such as Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles and New Orleans (representing the English, Spanish and French colonists, respectively).

Culturally, the U.S. has dazzling beautiful iconic images such as the Statue of Liberty, Disney Land and the Dakota Rushmore Memorial (enormous head statues of previous American heads of state). Add to this, famous Universities such as Harvard, Yale, the U.W., etc. America is also known for its religiosity (S.I.L.) shown by its countless Churches, including amazingly towering Mormon Temples, and finally its notorious Green Bank Note (the buck!) with the inscription ‘In God We Trust’. Its original Indian languages have been saved in the Indian State names such as Dakota, Massachusetts, chieftain Seattle (‘we belong to the land!’), Kentucky (Fried Chicken), Arkansas, Mississippi, Appalachians, Alleghany, Missouri, etc.

American culture is amazing, colorful, controversial and cruel. It ranges from tasty Cinnamon twists, donuts, bagels, splendid Hollywood movies, amazing Rock ‘n’ Roll music, on the one hand, to generalised economic crises (Wall Street), White segregation and ruthless wars on the other.

Generation after generation, the Moroccans used to be cheered by American movies showing a peaceful stagecoach traveling on the dusty roads of Santa Cruz and heading towards El Paso when assaulted by hundreds of yelling face painted Indians for the pleasure of earning a white scalp as a trophy. Usually, the travellers were saved by a heroic blond young man (staring James Stewart, Gary Cooper or later Clint Eastwood).  In the early 70’s, came the most thrilling movies of James Bond 007 (staring Scotsman Sean Connery). Elvis Presley -the king- played dazzling Rock ’n’ Roll music. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy with his wife Jacqueline showed an immensely attractive image and all regretted his assassination in Dallas, Texas in 1963. American limousines such as Ford, Chevrolet and Chrysler toured the Moroccan cities in the early 60’s. Our people discovered Cow-Boy Blue-Jeans, ate chocolate bars and chew the gum distributed by smiling blue eyed Patton’s soldiers (since 1942) on the beach. The American English language sounded so colorful, so beautiful. American gadgets were so efficient such as US hammers and screwdrivers. The statue of liberty was so inviting for a dream journey. Armstrong’s journey to the moon was awesome. The big Universities of America are so good to go to. Harlem Globetrotters, Olympic Games Champions, Steven Seagal (aikido 7th Dan) are magical heroes. Cartoons such as Tom and Jerry are enjoyable to the young as well as to the old.

This is for the rosy image of American culture. Still, there is another image which is much less enchanting; rather dark, that you see with White segregation depicted in movies such as West Side Story, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and Saco and Vanzetti or when you read books such as Malcolm X’s Autobiography, Roots or else Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Worst of all, when you hear about war atrocities in Japan, Korea and Vietnam and currently the multiple and cruel wars in the Middle East -Iraq notably - with destroyed homes and babies burnt in the faces, which are shown daily on TV channels.

This monograph is a limited attempt to present a short history of the USA, in a synecdoche fashion. I have picked up a prototype of each of the three races that are most outstanding in the make up of America viz. the Reds, the Whites and the Blacks, respectively represented by Geronimo, the Pilgrim Fathers and Malcolm X.

1. NATIVE AMERICANS: GERONIMO (1829-1909)

Peoples’ minds usually work by mythos (or ‘prejudice’ to put in less farfetched terms) about other individuals or other peoples. In the same logic the Indians are those ‘naked savages trying to capture a stage coach of White travelers to scalp and even burn them alive. Or, more peacefully those good dancers rocking their bodies around a post and worshipping Manito (i.e., The High Spirit) at the Allegheny Sacred Mount.

In fact, the so called ‘Red Indians’ were divided into several tribes with different degrees of savageness (and civilization), scattered from Canada in the North neighboring with the Eskimos, to the Southern continent of America. They are originally Asians who have crossed the Bering Strait some 30,000 years ago. The most sophisticated among them were the Mayas and the Aztecs notably.

The Mayas

The Mayas were Mesoamerican Indians occupying a nearly continuous territory in Southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Northern Belize. In the early 21st century some 70 Mayan languages were spoken by more than five million people, most of whom were bilingual in Spanish. Before the Spanish conquest of Mexico and Central America, the Maya possessed one of the greatest civilizations of the Western Hemisphere. They practiced agriculture, built great stone buildings and pyramid temples, worked gold and copper, and made use of a form of hieroglyphic writing that has now largely been deciphered.

The Apaches

The Apaches were North American Indians who, under leaders such as Victorio, Navajo Joe and Geronimo, are largely mentioned in the history of 19th century America. Their name is probably derived from a Spanish transliteration of ápachu, i.e. enemy in Zuni.

Before Spanish colonization, Apache domain extended over parts of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas and in Mexico proper viz. Sonora. They may have