A Comparison to the United States
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| Australian History A Comparison to the United States |
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| As a former colony of Great Britain, Australia's past parallels that of the United States; European exploration and invasion of original inhabitants, the formation of a unique national identity, and modern political and economic changes are characteristic of both Australia and the United States. The first inhabitants of Australia were the Aborigines, who migrated there approximately 40,000 years ago ("Australia"). Like the Native Americans, the original settlers of North America, the Aborigines lived in different tribes, or nations, that still exist today ("Aboriginal Nations"). The way of life of the Aborigines was interrupted when European explorers found the continent of Australia, which they considered a land needed to balance the northern lands on the globe and called it Terra Australis ("Australia"). The first Europeans to find Australia were Portuguese and Spanish captains, who usually had lost their course around Africa's Cape of Good Hope ("A Very Brief History of Australia"). The Dutch were the first to create a permanent European trading post on the continent; they explored the territory, naming it New Holland ("Australia"), much like the Dutch settlement of New Holland in today's New York state. The British became involved when William Dampier landed on the west coast of Australia in 1688, spending weeks to map the terrain and describe the ecology, and Australia was formally claimed for Great Britain when John Cook landed on the East coast of Australia ("A Very Brief History of Australia"). Convicts were sent to Australia from Great Britain until as late as 1868, making Australia a penal colony ("Development of Settlements"). The settlement of Australia is much like the settlement of the United States, for both countries experienced various European explorations, both successful and unsuccessful. Once well established, both nations struggled to define a national identity, experimenting with technological innovations and racial discrimination. While the United States witnessed the devastation of the Civil War and the popularity of the assembly line, Australia underwent changes of a similar variety. The Black Line, the line between blacks (Aborigines) and whites in Australia declaring war between the two races, was instigated in Tasmania in 1830, resulting in the genocide of about 4,000 Aborigines ("A Very Brief History of Australia"). Around the same time, the Australian Agricultural Company was founded for the introduction of the sheep in Australia, which became a major industry in the growing nation. Thus, in creating a national identity, both the United States and Australia experienced similar conflicts and celebrations, which still continue to this day. The modern history of Australia is analogous to that of the United States, not surprising considering the fast communication and globalization that has occurred during the twentieth century. Both nations experienced a great influx of immigrants in the early to mid twentieth century, and both nations experienced the oil crisis of the seventies. In Australia, this time was marked by an upheaval of Australian politics, including the Whitlam Dismissal, which will be discussed further later ("A Very Brief History of Australia"). Thus, the history of Australia parallels that of the United States in many ways, showing that Australia is a country with similar foundations and culture rooted in Great Britain. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Explorations | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Categories | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australia Homepage | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Institutions and Party Politics | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Major issues - Globalization | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Major issues - Indigenous Relations | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Major issues - Australian Republic | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Countries | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scott's Italy Page | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Melody's Kenya Page | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| About the Writer | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Name: | Emily | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| [email protected] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| My Dad's Webpage | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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