- •1. The land of the us: geography, the face of the land, mountain and rivers, weather and climate.
- •2. The people of the usa: population, the society. Ellis Island - Gateway to America. Contribution of the immigrants to the national identity.
- •"Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,....
- •A new era, a new mission
- •3. The regions of the us: the Northeast, the Central Basin, the Southeast, the Great Plains.
- •The Regions of the United States The Northeast
- •4. Discovery of America. American Indians - the accomplishments of the Iroquois, the Sioux, the Pueblo; great civilizations of the Mayas, Aztecs and Incas.
- •5. The History of the usa: Columbus or Vikings? Exploring and settling the New World: Spanish, Dutch and French territories in North America. Russian discovery of America.
- •French colonization of the Americas
- •6. The voyage of the Mayflower, Pylgrims and Puritans. Virginia Company with the right to colonise the South and the Plymouth Company with the right to colonise the North.
- •Pilgrims' voyage
- •Second Mayflower
- •Virginia Company
- •The Plymouth Company
- •7. Britain and the colonies. Jamestown colony, the dramatic history of Virginia.
- •8. The move to independence: the colonies in their fight to protect their liberties, the Tea Act and Boston Tea Party.
- •First Continental Congress
- •Second Continental Congress
- •10. The Founding Fathers of the nation (g. Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Samuel Adams, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin).
- •Collective biography of the Framers of the Constitution
- •11. Constitution of the us, structure and main principles. Bill of rights.
- •The First Constitution
- •Louisiana Purchase
- •Florida Purchase
- •Republic of Texas
- •Alaska Purchase
- •13. The Civil War - the reasons, the process, the generals, the battles the consequences. The Emancipation Proclamation. The role of a. Lincoln. The Gettysburg address.
- •The reasons of the Civil War.
- •How many Generals were there?
- •List of u.S. Army generals and chief staff officers in early 1861 Line officers
- •Staff Officers
- •Lincoln's role
- •14. Afterwar peiod (Reconstruction), the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the constitution. Carpetbaggers, Ku-Klux-Klan. What did Reconstruction fail?
- •15. America at the turn of the century: Foreign policy - the fight for new colonies: Venezuelan conflict, Cuban crisis, Hawaii, Guam, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, the Panama Isthmus.
- •16. The Manifest Destiny, Monroe's Doctrine, Olney (or Roosevelt) Collorary.
- •17. Economic development: "captains of industry", industrialization. "The Square Deal" of Theodore Roosevelt and "The New Freedom" of w. Wilson. The us - a world leader.
- •List of businessmen who were called robber barons
- •U.S. Industrialization
- •History
- •18. America in the World War I. The League of Nations.
- •19. The roaring twenties. The rush for wealth. The movies. The bootleggers. Prohibition.
- •20. The Great Depression and the New Deal. The difference of the Roosevelt Administration from all previous administrations.
- •21. America before and at the time of the World War II. Hirishima 1945: right or wrong?
- •22. After the wwii: prodperity and problems - presidencies of Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy. "McCarthyism". Cold War with the Soviet Union.
- •23. Korean War, the birth of Nato, the War in Vietnam, crisis over Cuba.
- •24. The American century - the Americanization of the world. Mail Concepts of American Business.
- •27. The symbols of the us: the Statue of Liberty, the White house, the Library of Congress, the American Flag, the national Anthem.
- •28. Churches in the usa. America as a shelter for many people oppressed in their native countries for their religious beliefs. The role of religion in the us.
- •28. The main concepts of American Education.
- •30. The American Character: its origin and development. Values in the american character.
- •30. Cities of the us: Washington - planned city, New York (Big Apple) and its boroughs.
- •Economy
- •State finances
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress, which met briefly in Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from September 5, to October 26, in 1774 and consisted of fifty-six delegates from twelve of the Thirteen Colonies that would become the United States of America. The delegates which included George Washington, then a Colonel of the Virginia volunteers, Patrick Henry, and John Adams, were elected by their respective colonial assemblies. Other notable delegates included Samuel Adams from Massachusetts Bay, and Joseph Galloway and John Dickinson from Pennsylvania.
Benjamin Franklin had put forth the idea of such a meeting the year before but was unable to convince the colonies of its necessity until the British placed a blockade at the Port of Boston in response to the Boston Tea Party in 1773. All of the colonies sent their delegates except Georgia, who had its own troubles and needed the protection of British soldiers. Most of the delegates were not yet ready to break away from Great Britain, but they wanted the British King and Parliament to act more fairly. Convened in response to the Intolerable Acts passed by the British Parliament in 1774, the delegates organized an economic boycott of Great Britain in protest and petitioned the King for a redress of grievances. The colonies were united in their effort to demonstrate their authority to Great Britain by virtue of their common causes and through their unity, but their ultimate objectives were not consistent. Pennsylvania and New York had sent delegates with firm instructions to pursue a resolution with England. While the other colonies all held the idea of colonial rights as paramount they were split between those who sought legislative equality with Britain and those who instead favored independence and a break from the Crown and its excesses. On October 26, 1774 the First Continental Congress adjourned but agreed to reconvene in May 1775 if Parliament still did not address their grievances. In London, Parliament debated the merits of meeting the demands made by the colonies however it took no official notice of Congress's petitions and addresses. On November 30, 1774, King George III opens Parliament with a speech condemning Massachusetts and the Suffolk Resolves. At that point it became clear that the Continental Congress would have to convene once again.
Second Continental Congress
By the time the Second Continental Congress met on May 10, 1775 in Philadelphia, the Battles of Lexington and Concord had already begun in April, and while delegates were still making their way to Philadelphia, which marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.
John Hancock from Massachusetts was elected president of the assembly. Congress issued a petition entitled "The Declaration of Rights and Grievances" to King George III, the King of Great Britain. The Delegates adopted a strategy where the colonies would prepare for war while the Congress continued to pursue reconciliation. On July 8 the Congress adopted a petition to the King in the hopes that he would intervene in Parliament on behalf of the colonies. A former governor of Pennsylvania was chosen to carry another petition, approved in July 1775, to London and present it to the king himself but the king refused to see him. On August 23 he issued a proclamation declaring the colonies to be in a state of "open and avowed rebellion." Moderates in the Congress still hoped that the colonies could be reconciled with Great Britain, but a movement towards independence steadily gained ground. On June 17 the Battle of Bunker Hill energized the Patriots; Congress established the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as commander-in-chief in June 1775. On July 4, 1776 Congress issued a Declaration of Independence, ending all American efforts at reconciliation. Congress designed a new government in the Articles of Confederation, which operated as the nation's constitution.
The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain were now independent states, and thus no longer a part of the British Empire. Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration is a formal explanation of why Congress had voted on July 2 to declare independence from Great Britain, more than a year after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. The birthday of the United States of America—Independence Day—is celebrated on July 4, the day the wording of the Declaration was approved by Congress.
The Declaration justified the independence of the United States by listing colonial grievances against King George III, and by asserting certain natural rights, including a right of revolution. Having served its original purpose in announcing independence, the text of the Declaration was initially ignored after the American Revolution. Its stature grew over the years, particularly the second sentence, a sweeping statement of individual human rights:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
This sentence has been called "one of the best-known sentences in the English language" and "the most potent and consequential words in American history".
After finalizing the text on July 4, Congress issued the Declaration of Independence in several forms. It was initially published as a printed broadside that was widely distributed and read to the public. The most famous version of the Declaration, a signed copy that is usually regarded as the Declaration of Independence, is on display at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Although the wording of the Declaration was approved on July 4, the date of its signing has been disputed. Most historians have concluded that it was signed nearly a month after its adoption, on August 2, 1776, and not on July 4 as is commonly believed. The sources and interpretation of the Declaration have been the subject of much scholarly inquiry.
The famous wording of the Declaration has often been invoked to protect the rights of individuals and marginalized groups, and has come to represent for many people a moral standard for which the United States should strive. This view greatly influenced Abraham Lincoln, who considered the Declaration to be the foundation of his political philosophy, and who promoted the idea that the Declaration is a statement of principles through which the United States Constitution should be interpreted.
1) Preamble 2) Natural Rights 3) King's Wrongs (List of Grievances) 4) Independence
The Articles of Confederation, formally the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was the first written constitution or plan of government of the United States of America and specified how the national government was to operate. It was drafted in 1776-77 and became the working constitution, although it was not formally ratified until 1781. The Articles legitimized the Congress in its supervision of the American Revolution, its diplomacy with Europe, and its handling of territorial issues. Nationalists complained that it was too weak, and after extensive debate it was replaced by the current Constitution in 1789.
The Treaty of Paris (1783), which ended hostilities with Great Britain, languished in Congress for months because several state representatives failed to attend sessions of the national legislature to ratify it. Yet Congress had no power to enforce attendance. In September 1783, George Washington complained that Congress was paralyzed:
Congress have come to no determination yet respecting the Peace Establishment nor am I able to say when they will. I have lately had a conference with a Committee on this subject, and have reiterated my former opinions, but it appears to me that there is not a sufficient representation to discuss Great National points.
The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union were the first constitution of the United States of America. The problem with the United States government under the Articles of Confederation was, in the words of George Washington, “no money”.
Congress could print money, but by 1786, it was useless. It could borrow money, but it could not pay it back. Under the Articles, Congress requisitioned money from the states. But no state paid all of their requisition; Georgia paid nothing. A few states paid the US an amount equal to interest on the national debt owed to their citizens, but no more. Nothing was paid toward the interest on debt owed foreign governments. By 1786, the United States was about to default on its contractual obligations when the principal came due.
Most of the US troops in the 625-man US Army were deployed facing British forts on American soil. They had not been paid; they were deserting and the remainder threatened mutiny. Spain closed New Orleans to American commerce. The US protested to no effect. The Barbary Pirates began seizing American commercial ships. The US had no funds to pay their extortion demands. States such as New York and South Carolina violated the peace treaty with Britain by prosecuting Loyalists for wartime activity. The US had no more credit if another military crisis required action. In Massachusetts during Shays' Rebellion, Congress had no money; General Benjamin Lincoln had to raise funds among Boston merchants to pay for a volunteer army.
Congress was paralyzed. It could do nothing significant without nine states, and some legislative business required all thirteen. By April 1786, there had been only three days out of five months with nine states present. When nine states did show up, if there were only one member of a state on the floor, that state’s vote did not count. If a delegation were evenly divided, the division was duly noted in the Journal, but there was no vote from that state towards a nine-count. States, in violation of the Articles, laid embargoes, negotiated unilaterally abroad, provided for armies and made war. The Articles Congress had “virtually ceased trying to govern.”
The vision of a “respectable nation” among nations seemed to be fading in the eyes of such men as Virginia’s George Washington and James Madison, New York’s Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, Pennsylvania’s Benjamin Franklin and George Clymer, and Massachusetts’ Henry Knox and Rufus King. The dream of a republic, a nation without hereditary rulers, with power derived from the people in frequent elections, was in doubt.
Иванян с. 88
O n the night ofAp ril 18. 1775. 700 British soldiers
marched silently out o f Boston. Their order s were to
.scizc weapons and ammunitio n that rebellious
colo nists had stored III Concord. a nearb y [O\ ",T I.
13m th e colonists we re warne d that th e soldiers were
co rning. Sig nal ligh ts were hung from the spire o f
Boston's ralles r church and rwo fast ride rs, Paul
Revere and William Dawt"S.jumpcd mro thei r
saddles and galloped o ff wi th the n ew s.
In the village ofLexington the British found scvclHy
American militi amen, farmers and tradesmen .
barri ng th eir way. These par t-rime soldie rs were
known as "Minu rcmcn.v- Tbis was because they had
promised to rake up arms im mcdiarcly -c in a
minutc- whe ne ver rhl')' we re need ed.
T he British commande r ordered the Minutem en to
return to their homes. They refused. TI1l'n someone,
nobody knows who , ti red a shot. Other shots carne
from the lin es of British soldiers. Eight Minutemen
fell dead. The fi rst shots had been fin-d III what was
to become the Ame rican War of lndcpcnd cncc.
The British soldier s reached Conco rd <I few hours
later and destroyed so me ofthe we apo ns and
gun powder there. But by the time they set off ro
return to Hosron hundreds more Minutemen had
gathered. From the th ick woods on each side o f the
Boston road they sho t down. on e b y one, 273 British
soldiers. The soldiers were still und er arrack when
they arrived back in Boston. A ring ofarmed
Ameri cans gathered rou nd the city.
The next month. May 1775, a second Conti nent al
Cong ress met in Philadelphia and began to an as an
Ameri can national government. It set up an army of
17,000 men under the command ofGeorge
Washi ngton. Washington was a Virginia landowne r
and sur veyor wi th "ex perience of fighting in the
French and Indian War. The Cont inenta l Congress
also sent representatives ro SC1.,k aid from friendly
European na tion s - especially from France, Britain's
old enemy.
By the following year th e fighting had spread beyond
Massachusetts. It had grown in to a fu ll-scale war.
On July 2, 1776, the Continental Cong ress fina lly
took th e step that mallYAmericans believed was
inevi table . It n it all political tics with Britain and
declared that " these Uni ted Colonies an.', and of rig ht
ough t to be, free and independent states." ·1\ v0 days
later. on July ~, it issued the [)a larati" " of
Independence,
The Dedaronon ,~f lndependcnc c is the most un pon anr
document in American history. lt was written by
Thomas j eff erson. a Landowner and law yer from
Virg inia. Aft er repea ting that th e colonies were now
"free and ind ependent sta tes." it officially named
them the United Slates ofAmerica .
One o f th e first members o f the Conrincnral
Cong ress to sign th e Dcdaration oj bJdl'pmdmlt' was
Joh n Hancock o f Massachusett s. Hancock picked up
the pen and wrot e his name in large. clear letters"
large enough," he said, "for King George to read
wi thout his spectacles."
The Dcciaratiou of JlldCI'ClldCJ1(Cwas more than a
statement th at the colonies we re a new nation. It abo
set our the ideas behind th e change that was bein g
made. It claimed [hat all men had a natural right to
" Life, libert y and the pursui t ofhappiness. " It also
said that governme nts can only justly claim th e TIght
to rule if they have th e agreement ofthose they
govern - "the consent ofthe governed . "
Ideas such as the se were a central part ofthe-political
traditions that the colon ists' ancestors had brought
with them from England. Colonial leaders had also
studied them in the writings ofa n Engli sh political
thinker named j ohn Locke. Menlike JetTerson
combined Locke's ideas with their own l'xpcn encc o f
life in America to produce a new definition o f
democra tic government. This new definition said
that governments should cons ist of represent atives
elected by the people. It also said that the main reason
that govern men ts existed was to protect the rights of
individual citizens.
After some early successes . the American s did bad ly
in the war against the Bri nsh. Washington's army
was more o f all armed mob than an effective fighting
fo rce. Few ofthe men had any mili tary tr aining and
many obeyed only those orders rhar suited them.
O fficers quarr eled cons tantly ove r th eir rank and
authority. Washington set to work to tr ain his men
and turn them into disciplined soldie rs. Our thi s took
time. and meanwhik the Americans suffered dcfca r
after defeat. In September 1776, only two 11I0mhs
aft er the Dedaration of independence. the British
captured New York City. Wdshington wrorc to Ius
brother that he feared that the Am ericans were very
close to losing thr-war.
Success began to come to rhc Americans in October
1777. They rrapped a British army of almos t ("OOO
men at Sara tog a in northern New York. The British
comman der was cur otffrom his supplies and his
men we re facing starvation. lie was forced to
surrender. The Americans marched their prisoners to
Boston. Here. after swea ring never again to fight
agains t the Americans. rhc prisoners were pur o n
board ships and sent back to England.
Uenj ami n Franklin. the American ambassado r to
France, was delighted when he received the news of
the vicro rv at Saratoga, l ie used it to persuade the
French go vernment to j oin in the Stru ggle again st
Britain. In Februar y 1 77~ , the French king, Louis
XVl. signed an alliance with the Americans, Frenc h
ships, sold iers and mo ney were soon playing all
impo rtant part in the war.
From 1nHonwards most ofthe figh ting rook place
in the sou thern colonies . It was here that the war
came to an end. In Septem ber 1781. George
Washington. leadin g a combined American and
French army. surrounded 8,000 British troops under
Gl'neral Cornwallis at Yorktown, 0 11 the coast o f
Virgi nia, Cornwallis was worried. bur he expected
Bnrish ships to arrive and rescue or reinforce his
army, When shi ps arrived off Yorktown, however,
they were French ones. Com wnllis was trap ped.
On October 17, 1781, he sur rendered his army to
Washington. When the news reached Lo ndon the
British Prim e MlIlister. Lord North. threw up his
hands in despair. ..It is all over!" he cried.
North was righ t. T he Britivh star red to withdraw
(heir forces from America and Brit ish and American
representatives began to discuss peace term s. In ti ll'
Treaty of Paris. which was signed in September
1783, Britain officiall y recognized her former
colonies as an independent nation. The treaty granted
the new United Stares all of North America from
Canada in the north to Florida ill the sou th, and from
the Atlantic coas t to rhc Mississippi River