UNIT I
A Journey through the Geography & the Culture of the UK & the USA
❑ USA
1. Political Division. Flag. Symbols
Political Division
The United States is the fourth largest country in the world. Forty eight of the fifty states are in the middle of North American continent between the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It’s about 3000 miles (4800 kilometers) from the east coast to the west coast and about 1500 miles (2400 kilometers) from the Canadian border on the north to the Mexican border on the south. The island state of Hawaii is in the Pacific Ocean, and the state of Alaska is northwest of Canada. The United States of America is a federal republic of 50 states.
The Flag of the United States:
This is the British (English) flag. Before the American Revolution, it was the flag of the thirteen American colonies.
This was the Great Union Flag. It was the flag of the American army during the Revolutionary War. The flag of England was in the corner. The red and white stripes were the symbols for the thirteen American colonies.
Some people say that Betsy Ross made the first American flag. In the corner there were thirteen white stars in a field of blue. The new flag also had seven red stripes and six white stripes.
During the war of 1812 the flag had fifteen stars and fifteen stripes for the fifteen states. After a battle, Scott Key wrote a song about the American flag. The Star-Spangled Banner became the national anthem of the United States.
The United States grew and admitted more states to the Union. Now the flag has thirteen stripes for the thirteen colonies and fifty stars for the fifty states.
American citizens and immigrants sometimes recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. The pledge is a promise of loyalty to the United States.
Symbols
The delegates of the thirteen American colonies planned the Declaration of Independence and Thomas Jefferson wrote it. The document declared the independence (separation) of the colonies from England.
Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence and the delegates signed the document on July 4, 1776. The Liberty Bell in the State House in Philadelphia rang out on that day.
The French gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States as a symbol of friendship. Now it is a symbol of freedom for new immigrants to the country.
The American eagle is the official emblem of the United States. It appears on the Presidential flag and on some coins.
The donkey and the elephant first appeared in political cartoons. They are symbols for the Democratic and Republican Parties, respectively.
Uncle Sam has the initials U.S. He originally appeared in political cartoons and is an unofficial symbol of the U.S government.
2. Historical Development. The First Settlers. Growth & Expansion
1492 - 1500’s 1600’s Christopher Columbus “discovered” America. European explorers and settlers came to the new land for gold, adventure and freedom. The colonists lived under British laws.
1775 – 1776 Americans in the thirteen colonies wanted to be free of British rule. General George Washington led the colonists in the Revolutionary War. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and the colonies approved it.
1783 – 1787- 1789 The American colonists won the war and the colonies became the United States of America. The Constitution became the highest law of the land, and George Washington became the First President.
1840’s 1853 Millions of Europeans came to America as workers during the Industrial Revolution. The new nation grew and added more states. It expanded to the Pacific Ocean.
1861 – 1865 Americans fought one another in the Civil War between the North and the South. President Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves in the Emancipation Proclamation. The northern states won the war and the period of Reconstruction (rebuilding) began.
1865 President Lincoln was assassinated.
1865-1867 Reconstruction in the South.
1869 The transcontinental railroad was completed.
1898 The Spanish-American War.
1917 The US entered World War I
1919 Prohibition became law, so that it became illegal to produce or sell alcohol in the US until the repeal of the law in 1933.
1920 Women gained the right to vote.
1929-1939 The Great Depression.
1941-1945 The US joined World War II after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Americans fought in both Europe and the Pacific. The war ended after the US dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
1950-1953 The Korean War.
1954 The Supreme Court ruled in Brown v Board of Education that racial segregation in public schools is illegal.
1961 President John F Kennedy sent advisers to South Vietnam, beginning US military involvement in the Vietnam War.
1963 President Kennedy was assassinated. This event, along with the controversy within the US over its involvement in the Vietnam War and the assassinations of Martin Luther King (1968) and Robert F Kennedy (1968), had a profound effect on American society and optimism.
1964-1965 The civil rights movement of the 1950S and 1960s led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, guaranteeing basic rights for African
Americans and people of all races.
1969 Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon.
1973 The US military involvement in Vietnam ended.
1974 The Watergate scandal forced President Nixon to resign.
1991 the First Gulf War-The Collapse of the Soviet Union marked the end of the Cold War.
2001 Terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Center.
2003 the Iraq War , followed by the occupation of the country.
1917 – 1920 The United States grew to be one of the great powers in the world. The nation fought in the First World War. After the war women got the right to vote for the first time.
1929 - 1933 The Great Depression began with the stock market crash. Banks, factories and farms shut down and many Americans were unemployed. President Franklin Roosevelt helped end the depression with the New Deal government.
1941 – 1945 The United States entered the Second World War when Japan attacked the Hawaiian Islands. The War ended when the United States dropped the first atomic bombs, and the world entered the Nuclear Age.
1950’s Because of its distrust of and competition with the Soviet Union and other Communist nations, the United States entered a time of Cold War. Americans fought in the Korean War. The Civil Rights Movement began, and black and white Americans fought against segregation (separation of the races)
1960’s – 1970’s – 1980’s The Space Age began. Americans fought in the Vietnam War. The United States put the first men on the moon in the Apollo Program. The Women’s Liberation Movement became strong. Computers began to change the nation faster than ever before.
1991 The first Gulf War. The Collapse of the Soviet Union marked the end of the cold War.
2001 Terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept, 11.
2003 The Iraq War, followed by the occupation of the country
The American People
The United States has the third-largest population in the world. The most distinctive characteristic of the United States is its people. People from around the world have come to the United States and influenced its history and culture.
• The Native Americans
The first people on the American continent came from Asia. The first migration might have been as early as 40,000 years ago. Once in America, these people migrated east across north America and south through Central and South America. When Columbus arrived in America, there were perhaps 10 million people in North America alone. These were the people that Columbus called “Indians”.
The story of the westward growth of the US was also the story of the destruction of the Native Americans or Indians. Today, the western states have the largest Indian populations. About one-third of the Native Americans live on reservations.
• The British
Beginning in the 1600s, the British settled the eastern part of North America. By the time of the American Revolution, the culture of the American colonies was thoroughly British. The British culture was the foundation on which America was built. Over the years, many immigrants to the US have come from the UK and Ireland.
• African-Americans
From 1620 to 1820 by far the largest group of people to come to the US came, not as willing immigrants but against their will. These people were the West Africans brought to work as slaves. In all, about 8 million people were brought from Africa.
The Civil War, in the 1860s, ended slavery and established equal rights for black Americans. But many states, especially in the South, passed laws segregating and discriminating against black Americans. The civil rights movement helped get rid of these laws. However, the effects of 200 years of slavery are not easy to get rid of. Despite many changes, black Americans are still much more likely than white Americans to be poor and to suffer the bad effects that poverty brings. Today about 12 percent of America’s population is black. Many black Americans live in the south and in the cities of the Northeast and Midwest.
• Immigrants from Northern and Western Europe
Beginning in the 1820s, the number of immigrants coming to the US began to increase rapidly. Faced with problems in Europe, immigrants hoped for better opportunities in the US. In the 1840s, widespread hunger resulting from the failure of the potato crop led many Irish people to emigrate to the US.
During these years, the US was expanding into the Midwest. Many new immigrants became farmers in the Midwest. To this day, German and Scandinavian influence is obvious in Midwestern foods and festivals.
• Immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe
From the 1870s to the 1930s more people came from Italy, Greece, Poland and Russia. Like the early immigrants they came to escape poverty and discrimination. During this period the US was changing from an agricultural to an industrial country. Many immigrants settled in cities and worked in factories.
• Hispanic-Americans
Hispanic immigration has increased in recent decades. Hispanics came from different countries. Three especially large groups are Mexican- Americans, Puerto Ricans and Cuban-Americans. These groups concentrated in different areas (Mexican-Americans in Texas and California, Puerto Ricans in New York, and Cuban-Americans in Florida). Hispanics are one of the fastest growing groups in the US population.
• Asian-Americans
Asians in the US, such as the Chinese and Japanese who had come to California, met with widespread discrimination. Since the mid-1960s, with changes in immigration laws and with conflicts in Southeast Asia, Asians have been a major immigration group. Countries that Asian-Americans have come from include China and Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and India. Many have settled in California, Hawaii, New York and Texas.
3. Regional Geography. Relief. Climate & Economic Activities.
Urban & Rural Aspects.
Physical Geography
The country naturally presents a tremendous variety in physical features, ranging from moist rain forest to arid desert and bald mountain peaks. Mount McKinley in Alaska at 20,320 feet (6,194 meters) is the highest point in the USA.
The eastern coast of the USA is a rolling lowland area known as the coastal plains. They stretch from Maine to Texas and they are very flat and swampy.
At the western edge of the Atlantic coastal plain, there is a chain of low, unbroken mountains, stretching from the northern part of Maine southwest into Alabama, called the Appalachian Mountains. These mountains contain quantities of coal and iron.
The heart of the USA is a vast plain, which extends from central Canada southwards to Mexico and from the Appalachian Mountains westwards to the Cordillera. These interior plains are divided into two major parts: the wetter, eastern portion is called the Central Plains, and the western portion the Great Plains
To the west of the Great Plains is the Cordillera. It is a region of tremendous variety.
The western edge of the Cordillera is characterized by a coastal chain of high mountains, among which there are fertile valleys. The most important ranges are the Sierra Nevada and the Cascades in the eastern part and the Coastal Ranges along the western coast. Hawaii is a chain of twenty islands only seven of which are inhabited. The mountainous islands were formed by volcanic activity and there are still a number of active volcanoes.
The USA has several long rivers. There are a large number of rivers in the east part of the nation, the longest of which is the Missouri, a tributary of the Mississippi. The Mississippi-Missouri- Red Rock system extends for 6,176 km before entering the Gulf of Mexico near New Orleans. Two other tributaries of the Mississippi- the Ohio and Tennessee- are more than 1,250km long. In the west the Rio Grande, which forms part of the United States - Mexico border, flows for 3,016 km and only the Colorado, Columbia and the San Joaquin-Sacramento river systems reach the Pacific.
REGIONS
A - NORTH-EAST
This region can be subdivided into two subregions: New England includes six states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, and the rest of the states usually referred to as the Mid-Atlantic States (New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland)
1- NEW ENGLAND
❑ Topography
New England is mountainous (Green Mountains of Vermont). It constitutes a vacationland both in winter and in summer. It is very cold and snowy in winter and summers are very short. The New England coastline provides good natural harbors.
Thousands of islands lie off the coast of Maine. Most are uninhabited and are visited only by fishermen.
The Appalachian Trail, a 2,000-mile hiking trail, begins in Maine. It goes all the way down to Georgia, in the South.
❑ Agriculture, Industries and Economic Activities
New England is the part of the United States that is most like “old” England. It is also the most well defined region of the United States. Some farming is carried out in the plains; farms are small and scattered because the soil is very rocky. In New England forests give rise to the lumber industry. Along the coast there are many seaports. Fishing and canning are important activities in New England, with many fisheries in the area. Maine’s lobster is famous nationwide and so are oysters. Maine’s woods are perfect for a hiking and camping vacation, e.g. Baxter State Park. The park has many trails and campsites. Maine has hundreds of lakes and rivers for boating. It is also popular among hunters, because of its many deer, bears, squirrels and rabbits.
Hartford, Connecticut, is the center of America’s insurance industry.
Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket are popular Massachusetts summer resorts.
The fishing grounds are suitably located very near the New England coast. In Vermont, marble and granite quarrying constitute a very important activity. New England’s textile and leather industries are of certain importance, too. New England is highly industrial but it also has many fields, woods and small towns.
❑ The people
The New England Yankee
New England was settled in the 1600s by Puritans from England. The Puritans were a religious group who objected to the rituals of the Church of England. The Puritans wanted to purify the religion making it stricter and simpler.
Yankee: it refers to people who live in New England. What is the Yankee character? Yankees are known for being honest but shrewd, realistic and to-the-point, practical rather than romantic, untalkative, thrifty and independent. In the eighteenth century, the American Revolution began in New England. Yankees were among the strongest supporters of independence. In the nineteenth century, many New Englanders said slavery did not fit with their beliefs and principles. New England Yankees led the movement to end slavery in America.
❑ History
a- The Sea
From the time the first settlers discovered they could not expect much from the soil of New England, the sea played a major role in the region’s economy.
In colonial times, New England prospered from fishing and trade. Cod was the main fish export. The American Revolution disrupted trade with England and New Englanders had to find new trading patterns. They soon were trading with Russia, Sweden and even China. Whaling became an important activity.
The mid-1800s were the era of the Yankee clipper ships. These elegant ships were designed for speed and broke many records. The discovery in the 1850s of underground sources of oil marked the decline of the whaling era in New England. The days of the clipper ships ended more quickly. In the late 1800s, the sea no longer played such an important role in New England’s economy. But money earned from the sea was used to build factories. The result was a new direction for New England’s economy.
b- Walking the Freedom Trail
The American Revolution lasted from 1775 to 1781. It was events in Boston that led to the Revolution.
In the 1760s, England passed laws that imposed taxes on the colonists and limited their rights. Bostonians strongly objected. Riots in 1768 led to the occupation of Boston by British soldiers. From there, problems grew. In 1770, an angry crowd threw snowballs at some soldiers. The soldiers then fired into the crowd, killing five men; this event became known as “The Boston Massacre”. In 1773, to protest a new tax, Bostonians dressed as Indians threw 400 crates of British tea into the Boston Harbor. In response to the Boston Tea Party, Britain closed the harbor. This response was a severe one, since Boston depended on trade.
Before long, colonists in and around Boston began raising armies and preparing to fight if necessary. The first shots were fired in April 1775, in the nearby town of Lexington. Independence was formally declared, by Massachusetts and the 12 other colonies, on July 4, 1776.
Visitors to Boston can see landmarks of the Revolution by walking the Freedom Trail.
1. The Freedom Trail begins in the Boston Common. When the British occupied Boston in 1768, their troops camped on the Common. The British set off for Lexington and the first battle of the war, leaving the Common by boat.
2. In times leading up to the revolution, the Old south Meeting House was a church and as its name suggests, an important meeting place for the people of Boston
3. The Old State House was the building from which the British had ruled Massachusetts. On July 18, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read from its balcony.
4. Faneuil Hall, sometimes called “the Cradle of Liberty”, functioned as both a market and a meeting place. The British took over Faneuil Hall and used it as a weapons storehouse and a theatre
5. Paul Revere was a well known silversmith and a hero of the revolution. The Freedom Trail continued to a neighborhood known as North Boston
6. The colonists knew the British planned to attack Lexington. But they did not know when or how the British would attack
7. The last stop on the freedom Trail is Bunker Hill. Colonists defended Bunker Hill against a much stronger British force. The colonists were defeated, but at a huge cost to the British.
Cambridge
This is America’s most famous town. It has the nation’s oldest university, Harvard University, founded in 1636. Cambridge remains a centre of intellectual life, especially since it’s also home to MIT, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Harvard has an excellent reputation in many fields; MIT is a leader in science and technology. Students attending Harvard and MIT come from around the world. A common sight in Cambridge is Harvard oarsmen rowing on the Charles River. The Harvard rowing team spends all year preparing for races in the spring, especially for the Harvard-Yale Regatta.
2. THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION
❑ Topography
The Mid-Atlantic region is by no means uniform: Geographically, historically and economically, the Mid-Atlantic States are quite different from one another. New York borders on Canada and has cold winters; Maryland has much in common with the American South. The Mid-Atlantic States contain important mountain ranges: the Catskill and the Adirondack in New York, and the Allegheny and Pocono in Pennsylvania.
The Appalachian region is among the most rural areas in the United States. It includes parts of thirteen states from New York to Georgia. West Virginia is the only state that falls entirely within the Appalachian region. The Appalachian region is mountainous.
The Appalachian Mountains made earning a living difficult. Many Appalachian traditions center on handicrafts, as people had to make the items they needed. Appalachian people are known for their independence and their self-sufficiency. Coal mining has been an important activity in West Virginia; it contributes 10 percent of the State’s income. Quilting is a well known Appalachian handicraft. A quilt is a bed cover made of two layers of fabric stuffed with cotton. Using scraps of fabric, Appalachian women sewed squares, based on fancy patterns. Then, they sewed the squares together to make the two sides of the quilt.
The Mid-Atlantic region plays an important role in the United States. Its cities include: Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital and New York City, the nation’s financial centre. Not surprisingly, the Mid-Atlantic region is densely populated. Although the region is relatively small, nearly one in every ten Americans lives there.
There are important rivers: the Hudson and the Delaware.
The Hudson River was once very important for commerce. The existence of the Erie Canal, built in 1823, and connecting Lake Eire (Buffalo) with the Hudson River (Albany), provides good trade connection between the East and the Great Lakes section and the Midwest. The opening of this canal boosted the growth and development of New York City enormously.
The climate in the Mid-Atlantic Sates is temperate; the four seasons are clearly marked.
❑ Agriculture, Industries and Economic activities
Dairy farming in New York and Pennsylvania is common. Vineyards and winemaking are common in upstate New York. Berries are grown and maple trees are abundant (maple syrup). Coal and iron mining and steel making are intensive industries in Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh’s Harley-Davidson motorcycle plant).
The good rivers flowing through the Mid-Atlantic States, together with the fine seaports and the large air terminals make this section the most important transportation center in the USA, and it is undoubtedly the most important industrial commercial area.
Tourism is a fairly important activity in the northeast: the nation’s capital, the many important historical places and the beautiful shades of red, yellow and brown of the trees in the fall attract thousands of visitors every year.
The high tech industry - computers, electronics and communications - is becoming more and more significant.
Lake Placid in the Adirondack Mountains was the site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics.
Pittsburgh is known as the center of America’s steel industry.
Maryland and its Chesapeake Bay are famous for crabs.
Niagara Falls. Spectacular and beautiful, Niagara Falls has always been especially popular with two kinds of visitors: thrill-seekers and honeymooners.
❑ Major Cities
NEW YORK
Manhattan is an island just 13 miles long and 2 miles wide. It is the center of American finance, advertising, art, theatre, publishing, fashion. The borough of Manhattan is what most people think of New York, one of the most exciting cities in the world. New York attracts people from all over. New York’s other boroughs are Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. Manhattan is divided into the East Side and the West Side. The dividing line is Fifth Avenue. Manhattan is also divided into Lower (Downtown), Midtown and Upper (Uptown) Manhattan
a- The Financial District
The Dutch were the first Europeans to settle Manhattan. The Dutch bought Manhattan from the Indians, for the ridiculously low price of 24 dollars worth of beads and trinkets.
To protect themselves from attacks, they built a wooden wall. This wall gave its name to a street in Lower Manhattan and the street became synonymous with American capitalism.
The New York Stock Exchange and the American Stock Exchange are both in the Wall Street area. So are many stockbrokers, investment banks and other banks and headquarters of many large corporations. To escape the commotion of Wall Street you can visit the nearby South Street Seaport. The seaport is an open area of low buildings on the East River. In addition to many shops and restaurants, the seaport has a museum. You can tour the Fulton Fish Market.
b- The Lower East Side
The Lower East Side was originally an elegant neighborhood. By the mid-1800s it had become an area in which immigrants settled. First there were many Irish, and then came many Jews from Eastern Europe. In recent years, the Lower East side has become home to a newer immigrant group: Puerto Ricans and other Hispanics. There are also two other neighborhoods: the Italians settled in Little Italy. It is famous for its restaurants and cafés. Chinatown is next to Little Italy. It has seven newspapers of its own. It also has nearly 200 restaurants.
c- Greenwich Village & the East Village: Both have an active nightlife with plenty of bars, restaurants and clubs.
Greenwich Village is a residential area. Over the years the East Village has been a center for many movements - for the beat poets of the 1950s, the hippies of the 1960s, and more recently for New York’s punk scene.
d- Midtown Manhattan
Many of New York’s offices and jobs are in Midtown. So are many of its famous skyscrapers. The most famous of the art deco skyscrapers are the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building. The Empire State Building has become not only a symbol of New York but also part of its history. Rockefeller Centre, built in 1930s, is the world’s largest privately owned business and entertainment centre. Its nineteen buildings include the monumental RCA Building and the Radio City Music Hall. In the 1950s, there was a second building boom, featuring a new style. The United Nations Secretariat building was the first glass curtain wall skyscraper. Fifth Avenue has stores that are among the world’s most expensive - Cartier, Gucci, Tiffany’s. Macy’s is the world’s largest store.
e-The Theatre District
Times Square
Here you’ll find New York’s most elegant theatres. Times Square is named after the New York Times. The New York Times is considered among the best newspapers in the country. Times Square is the beginning of the theatre district - the area where Broadway plays are performed. Broadway has long been the center of theater in the USA.
Central Park: This huge park in the middle of the city was designed in the 1850s by landscape architect Frederick Olmsted. Central Park was opened in 1876. Wealthy New Yorkers built mansions along Fifth Avenue, on the park’s east side. The mansions that remain now hold art collections. This part of Fifth Avenue along Central Park has so many museums that it’s called Museum Mile. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, etc)
f- Harlem
In 1900 Harlem became a largely black neighborhood. In Harlem, blacks had better opportunities for housing and education. The 1920s were Harlem’s great years, especially in the Arts. Top jazz musicians were heard regularly - Duke Ellington, Art Tatum. Harlem had a very active club scene. The depression of the 1930s hit Harlem hard. With a bad economy and ongoing discrimination, many blacks were unable to earn a living. The neighborhood became poorer and many middle-class blacks left. Harlem has never recovered, yet it has kept its special feel and remains a center for black culture. A tour might take you to churches where you can hear gospel music, to restaurants that serve soul food, and to Harlem night clubs to hear jazz.
WASHINGTON D.C
The Nation’s Capital
With its grand neoclassical buildings and its tree-lined avenues, Washington, D.C. strikes the visitor as a lovely and formal city. When it was decided that the new country needed a new city for its capital, President George Washington himself helped pick the spot. French engineer Pierre Charles L’ Enfant created a design based on Versailles. Washington has one major business, and that business is government. The executive departments are located in Washington. Many of the people who live in Washington work for the federal government. When you’re in Washington you can tour the White House. The Supreme Court has a public gallery, as do the Senate and the House of Representatives.
PHILADELPHIA
Philadelphia is the home of the first democratic societies. It’s home of important heavy steel industry, iron and coal. The Quakers settled here in 1680 and gave their particular mark to the city.
❑ HISTORY
a- The Declaration and the Constitution
Philadelphia, in the state of Pennsylvania is the city where the two most important decisions in American history were made.
In May 1775, representatives of the thirteen colonies met in Philadelphia to decide whether to remain with Britain or fight for independence. Fighting had already begun, but many people still hoped for peace with Britain. Finally, on July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved. When Independence was won, the colonies came together, not as a nation, but as a confederation, or group of states. To prevent tyranny, there was no president and the central government had very little power. Each state had its own army. The states taxed each other’s goods. It was almost as if they were separate countries. The result was great confusion. In 1787, representatives from all the states met in Philadelphia to discuss the problems. They soon decided that the confederation could not work and that a new system of government was needed. For this purpose, they wrote the United States constitution. For over two hundred years, it has provided the framework for American government.
b- Benjamin Franklin did a lot for his country. He helped write the Declaration of Independence. During the war, he persuaded the French to aid the colonists. When the Constitution was being written, Franklin solved some serious disagreements. He was also a scientist, writer, philosopher and inventor.
By the nineteenth century, Philadelphia lost its early importance. Washington, D.C., replaced it as the center of government. New York replaced it as the center of finance and trade.
B-THE SOUTH
The south is economically, historically and culturally a distinct region. This is the largest geographical region in the USA. This region includes the states of West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana and Arkansas.
❑ Topography
The south can be geographically divided into the lowland South and the upland South. The lowlands stretch from Maryland south along the coast to northern Florida, and west to the Mississippi Valley and southeast Texas. This is the area where the great cotton and tobacco plantations were located. The upland South lies inland from the lowland belt. There are two mountain areas: the Appalachians and the Ozark mountains of Arkansas. Perhaps the most basic difference between the South and other regions is that the Southerners enjoy more days free of frost than Northerners do. And the South also has more rainfall than the West. The climate is generally warm, with short winters. The coastal areas are frequently hit by violent hurricanes coming from the Caribbean and the Atlantic.
Important rivers flow through this region: the Savannah which rises in the Appalachians and flows into the Atlantic; the Alabama which also rises in the Appalachians but flows into the Gulf of Mexico; the Tennessee and the Mississippi.
There are many forests in this region which have given rise to the lumber industry, to fine furniture making and to an expanding paper industry (Alabama)
With its warm climate and rich soil, it soon developed an economy based on export crops like cotton. These were grown on farms worked by slaves from Africa. Conflicts between the north and the south, especially over slavery, led in 1861 to the Civil War. In the last few decades, the South has become more industrial and urban than in the past. Some parts of the South are among the fastest-growing areas in the country. But the south also preserves its traditions: for example its emphasis on good cooking and its slower more hospitable way of life.
North Carolina is the center of America’s tobacco industry.
The area near Orlando, Florida is home to Walt Disney World, and many other amusement parks.
Nashville, Tennessee is the center of country music and home to many country music stars.
❑ The people
The south has been noted for its hospitality and friendliness, and also for its relaxed and unhurried way of life. Southern people have their own traditions and their own culture, and they even speak with a local accent (the southern drawl) easily recognized by people from other regions. Different types of personalities and characters can be mentioned: 1. the Appalachian Hillbillies, with their simple way of life and country music; 2. the French “Cajuns” of Louisiana, with their music and fine cuisine; 3. the Hispanic population in Florida, forming what is called “Little Havana” in Miami; 4. The Afro-Americans who also contribute a large portion of population in the South.
❑ HISTORY
The South before the Civil War
The South has a warm climate and a long growing season for crops. So it’s not surprising that the South’s economy came to depend on agriculture. By the 1820’s, the South produced and exported rice, sugar and especially cotton. The South felt no need to develop factories and it remained rural; New Orleans was its only large city.
Crops like cotton were best grown on plantations large landholdings. They also required a large labor force. For this, the old South depended on slaves, who were originally brought from Africa. Slavery was the basis for the South’s economy; it was also what, more than anything, made the South different from the rest of the country.
Slaves were able to survive because they developed a strong culture of their own. This culture combined African and American elements. Songs and stories, religion and community were all important.
For a long time, the North and the South each developed differently but without conflicts. The conflicts came when the nation began to expand west. Southern states said that the new areas that were being settled should allow slavery; the Northern states disagreed.
The Civil War
The conflicts worsened and in 1861, the southern states separated from the Union and formed a new nation: the Confederate States of America. The Northern states refused to accept this. President Lincoln had not wanted war, but war became inevitable.
The American Civil War lasted four years. Many Americans died in the war. The North had certain great advantages over the South. It had a larger population and most of the country’s factories and banks.
Effects of the War
When the war finally ended in 1865, the south had been devastated. The most important long term effect of the war was the end of slavery. Black Americans were made citizens and were given the right to vote. The Civil War helped transform the nation’s economy and way of life. The war effort required more factories and better transportation systems. The North became much more industrialized than before.
Civil Rights in the South
Although the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments added to the U.S. Constitution between 1865 and 1870 were to end slavery, make blacks citizens and give them a right to vote this only happened during the Reconstruction (period after the war when the Southern states were under military rule). However, once this was over plantations were not broken up and most blacks still owned no land property. There was also the issue of racism since many Southern whites argued for the segregation using violent methods such as lynching or hangings. Also, southern states passed laws that enforced segregation by separating blacks and whites in schools, hospitals and other public places. Nevertheless, since blacks had fought in World War II and many had migrated from farms to cities they were less willing to put up with unequal conditions. A clear example of this resistance was seen in The Montgomery bus boycott, in 1955, where Rosa Parks, a black seamstress, refused to give up her seat in the bus to a white man as the law commanded her to do so. Parks was arrested and fined and this incident angered Montgomery’s black community resulting in a boycott –refuse to use – the buses. After more than a year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that bus segregation was against the law in 1956. From this boycott, the U.S. saw the emergence of one of the civil right movement’s great leader, the minister of Montgomery’s Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who advocated nonviolent protest.
In the 1960s there were many sittings in which protestors sit at segregated lunch counters as well as voter registration drives to register people to vote. However, these nonviolent protests were met with violent responses from mobs and the police resulting in imprisonments, beatings and even murder. Even though by the mid-1960s Congress had passed laws making segregation illegal, King realized that these changes were not enough and that the issue of poverty of blacks and whites in the South and North had to be dealt with. In 1968, while visiting Memphis, Tennessee to speak to striking workers, King was assassinated on April 4th. America has made great progress, but King’s dream of true equality for all still has not fully come true.
The Mississippi River
The Mississippi is without doubt the most important geographic feature in the eastern United States. It runs 2,300 miles, from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. At one end, bears prowl through snow; at the other alligators lie in the sun. With its tributaries the Mississippi drains all or part of 31 states.
In 1803, the United States wanted to buy New Orleans, at the mouth of the Mississippi, from the French. Many boats soon traveled down the Mississippi, bringing cotton and other goods to New Orleans.
In 1811, the steamboat was introduced to the Mississippi. Steamboats were a great success. The value of goods carried on Mississippi increased astronomically. The steamboats became large and luxurious.
For a while at the end of the 19th century, the Mississippi lost out to railroads. Today boats carry bulk cargo, like oil steel and coal that trains can’t transport.
Elvis Presley was born in 1935, in East Tupelo, Mississippi. His family was poor. They moved to Memphis Tennessee in search of better opportunities. He became the most popular rock singer in the USA. He died in 1977. Each year thousands of fans visit Graceland, his mansion in Memphis. John Lennon used to say: “Before Elvis there was nothing.”
❑ Major Cities
New Orleans
As an American city, New Orleans is unusual. It’s a city whose business is above all pleasure.
For years New Orleans was more like a city of the French Caribbean than of North America. It was founded by the French in 1718 and did not become part of the USA until 1803. New Orleans has taken elements from many cultures and created its own unique culture. New Orleans is where jazz and the blues really got started. You’ll find there are still many jazz clubs in New Orleans, for example, on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter.
In spring you can go to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. There you’ll here everything from fiddlers to large jazz bands.
Mardi Gras is the city’s most famous festival. There are many parades organized by special groups. There have always been balls during Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) and there is also a costume contest.
Florida
Walt Disney World, near Orlando, Florida, lets you experience it all: the past, the present, the future and worlds of fantasy.
But Florida is much more than Walt Disney World:
❑ At Cape Canaveral, you can go to the Kennedy Space Center and tour buildings where vehicles are assembled and astronauts are trained.
❑ Venice is home to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus.
❑ Palm Beach is the place for those who prefer polo. Palm Beach is a place for the wealthy.
❑ St. Augustine, founded by Spaniards, is the oldest city in the United States.
❑ Fort Lauderdale and Daytona Beach are favorite places for college students on their spring vacation.
❑ The Florida Keys are a series of coral and limestone islands. Key Largo, one of the islands, has a huge underwater park. The water is crystal clear, and with its 40 types of corals and 650 species of fish, the park is well worth exploring!
❑ Miami reflects a more recent Hispanic influence. After the Cuban Revolution, many Cubans settled in Miami. In Miami’s Little Havana, you’ll see Spanish-style street lights, Cuban food, factories where cigars are rolled by hand.
In addition to its millions of visitors, Florida has many people who come to stay. Many are retired people, especially from the Northeastern and Midwestern states. For years their jobs tied them to cold northern winters. Now they can relax in the Florida sun.
Florida has a rapidly growing economy. From 1980 to 1985, the number of jobs in Florida increased by 25 percent. Florida now produces not just oranges and grapefruit, but communications and aerospace equipment. The new jobs have brought younger families to Florida.
Atlanta
After World War II, the South, which had remained agricultural, experienced rapid industrialization and economic growth. There were many reasons for theses changes. One of the most important was the invention of air-conditioning. No city grew more than Atlanta, Georgia. People today speak of the New South. If there is a New South, then Atlanta is surely its capital. Atlanta has the world’s second largest airport. Of the 500 largest companies in the United States, 450 have offices in Atlanta.
Another characteristic of the New South is improved relations between blacks and whites. In this sense, Atlanta symbolizes the New South.
Atlanta has also become an important cultural center not only for the south but for the world. It has kept its Southern charm- its air of politeness and leisurely pace. This combination of old and new makes the city one of the best places to live.
C- THE MIDWEST
This region sometimes called the “Middlewest” includes the region west of the Allegheny Mountains, that is, west of the states of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. It lies in the general area of the Great Lakes and it comprises the states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota.
The Midwest is one of the richest sections of the whole US. In fact, it has been said that no other section of land in the whole world has been more favored by nature than this particular region. For this region it has been nicknamed “The Bread Basket.”
❑ Topography
The key to this gently rolling land has been the mighty Mississippi River. Many large rivers apart from the Mississippi flow this area: the Missouri, the Ohio, the Illinois, the Wisconsin and the Wabash.
The region undergoes icy winters and hot humid summers. It is windy all year round.
Geographically the Midwest can be divided into three smaller regions. The northern Great Lakes area has many hills, lakes and forests. South of that is the prairie area, which is flat and has good soil for farming. To the west is the Great Plains area, which, although also farmed, is far drier than the prairie.
The Great Lakes were carved out by glaciers long ago.
The Midwest is America’s geographical center. The exact middle point of the United States falls in Smith County, Kansas.
The Great Lakes
The Great Lakes -lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario- are the largest concentration of fresh water in the world. They lie on the border between the United States and Canada. Of the 12 Midwestern states, 6 touch on the Great Lakes (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois; Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota). The Great Lakes have always played a major role in the Midwest’s economy. Many of the region’s important cities -including Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee and Cleveland- are on the Great Lakes. The lakes are used for transporting grain, timber, ore and other products of the Midwest.
Together, the United States and Canada built and operate the St. Lawrence Seaway, an inland waterway that can be used by large ships. Canals and rivers link Montreal, Canada to Lake Ontario and link Lake Ontario and the other Great Lakes. Goods can be transported all the way from the Atlantic Ocean to Duluth, Minnesota on the western end of Lake Superior.
❑ The people
The Midwest has a hard-working population of mixed origin. With its strong mixing of original Anglo- Saxon settlers and immigrant families from almost every country in the world, the Midwest is considered today to be the most typically American in character of any region of the US. Midwesterners are open, friendly, straightforward and down to earth. Many Scandinavian immigrants settled in the north (Minnesota, the Land of the 1000 lakes) due to the similarity of the landscape. Migrant farm workers travel from Texas to Canada each year following the crops.
Traditional American values are associated most strongly with the Midwest- especially with its many small towns. These values focus on family, hard work, church and community.
The Midwest is also in the political middle. People tend to be conservative but not extremely so.
❑ Agriculture, Industries and Economic Activities
The Midwest is the center of American agriculture and industry.
The Midwest is a large, economically important region. It contains major industrial cities and much of America’s farmland.
Corn, wheat, soybeans, oats, rye, and barley are all grown in great quantities in the Midwestern states of Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and North and South Dakota.
The Midwest has a rich soil, a good climate for agriculture, fertile plains and low rolling hills. The principal agricultural products of the Midwest are corn (Iowa and Minnesota, especially), wheat (Kansas), soybean, oats and cattle (especially dairy) on the Great Plains of North and South Dakota and Nebraska.
Corn is the most important of all American crops, as basic to American agriculture as iron is to American industry. Due to the large production of corn, this region is said to constitute the “corn belt”. There are two main reasons why corn has become the basic crop of American agriculture. One is that it grows so well. A hectare of corn requires only one-twelfth as much seed as a hectare of wheat, for instance, and the yield of grain from the hectare of corn is several times as high as the hectare of wheat. The other reason is that the farmers have worked out high yield mechanized production methods in all important corn-producing areas. Corn has also proven to be a very versatile industrial material. From a corn distilling process, manufacturers can extract alcohol and fuel, base elements for drugs, vitamins and minerals and a type of starch which can be turned into a biodegradable plastic film.
Iowa is the biggest corn-producing state.
Manufacturing industries are numerous: they include principally automobiles and trucks (Ford, General Motors and Chrysler), iron and mining (Minnesota), steel making in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan (around the lakes) farm machinery and articles for home house.
The service industries have grown enormously: insurance, banking, communications. Educational facilities are prolific, especially in Ohio.
Tourism is also an important activity. National parks in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Nebraska ant the presence of the lakes attract many people on vacation.
❑ Major Cities
Chicago
Just as the Midwest is considered the “most American region”, Chicago, in Illinois, has been called the most typically American city. And just as the Midwest is America’s center, so Chicago is the center of the Midwest.
Chicago is on Lake Michigan, and waterways made Chicago a natural link between the products of the Midwest and the markets of the East. Soon Chicago was a center for meatpacking and grain storage, as well as for the manufacturing of farm equipment. In this way, Chicago played a key role in the growth of the Midwest and of the United States.
You can see many architectural landmarks if you visit the Loop. The Loop is Chicago’s downtown area (it got its name because Chicago’s elevated railway makes a circle, or loop around it). Chicago’s tallest buildings are the John Hancock Tower or “Big John”, the Standard Oil Building, and the Sears Towers, which is the world’s tallest building.
Motor City
In 1701, Antoine de la Mothe-Cadillac founded Detroit. But, in many ways, Detroit really got its start almost 200 years later. In 1869, in a workshop in Detroit, Henry Ford built a vehicle he called Quadricycle. With this, Detroit was on its way to becoming Motor City -the city that is home to the American automobile industry.
Like other American cities, Detroit has had its problems. The big three of the US automobile industry -Ford, Chrysler and General Motors- are important employers in Detroit. Together, they employ 1 in 10 of the city’s workers. The Depression of the 1930s brought hard times. So did the early 1970s. In general, when the national economy does poorly, Detroit is one of the first cities to feel it.
The University of Michigan and Ohio State University are two large, respected Midwest schools.
The Indians of the Great Plains
In the Black Hills of South Dakota there are two huge monuments carved from mountains. One is the Mount Rushmore National Monument. It shows the faces of four American Presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. The other is the Crazy Horse Monument. It shows the famous Sioux Indian leader on horseback. These two monuments are tributes to heroes of two cultures that clashed on the American continent.
St Louis in Missouri is called the Gateway to the West because of its favorable position on two rivers: the Mississippi and the Missouri. The city has French roots and a large African-American population lives here. In a city in upper Missouri, the famous American writer Mark Twain was born and grew up. His real name was Samuel Clemens and he describes the wonders of rafting on the river in his novel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”.
The Destruction of the Buffalo
The struggle between the Indian tribes of the Great Plains and the US army took place from 1860 to 1890. The Indians were defeated, but not just by the army.
Many Indians died from disease. Whites brought new diseases to which Indians had no resistance. A smallpox epidemic in 1837 almost destroyed entire tribes.
The Plains Indians were nomadic hunters: They traveled over large areas and hunted buffalo. The Indians used almost every part of the buffalo. The bones were made into tools; skins became robes and tepees, and fat was used for fuel. Buffalo meat was an important food.
D- THE SOUTHWEST
❑ Topography
The Southwest is characterized by geographical and cultural variety. Geographically, the region ranges from humid lands in eastern Texas to drier prairies in Oklahoma and Texas to mountains and deserts in Arizona and New Mexico.
Five states lie in this region: Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada.
In the past, the region was known as the “Wild Wild West”, because it was a territory where cowboys held frequent gunfights and Indians used to make raids against the caravans of colonists.
The Southwest differs from the Midwest in three primary ways; first, it is drier. Second, it is emptier. Third, the population comprises a different ethnic mix. Outside the cities, the region is a land of wide open spaces. Rain occurs only in the spring, and sometimes the abundance of water brings about floods. The eastern part of this region is desert. The central sector is partly run by the Rocky Mountains in the southern portion. The western sector contains the southern part of the Great Plains. The southern part of Texas forms part of the Coastal Plain on the Gulf of Mexico. West of the Rocky Mountains is the Colorado Plateau, which covers much of Northern New Mexico and Arizona. It is here that the Colorado River has carved the spectacular Grand Canyon. Both the Colorado and the Rio Grande provide irrigation for the little farming conducted in this region and have also served for the construction of huge dams for the generation of hydroelectric power. (example, Hoover Dam)
The Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon was formed by the Mighty Colorado River cutting into a plateau in Arizona. The canyon is 277 miles long and about 1 mile deep. Because it’s so deep, the top and the bottom have very different weather and vegetation. The canyon is visually stunning with gold, pink and purple bands of rock. Each of these bands is a stratum or layer of the earth’s crust. Some strata took over 170 million years to form.
❑ The people
Culturally, the region is home to many Indians and Hispanics, as well as the Anglos. The population of the state of New Mexico is about 10% Indian, 40% Hispanic and 50% Anglo.
Native Americans and Mexican Americans make up a large sector of the population. Texas, New Mexico and Arizona have a larger Spanish-speaking population than any other region except for Southern California. More Native Americans live here than in any other state. They are members of over thirty tribes (Comanches, Apaches, Navajos, Cherokees, etc). Hundreds of years before the arrival of the European conquistadors, the native American Pueblo tribes in the southwest like the Hopis and the Taos where building houses from clay bricks, which the Spaniards later called “adobe”. Throughout the region we also find the influence of the Hispanic culture. Santa Fe the capital city of New Mexico was originally a mission established by Spanish missionaries to convert the Indians to Catholicism, the richness of Spanish and native American cultures is reflected in the arts and architecture. At present, many people from other regions and from Mexico and Central America are immigrating to the Southwest, and in the future the big cities here may become overpopulated.
Arizona and New Mexico have long been home to many Indian groups and have some major Indian reservations, including that of the Navajo, the largest tribe in the United States.
❑ Agriculture, Industries and Economic Activities
The Southwestern states are rich in minerals. Livestock is also an important part of the Southwest’s economy.
While some parts of the southwest are dry, others receive plenty of rainfall. Some of the drier areas under irrigation have proven very fertile. Many farmers in the region can grow crops all year because the weather is warm. Cotton is grown in all four states, while wheat is grown in Oklahoma and northern Texas. In the coastal plain in Texas farmers grow oranges and rice. Sheep raising is carried out in New Mexico and Texas, whereas in some grasslands in these states cattle is also raised. Texas produces more sheep and cattle than any other state. Due to the existence of wide open spaces, industries connected with the manufacturing of weapons, missiles and explosives have settled here.
Tourism is also important: many National Parks and Recreation Areas attract thousands of tourists.
The area is rich in minerals: half of the copper of the US comes from Arizona, and uranium and coal are extracted in New Mexico. Oil drilling and refining is an important part of the economy. Texas and the Gulf (off shore platforms) are the leading crude oil producers. The centre of the oil industry is Houston, Texas which is the largest city in the Southwest and also a major port (a man-made canal has linked it to the Gulf). Houston is also the home of one of the NASA Space Centers.
Native Art like Indian handicraft in stone, silver and basket weaving provides a source of income for many Native American families.
Farming remains an important activity in Oklahoma. The state is a major producer of wheat. But earning a living as a small farmer is becoming more difficult.
❑ Major Cities
Texas held the status of an independent nation between 1836 and 1845. The territory originally belonged to Mexico, but in 1836 it separated from Mexico after several battles between Texans and the Mexican army. In 1845 Texas was admitted as a state of the Union. Today Texas produces about one-fourth of America’s oil. Food in Texas as elsewhere in the Southwest is strongly influenced by Mexican cooking. With so many cattle ranches, it’s not surprising that beef is an important ingredient in Texan cooking. In fact, Texas was the birthplace of the hamburger.
Houston is an oil and space centre joined to the gulf by a gateway.
Dallas is known as “the City of Hate”. There is a large black and Asian population with no apparent integration. The city became famous when President John Kennedy was killed here, in 1963.
Austin is the capital city of Texas.
Santa Fe, the capital city of New Mexico, is the centre of Native American and Hispanic culture and history. Many people of such cultural backgrounds visit Santa Fe to get the feeling of their ancestors.
Phoenix capital of Arizona was built in the desert; hence its name like the bird which revived out of its own ashes. Phoenix and Tucson are known as oasis cities due to the fact that they provide relief to travelers in the desert.
San Antonio is very much a river city although the San Antonio isn’t much of a river. Many of San Antonio’s numerous festivals take place at lest partly on the River Walk. San Antonio is famous for its missions, built in the early 1700s by Spanish priests who came to convert Indians to Catholicism.
Las Vegas is a center of gambling in America. Today, Las Vegas is an oasis of neon lights: Las Vegas’s hotels and gambling casinos use so much neon that Las Vegas has been nicknamed the City of Lights. One of Las Vegas’s older neon landmarks is Cowboy Vic, a smiling cowboy who waves at people passing by. This city has several nicknames: “The Entertainment Capital of the World”, “Sin City”, “Fun City”, “Lost Wages” and the “Twenty-Four Hour City”. The city started developing around the Flamingo casino built by “Bugsy” Malone in 1905. Both Reno and Las Vegas have legalized gambling and prostitution
Arizona and New Mexico are both known for their varied and often spectacular scenery: deserts as well as mountains and high plateaus.
There are some places to visit:
- In The Saguaro National Monument you can hike along desert trails. You’ll see the tall saguaro cactus along with many other types of cactus.
- In Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, you can see strange rock formations that arise straight up into the air.
- The wind is also responsible for the White Sands National Monument.
- The Carlsbad Caverns with many caves to explore.
- The Painted Desert looks like huge piles of sand painted in all the colors of the rainbow.
The Cowboy
The first cowboys were Mexican; many cowboy customs began in Mexico. There were also black cowboys -often ex-slaves freed by the Civil War- and Indian cowboys. People also forget that the cowboy’s main job was to take care of cows and to get them to market. The cowboy’s life, although full of adventure, was hard and often boring. Today, there are still cattle ranches and cowboys. The work in many ways remains the same. But with fences and modern machines, a lot has changed.
E- THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
The region has some of the least populated states in the nation. Denver, Colorado is its only large city. The government owns much of the land -66% in the case of Utah.
Like the Great Plains, the vast Mountain Region was a land which people hurried through on their way west. Seeking land and gold, the settler found neither at first, so he rode on west, but later, gold was found in the Rocky Mountains and people hurried back to this region and settled here.
The states forming part of this region are Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado and Utah.
❑ TOPOGRAPHY
The mountain region has plains and even deserts, but its main geographic feature is the Rocky Mountains. These mountains stretch from Alaska to northern Mexico and include many smaller ranges.
The Rockies are among the earth’s youngest mountains. Because they are young, they are not worn down. They have steep slopes and many peaks and valleys. The mountains give the region spectacular scenery and they limit economic development. They are high, sharp and rugged because they are geologically new formation. In the high valleys, there are remains of glaciers while below them there are clear, icy lakes which the glaciers made. To the west of the Rockies lies a section of flat level land, called the plateau area, which is dry and sandy. The mountains, on the other hand, are forested and have many rivers. The waters coming down from the mountains had no way to reach the sea, so they spread out in numerous shallow lakes. As the water evaporated, minerals remained in the lake beds. The Great Salt Lake (Utah) contains an estimated 6 million tons of salt. In general, the mountains are very rich in mineral ores.
❑ The People
Indians were the first people to occupy the mountain territory. Some native population still remains. But in its most part, the population is made up of descendants of the same Anglo-Saxon and foreign immigrant groups who moved as pioneers. Population is naturally limited to those areas where people can live and work conveniently. The region is sparsely populated, representing at present only 3 to 4% of the nation’s population. The people of this region are individualistic, naturalists and many have developed the “cowboy type”. The Mormon religious group, coming from New England, established its base in the state of Utah in 1850. Salt Lake City is the home of the Mormon religion. They set for themselves high educational standards.
❑ Agriculture, Industries Economic Activities
In this land of little water, farming is very difficult, but thanks to irrigation canals built by man, the area now has many towns and farms. In Idaho, potatoes are produced in huge amounts, and also sheep are raised in large numbers in the mountain grasslands. In Montana and Wyoming cattle raising (or the raising of livestock) is intensive, and cattle ranches and cowboys are almost a part of the landscape.
The Rocky Mountains states are rich in natural resources: there are deposits of oil as well as gold, silver, copper and other minerals. Large quantities of important minerals come from the mountain states: iron, coal, cooper, gold and silver and some zinc and lead. Arizona leads the country in the production of cooper, followed closely by Utah and Montana. Wyoming and Colorado are also important oil-producing states.
Tourism is a very important source of income. It is conducted in two different fashions. First, the National Parks and recreation areas are good vacationland for thousands of people. The National Park service originated here to protect and preserve natural resources, wilderness areas and forests. The first and most famous National Park is Yellowstone in Wyoming, established in 1871. A great attraction is its hundreds of geysers in constant activity.
A second type of tourism is developed in the many ski resorts and mountain camps where people practice ski, camping, hiking, fishing, etc. Colorado is sometimes called Ski Country/USA. This isn’t quite fair for the other Rocky Mountain States, which also have excellent skiing. But it isn’t surprising: Colorado has nearly forty resorts, many of which are internationally known.
Idaho is famous for its potatoes.
Fishing, hunting, river rafting, rock climbing, hiking, bicycling, horseback riding are some of the outdoor activities you can do in the Rockies.
Mining, ranching and farming are important to the region’s economy.
The Mountain states have many ranches. Some are real ranches open to tourism: guests can see ranch cowboys at work and can even help out. Others feature a special activity like hunting, fishing or in some cases hot-air-ballooning!
❑ Facts about the States and Cities
Utah is nicknamed “The Mormon State”. The Great Salt Lake lies in this state and the imposing architecture of the Mormon Temple is a distinguishing landmark of the capital city.
Denver in Colorado stands at an elevation of 1600 m above sea level. The Coloradoans have always fought for the preservation of the environment and for the use of the alternative sources of energy. Denver is a research center for such energy resources. The city refused to host the 1970 Olympic Games for fear of population and environmental destruction.
It is called the “Mile High City” It lies on the eastern slope of the Rockies. To its east are vast plains; to its west are the mountains. There are no other large cities around. Over the last 30 years, Denver has become an important center for energy research and for high-tech industries. Many people -especially young people- have moved to Denver.
Aspen
Aspen is one of the most popular ski resorts in Colorado. Aspen has something for everyone. Many celebrities and wealthy people have homes here. Cross-country skiing, also called touring, has become as popular as downhill skiing.
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone became the first US national park. It has more thermal activity than any other place in the world. The geysers, which shoot water into the air, are especially spectacular. Yellowstone’s most famous geyser is Old Faithful. In Yellowstone you can also see many different animals and birds. Animals at Yellowstone include grizzly bears and black bears, buffalo, elks, deer, antelope, coyotes, and lynxes.
The park’s thermal activity also helps provide the animals with food. Heat from the geysers makes grass grow better and in winter keeps the grass from being covered by snow.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Although the Tetons are lower than many other mountain ranges in the Rockies, they are very dramatic. When they were formed, the valley floor sank. So the Tetons rise straight up from the valley, without the usual foothills. The valley at the foot of the Tetons is called Jackson Hole.
G- THE PACIFIC REGION
This region includes the states of California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii.
❑ Topography
All the continental states in this region are partly mountainous. These mountains are the Cascade Range in Oregon and Washington, the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, the Coastal Range, running along the very coast from Washington down to California and the Alaskan Range.
A chain of fertile valleys lie between the mountains. To the west of the mountains, winds coming from the Pacific carry enough moisture to keep the land well watered. To the east, however, the land is very dry. The wet climate near the coast supports great forests of trees like the redwoods and Douglas firs. The highest mountain peaks in the US are located in this region: Mount Whitney in the Sierra Nevada (4400m) and Mount McKinley in Alaska (6200m)
This region is known for its natural beauty, a beauty that is fairly tame in Oregon and Washington and much wilder in Alaska. There are mountains, forests and rugged coastlines. The outdoors play an important role in people’s lifestyles, which tend to be casual and informal.
The weather
Not all of Washington and Oregon is rainy. In fact, many areas get only about 6 inches of rain all year! The Cascade Mountains run through Washington and Oregon. Moist air from the Pacific Ocean loses its moisture, as rain, by the time it passes the Cascades. So there is a wet side to the west of the Cascades and a dry side to the east.
The Olympic Rain Forest, like a tropical forest, is damp and gets very little sunlight. Unlike, a tropical forest, it is cool.
The Ring of Fire
Mount Mazama is part of the Pacific Ocean’s Ring of Fire, as are 60 percent of the world’s volcanoes. This ring stretches around the Pacific -from New Zealand through Japan, Central America and South America.
In Washington and Oregon, volcanoes occur as a row of isolated peaks near the Cascade Mountains. These volcanoes are important for recreation and scenery. Many climbers in this area try to climb all the volcanoes. Volcanic Mount Rainier is so familiar to the people of Seattle that they call it “The Mountain”.
❑ Facts about the States and Cities
Alaska is nicknamed “the Last Frontier”. It is the largest state of the Union, but only 500,000 people live in it. The State is a vast extension of land and mountains with a harsh climate, but very rich in natural resources. The Yukon River became famous as source of gold creating a Gold Rush in 1897. Anchorage is the capital city.
The territory of Alaska was bought from Russia in 1867 for the ridiculous sum of a little over seven million dollars. It became a state in 1959.
Alaska is twice the size of Texas. One-third of Alaska is above the Arctic Circle. Areas near the Arctic Circle experience long periods of perpetual light in summer and long periods of perpetual dark in winter. Alaska has had temperatures as low as -80ºF and has areas of permafrost, ground that is always frozen. Today Alaska has slightly 500,000 people, about 15 percent of whom are native. Native refers to people in their groups: Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut. The Indians are several different tribes. The Eskimos live not only in Alaska but in an area from Siberia to Greenland. The origin of the Aleuts is not known. It is thought they may have come long ago from a northern island of Japan.
The first non-natives came from Russia. Many Alaskans still belong to Russian Orthodox Church. Air travel is the most important form of transportation. Almost every community in Alaska has a landing field for planes.
Alaska has five major regions: the Southeast, South Central, Interior, Southwest and Arctic regions.
Southeast Alaska
The Southeast consists of a thin strip of mainland and islands. It is a magnificently scenic land of ocean, rugged coasts, steep mountains, glaciers and rainforests.
Juneau, Alaska’s’ capital, is larger in area than any other city in the USA but has only about 25,000 residents.
South Central Alaska
It is a coastal area. It has over half of Alaska’s population. The majority of these people live in the city of Anchorage. Anchorage is largely new. In 1964 this part of Alaska was hit by a strong earthquake, much of Anchorage had to be rebuilt. It has also grown rapidly since the 1970s, when it became the center for Alaska’s booming oil industry. Palmer is an agricultural town. Although the growing summer season is short, summer days have as many as 20 hours of daylight. The town of Talkeetna is a starting point for expeditions climbing Mount McKinley, North America’s tallest mountain.
The Interior
The interior is a vast plateau between two mountain ranges. It has thick forests but also areas of permafrost. Winter temperatures of -60ºF are not uncommon and yet summer temperatures have reached 90ºF.
Southeast Alaska
Southeast Alaska consists of a peninsula and islands, including the Aleutian Islands, which reach out over one thousand miles into the Pacific. The relatively few people who live in the Southwest are mainly Aleut and Eskimo.
The Arctic Region
There are small scattered settlements on the western and northern Arctic coasts. The most important cities are: Nome and Barrow.
Alaskan land is incredibly beautiful. It is also very rich in natural resources. One fifth of all oil produced in the United States is from Alaska.
Hawaii, nicknamed the “Aloha State”, also became a state in 1959. It is made up of several big islands and hundreds of small ones, all of volcanic origin. The islands are covered with tropical vegetation, jungles and exotic flora and fauna. Hawaii is situated 3200 km southwest of San Francisco. The four largest islands are Hawaii, Maui, Oahu and Kauai. Honolulu in Oahu is the capital city. (Pearl Harbour naval base –surprise attack form the Japanese in 1941, decided US intervention in World War II) Hawaii’s active volcanoes (one of them called Mauna Loa) attract thousands of tourists every year.
Today tourism accounts for 30 percent of Hawaii’s income. Hawaii has some of the world’s best surfing.
Hawaii’s agricultural products include sugar, pineapple and macadamia nuts. Hawaiian culture reflects ethnic mix. Hawaii has been described as a place where East meets West. The main language spoken is something other than English. Pidgin is spoken in Hawaii. It began in the 19thC, as a kind of combination of languages that enabled workers from different countries to communicate.
With its imposing bridges over the bay (Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge), San Francisco is known as “The Statue of Liberty of the West”. Typical sights in the city are its cable trams, Victorian houses and the streets running up and down the hills on which the city is built. The population is said to be “gaysian”, a mix of gays and Asians. The 1849 Gold Rush gave rise to the “forty –niners”. Forty niners who went to California by ship passed through San Francisco. Many of them returned to San Francisco to stay. San Francisco people feel themselves to be culturally superior to people from Los Angeles. It has also a reputation as an intellectual, liberal and slightly crazy city. In fact, there are a lot of cultural events going on in San Francisco all year round. The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge, which opened in 1937, goes between San Francisco and Marin County to its north. It is surrounded on three sides by water. San Francisco has 40 hills. The Saint Andreas geologic fault, running nearby, originates frequent earthquakes and shakes.
California earns more from grapes than from any other crop. Many of the grapes grown are grapes for wine. There are now vineyards and wineries all along the length of California. The most important area for wine lies to the north of San Francisco, in Napa and Sonoma counties. Interest in wine and natural beauty also draws many visitors to Napa and Sonoma counties. Many wineries and fine small restaurants are in old stone buildings.
Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US. It’s attractive for tourists because of its connection with the movie and TV industry and stars (Hollywood, Beverly Hills). A lot of wealthy people live here, and life is frivolous in many circles of society. Commuting on the numerous and excellent freeways is a way of life. Its system of public transportation was improved only recently. Some of LA’s districts are violent and gang territory. Los Angeles is a center, not only for entertainment and tourism, but also for manufacturing business and finance, aerospace, oil and trade. Its ports handle more cargo than New York. Los Angeles faces some serious problems. With so much traffic, Los Angeles has the dirtiest air in the USA. Crime and violence are also major problems.
Hollywood was once farmland. By 1910, however, filmmakers began moving there. Southern California’s climate was perfect for shooting movies year-round. Today, of the major studios, Paramount is still in Hollywood. You can see two great theatres Pantages Theater and Mann’s Chinese. Mann’s Chinese is famous for its cement courtyard with footprints and handprints of stars who were in.
Seattle, in Washington, is America’s most lively city. It is surrounded by beautiful mountain landscape. People are well educated. The landmark of the city is its almost 2000 m high Space Needle, with a revolving restaurant at the top. Seattle is the home of the Boeing Aircraft industry, where famous Boeing jets are manufactured (747, Jumbo, 737, 727, etc)
Seattle is often called the Emerald City, or the jewel of the Pacific Northwest. Like a beautiful jewel in an expensive ring, Seattle is in an exquisite setting: it is surrounded by green hills and the water of Puget Sound. Seattle has strong ties to Asia, as is apparent from its International District (ID). Many of the people living in this neighborhood are from China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia and other countries of Asia. The ID has Chinese and Japanese supermarkets, an Asian-American museum, and a park named Kob. Seattle has often been called America’s most livable city. It’s a large city, with plenty of jobs and excitement; yet it also has a small-town atmosphere, with friendly people. It has fine theaters, and yet it also has water and mountains.
Also, the lowest point in the continent is situated in the Pacific Region. It is in Death Valley, a desert in the south of California. Some of the central valleys lying between the mountain ranges are the Sacramento, the San Joaquin, the Napa and the Imperial valleys. Some of these serve as bed for fairly important rivers: the Sacramento and the San Joaquin in California and the Columbia and the Willamette rivers in Washington.
Many people think of California as the state that symbolizes the American dream. There, individuals have the opportunity to succeed. California is famous for its land. It has different environments. Redwood trees grow in northern California. The redwoods are very tall and very old. Some are 2,000 years old. Redwood forests and swiftly running rivers are a part of northern California.
California’s Death Valley, the lowest spot in the USA, is also one of the hottest and driest. The land in southern California is more like Mexico. Northern and Southern California differ in lifestyle. California’s people come form different places and cultures. Over one-fourth of California’s population is Hispanic. California also has a large Asian population; one third of all Asian-Americans live in California. It was originally part of Mexico, and some Hispanics are the descendants of old Californian families. Many others are Mexican-American who came more recently. Other Hispanics are from countries in Central and South America.
❑ The People
Except for Hawaii and Alaska, the western states have all been settled by people from other parts of the nation and the world. Thus, the region presents an interesting mix of ethnic groups. In southern California, people of Mexican descent play an important role in every part of the economy. In the valleys north of San Francisco, Italian families have run vineyards and wineries for years. Japanese and Chinese immigrants also settled in Oregon and northern California, and more recently, a great wave of Vietnamese, Taiwanese and Korean refugees has landed in the Pacific states.
This ethnic mix has given rise to an increasing racial tension and violence, especially in large urban areas like Los Angeles, where gang fights and riots are everyday issues.
Alaska and Hawaii are states in which the majority of the population is from native origin (Eskimos in Alaska and Asian and Polynesian in Hawaii). A quite different type of life is lived here in these states: casual, informal attached to nature.
❑ Agriculture, Industries and Economic Activities
The mild climate in many parts of this region has made it well known for its large production of fruit and vegetables: citrus and vegetables in California; apples and raspberries in Washington. The orchards in the central valleys also yield peaches, olives, beans, onions and lettuce. Grain and cotton row all year, and sheep and cattle feed in the pasture lands. Migrant workers are a common feature, following the crops all around the region. In Hawaii, tropical fruits (coconut, pineapple, coffee, etc) and sugar are produced.
Puget Sound (an inlet in the sea) in Washington and the Columbia River are very rich in salmon and seafood. Therefore, the fishing industry and its associate industries (freezing, canning, etc) are a very important activity in the northwest.
The eastern side of the Cascade Mountains is covered by dense forests of giant firs and redwoods (sequoias). The Forests Service helps to regulate the exploitation of forest lands so that they are properly managed. Timber and paper are derived industries in the north.
The oil industry is widely expanded in California and Alaska (pipeline), and mining is also considerably important in both of these states. Fur trade, whaling and sealing (hunting of whales and seals), and deer management are also typical activities in Alaska.
Tourism is the most important service industry thanks to the scenic beauty existing all around the region (mountains, coastline, National Parks). No less important is the media industry, and the movie and show business, especially in and around Los Angeles in California. This city is also an important financial and trade center.
The computer industry has its center in Silicon Valley, east of San Francisco.
4. The System of Government. The Institutions. Education. Holidays & Festivals.
❑ The System of Government
The United States is a representative democracy. All government power rests ultimately with the people, who direct policies by voting for government representatives. The nation’s constitution defines the power of national and state governments, the functions and framework of each branch of government and the rights of individual citizens. All public officials of the national as well as state governments must swear to abide by the Constitution, which was created to protect the democratic interests of the people and the government.
The principle of limited government is basic to the Constitution. When the constitution was first written about two hundred years ago, many Americans feared that government power could become concentrated in the hands of a few. Several features were created to guard against this possibility:1- the federal organization of government; 2- the separation of powers among different branches of governments; 3- a system of checks and balances to restrict the powers of each branch.
Under federalism, the principle of limited government was achieved by dividing authority between the central government and the individual states. The federal government has powers over areas of wide concern: For example, it has the power to control communication among states, borrow money, provide for the national defense and declare war.
The states possess those powers which are not given to the national government. For example, each state establishes its own criminal justice system, public schools and marriage and divorce laws.
There are certain powers, called concurrent powers, which both the federal and state government share.
Besides the division of power between state and national governments, power is also limited by the separation of power among three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. In the US, each branch has a separate function.
❑ The Institutions
The function of the legislative branch is to make laws: the legislative branch is made up of representatives elected to Congress. Congress is comprised of two groups, called houses: the House of Representatives (the House) and the Senate. Lawmakers from all of the states are elected to serve in the House of Representatives. The number of representatives each state sends to the House depends upon the number of districts in each state. Each district chooses one representative. The number of districts in each state is determined by population. The most heavily populated states have more districts, and therefore, more representatives than the sparsely populated states. Each representative is elected to a two-year term.
The Senate is the smaller of the two bodies. Each state has two senators. The senatorial term is six years. Every two years, one third of the Senate stands for election.
How a bill becomes a law
Each house of Congress is engaged in making laws, and each may initiate legislation. A law first begins as a “bill”. Once a bill is introduced, it is sent to the appropriate committee. Each house of Congress has committees which specialize in a particular area of legislation, such as foreign affairs, defense, banking and agriculture. When a bill is in committee, members study it and then send it to the senate or House chamber where it was first introduced. After a debate, the bill is voted on. If it passes it is sent to the other house where it goes through a similar process.
The Senate may eject a bill proposed in the House of Representatives or add amendments. If that happens, a conference committee made up from members of both houses tries to work out a compromise. If both sides agree on the new version, the bill is sent to the president for his signature. At this point, the bill becomes a law.
The executive branch of government is responsible for administering the laws passed by Congress. The President of the US presides over the executive branch. He is elected to a four-year tem and can be re-elected to a second term. The vice-president, who is elected with the president, is assigned only two constitutional duties. The first is to preside over the Senate. The second duty is to assume the presidency if the president dies becomes disabled or is removed from office.
Powers of the President
The Constitution gives the president many important powers. As chief executive, the president appoints secretaries of the major departments that make up the president’s cabinet. Today, there are 13 major departments in the executive branch: the Department of State, Treasury, Defense, Justice, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, heath and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Energy and Education. As chief executive the president also appoints senior officials of the many agencies in the expensive bureaucracy.
As head of state, the president represents the country abroad, entertains foreign leaders and addresses the public. As director of foreign policy, he appoints foreign ambassadors and makes treaties with other nations. The president also serves as commander-in-chief of the armed forces and as head of this policy party.
In the US, the president and legislature are elected separately, and they operate separately. This division is a unique feature of the American system. In the parliamentary systems that operate in most western democracies, the national leader or prime minister is chosen by the parliament.
The third branch of the government is the judicial branch, which is headed by the Supreme Court. Under the Supreme Court, there are many state and federal courts. An important factor of the judicial branch is to determine whether laws of Congress or actions of the president violate the Constitution. Within the judicial branch, authority is divided between state and federal (national) courts. At the head of the judicial branch is the Supreme Court (the highest federal courting the US, consisting of nine justices and having jurisdiction over all other courts in the nation), the final interpreter of the Constitution.
State Courts
The Constitution recognizes that the states have certain rights and authorities beyond the power of the federal government. States have the power to establish their own systems of criminal and civil laws, with the result that each state has its own laws, prisons, police force and state court. Within each state, there are also country and city courts. Generally, state courts are quite similar, but in some areas there is a great diversity.
Federal Courts
The separate system of federal courts, which operate alongside the state courts, handles cases which arise under the US Constitution or under any law or treaty, as well as any controversy to which the federal government is itself a party. Federal courts also hear disputes involving governments or citizens of different states.
All federal judges are appointed for life.
Supreme Court
The Supreme curt hears cases in which someone claims that a lower court ruling is unjust or in which someone claims that Constitutional law has been violated. Its decisions are final. Although the Supreme Court does not have the power to make laws; it does have the power to examine actions of the legislative, executive and administrative institutions of the government and decide whether they are constitutional.
The US government is so designed that, the authority of the judicial branch is independent from other branches of government. Each of the nine Supreme Court justices (judges) is appointed by the president and examined by the Senate to determine whether he or she is qualified. Once approved a justice remains on the Supreme Court for life.
Checks and Balances
The division of government power among three separate but equal branches provides for a system of checks and balances. Each branch checks or limits the power of the other branches. For example, although the Congress makes laws, the president can veto them. Even if the president vetoes a law, Congress may check the president by overriding his veto with a two-thirds vote.
The Supreme Court can overturn laws passed by Congress and signed by the president. The selection of federal and Supreme Court judges is made by the other two branches. The president appoints judges, but he Senate reviews his candidates and has the power to reject his choices. With this system of checks and balances, no branch of government has superior power.
Political Party System
The United States has had only two major parties throughout its history. When the nation was founded, two political groupings emerged- the Federalists and Anti-federalists. Since then, two major parties have alternated in power.
For over one hundred years, America’s two-party system has been dominated by the Democratic and Republican Parties. Neither party, however, has ever completely dominated American politics. On the national level, the majority party in congress has not always been the same as the party of the president.
Even in years when one party dominated national politics, the other party retained much support at state or local levels. Thus, the balance between the Democrats and Republicans has shifted back and forth. The parties tend to be similar. Democrats and Republicans support the same overall political and economic goals. Neither party seeks to shake the foundation of America’s economy or social structure.
Democrats and Republicans often propose different means of achieving their similar goals. Democrats generally believe that the federal government and state governments should provide social and economic programs for those who need them.
❑ Education
Every American is entitled to an education. School attendance is compulsory for all children. Students attend school five to seven hours a day, five days a week for nine months each year, from September to June. Public education from kindergarten through grade 12 is tax- supported; no tuition is required.
About 85 percent of American children attend public schools. The other 15 percent choose to pay tuition to attend private schools. Most private schools are run by religious organizations and generally include religious instruction.
Although Many American children attend daycare, nursery school or preschool, formal education is usually considered to begin around the age of five when children to kindergarten.
At six years of age children begin the first year of elementary school, which is called grade 1 or first grade. At elementary school the emphasis is placed on the basic skills (speaking, reading, writing and arithmetic)
Children move on to high school in the ninth grade, where they continue until twelfth grade. There are two basic types of high school: one with a more academic curriculum, preparing students for admission to college, and the other offering primarily vocational education (training in a skill or trade). The local school board decides which courses are compulsory. There is a great freedom of choice, however, and an important figure in high schools is the guidance counselor, who advises the students on what courses to take on the basis of their career choices and frequent aptitude and ability tests.
In order to receive the high school diploma necessary in most states to get into college, students must accumulate a minimum number of credits, which are warded for the successful completion of each one-or half-year course. Students hoping to be admitted to the more famous universities require far more the minimum number of credits and must also have good grades (the mark given on the basis of course work and a written examination) Extra-curricular activity (such as playing for one of the school’s sports teams) is also very important in the American school system and is taken into consideration by colleges and employers.
Higher Education
There are about 3,000 colleges and universities, both private and public, in the United States. They are all independent, offering their own choice of studies, setting their own admission standards and deciding which students meet those standards. The greater the prestige of the university, the higher the credits and grades required.
The term “college” and “university” are often used interchangeably, as “college” is used to refer to all undergraduate education and the four-year undergraduate programme, leading to a Bachelor’s degree, can be followed at either college or university. Universities tend to be larger than colleges and also have graduate schools where students can receive post-graduate education. Advanced or graduate university degrees include law and medicine.
During the first two years the students usually follow general courses in the arts or sciences and then choose a major (the subject or area of studies in which they concentrate – the other subjects are called minors). Credits with grades are awarded for the successful completion of each course. These credits are often transferable, so students who have not done well in high school can choose a junior college or community college, which offers a two-year “transfer” programme, preparing students for degree-granting institutions. Community colleges also offer two-year courses of a vocational nature, leading to technical and semi-professional occupations, such as journalism.
The funding and hierarchy of the education system
The federal government provides some money and sets some standards foe education through the Department of Education. But state and local governments have direct control and are responsible for the majority of the cost of students’ education from kindergarten to twelfth grade. Individual states have their own Boards of Education, which decide the curriculum and what students must have achieved before they can graduate from high school. States also set the general standards of education and qualifications and teachers must have.
School boards have control over how schools in a particular school district are run. The boards can be appointed or elected and are usually made up of local people, often parents of children in the schools. A superintendent, the person in charge of all the schools in a school district, is sometimes hired by the school board and sometimes elected by local citizens.
The board and superintendent have a role in hiring principals and teachers for each school. At the elementary and secondary levels, most school districts have a Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), which gives all parents a chance to take part in making decisions about how the school is run. Parents regularly visit schools for parents-teacher conferences to meet their children’s teachers and discuss their progress. Many volunteer in their children’s schools.
❑ Holidays & Festivals
• Many people spend New Year’s Day resting. That’s because they’ve stayed up most of the night, greeting the New Year! Some went to parties at friends’ homes or at nightclubs. Others were out on the streets, throwing confetti and blowing noisemakers. Many people make New Year’s resolutions.
• In the 1950s and 1960s, Martin Luther King, Jr; led the civil rights movement- the struggle for equal rights for black American. King was assassinated in 1968. Martin Luther King, Jr Day, which falls in January, around King’s birthday, is a time to celebrate the life and achievements of this great American.
• Two other great Americans are honored on Presidents’ Day. George Washington was the country’s first president. Abraham Lincoln brought the country through the Civil War. Their birthdays are celebrated together.
• Memorial Day honors American soldiers killed in war. There are many parades on Memorial Day. Memorial Day, which comes on the last Monday in May, is also the unofficial beginning of the summer vacation season. On Memorial Day, many people go to the beach.
• The most famous American holiday is the Fourth of July, or Independence Day. On July 4, 1776, the American colonies declared their independence from Britain.
• Labor Day honors the American worker. It falls on the first Monday in September, marks the end of the summer. For many students, the school year starts the day after Labor day
• Columbus Day celebrates Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the Americas in 1492. As Columbus was Italian, working for Spain, Columbus Day is an especially important holiday for many Italian-Americans and Hispanic- Americans.
• Although Halloween, on October 31, is not an official holiday, it is a very special day. On Halloween children dress in costume as all kinds of things. The windows of many houses have Halloween decorations. In the evening, the children go from house to house, knocking on doors and saying trick or treat. The people in the houses give the children candy or some other treat. If they don’t, the children might play a small trick on them!
• In 1620 one of the first British settlements on America was established in Massachusetts. These settlers known as Pilgrims, had come to America to freely practice their religion. They arrived in November, when it was too late to plant crops. Although many people died, the Pilgrim settlement survived the winter because of help fro Indians who lived nearby. The Indians taught the Pilgrims about corn and showed them where to fish. The Next November, after the crops were harvested, the pilgrims gave thanks to God at a feast to which they invited the Indians. Every year, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. Families and friends get together for a big feast. The meal usually includes roast turkey with stuffing and gravy, a sweet sauce made from cranberries, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin pie.
• Christmas, marking the birth of Christ in the Christian religion, is another time when many families get together. Christmas is an important time for giving gifts. Many families put up a Christmas tree and bake lots of special Christmas cookies.
Bibliography:
- Spotlight on the USA Randee Falk. Oxford University Press. 1993
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