1.

American symbols:
The Pledge of Allegiance- promise of loyalty to United States.

The flag has 13 stripes (for original colonies) and 50 stars (for 50 states).

The Star-Spangled Banner national anthem of the USA.

The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. It
announced the separation of 13 North American British colonies from Great Britain. Congress voted
"unanimously" by the votes of 12 colonies to become independent nations. Independence Day has
always been celebrated as Independence Day in the United States.

Statue of Liberty the symbol of freedom for new immigrants

The American eagle the strength and freedom of America, official emblem.

The donkey= the Democratic parties The Elephant=The Republican Parties

Uncle Sam the symbol of U.S government

2. Holidays
Thanksgiving: The English Puritans were trying to "purify" the Church of England, but
finally they formed their own church. They left England and went to Holland and then to America.
They became "Pilgrims" because they were travelers in search of religious freedom. In the fall of
1620 the Pilgrims crossed the Atlantic Ocean on their ship, the Mayflower. The trip was very difficult,
and many people got sick. Finally on December 22 the travelers landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts.
There was not enough food for the long, cold winter, and many settlers died. some friendly Indians,
Samoset, Chief Massasoit, and Squanto, showed the Pilgrims how to hunt, fish, and plant corn,
beans, and other foods. Because of their help, the Plymouth settlers had a good harvest the next fall.
Governor William Bradford declared some special days of thanksgiving. The Pilgrims and the Indians
had a three-day feast of deer, wild turkey, and fish. There were also nuts, wild fruits, cranberries,
corn, beans, pumpkins, and other foods. The first Thanksgiving celebration was a great success.
President Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving as an official national holiday. Now every year
on the fourth Thursday of November American families and friends gather, have a feast, and give
thanks. Some traditional Thanksgiving foods are turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce,
and pumpkin pie.

Independence Day: 4th of July 1776-> the first independence day in America

The 13 American colonies were ruled by British leaders. Americans colonies couldn’t make up a new
laws. Congress leaders wanted to change this as a result they wrote Declaration of Independence,
where they explained why America should be free from Great Britain. On July 6 of 1776 the
Declaration of Independence was approved by congress.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Day: in the United States, holiday (third Monday in January)
honouring the achievements of Martin Luther King, Jr. A Baptist minister who advocated the use of
nonviolent means to end racial segregation. He helped blacks win their legal rights and made
progress in the cause of integration in the society.

Columbus Day: honors the achievement of an Italian explorer, Christopher Columbus

… Labor Day, Memorial Day, Christmas Day, New Years Day, Veterans Day, Presidents Day
 3. Old and new immigration

Old Immigrants New Immigrants

Mostly coming from Northern Europe in the Mostly coming from Southern Europe:
mid-1800s: England, France, Ireland, Greece, Italy, Poland and Russia
Germany. Culturally different from old immigrants: not
Similarities between old Immigrants. Most of having similarities, having trouble to adapt.
them were protestants and they believed in Mostly settled in urban ethic neighbourhood,
democracy. Due these similarities they were often living in poor housing where they can
able to adopt in the America more easily. speak their native language, freely practice
Push factors: sth happening in the home their religion and observe their own tradition.
country to push people out: Unemployment, Mostly poorer than old immigrants
repressive government, a lack of opportunity Illiterate – speaking only their native
avoid military service or escape religious language
persecution Came from places with Socialism and
Pull factors: a draw towards new place: Communism
Being attracted of possibility of better life,
vision of wealth, promise of freedom
The Irish Potato Famine (1850s) lead to
massive immigration to America. Irish settled
along east cost because they were too poor
to buy land or travel elsewhere.

4. CONSTITUTION
After the Revolutionary War, the Articles of Confederation (1781) were the basis of the new
American government.

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 revised the Articles of Confederation. The
result was the U.S. Constitution. Three main principles form the basis of the Constitution:
1. the separation of powers of the three branches of government
2. government of, for, and by the people
3. basic human rights (individual freedom, equality, and justice)

The Constitution has three parts:

1. The Preamble tells its purposes: to protect the nation and to assure justice, peace, and liberty for
all.
2. The Document contains seven articles.
3. Twenty-six Amendments guarantee individual rights and freedoms and establish other basic
principles of government.

Article I:Establishes the Legislative Branch (Congress) and the two houses
Article II: Establishes the Executive Branch and its powers
Article III: Establishes the Judicial Branch and its powers *Responsibilities of the Judicial Branch To
interpret laws and determine if they're constitutional
Article IV Relations between the states - they must respect the laws of other states and citizens must
be treated fairly in all states
Article V Describes the process for Amending(changing) the Constitution (2/3 of both houses).
Article VI Establishes the Constitution as the Supreme Law of the Land; all federal officials are bound
by oath to support the Constitution, and no religious test will be required
Article VII Ratification of the Constitution required nine states; in 1787 12 states ratified the
Constitution.
a. Separation of Powers: The powers of the national government are divided between the
Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches.
b. Three Sections of the Constitution: Preamble, Articles and the Amendments.
c. The Bill of Rights: First 10 Amendments to the Constitution that state the basic rights of the
people.
d. How are Amendments proposed?: By 2/3 Congress or a national convention - at national
level
e. How are Amendments approved?: By 3/4 of State legislatures or State conventions in 3/4
states -at regional level.
f. Federalism: Government power is divided between the central (federal) government and
regional governments (states).
g. Checks and Balances: The power of each branch of government is checked and restrained by
the other two, creating a balance of power between all three.

5. Government:
Responsibilities of the Legislative Branch: To write laws.
Responsibilities of the Executive Branch: To carry out, enforce, and administer laws.
Responsibilities of the Judicial Branch: To interpret laws and determine if they're constitutional

6. Causes of the American Revolution

The road leading up to the American Revolution didn't happen overnight. It took several
years and many events to push the colonists to a point where they wanted to fight for their
independence. Below are some of the key causes of the American Revolution in the order they
occurred.
The Founding of the Colonies
One thing to keep in mind is that many of the American colonies were first founded by people trying
to escape religious persecution in England. As the British government became more involved in the
affairs of colonies, people began to worry that they would once again lose their freedoms.
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War took place between the American colonies and New France. Both sides
allied with various Native American tribes. This war lasted from 1754 to 1763. British troops not only
helped the colonists to fight the war, but were stationed in the colonies for protection after the war.
These troops weren't free and Britain needed money to pay for the troops. The British Parliament
decided to tax the American colonies to help pay for the troops.

Taxes, Laws, and More Taxes

Prior to 1764, the British government had pretty much left the colonists alone to govern themselves.
In 1764, they began to impose new laws and taxes. They implemented a number of laws including
the Sugar Act, Currency Act, Quartering Act, and the Stamp Act. The colonists were not happy with
the new taxes. They said they should not have to pay British taxes because they had no
representatives in the British Parliament. Their motto became "No Taxation Without
Representation."
Protests in Boston
Many colonists began to protest against these new British taxes and laws. A group called the Sons of
Liberty formed in 1765 in Boston and soon spread throughout the colonies. During one protest in
Boston, a fight broke out and several colonists were shot and killed. This incident became known as
the Boston Massacre. In 1773, the British imposed a new tax on tea. Several patriots in Boston
protested this act by boarding ships in Boston harbor and dumping their tea into the water. This
protest became known as the Boston Tea Party. The Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor by
Nathaniel Currier
Intolerable Acts
The British decided that the colonies needed to be punished for the Boston Tea Party. They issued a
number of new laws that the colonists called the Intolerable Acts.
Boston Blockade
One of the Intolerable Acts was the Boston Port Act which shut down the port of Boston for trade.
British ships blockaded Boston Harbor, punishing everyone who lived in Boston, both patriots and
loyalists. This angered not only people in Boston, but also people in other colonies who were afraid
the British would do the same thing to them.
Growing Unity Among ඞ the Colonies
The increased laws punishing the colonies did little to control the colonies as the British had hoped,
but actually had the opposite effect. The laws caused the colonies to become more united against
the British. Many colonies sent supplies to help Boston during the blockade. Also, more and more
colonists throughout the Americas joined up with the Sons of Liberty.
First Continental Congress
In 1774, twelve of the thirteen colonies sent representatives to the First Continental Congress as a
direct response to the Intolerable Acts. They sent a petition to King George III to repeal the
Intolerable Acts. They never got a response. They also established a boycott of British goods.
The War Begins In 1775
British soldiers in Massachusetts were ordered to disarm the American rebels and to arrest their
leaders. The Revolutionary War began on April 19,1775 when fighting broke out between the two
sides at the Battles of Lexington and Concord.

A) The Senate of the USA is composed of 2 Senators from each state. The term of office for a Senator
is 6 years. Elections for the Members of the Senate take place every 2 years. A presiding officer over
the Senate is Vice President of the Us.

B) The House of Representatives has 435 members, The number of Representatives tromeach state
is dependent on the number of inhabitant / is dependent on the population. Elections for the
Representatives take place every two/2 years. A presending office over the House is called The
Speaker of the House

C) The Executive Branch of the Goverment consists of: The President, The Vice President, federall
agencies, The Cabinet, 15 Deprataments. The term of office for the President is 4 years.