The History of the USA. Учебное пособие для студентов исторического факультета

A speech he gave after a very bloody battle is inscribed in the walls of his Memorial in Washington, D.C. The speech said that soldiers fought so that the United States 'government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

THEODORE ROOSEVELT

1858-1919 President 1901-1909

Theodore Roosevelt, twenty-sixth president, of the United States was very popular. A hero in the war against Mexico, Teddy Roosevelt was a very strong leader and president. He made the position of president very powerful and reformed many things with this power - from big business to social and economic problems caused by the (then) new industrial revolution. He was responsible for starting the Panama Canal project, and was famous as a naturalist who thought we needed to preserve our wild areas and natural resources. Roosevelt left office, only to run, unsuccessfully, for president a second time after starting a third political party.

WOODROW WILSON

1856-1924 President 1913-1921

Woodrow Wilson was not a famous war hero, instead he was a gifted scholar. A professor, during his term as the twenty-eighth president he saw the outbreak of the First World War. He was very strong on foreign policy, but stayed neutral during the early part of the war. He thought that there should be "peace without victory." After Germany pulled America into the war, and the war ended, he proposed a fourteen point peace plan. The most important points were that the countries should be allowed to redraw their borders and that a league of nations should be formed. This League of Nations became the United Nations after the Second World War.

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FRANKLIN D. ROOSVELT

1882-1945 President 1933-1945

The greatest American presidents have come in times of greatest crisis, and the Great Depression was one of our worst crises, the depression was four years old when FDR, as he was fondly called by the American public, was elected to be the thirty-second president. Crippled by polio, he could walk only with 2 canes and spent most of his time in a wheelchair. He was a very powerful and loved president.

Starting with his inaugural speech, he eased people's fears about the depression. He said, "the only thing we have to fear, is fear itself." He did many things that slowed the depression. He put more people to work and helped the farmers. He always let the Americans know what he was doing and would do. He gave "fire-side chats," informal radio speeches. The people needed them.

Help for the depressed country came when America became part of the Second World War. He was a strong leader both in war and peace times. After the end of the European part of the war, he passed the United Nations treaty through congress. He was elected four times, more than any other president, but died shortly after the fourth election. He was a great president.

HARRY TRUMAN

1884-1972 President 1945-1953

Truman was FDR's vice-president and he became the thirty-third president after Roosevelt's death. He took control of the Pacific part of World War II with Japan. On August 6th, 1945, he forced the Japanese to surrender by dropping two atomic bombs, one on Hiroshima and the second on Nagasaki. He changed the way war is fought.

His position on foreign policy helped shape the cold war. He felt that "the United States must support free people who are resisting outside pressures". In

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short, the United States must help (both financially and with weapons) free countries threatened by communism and dictatorship. Our congress agreed, at it was made a law.

Whether or not he was a great president is debatable — but Truman was, and is very important in American and world history.

JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY

1917-1963 President 1961-1963

In recent history JFK is perhaps the most important American president. He was young, at 44 the youngest president in our history. He was handsome, with a beautiful wife. He was intelligent, he won a prestigious prize for a book he wrote. And the country, except for a few people, loved him. He was our King Arthur, and Washington our Camelot.

He took office as the thirty-fifth president and promised to lower taxes as well as make discrimination against blacks and other minorities illegal in public areas like restaurants and hotels. His bills didn't pass through congress, though. And then a Soviet leader decided to test the young president. Nikita Khruschev built a wall through the center of Berlin, and the Cold War, started by Stalin and Truman, got colder. Then Khruschev began building silos for missiles in Cuba. Kennedy knew what was happening and told the Soviet leader to stop building. People held their breaths while they waited to see what would happen. Would there be a war between the two most powerful countries on earth? And then Khruschev stopped building. The crisis was over. Kennedy wanted problems in Vietnam to stop as well. But in 1964, during a parade in Dallas, Texas, JFK was assassinated. The country had lost its king. People are still not sure exactly who killed JFK, but they are sure that he was a great man and a great president, keeping the United States out of war with the U.S.S.R.

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In Arlington Cemetery, where soldiers are buried, an eternal flame burns at the foot of JFK's grave.

LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON

1908-1973 President 1963-1969

Lyndon Baines Johnson, our thirty-sixth president, was sworn in shortly after JFK's death. LBJ was a very strong president and he forced Kennedy's program through congress.

Taxes were lowered and civil rights for blacks were much better. He pushed his own program, called The Great Society, through as well. This program helped the poor without hurting the rich.

LBJ struggled with the Vietnam war, a war fought to keep Vietnam from becoming part of the Russian empire we thought. Many Americans only wanted their children, friends, husbands, alive. Both Johnson and the next president,

Richard Nixon, wanted to end the war but couldn’t get approval to just end it. The war ended Johnson’s career as president.

II. HOLIDAYS

In the United States there are many holidays. Some of them are national holidays and banks, schools, and many businesses close. Other holidays people need to go to work or school. We have four types of holidays, here are some examples of each type: Religious -- Christmas and Hanukkah, Easter; Patriotic — Independence Day, Veterans Day, Flag Day, Thanksgiving; and fun days - Valentine's Day, April Fools' Day, Halloween. Like everyone else, Americans look forward to the holidays. What holiday are you looking forward to?

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VALENTINE'S DAY

Valentine's Day is always on February 14, it is not a national holiday. On weekdays schools are open. Banks are open. People go to work. Life goes on as usual, but there is one difference. People give cards and gifts to friends and people they love. They say, "Be my valentine."

There are many kinds of valentine cards. Some people make cards. Most people buy them. Men and women often give each other romantic cards. These cards say, “I love you.” Children and friends usually give funny or humorous cards. These cards do not say, "I love you." They are not romantic. Children give cards to their friends at school parties. Flowers and candy are popular gifts on Valentine's Day. Many people give red roses to people they love. Stores sell chocolates and other candies in heart shapes.

Valentine's Day began long ago. Some people think it started in Roman times. There was a holiday on February 15. On this day, young men chose their sweethearts for the year.

For over a thousand years, Valentine's Day was a religious holiday for Christians. Christians remembered Saint Valentine, a kind priest. He died on February 14, 270. Then in the 1300s, February 14 became a special day for love. People gave cards to their sweethearts. They wrote poems on the cards. They drew pictures of hearts too. Valentine cards became more and more beautiful.

Today Valentine's Day is not a religious holiday. It is a day for love and friendship. It is also a day for big business. Americans spend millions of dollars on cards and gifts every Valentine's Day. But money cannot buy love and friendship!

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INDEPENDENCE DAY

July 4 is Independence Day. Another name for Independence Day is the Fourth of July. On this day, Americans remember the first Independence Day on July 4, 1776.

The Revolutionary War began in 1775. The 13 colonies were angry with England. They were tired of paying taxes to King George. They wanted freedom to make laws. So in 1776, leaders from the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They talked about freedom from England. Thomas Jefferson wrote a paper.

The paper, the Declaration of Independence, said the colonies were, «free and independent states». The leaders signed it on July 4, 1776. People in the 13 colonies were very happy about the Declaration of Independence. They made a lot of noise with bells, drums, and guns. People today like to make noise on Independence Day too.

The Fourth of July is a national holiday. Government offices, banks, and schools close. Most people don't go to work. Families and friends get together outside for picnics and cookouts. Many Americans fly the flag outside their homes or businesses on July 4. People also go to Fourth of July parades and listen to patriotic music. In the evening when it gets dark, people watch beautiful fireworks. In most states, people cannot buy fireworks because they are dangerous. People can get hurt. So city governments usually have safe fireworks for everyone to enjoy.

Independence Day isn't only a day for cookouts, noise, and fireworks. It is also a day to think about freedom. The Declaration of Independence says everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Declaration of Independence is more than 200 years old, but its ideas are important today.

HALLOWEEN

October 31 is Halloween. Halloween is not a national holiday, so people go to work. Children go to school. Halloween is a day to dress up and have fun. Children

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wear many different costumes. Some dress up as witches or ghosts. Other children wear animal costumes. Some dress up as TV characters. Parents make costumes for their children or buy costumes in stores.

Young children wear their costumes to school for class parties. After school, children go from house to house in their neighborhoods. Parents usually go with them. The children ring doorbells and say, «Trick or treat!» The treat is candy, fruit, or money. Some adults like to dress up and go to Halloween parties too. But adults don't go from house to house and ask for candy!

Halloween means «holy evening.» Halloween is the day before a religious day,

All Saints' Day. On All Saints' Day, Christians remember dead family and friends. They go to church and to the cemetery.

Many years ago, people in Great Britain were afraid the night before All Saints' Day. They were afraid of bad spirits from dead people. They wanted to scare away the bad spirits' so they painted their faces. They wore their clothes inside out. They cut scary faces in pumpkins and put candles inside. Immigrants from Great Britain brought these Halloween customs to the United States.

Today people arc not afraid on Halloween. Halloween is just for fun. People decorate their homes with witches, ghosts, and skeletons. They put scary pumpkins outside their houses. When Halloween is over, children are sad. They look forward to next year and a new costume. Only 364 days until next Halloween.

THANKSGIVING DAY

The fourth Thursday in November is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a national holiday so most people don't go to work. People get together with their families and friends to give thanks for the good things in their lives. Many people travel by plane, train, bus, or car to be with their relatives. More people travel for Thanksgiving than for any other holiday.

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On Thanksgiving Day, families come together for a special dinner. They eat turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberries. They will have pumpkin pie for dessert. After dinner, the families will relax and talk. Some of them will watch a football game on TV.

Thanksgiving started over 350 years ago with the Pilgrims. In the fall of 1620, one hundred Pilgrims came to the United States from England. They came on a boat, the Mayflower. Half of the people came for religious freedom. All came for new lives.

The first winter the Pilgrims were hungry, sick, and cold. Many people died. Then the Native Americans, the Indians, helped the Pilgrims. They taught the Pilgrims to plant corn and build houses. In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims and the Indians had the first Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims wanted to give thanks for their new land. They also wanted to thank the Indians for their help.

The first Thanksgiving was three days long. But in the years after the first Thanksgiving, there were many problems between the newcomers and the Indians. The newcomers took land from the Indians. They killed Indians and destroyed the Native American way of life. Today many Americans feel ashamed about this. Some states celebrate Native American days. On these days, Americans honor Native Americans and remember the peace and friendship of the first Thanksgiving.

CHRISTMAS

December 25 is Christmas. Christmas is both a national holiday and a religious holiday. Christians remember the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas. Many nonChristians celebrate Christmas too. The Christmas season starts after Thanksgiving, in late November. Christmas is a time for giving presents to friends, family, and poor people. Schools, businesses, and other groups give money, food, and toys to needy families.

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Some people make gifts, but most people buy presents in stores. Stores get very crowded around Christmas. There are shoppers everywhere! Stores have beautiful decorations in Christmas colors of red and green.

Many people decorate their homes at Christmas. They buy trees and decorate them with electric lights and ornaments. Some people put electric lights outside their houses. At Christmas, neighborhoods are beautiful with many bright Christmas lights.

Jewish people have a Festival of Lights in December. For eight days, Jewish people light candies and give gifts. This festivals Hanukkah, is a joyful holiday.

Before Christmas or Hanukkah, people send greetings to friends and relatives.

These cards say «Season's Greetings», «Happy Holidays» or «Merry Christmas.»

People also bake cookies to share with friends and neighbors. Christmas Eve is the night before Christmas. Children believe a fat, jolly man brings gifts on Christmas Eve. His name is Santa Claus. During the weeks before Christmas, parents bring their children to see Santa. Many stores have a Santa Claus for children to visit. Santa tells them, «Ho, ho, ho, and a Merry Christmas!»

Late on Christmas Eve, Santa comes down the chimney and puts presents under the tree. He also puts gifts in children's stockings. On Christmas morning, children look under the tree and in their stockings for gifts from Santa Claus.

Many people go to church on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. They sing joyful songs, Christmas carols. On Christmas Day, families open gifts and eat a holiday dinner together.

III. TEST

1. Answer the questions, using your knowledge of history:

1.Great Britain has lost its power over States of America. Why?

2.Guess why English colonization was so wide spread?

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3.Prove that there was the mutual influence of two cultures and ways of life (Indian and European)

4.What was the historical significance of the Declaration of Independence?

2. Pass a resolution:

1. One of the slave-owner’s leader said: “If there is no expantion of new lands, the slaves will escape from their masters, or the slave-owners, will deliver from their slaves.” What provoked him to say so?

2. High taxes for industrial goods were known as “Terrible Tariff” among the landowners of the South. Why?

3. “You dare not “to fight” against cotton,” – said slave-owner at the beginning of the war. “You can hardly find any force in the world to fight against it. Cotton makes the world go round.”

What were the Southern States planning according to this statement?

A. Lincoln, the president: “If I could save the Union, giving freedom to all slaves of the South, I’d be happy. If I could save the Union without giving freedom to any of slaves, I would do that.”

Douglas, the senator: “This war is to deside if slavery would exist at all.”

What is the difference of opinions and stands of two politicians?

3. Fill in the scheme:

The Social System of the USA:

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