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27. Geography. Geographical Position and Climate of the USA
Boundaries: Atlantic Ocean (east), Pacific ocean (west), Canada (north), Mexico (south). 48 contiguous states + federal district + HI, AK. Area: 9.857.306 sq. km (3rd). Climate: west from semi-arid to arid, east from humid continental to humid temperate and humid subtropical, the southern tip of FL and HI — tropical, CA — Mediterranean, WA — cool temperate oceanic, AK — subarctic. The highest temperature is in the Death Valley (up to 56 C). |
28. Geography. Relief, Rivers and Lakes of the USA
The Central Lowland, the Appalachian Mountains, the Adirondacks (east), the Rocky Mountains, the Cascade Range, the Sierra Nevada (west), the Great Plains, the Great Basin, the Grand Canyon, the Everglades (tropical wetlands in FL, River of Glass). Highest summits: Mt. McKinley, 6194 m (Alaska Range), Mt. Whitney, 4418 m (Sierra Nevada), Mt. Elbert, 4399 m (Rockies), Mt. Rainer, 4392 m (Cascades), Mt. Mitchell, 2037 (Appalachian Mountains). Rivers: east — the Mississippi (3779 km), the Missouri (3726 km), the Arkansas (2247 km), the Red (1638 km), The Ohio (1579 km), the Tennessee (1049 km); west — the Colorado (2330 km). the Columbia (1947 km), the Snake (1743 km),the San-Joaquin (530 km); others — the Yukon (3185 km), the Rio Grande (3034 km), the Potomac (616 km), the Hudson (507 km). Lakes: the Great Lakes — Superior, Ontario, Huron, Erie, Michigan. The Niagara Falls (border b/w NY and Ontario), The Great Salt Lake (Utah, 4th largest terminal lake in the world). |
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29. Geography. Plant and Animal Life in the USA
Rich variety of plant and animal life. Plant life. The Northeast: white pine, red pine, hemlock/tsuga, spruce, balsam fir, Jack pine. The Mideast & Southeast: maple, oak, ash, locust, linden, walnut, sweet gum. The Atlantic & Gulf coasts: pine, hickory, magnolia, white cedar. The Southern tip of FL: mangrove, fig, palm, satinwood. The Rockies, Cascades, Sierra Nevada: Douglas fir, red fir, yellow pine, western red cedar, western larch. The giant redwood (giant sequoia). The largest tree in the world is General Sherman (height 83.8 m, 2100 tons). The Petrified Forest. The grasslands of the Great Plains: buffalo, gramma, bunch, needle. Animal life. Today the animal geography of the US is far from its natural pattern for 5 main reasons: driving some species to almost extinction by hunting (buffalo); upsetting the habitants and migration routes by humans; spread of some introduced species (English sparrow); usage of poisonous chemicals; climatic warning. All territories: coyote, cougar / puma / panther / mountain lion, bobcat, American mink. Northern coniferous zone: moose, wolverine, American porcupine, otter, beaver, wolf. Eastern & southeastern hardwood forest area: salamander, white-tailed deer, raccoon, opossum. Grassland areas: buffalo, pronghorn, American badger, prairie dog, pocket gopher. South & southwestern deserts: armadillo, Gila monster, kangaroo rat, ring-tailed cat, peccary. The Rocky Mountain region: pika, marmot, grizzly, wapiti, goat antelope. The Pacific Region: sewellel, newt. American birds: bald eagle, mocking bird, oriole, tanager, wild turkey. |
30. Country. Symbols of the USA. Holydays in the USA
Symbols: 1. The Flag of the US (Old Glory, Stars and Stripes): 13 horizontal stripes — 7 red, 6 white (13 original colonies); 50 stars (50 states). Red: hardiness, valor. White: purity and innocence. Blue: vigilance, perseverance, justice. June 14 - Flag Day. 2. The US Great Seal (1782). Obverse: a bald eagle holding 13 arrows in its left talon (13 original colonies), an olive branch in its right talon: "a strong desire for peace, but will always be ready for war". 3. Bald eagle: majestic beauty, great strength, long life, native to North America. 4. National Anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner" (lyrics: Francis Scott Key, 1814; music: John Stafford Smith, 1780). Also: The Battle Hymn of the Republic, America the Beautiful. 5. Uncle Sam - a common national personification of the American government that came into use during the War of 1812 and was supposedly named for Samuel Wilson. 6. The Liberty Bell (celebrated the proclamation of Independence).
Holydays: New Year's Day (January 1) - fireworks, resolutions. Inauguration Day (January 20, previously - March 4) - a ceremony when the president makes an oath before the Capitol in Washington, DC. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (3rd Mon of Jan) - a holiday marking the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. Washington's Birthday (3rd Mon of February) - a holiday celebrated in honor of the first President of US. Memorial Day (last Mon of May) - is a federal holiday for remembering the men and women who died while serving in the country's armed forces, originated after the Civil War. Marks the start of the summer vacation season. Independence Day (July 4) - is a federal holiday in the United States of America commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from Great Britain (now part of the United Kingdom). Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, and political speeches and ceremonies Labor Day (1st Mon of Sep) - is a celebration of the American labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of workers. Columbus Day (2nd Mon in October) - the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas, which happened on October 12, 1492. Veterans Day (November 11) - honors people who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Appeared after WWII. Thanksgiving Day (4th Thursday in November) - giving thanks, prayer, spending time with family, turkey. First T. was celebrated by Pilgrims after their first harvest in 1621. Christmas Day (December 25). |
31. Country. Regions and States of the USA. Population
States were joined from east to west. North-East (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT, NJ, NY, PA). Midwest (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI, IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD). South (DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV, AL, KY, MS, TN, AR, LA, OK, TX). West (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, UT, WY, AK, CA, HI, OR, WA). Another classification: Pacific North-East, California, The Rocky Mountain Region, The Southwest, Midwest, The South, Mid-Atlantic Region, New England). Commonwealths: MA, PA, KY, VA. Largest states: AK (1.5 mln sq km), TX (0.7 mln sq km), CA (0.4 mln sq km). Smallest states: RI (2.706 sq km), DE (5.060 sq km), CT (12.548 sq km). Total population: 320 mln. Most populated states: CA (38 mln), TX (26 mln), NY (19.5 mln). Least populated states: WY (576 thousand), VT (626 thousand), ND (699 thousand). |
32. Country. Main Cities and Major Sights of the USA
1. Washington, DC — the capital. Sights: Capitol, White House, Supreme Court. The Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery are nearby (VA). 2. New York City, NY (8 mln people) — The Big Apple, The City That Never Sleeps, Gotham. Five boroughs: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island. Ethic centers: Harlem, Little Italy, Chinatown, Brighton Beach, Lower East Side. Sights: Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, Wall Street, Times Square. 3. Los Angeles, CA (4 mln) — L.A., The City of Angels. Sights: LA Center, Hollywood sign. 4. Chicago, IL (3 mln) — The Windy City, The City of Big Shoulders. Sights: Sears Tower, Lake Michigan. Major Sights of US: The Statue of Liberty (Enlightening the World) — Liberty Island, NYC harbor, The Washington Monument, The Jefferson Memorial, The Lincoln Memorial — Washington, D.C., Independence Hall — Phillie, PA, Mount Rushmore National Monument (Washington, Jefferson, T. Roosevelt, Lincoln — represents the nation’s independence, democratic process, leadership in world affairs, and equality). |
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33. Political System. US Constitution. State and Local Government
The United States is the longest-surviving existent constitutional republic. The Constitution of the USA (1789) is the world's oldest written national document. It was ratified on June 21, 1788, entered to the force on March 7, 1789. It creates the basic structure of the federal system. So, there are three levels of political power: the federal, the state and the local. At the heart of the US Constitution is the principle known as separation of powers. The Constitution ratified by all thirteen states in 1791 already contained ten amendments, collectively known as the Bill of Rights (the freedoms of religion, speech, and the press, etc.), to protect the citizens against possible tyranny by the federal government. Now 27. US is a republic. Officials of any rank are elected by US citizens. Every citizen has rights which cannot be violated. The Constitution proclaims a federal system of government which keeps both the states and the federal power from getting too much power. State and Local Government Some powers granted to states: 1. Highway and motor vehicle supervision; 2. Public safety; 3. Own criminal justice system. Some powers denied to states: 1. Tax imports or exports; 2. Coin money. Each state has a governor, a legislature and a judiciary. Each state has its own constitution. All state legislatures but one have two houses, Nebraska's unicameral. Most state judges are elected. In most states there is also a lieutenant governor, not always of the same party as the governor, who serves as the presiding officer of the Senate. Other elected officials commonly include a secretary of state, state treasurer, state auditor and attorney general. State governments have functions, encompassing agriculture and conservation, highway and motor vehicle supervision, public safety and corrections, licensing, business and industry, and certain aspects of education, public health and welfare. These activities require a large administrative organization, headed by the governor. Municipal governments are more diverse in structure than state governments. There are three basic types: mayor-council governments (the mayor and the council are elected; although the council is nominally responsible for formulating city ordinances, which the mayor enforces, the mayor often controls the actions of the council. Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Seattle, Wash., are among those cities having the mayor-council type of government), commission governments (voters elect a number of commissioners, each of whom serves as head of a city department; the presiding commissioner is generally the mayor. Tulsa, Okla., and Salt Lake City, Utah, are included among the cities with commission governments), council-manager governments (an elected council hires a city manager to administer the city departments. The mayor, elected by the council, simply chairs it and officiates at important functions. Des Moines, Iowa, and Cincinnati, Ohio, have council-manager governments)
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34. Political System. The Legislative Branch. Presidential Election in the USA
The US Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government. It is bicameral, comprising the House of Representatives and the Senate. The US Capitol is the seat of the United States Congress, located atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Functions of the Congress (make laws, est. federal courts, approve the choice of federal judges and the Cabinet, set taxes, borrow money, regulate interstate commerce, impeach and convict the President, declare war). The Congress consists of: The Senate (upper house) - 100 members (2 from each state), elected for 6 years (republicans, democrats and independent). Senators must be over 30 and have been US citizens for at least 9 years. The House of Representatives (lower house) - 435 members (depends on the population of the state), elected for 2 years. Representatives must be over 25 and have been US citizens for at least 7 years. Number of Representatives: CA - 55, AK - 3. Presidential Election The president is chosen by 538 members of the electoral college. The presidential election is actually 51 separate contests. Each state plus the D.C. administers its own elections. The President and Vice President run together as a "ticket" – voters elect them together. A ticket needs only to receive the most votes (a plurality, not a majority) in a state in order to ‘win’ the electors allocated to the state. A ticket needs to ‘win’ a majority of electors in order for its candidates to be declared President and Vice President. In the modern era, the ‘magic number’ is 270, half of the 538 electors plus one. (Must be over 35 years of age; a natural-born citizen (i.e. cannot be naturalized); have been a permanent resident of the US for 14 years.)
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35. Political System. The Executive Branch. Political Parties in the USA
The Executive Branch consists of the President, the Vice-president, the Cabinet, government departments and agencies. The White House - is the official residence and working place of the President, located in Washington, D.C. The President is the head of state and head of government of the United States; leads the executive branch of the federal government; is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces. Functions of the President: choose the 14 cabinet members who head departments; choose who will run as vice president; appoint federal judges; choose heads of agencies such as the FBI and CIA; propose laws, and approve federal laws after Congress has approved them; choose US ambassadors to foreign countries; responsible for relations with foreign countries; commander-in-chief of armed forces. The Vice President is the second-highest public office created by the United States Constitution; President of the US Senate (Joe Biden). The Cabinet is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, who are generally the heads of the federal executive departments; forms the government together with the president, advises the president on issues related to their departments. The members: the secretaries of State, Treasury, Defence, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Labour, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, Education, Energy and Veterans Affairs and the attorney general — are appointed by the president with the approval of the Senate. Democratic Party (donkey) - strongest in the Northeast, Great Lakes region, and the Pacific Coast. 1. Greater governmental intervention in the economy. 2. Loss governmental regulation of the private lives of citizens. 3. Higher taxes particularly on the wealthy to assist the elderly, the poor, the unemployed, and children. Republican Party (elephant). 1. Limited governmental regulation of the economy (free market). 2. More conservative social politics. 3. Lower taxes. |
36. Political System. The Judiciary Branch. The System of Checks and Balances
US Supreme Court interprets the meaning of the Constitution and of federal laws, consists of nine justices appointed for life by the president with the consent of the Senate. Congress has established 13 federal courts of appeals and 95 federal district courts. The Judiciary (the Supreme Court) has the power to: 1) determine whether a law is unconstitutional, 2) declare presidential acts unconstitutional. Also It has appellate jurisdiction for the lower federal courts and from state courts of last resort if a federal question is involved. The court has original jurisdiction over cases involving foreign ambassadors, ministers, consuls and cases to which a state is a party. Three types of cases commonly reach the Supreme Court: 1. involving litigants of different states, 2. involving the interpretation of federal law, 3. involving the interpretation of the Constitution. The court can take official action with as few as six judges joining in deliberation, and a majority vote of the entire court is decisive; a tie vote sustains a lower-court decision. Often the minority judges write a dissenting report. State Court System The lowest level of state courts are inferior courts. Such tribunals handle only minor civil and criminal cases. More serious offenses are heard in superior court. The superior courts have original jurisdiction over major civil suits and serious crimes such as grand larceny. The highest state court, usually called the appellate court Federal Court System The federal judiciary is divided into three main levels. Federal courts decide cases involving federal law, conflicts between citizens of different states. At the bottom are the federal district courts, which have original jurisdiction in most cases of federal law (maritime disputes, cases directly involving a state or the federal government, and cases in which citizens of foreign countries are involved). Directly above the district courts are the United States courts of appeals, each superior to one or more district courts. The courts of appeals have original jurisdiction in cases involving a challenge to an order of a federal regulatory agency. The system of checks and balances: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial branches are not independent of one another because the Constitution set up a system of checks and balances to help ensure that no one branch became too powerful. Each branch has powers that it can use to check and balance the operations and power of the other two branches. Following is a look at the specific checks that each branch has been given. The legislative (Congress) has the power to: 1)propose new laws; 2)decide upon taxes and how money is spent; 3)overrule presidential veto by two-thirds majority; 4)bring impeachment to the President. 5)Congress exerts oversight of executive activities 6)Can impeach and remove judges and justices 7)Creates federal courts inferior to the Supreme Court. The executive (the President) has the power to: 1)veto laws; 2)appoint Supreme Court Justices. The Judiciary (the Supreme Court) has the power to: determine whether a law is unconstitutional.
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37. Arts. General Information. Museums and Galleries of the USA
The USA has: 30000 libraries, 8000 museums, 7000 theatres, 1800 symphony orchestras.
Some popular art forms originated in the USA: Jazz. Musical theatre. Modern dance. Film. Abstract expressionism. The American novel.
In the USA culture operates in 3 main directions: - Commercial Enterprises, esp. film-producing. - Non-profit Organizations are concentrated on artistic experiment rather than financial profit. - Amateur Activities function as a key to creative and diverse American society.
The National Endowment for the Arts - a US government agency supporting the arts, since 1965.
US culture: mass culture and counterculture.
Museums: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, The Guggenheim Museum by Frank Lloyd Wright, New York, National Air and Space Museum, The Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. (14 museums), National gallery of art. |
38. Arts. Painting and Visual Arts in the USA
18th-19th centuries – landscapes and portraits in a realistic style based on Western painting and European arts. In rural America – a parallel development of the American craft movement as a reaction to the industrial revolution. Developments in modern art in Europe came to America from exhibitions in NYC (e.g., the Armory Show in 1913). After WWII, NYC replaced Paris as the center of the art world.
The Hudson River School - a mid-19th century American art movement embodied by a group of landscape painters whose aesthetic vision was influenced by romanticism; - paintings depict the Hudson River Valley and the surrounding area (the Catskill, Adirondack, and the White Mountains); - second generation – other locations (New England and the Maritimes); - Shroon Mountain, Adirondacks, oil painting by Thomas Cole, 1838; - Mount Washington from the Valley of Conway by John Frederick Kensett, 1851 (2nd).
The Ashcan School - the early 20th century; - portraying scenes of daily life in New York, often in the city's poorer neighborhoods; - rebelled against both American Impressionism and academic realism; - generally darker in tone and more roughly painted. Many captured - the harsher moments of modern life, portraying street kids, prostitutes, alcoholics, subways, crowded tenements; - Self-portrait by John Sloan, 1890; - Robert Henri, Snow in New York, 1902.
Abstract expressionism - a post–WWII art movement, developed in NY in the 1940s; - first specifically American movement to achieve international influence; - term "abstract expressionism" was first applied to American art in 1946 by the art critic Robert Coates; - extension of abstract expressionism - color-field painting. - Number 1 by Jackson Pollock, 1950; - Woman 1 by Willem de Kooning, 1952.
Pop-art - mid-1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the United States; - a challenge to traditions of fine art by including imagery from popular culture such as advertising, news, comic books etc.; - a reaction to the then-dominant ideas of abstract expressionism; - is aimed to employ images of popular, emphasizing the banal or kitschy elements of any given culture, most often through the use of irony; - Marilyn Diptych by Andy Warhol, 1962; - Drowning Girl by Roy Lichtenstein, 1963.
Minimalism - visual art displaying pared-down design elements; - in the 1960s and early 1970s; - Harran II by Frank Stella, 1967. |
39. Arts. Theatre, Opera and Dance in the USA. The Musical
American theatre is divided into 3 groups: - Broadway, Broadway Avenue, New York. - Off-Broadway, New York (Manhattan), elsewhere. - Off-off-Broadway, very small theaters, out of the way. Play writers: Eugene O'Neill (the father of American drama, a four-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for drama and the only American playwright to win the Nobel Prize for literature), Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller. Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text (called a libretto) and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company based in NYC. The company's origins were in the late 19th century as an alternative to the previously established Academy of Music opera house. The MO is the largest classical music organization in North America. It presents about 27 different operas each year in a season which lasts from late September through May. Dance: Isadora Duncan, Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor, Martha Graham, Twyla Tharp. Home of the hip-hop dance. Tap dance. Riverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish step dancing, notable for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary. Flamenco is a Spanish term that refers both to a musical genre, known for its intricate rapid passages, and a dance genre characterized by its audible footwork. Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an integrated whole. Oklahoma! is the first musical written by the team of composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. |
40. Arts. Music and Cinema in the USA
Music in the U.S. is diverse. It includes African-American influence in the 20th century. The first half of this century is famous for jazz, introduced by African-Americans in the south. In the 1960s—1990s, rock was prevalent. The most popular genres: Jazz originated at the beginning of the 20th Century within the African-American communities of the Southern US. Representative: Louis Armstrong - was an American jazz trumpeter and singer. Country music in the rural regions of the Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from the southeastern genre of American folk music and Western music. It often consists of ballads and dance tunes with generally simple forms and harmonies accompanied by mostly string instruments such as banjos, electric and acoustic guitars, fiddles, and harmonicas. Representative: Roy Acuff – “The King of the Country Music”. Rock and roll originated during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African-American genres such as blues, jazz together with Western swing and country music. Representative: Elvis Presley - one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as "the King of Rock and Roll". Rap - "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". Rapping is distinct from spoken word poetry in that it is performed in time to a beat. Representative: Run–D.M.C - an American hip hop group. The cinema of US has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history can be separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period. A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, mime and title cards (the late 1920s). Classical Hollywood cinema designate both a visual and sound style for making motion pictures and a mode of production used in the American film industry between 1927 and 1963 ("golden age of Hollywood"). New Hollywood or post-classical Hollywood "American New Wave", — late-1960s — early 1980s. Representatives: Actors: Audrey Hepburn (British actress), a film and fashion icon, was active during Hollywood's Golden Age. She was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third greatest female screen legend in the history of American cinema. Marilyn Monroe (American actress) was a model, and singer, a major sex symbol, starring in a number of commercially successful motion pictures during the 1950s and early 1960s. Directors: Martin Scorsese is one of the greatest directors of all time. (“Gangs of New York”) George Lucas is best known for Star Wars and the archaeologist adventurer character Indiana Jones.
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41. History. The Colonial Period. First Explorers and Settlers
1492 — Cristopher Columbus arrives. Roanoke Colony (Lost Colony) — Queen Elizabeth I to establish a permanent English settlement. Early 1600s - the beginning of emigration from Europe to North America (sponsored by the private groups of individuals). 1607 - first English colony was founded at Jamestown, Virginia. The thirteen original colonies: New England (NH, MA, CT, RI), Middle (DE, PA, NJ, NY), Southern (VA, MD, NC, SC, GA) established by 1733. 1620 - the Piligrims arrived on Mayflower and founded Plymouth Colony in MA. 1681 - William Penn founded PA. Reasons: seeking for freedom of religion or adventures, escaping political oppression. Settlers: English, German, Swedes, Dutch, French, Spaniards, Italians, Portuguese. 1619 - first African slaves were brought to VA. Initially, many were regarded as indentured servants who could earn their freedom. By the 1660s, Africans were brought to America in shackles for a lifetime of involuntary servitude. Activities: New England — shipbuilding, lumbering, agriculture (wheat, corn), fishing, producing dairy; Middle — agriculture (grain, rice, indigo, wheat, corn), lumbering, shipbuilding, ironworks, textiles, papermaking, breeding of livestock; Southern — agriculture (tobacco, wheat, corn, rice, indigo, cotton, sugar), shipbuilding, ironworks. |
42. History. American Revolution. The Frontier
The American Revolutionary War (American War of Independence) — 1775–1783. Reason: growing tension b/w residents of GB's 13 colonies and the colonial government, which represented the British crown; high taxes. 1770 – Boston massacre. December 16, 1773 - Boston Tea Party, destruction of a shipment of tea by colonists. The port of Boston was closed. The Patriots in MA set up an alternative shadow government. 12 + MA formed a Continental Congress. April 1775 - skirmishes b/w British troops and colonial militiamen in Lexington and Concord kicked off the armed conflict, which developed in a full-scale war for the independence of the rebels. 1776 – CC adopts the Declaration of Independence (July 4). 1777 - CC approves the first official flag (June 14). CC adopts the Articles of Confederation, the first U.S. constitution (Nov. 15). 1778 - France entered the AR on the side of the colonists; the war became an international conflict. 1779 - Americans won their independence after France helped the Continental Army force the British surrender at Yorktown, VA. 1783 - official ending of fighting; The Peace of Paris. Major battles: Jun. 1775 – The Battle of Bunker Hill (defeat, encouragement), Dec. 1775 – The Battle of Quebec (first major defeat), Jan. 1780 – The Battle of Cape St. Vincent (British army defeated Spanish; Moonlight Battle).
The Frontier was the zone of the Wild West, located in what is now ND, SD, MT, WY, CO, KS, NE, and TX, which was gradually expanded and moved to the west up to the Pacific coast. The US Census Bureau determined the frontier as the boundary beyond which population density was less than 2 people per square mile. USA got the new territories due to several deals: Louisiana Purchase, 1803; Mexican Cession, 1848; Gadsden Purchase, 1853, acquisition of Oregon Country. The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) — 300 thousand people. Pony Express (1860–1861). Missouri Compromise (1820) — slavery is prohibited north of the parallel 36°30′north except MO. Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) — states can decide by themselves whether they want to be slavery ones or not.
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43. History. The Civil War. The Reconstruction and the Wild West
Abolitionism - the movement prior to the American Civil War (1861–1865) to end slavery, whether formal or informal, in the United States. South = Confederacy (Jefferson Davis, Judah P. Benjamin, Robert E. Lee), North = Union (Lincoln, Edwin M. Stanton, Ulysses S. Grant). Causes of secession: slavery, states' rights Result: Union victory Slavery abolished Territorial integrity preserved Lincoln assassinated five days after Lee's surrender Destruction and dissolution of the Confederacy Beginning of the Reconstruction Era Main battles: 1) Shiloh (Pittsburg Landing) April 6, 1862 - April 7, 1862 At the time, Shiloh was both the bloodiest single day and bloodiest two-day battle in American history. 2) Gettysburg July 1, 1863 to July 3, 1863. 3) Fort Sumter April 12, 1861 to April 13, 1861 1862 – Emancipation Proclamation. 1863 – Homestead Act. Reconstruction (1865-1877). January 1865 – 13th Amendment: slavery is abolished. 1865–1870s - Ku Klux Klan. Many military and government officials were deprived of voting rights, some black were given the right to vote (suffrage) (1870). April 1865 — Lincoln was killed, Andrew Johnson took his place. Black Codes discriminated black people (low wages, not free to move from place to place). 1876 – elections, Tilden (democrat) won, but electors gave their votes to Rutherford Haze (republican). 1877 — Compromise, the end of Reconstruction Era. Haze withdrew the North troops from the South. 1862 — Pacific Railroad Act to build First Transcontinental Railroad to connect the central states with the Atlantic coast. People began to move to CA after that. 1867 – acquisition of Alaska. 1871 - Chicago fire kills 300 and leaves 90,000 people homeless (Oct. 8–9). 1898 - U.S. annexes Hawaii by an act of Congress (July 7). |
44. History. The 20th Century
US became the world's leading industrial power due to an outburst of entrepreneurship in the North and Midwest, and the arrival of millions of immigrant workers and farmers from Europe. The national railroad network completed by Chinese immigrants, and large-scale mining and factories industrialized the Northeast and Midwest. Mass dissatisfaction with corruption, inefficiency and traditional politics stimulated the Progressive movement (1890s to 1920s), which led to many social and political reforms. In 1920 the 19th Amendment guaranteed women's suffrage. 16th and 17th in 1909 and 1912 est. first national income tax and direct election of U.S. senators to Congress. Initially neutral in WWI, US declared war on Germany in 1917, and funded the Allied victory the following year. After a prosperous decade in the 1920s, the Wall Street Crash of 1929 marked the onset of the decade-long world-wide Great Depression. Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt ended the Republican dominance of the White House and implemented his New Deal programs for relief, recovery, and reform. They defined modern American liberalism. These included relief for the unemployed, support for farmers, Social Security and a minimum wage. After the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941, US entered WWII alongside the Allies. August 1945 – Hiroshima and Nagasaki. US and SU - rival superpowers after WWI. 1947 - Cold War, confronting one another indirectly in the arms race and Space Race. Wars in Korea and Vietnam to stop the spread of communism. 1962 - The Cuban missile crisis - a 13-day confrontation in October 1962 over Soviet ballistic missiles deployed in Cuba. It was the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war. Results: withdrawal of SU's nuclear missiles from Cuba, US - from Turkey. Never invade Cuba without provocation. Nuclear hotline. 1969 — Armstrong lands on the Moon.
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45. History. The 21th Century
11 Sep 2001 - a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks launched by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda upon the US in NYC and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Two planes crashed into the North and South Twin Towers, The Pentagon, and an attempt to attack the White House > 3,000 victims. U.S. and Britain launch air attacks against targets in Afghanistan after Taliban government fails to hand over Saudi terrorist Osama bin Laden, the suspected mastermind behind the Sept. 11 attacks (Oct. 7). Following air campaign and ground assault by Afghani opposition troops, the Taliban regime topples (Dec. 9); however, the hunt for bin Laden and other members of al-Qaeda terrorist organization continues. 2004 - The United States presidential election 2004 was the 55th quadrennial presidential election. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry.. 29 Aug 2005 - Hurricane Katrina was the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Katrina formed in the Bahamas and made its biggest impact as a Category 3 storm in New Orleans, LA. Barack Obama's Election-4 Nov 2008. Barack Obama became the first African-American President. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill began on 20 Apr 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. On the evening of 20 April 2010, a gas release and subsequent explosion occurred on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig working on the Macondo exploration well for BP in the Gulf of Mexico. Eleven people died as a result of the accident and others were injured. Boston Marathon bombings - On April 15, 2013, double bombings near the finish line of the Boston Marathon killed three people and injured at least 264. |
46. Economy. General Features. The Primary Sector
US is the world’s greatest economic power. General features: rich natural resources, enormous agricultural output, highly developed industry. US' nominal GDP was estimated to be $16.6 trillion in June 2013 ,approximately a quarter of nominal global GDP. Resilience, flexibility , innovation. The US has abundant natural resources, a well-developed infrastructure, and high productivity, the world's 6th-highest per capita GDP. World's 3rd-largest producer of oil and 2nd-largest producer of natural gas. ~2% of USA’s population in the primary sector. Only about 0.7% of the work force is employed in farming, forestry and fishing. Primary exports: wheat, corn, vegetables, cotton, beef, pork, poultry, dairy products, fish and forest products. Major natural resources and minerals: natural gas, petroleum (AK, CA, Gulf of Mexico), iron ore (MI, MN), coal (WY, App.), copper (AZ), zinc (TN), lead (MO). Major ways of producing energy: coal-burning (50–60%), nuclear generation (20%), hydroelectricity (10%). Lands representing major types of farming – belts: 1. Corn Belt (Midwest) — corn/maize (36% of world’s total), soybeans (47%). 2. Wheat Belt (Great Plains). 3. Dairy Belt (Great Lakes, Rockies, Southwest). 4. Cotton Belt (South). Forest: softwood (Douglas fir, southern pine) — 80%, Rockies, AK, hardwood (oak) — 20%, App.
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47. Economy. The Role of the Government. The Secondary Sector
The 1st labor union — The Industrial Workers of the World, 1905. “An injury to one is an injury to all.” John Rockefeller — Stanford Oil Company, 1870, Rockefeller Foundation, The University of Chicago, 1892. Andrew Carnegie — Carnegie Hall, a large concert hall in NY, 1891. Henry Ford — Ford Motor Company, 1903. Introduced assembly-line methods and five-day 40-hour week.
~23% of USA’s population is in the secondary sector. Federal agencies of the government regulate the following aspects of the US industries: - worker safety and work conditions; - air and water pollution; - food and prescription drug safety; - automobile fuel economy; - transportation safety; - public health programs (Medicaid & Medicare). Some of the major government-owned companies are: the US postal service, the Tennessee Valley authority (electricity), the National Railroad Passenger Corporation “Amtrak”. Significant economic productivity occurs in the following range of industries: - transportation equipment (including motor vehicles (1/5 of the world’s car) ,aircraft (2/3), space equipment (leading sector); - computer and telecommunications firms (including software and hardware); - drug manufacturing and biotechnology; - food products and chemicals; - electrical and nonelectrical machinery.
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48. Economy. The Great Depression. The Tertiary Sector
~ 75% of USA’s population is in the tertiary sector. Financial services are provided by insurance companies and security brokerages. The federal government sponsors credit agencies in the areas of housing, farming, higher education. New York has 3 organized stock exchanges: - NY Stock Exchange selling and buying over 90mln shares daily; - The American Stock Exchange; - National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation. Leading export: electrical and office machinery, chemical products , motor vehicles, airplanes and aviation parts, scientific equipment. International trade: Canada, Mexico, Japan, China, UK. Major import: manufactured goods, goods and beverages, petroleum and fuel products, machinery and transportation equipment. Transportation: Amtrak (21.000-mile), Interstate System (45.000-mile), The Mississippi River System, The Great Lakes — St. Lawrence Seaway (north), The Gulf Coast Waterways (south). Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Int. Airport. 15000 airports. The Great Depression is the period of severe economic failure in most countries of the world that lasted from 1929 until WWII. The depression begins in the US when the NYSE fell on 29 Oct 1929 (Black Tuesday). It was the longest, most widespread, and deepest depression of the 20th century. The Great Depression had devastating effects in countries rich and poor. Personal income, tax revenue, profits and prices dropped, while international trade plunged by more than 50%. Unemployment in the U.S. rose to 25%, and in some countries rose as high as 33%.Cities all around the world were hit hard, especially those dependent on heavy industry. Construction was virtually halted in many countries. Farming and rural areas suffered as crop prices fell by approximately 60%. The new deal program was started in 1933.It aimed at immediate economic relief and reforms in industry, agriculture, finance, waterpower, labor and housing.
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49. Media. Newspapers and Magazines
Newspapers — controlling the actions of the officials, their decisions. (“Fourth Estate”, “Watchdog”.) The 1st Amendment: “Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of the press”. Not eligible for protection: defamation, obscenity, military and atomic secrets, privacy. Features: objectivity, detachment, separating facts from opinions. 09/25/1690 — the 1st American newspaper “Public Occurrences: Both Foreign and Domestic” (one-timer). 04/24/1704 — the 1st continuously published newspaper. Yellow journalism — downplays legitimate news in favor of eye-catching headlines that sell more newspapers. Investigative journalism — reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, such as serious crimes, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. Watergate scandal — a major political scandal that occurred in the 1970s as a result of the June 17, 1972, break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement. Standards (local, national, international new) and Tabloids (celebrities, comic strips, advice column). More than 9000 newspapers: The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The NY Times, LA Times, The Washington Post (1878). USA Today (1982) has prospered by adopting successful TV techniques in newspaper format: visual images, graphics, etc.
Magazines: Time (1923), Newsweek, Vogue, etc. Fanzine. |
50. Media. TV, Radio and Internet in the USA
Average American devotes ~9 h./day to the media (4.5 h. to the TV)
TV: broadcast (NBC — 1926, CBS, ABC), cable, satellite (MTV, Fox News, Sci Fi, Disney Channel, Discovery Channel, TNT, Lifetime). Discovery Channel is focused primarily on popular science, technology and history. PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), est. by the Public Broadcasting Act (1967) is supported by money from the US government, large companies and the public. Radio (became popular in 1920s): “talk-radio”, “call-in questions”. Most popular music formats: country and western, religious, adult contemporary. National Public Radio — is a national non-profit organization. Satellite radio (paid). Internet. Google Inc. was founded by a former Russian citizen Sergey Brin and an American Larry Page in 1998. |
51. Educational System. Pre-School Education. Types of Schools
Public education is universally available, with control and funding coming from the state, local, and federal government.
The education begins with preschool (pre-K), which is not compulsory. For children 3-5. Normally run by private organizations. Head Start Program, first federally funded pre-K program, was founded in 1965 and attempts to prepare children (esp. disadvantaged) to succeed in school. Children are frequently permitted to choose from a variety of activities (drawing, painting, playing house, puzzles, listening to the teacher reading a story aloud).
Compulsory education: - kindergarten - 5-6; - 6-3-3 plan: elementary school - 6-12; junior high school - 12-15; senior high school - 15-18; - 5-3-4 plan; - 6-2-4 plan: elementary school - 1-6 grades; middle school - 7-8 grades; high school: 9th grade - freshman, 10th - sophomore, 11th - junior, 12th - senior.
Higher education: undergraduate school - 4 years, graduate school - various degrees and curricular partitions.
Public, private, home, parochial. |
52. Educational System. Colleges and Universities
Colleges (no scientific research) and universities can be: vocational, business, engineering, technical, liberal arts.
Colleges: community C. (2 years, associate's degree), liberal arts C., C. within the university (4 year, bachelor's degree).
Universities are research-oriented educational institutions which provide both undergraduate and graduate programs (master's degree, Ph.D.).
Harvard College was founded by the colonial legislature in 1636. Ivy League — a group of universities that is believed to have high quality of education: Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. |