The Americans

RICH HISTORY

– The United States is a very young country when compared to others:

• England – • Egypt – • China – • United States – a little more than 225 years

old

NATIVE AMERICANS

- The first people to arrive on the landmass that we now call the United States.

– The Native Americans developed various hunting, fishing, and resource use that we still use today in our daily life.

– Some different Indians groups were the:• Sioux• Cherokee• Choctaw

EXPLORERS AND COLONISTS

– Around 1500, Europeans started to explore Americas.

– Once they realized the potential that North America offered with its vast forests, furs, rich soils, and animals they began to settle or develop COLONIES – overseas settlements tied to a parent country.

EXPLORERS AND COLONISTS

• 1565 - ST. Augustine FL – the first permanent European colony set up in North America. – 1607 – Jamestown VA – established disease and

starvation struck, and only 32 of the original 105 survived. Captain John Smith, Pocahontas.

– 1620 – Cape Cod MA – Mayflower ships land with 101 colonists. Mayflower compact is signed as the first form of local government in the United States.

• The Rest is history!!!!!!!!

THE U.S. CONSTITUTION

– By the mid 1700’s many British colonist started to see themselves as Americans.

– 1775 – Thirteen of the British colonists rebelled against England

– 1776- July 4th we declared ourselves INDEPENDENT creating the United States of America.

THE U.S. CONSTITUTION

– Each of the 13 original states quickly wrote a plan of government

– 1787 – A group of Americans gathered together in Philadelphia to create the Constitution.

– The Constitution is still in effect today, however since 1789, it has changed new amendments have been added or changed, however the basis for the constitution still remains in tact today, FREEDOM and RIGHTS of the PEOPLE.

A FEDERAL REPUBLIC

– The U.S. is based on a _______________________ democracy.

– Representative • Voters in each state chose leaders to represent them

in government making the U.S. a ____________________ republic – meaning that the power is divided between the state, federal and national governments

• Federal

A FEDERAL REPUBLIC

– What are the branches of government and their jobs? ___________________________________, ___________________________________, ___________________________________.

• Executive - president• Legislative – House & Senate• Judicial – Court system

A PERIOD OF GROWTH

– 1800 – 1900 the U. S. expanded from 13 to 45 states.

– There was the INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION – where factories sprang up all over the nation

– 1861- The southern states secede from the union to protect their rights and liberties of their way of life which included slavery.

– 1865- The Civil war ended, and the southern states were brought back into the union.

A PERIOD OF GROWTH

– After the CIVIL WAR, the nation sprang into a period of economic growth.

– Immigrants began to move here in large numbers from all over the world.

– By early 1900’s the U.S. was a melting pot society.

ONE OUT OF MANY

– 292 million people and counting– 1/3 of population comes from European descent– 12% African America– Hispanics are the fastest growing population in

America today. – English is the first language

People have the option to move about freely

• Rural – country side areas. At one time our nation was mainly a rural land.

• Urban – the cities. During the industrial revolution we saw the nation move into the cities to find jobs making it a mixture of rural and urban.

• Suburbs – smaller communities surrounding the cities. Today people have started moving out of the cities and into its surrounding communities.

American Culture– Give me some examples of American culture

• artists –

• sports –

• music –

• recreation –