Washington, George

The first president of the United States, and the commanding general of the victorious American army in the Revolutionary War. The best known of the Founding Fathers, Washington is called the father of his country. He was born in 1732 in Virginia and showed early talent as a surveyor and farmer. He served as an army officer in the French and Indian War, as a member of the Virginia legislature, and as a delegate to the Continental Congress. In the summer of 1775, a few weeks after the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, he took command of the American army. He and his men won early victories over the British in New Jersey at Trenton and Princeton, despite a great lack of training and supplies. Washington is particularly remembered for keeping up morale during the hardships of winter encampment at Valley Forge. His victory at the Battle of Yorktown ended the fighting.

Washington presided at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and in 1789 he was unanimously elected the first president under the new Constitution. As president, he pursued a careful foreign policy, endorsed the financial program of Alexander Hamilton, and put down the Whisky Rebellion. Refusing to seek a third term as president, he retired from the office in 1797, issuing a Farewell Address that advised against party politics at home and against permanent alliances abroad. After he died in 1799, he was praised by Congress as “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.”

The qualities of Washington that have stood out over the centuries are his courage, his impartiality, and his good judgment.

The capital of the United States is named after George Washington, as is a northwestern state. Over thirty states have a Washington County, and his name has been given to numerous mountains, lakes, streets, and buildings.

The painting of Washington Crossing the Delaware, which shows him leading his army toward a surprise attack on the British, is well known. His portrait is on the one-dollar bill, and his profile appears on the twenty-five-cent piece.

Washington is the subject of many legends, which often celebrate his honesty (such as the story of Washington and the cherry tree) or his strength (such as the tale that he threw a rock, or a silver dollar, across the Rappahannock River).

22,23 вопросы– самостоятельно!!!

Identify the following persons or places:

1) George Washington (1732-99) - a U.S. general (American military leader) in the War for Independence and statesman and the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. (Commander of the American forces in the Revolutionary War (1775–1783), he presided(председательствовал) over the Second Constitutional Convention (1787) and was elected President of the fledgling (начинающей)country (1789).

2) Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) – The third President of the United States (1801–1809). A member of the second Continental Congress, the author of the Declaration of Independence (1776). His presidency was marked by the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France (1803) and the Tripolitan War (1801–1805). A political philosopher, educator, and architect.

3) Abraham Lincoln ( 1809–1865) - The 16th President of the United States (1861–1865), who led the Union during the Civil War and emancipated slaves in the South (1863)(he was against slavery). He was assassinated shortly after the end of the war by John Wilkes Booth.

4) Jamestown- former village in southeastern Virginia, established on May 14, 1607 by the London Company as the first permanent English settlement in North America.

5) Lexington and Concord- the cities in Massachusetts where in 1775 (April 19) (the Battle of Lexington and Concord) the first battle in The War of Independence took place. Английский отряд, действовавший в линейном боевом порядке, был разбит меньшим по численности отрядом повстанцев, действовавшим в рассыпном строю.

6) Gettysburg - The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863), fought in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign, was the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War and is frequently cited as the war's turning point. Union Major General George G. Meade's Army of the Potomac defeated attacks by Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, ending Lee's second and final invasion of the North.

7) Paul Revere - Paul Revere (January 1, 1735 – May 10, 1818) was an American silversmith of French descent and a patriot in the American Revolutionary War. Immortalized after his death for his role as a messenger in the Battle of Lexington and Concord, Revere was a prosperous and well-known craftsman who was born in the class of tradesmen yet yearned to advance to the class of gentleman. He served as an officer in one of the most disastrous campaigns of the war, a role for which he was later exonerated. Soon after the war, he recognized the potential for large-scale manufacturing of metal goods and is considered by some historians to be the prototype of the American industrialist.

8) Pearl Harbor - The Imperial Japanese Navy made its attack on Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7, 1941. The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was aimed at the Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy and its defending Army Air Corps and Marine air forces. The USA suffered great losses. A lot of people died. Admiral Yamamoto planned the raid as the start of the Pacific Campaign of World War. However, the Pacific Fleet's three aircraft carriers were not in port and so were undamaged, as were oil tank farms, submarine pens, and machine shops. Using these resources the United States was able to rebound within six months to a year. The U.S. public saw the attack as a treacherous act and rallied strongly against the Japanese Empire, resulting in its later defeat. This attack has been called the Bombing of Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Pearl Harbor but, most commonly, the Attack on Pearl Harbor or simply Pearl Harbor.

9) Manhattan - Manhattan refers both to the Island of Manhattan which borders the lower Hudson River, and also to the Borough of Manhattan (one of the five boroughs of New York City), which includes the Island of Manhattan itself, as well as several other smaller islands and a small portion of the mainland. The borough is conterminous with New York County, and addresses within the borough of Manhattan are typically designated as New York, New York. As of 2000, the population comprised 1,537,195 people, but the county is geographically among the smallest in the United States with only 33 square miles (85 km?) of land. Thus, it is by far the most densely populated county in both the state and the entire United States.

10) Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh (Western Pennsylvania). Pittsburgh, nicknamed The Steel City, was traditionally considered the center of the American steel industry. In recent years the city has turned to technology, especially biotechnology and robotics, leading the Wall Street Journal to dub the city "Roboburgh."

+ some history (maybe it’ll be useful):

· France was the first European country to send settlers to the forks of the Ohio River. They did so after capturing a small British garrison founded by William Trent. The Virginia colony sent Major George Washington to deliver a message to the French, demanding their withdrawal, and to reconnoiter their positions. The French refused. Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia then sent Washington back in command of a small troop of colonial soldiers, but the French forced him to surrender at a makeshift fort, Fort Necessity.

· During the French and Indian War (1754-1763), the British colonies captured Fort Duquesne, which sat at the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers, at the part of downtown Pittsburgh now known as "The Point". The British built a larger fort on the same site and named it Fort Pitt in honor of the British statesman William Pitt the Elder. Fort Pitt was garrisoned in case of French attack during the French and Indian War, but by the time the improvements were made the war was over.

11) Franklin D. Roosevelt -The 32nd President of the United States (1933–1945). Governor of New York (1929–1932), he ran for President with the promise of a New Deal for the American people. His administration was marked by relief programs, measures to increase employment and assist industrial and agricultural recovery from the Depression, and World War II. He was the only U.S. President to be reelected three times (1936, 1940, and 1944). He died in office.

12) New Amsterdam -(Dutch: Nieuw Amsterdam) was the name of the 17th century fortified settlement in the New Netherland Province, established in 1624, that would eventually become New York City.

13) William Penn -(October 14, 1644–July 30, 1718) founded the Province of Pennsylvania, the British North American colony that became the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. (The democratic principles that he set forth served as an inspiration for the United States Constitution.)

14) Philadelphia (often referred to simply as " Philly " and sometimes as the " the City of Brotherly Love ") is the fifth most populous city in the United States and the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, both in area and population.

Explain what (who) is meant by:

1. Nominee - a person who has been officially suggested for a position, an honor, or election: He is a nominee for best actor. Nomination- 1. The act or an instance of appointing a person to office. 2. The act or an instance of submitting a name for candidacy or appointment. 3. The state of being nominated

2. Electoral college (коллегия выборщиков) – (electing body: a select body of people who elect somebody to an office on behalf of a larger group) the system for electing the US Pres. and Vice-pres.. It is made up of the members of the House of Repr. + the Senate. Each party makes its own list of its representatives. In General elections people formally vote for the electoral college. In December the members of the electoral college vote for president.

3. Impeachment - the procedure by which a public official or politician in the US, including the President, is charged with committing a political crime, and may be forced to leave the job. Only two presidents have been impeached. The first was Andrew Johnson in 1868, who remained president after the US Senate decided by one vote that he should do so. The second was Bill Clinton in 1999, who was also judged not guilty of acting illegally.

4. Inauguration - a ceremonial induction into office, the day every 4 years when the new president, elected in November, officially takes power. The ceremony takes place on 20 January in Washington, DC. The Pr. and Vice-pr. say the Oath of Office. Then the Pres. gives the inaugural address. In the evening there are official inaugural balls.

5. The Boston Tea Party - occurred on 16 December 1773, two years before the American Revolution. In order to protest against the British tax on tea, a group of Americans dressed as Mohawk Indians went into three British ships in Boston harbor and threw 342 large boxes of tea into the sea.

6. Stars and Stripes - the flag of the US. The 50 white stars on the blue stand for the 50 states of the country. The 13 interchanging red and white stripes stand for the 13 colonies that became the first states.

7. The Bill of Rights - consists of the first ten amendments to the US Constitution. All of them were agreed in 1791. They give the Americans rights which are now considered basic, but which were unusual at that time. The government cannot limit them. They are: the right of press, speech and religion; the right to bear arms; the prohibition of quartering of troops; protection against unlawful search and seizure; the right to a fair and public trail & so on.

8. The Founding Fathers - the Americans who established the form of the US government at the Federal Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, 1787 when they created and signed the American Constitution. The best known FF are G. Washington, Th. Jefferson, B. Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams and James Madison.

9. The New Deal (новый порядок) - the programme begun by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1930s to end the Great Depression. It introduced new economic and social measures, and made the national government more powerful. It was the first attempt at introducing the public sector into the economy which had until been totally controlled by private business. Under the ND enterprises received subsidies, banks received government support. Public works provided work for unemployed. These measures stimulated business and provided employment.

10. Minutemen[‘minitmn ] - a name given to members of the militia [mi’liòe] of the American Colonies during the American Revolution, who were ready to fight with only a minute's warning. The best known minutemen are from Massachusetts who fought at the battles of Lexington and Concord. The same groups were also formed in Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maryland.

11. A system of checks and balances - a political system in which no single part of a government can become too powerful, because it needs the agreement of the other parts for its actions to be legal, a system that limits power within a group or organization.

12. The Emancipation Declaration – Emancipation Proclamation, U.S. Hist., the proclamation issued by President Lincoln on January 1, 1863, freeing the slaves in those territories still in rebellion against the Union and the federal government.

13. The Gettysburg Address - an important speech that was given by the US President Abraham Lincoln in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, during the Civil War in 1863. It includes the famous expression ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people’.

14. DC (as in Washington, DC) – abbreviation, District of Columbia (a federal area on the Maryland side of the Potomac River that encompasses only the U.S. capital city of Washington)

15. Louisiana Purchase -the treaty of 1803 in which the United States purchased from France the territory extending from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada, or the territory itself. It was purchased for $15 million and officially explored by the Lewis and Clark expedition (1804–1806). The largest single territorial addition ever made to the United States, it comprised 2,100,000 sq km (800,000 sq miles).

What was this person’s contribution into American or world culture or science?

1)Franklin, Benjamin- American public official, diplomat,, writer, scientist, and printer, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.. After the success of his Poor Richard's Almanac (1732–1757), he entered politics and played a major part in the American Revolution. Franklin negotiated French support for the colonists, signed the Treaty of Paris (1783), and helped draft the Constitution (1787–1789) was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and negotiated with France and Britain on behalf of the newly formed government of the United States. His numerous scientific and practical innovations include the lightning rod, bifocal spectacles, and a stove

Франклин разработал теорию происхождения штормовых ветров, участвовал в изучении Гольфстрима. Он доказал электрическую природу молнии, изобрел громоотвод (1752), ввел понятие положительного и отрицательного зарядов электричества. Научные заслуги Франклина получили международное признание, он был избран почетным членом ряда иностранных академий и обществ, в т. ч. Петербургской АН (1789). Был председателем конвента, разработавшего первую конституцию штата Пенсильвания. В 1775 назначен членом миссии по выработке договоров о дружбе и оборонительном союзе с Францией, которые были подписаны в 1778 в Париже. В 1778 конгресс назначил Франклина посланником США во Франции. В 1781-83 он входил в состав делегации по выработке мирного договора с Великобританией, участвовал в его подписании. В 1785 вернулся в США. В 1785-88 — президент исполнительного совета Пенсильвании. На Конституционном конвенте в Филадельфии (1787) высказался за принятие Конституции США.

Основал в Филадельфии первую в североамериканских колониях публичную библиотеку (1731), Пенсильванский университет (1740), Американское философское общество (1743). Призывал к отмене рабства негров. По философским воззрениям деист. Сформулировал за полвека до А. Смита трудовую теорию стоимости. Как естествоиспытатель известен главным образом трудами по электричеству, разработал его унитарную теорию. Один из пионеров исследований атмосферного электричества; предложил молниеотвод. Иностранный почетный член Петербургской АН (1789).

2)Armstrong, Louis- Known as “Satchmo.” American jazz trumpeter. A virtuoso musician and popular, gravelly voiced singer, he greatly influenced the development of jazz.

Дату своего рождения точно не знал и выбрал ее произвольно — 4 июля 1900 года(День независимости США). Исследователи предполагают, что Армстронг родился в 1901 году. Он рос в бедной, неблагополучной семье (мать — прачка, нелегально занималась проституцией, отец — рабочий-поденщик, бросил семью, когда сыну было около 5 лет). В тринадцатилетнем возрасте, во время городского праздника Луи выстрелил на улице из пистолета, похищенного у полисмена — одного из «посетителей» своей матери. За это мальчик попал в исправительный дом. Здесь он начал учиться музыке, освоил альтгорн и корнет, выступал в составе духового оркестра и хора. После освобождения вернулся домой, перебивался редкими заработками, играл в барах с любительскими ансамблями, продолжал учиться у нью-орлеанских музыкантов, периодически работал в джаз-оркестрах.

Он создал некую разновидность «поп-джаза», гибко адаптирующуюся к любому стилевому контексту и к любой аудитории, смог удовлетворить вкусы различных категорий слушателей (включая поклонников популярной музыки и шлягера). До него джаз был лишь негритянской народной музыкой в оркестровом исполнении. Ослепительная улыбка Армстронга и руки, сжимающие трубу, стали одним из символов 20 века.

3)King, Martin Luther (Jr)- United States Baptist minister and charismatic civil rights leader who campaigned against the segregation of Blacks (1929-1968). КИНГ (King) Мартин Лютер, один из руководителей борьбы за гражданские права негров в США, инициатор тактики ненасильственных действий. Баптистский пастор (с 1954). Основатель негритянской организации «Южная конференция христианского руководства» (1957). Нобелевская премия Мира (1964). Убит расистами.

4)Ford, Henry- (1863-1947), American industrialist, best known for his pioneering achievements in the automobile industry. In 1896, after experimenting for years in his leisure hours, he completed the construction of his first automobile, the Quadricycle. In 1903 he founded the Ford Motor Company.

американский инженер, изобретатель и промышленник, один из пионеров автомобилестроения и основателей автомобильной промышленности. В 1893 собрал свой первый автомобиль, по существу, самоходный экипаж, напоминающий ящик на колесах, и упорно его совершенствовал. В 1895 построил первый автомобиль с бензиновым двигателем. В 1899 вместе с несколькими компаньонами и единомышленниками для выпуска своего автомобиля основал «Детройтскую автомобильную компанию» (позднее переименованную в «Компанию Генри Форда», Henry Ford Company), но в 1902 оставил ее из-за несогласия с политикой остальных совладельцев: он уже тогда чувствовал, что автомобиль должен стать массовым, взвинчивание цен на него недопустимо. «Компания Генри Форда» была реорганизована a компанию «Кадиллак». В 1903 он основал Ford Motor Company («Форд Мотор»).

Ему требовалось все больше рабочих, которые работали бы все быстрее, и лучшим средством достижения этого стал введенный в 1913 впервые в мире метод поточной (конвейерной) технологии сборки автомобилей, Причем зарплата персонала вдвое превысила среднюю по промышленности (5 долларов в час против 2,34 долларов в час), рабочий день сократился до 8 часов.

Первая мировая война убедила Форда, что необходимо контролировать источники сырья: компания начинает скупку и эксплуатацию месторождений, лесных угодий, покупает железные дороги и др

Еще при жизни Генри Форд стал легендарной фигурой, символом «стопроцентного американца», но подвергался и многим обвинениям. Левая печать нападала на него за отказ терпеть профсоюзы на своих заводах.

Свое собственное состояние, оценивавшееся в 600-700 млн. долларов (помимо корпоративного, перешедшего к наследникам), он завещал фонду своего имени.

5) Whitman, Walt- (1819-92) American poet. He wrote a poem “O, Captain, My Captain” and devoted it to Lincoln’s assassination. He invented the new style in writing poems. He wrote poems without rhyme. He was later named one of the Americans most famous poets of the 20-th century. He was a homosexual and later on he was chosen as one of the leaders of homosexual movement in the US. (American poet whose great work Leaves of Grass (first published 1855), written in unconventional meter and rhyme, celebrates the self, death as a process of life, universal brotherhood, and the greatness of democracy and the United States)

6) Sullivan, Louis Henry- (1856-1924), American architect known for his early steel-frame designs for skyscrapers and for his influential dictum “Form follows function.”

американский архитектор. Дал художественное осмысление типа высотного делового здания, введя композиционные членения и орнамент (небоскреб Гаранти-билдинг в Буффало, 1894-95; универмаг в Чикаго, 1899-1900). Выдвинул теоретические принципы функционализма и органической архитектуры.

7) Armstrong, Neil- United States astronaut; the first man to set foot on the moon (July 20, 1969) (1930-)

космонавт США. Полет на «Джемини-8» (март 1966). В июле 1969 командир «Аполлона-11», выполнявшего полет к Луне. Первый человек, ступивший на Луну (21 июля 1969).

8) Leonard Bernstein -1918—90, American composer, conductor, and pianist. A highly versatile musician, he was the composer of symphonic works (the Jeremiah Symphony, 1944; Age of Anxiety, 1949; Kaddish, West Side Story,

9) Thomas Alva Edison -(February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931) American inventor who patented more than a thousand inventions, among them the microphone (1877), the phonograph (1878), and an incandescent lamp (1879). In New York City he installed the world's first central electric power plant (1881–1882).

10) Isadora Duncan -(May 27, 1878 - September 14, 1927) was an American dancer.

Born Dora Angela Duncanon in San Francisco, California, she is considered the Mother of Modern Dance. Although never very popular in the United States, she entertained throughout Europe, and moved to Paris, France in 1900. Was Sergey Esenin’s wife.

11) William (Bill) H. Gates (b. 1955) -American computer software designer and business executive who cofounded Microsoft in 1975 and as chairman built it into one of the largest computer software manufacturers in the world. Under Gates' leadership, Microsoft's mission has been to continually advance and improve software technology, and to make it easier, more cost-effective and more enjoyable for people to use computers.

12) John Trumbull -(June 6, 1756 – November 10, 1843), was a famous American artist from the time of the American Revolutionary War. He was appointed President of the American Academy of Fine Art, a position he held for 19 years. His famous paintings include the following (articles marked * are illustrated with his painting):

The Battle of Bunker Hill ; The Death of General Montgomery at Quebec, The Declaration of Independence, The Battle of Trenton, The Battle of Princeton

13) Samuel Colt (July 19, 1814 – January 10, 1862), born in Hartford, Connecticut, was the inventor of the Colt revolver, and founder of the Colt Firearms company. Colt received a European patent for his revolver in 1835, and an American patent in 1836. Besides firearms, other roles Colt played in the development of technology included the first remotely detonated explosive, the first underwater telegraph cable, and the popularization of using nitrous oxide as anesthesia.

14) Frost, Robert -1874—1963, American poet, b. San Francisco. Perhaps the most popular and beloved of 20th-century American poets, Frost wrote of the character, people, and landscape of New England. A twentieth-century American poet. Three of his best-known poems are “The Road Not Taken,” “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” (which contains the line “And miles to go before I sleep”), and “Mending Wall” (the source of the line “Good fences make good neighbors”).

15) Andrew Carnegie (November 25, 1835 – August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American businessman and major philanthropist and the founder of the Carnegie Steel Company which later became U. S. Steel. He is known for having, later in his life, given away most of his riches to fund the establishment of many libraries, schools, and universities in America and worldwide. (a founder of the iron and steel industry in the United States, who is noted for his many charitable gifts, especially those founding public libraries).

16) Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin, Jr., (April 16, 1889 – December 25, 1977) was a British born, later American naturalized, actor, the most famous actor in early to mid Hollywood cinema era, and also a notable director. His principal character was "The Tramp": a vagrant with the refined manners and dignity of a gentleman who wears a tight coat, oversized pants and shoes, a derby or bowler hat, a bamboo cane, and his signature square mustache. Chaplin was one of the most creative personalities in the silent film era; he acted in, directed, scripted, produced, and eventually scored his own films.

17) The Wright brothers, Orville Wright (August 19, 1871 - January 30, 1948) and WilburWright (April 16, 1867 - May 30, 1912), are generally credited with the design and construction of the first practical aeroplane, and making the first controllable, powered heavier-than-air flight along with many other aviation milestones. However, their accomplishments have been subject to many counter-claims by some people and nations at their start, and through to the present day.

(1903 – Orville makes the historic first flight on December 17 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.)

18) Walter Elias Disney (December 5, 1901 – December 15, 1966), was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, and animator. One of the most well-known motion picture producers in the world, Disney was the co-founder with his brother Roy O. Disney of Walt Disney Productions, the corporation now known as The Walt Disney Company.

Walt Disney is particularly noted for being a successful storyteller, a hands-on film producer, and a popular showman. He and his staff created a number of the world's most popular animated properties, including the one many consider Disney's alter ego, Mickey Mouse.

19) Allen, Woody – ((Allen Stewart Konigsberg), 1935-, American actor, writer, and director, one of contemporary America's leading filmmakers, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. Allen began his career writing for television comedians and performing in nightclubs.) a twentieth-century American comic author. Since the late 1960s, he has been directing films and acting in them, usually playing a neurotic, bookish New Yorker (see New York City). Some of his best-known films are Annie Hall, Manhattan, and Hannah and Her Sisters.

20) Homer Winslow, 1836-1910 - An American painter of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, known especially for his rich watercolor paintings of sea scenes. (American landscape, marine, and genre painter. Homer was born in Boston, where he later worked as a lithographer and illustrator. In 1861 he was sent to the battlefront as correspondent for Harper's Weekly, his work winning international acclaim.)

21) Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 1807-82, American poet, b. Portland, Maine, graduated. Bowdoin College, 1825. He wrote some of the most popular poems in American literature, in which he created a new body of romantic American legends. Extremely popular in the United States in his lifetime, his works include The Song of Hiawatha (1855) and a translation (1865–1867) of Dante's The Divine Comedy.

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