The British colonies in America

The colonists who settled in North America came from a variety of cultural traditions, and they had many different reasons for leaving their homelands. Some wanted religious or political freedom. Others came because they wanted to own land, which they could not do in Europe. Still others were excited by the adventure of moving to a new part of the world. More than anyone else, the English colonists first shaped the character of the United States. They brought their language, institutions, values, and customs with them.

By the mid-1700s, thirteen English colonies, with 1.3 million settlers, stretched along the Atlantic from New Hampshire south to Georgia. At that time, about 200,000 slaves lived in the colonies, mostly in the South. Other colonial powers, such as the French, the Spanish, and the Dutch, had smaller settlements in North America. Most English colonists were hard-working, thrifty people who made the long, dangerous Atlantic voyage because of the promises America offered. Land in the colonies was cheap, and the soil was fertile. The possibility existed for a free man to arrive on American shores penniless and become a prosperous farmer within a few years. No other place on earth offered an Englishman such rapid opportunities for advancement.

From the beginning, settlers established a form of democracy in the English colonies. Sheriffs and other township officers were elected. The New England colonies had meetings to discuss community projects such as road building and bridge construction. Yet large classes of people were excluded from this democratic process. Voting was limited to free adult males who owned property. Women, slaves, and the very poor had no vote.

Colonial life was a mixture of trials and triumphs. The greatest danger the farming communities faced was epidemics of diseases such as smallpox and yellow fever. Doctors were rare in colonial America, and sick people were nursed with teas made from roots and herbs. For recreation, colonial men raced horses, while groups of women talked together and stitched blankets in "quilting bees." Most colonists were deeply religious, and much of their social activity revolved around the church. The rebellious spirit of the colonists gave birth to the strong sense of independence that still characterizes the people of the United States today. Americans value their independence and like to rely on themselves instead of others. Many young Americans move out of their parents' houses when they graduate from high school or college because they want to feel independent. Parents often encourage financial and emotional independence in their children.

39. The most prominent episode from the history of the USA is the formation of the state itself.

The growing independence and economic strength of colonies disturbed Great Britain. The colonies were viewed as a source of raw materials and a market for England alone.

After the Seven Years’ War (1756—1763) the British Government increased its pressure on the colonies and put all possible obstacles in the way of their independent industrial development and trade. It imposed new taxes and duties, which affected the interests of the colonists. As a result in Philadelphia in 1774 merchants, ship-owners, lawyers and others revolted and decided to stop trade with Britain and boycott the British goods.

A prologue to the War for Independence in the North America was the “Boston tea-party” (1773), as it was called. The British Government granted the East India Company the right of tax-free export of tea to the colonies. It caused indignation among the colonists, and especially the merchants involved in the sale of tea. In December 1773 a group of members of the organization called the “Sons of Liberty” boarded the British ships in the port of Boston and dumped the whole cargo of tea into the harbour.

Soon after that the port was closed, all kinds of public gatherings were prohibited. All these measures further sharpened the conflict between Great Britain and the colonies.

The War for Independence of the American colonies began with a battle of colonists against British troops in April 1775 at Concord and at Lensington not far from Boston.

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress declared the united colonies to be independent of Great Britain. The new state was called the United States of America and the 4th of July became its national holiday. The Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence proclaiming the equality of all people.

Thomas Jefferson, a follower of the British philosophers, was the author of the Declaration.

The battle at Saratoga (1777), when the Americans forced a large British army to capitulate, was a turning point in the long, hard War for Independence. The Americans were supported by France.

In 1783 Britain finally and formally recognized American independence. George Washington was elected the first president of the new republic. Later on his name was given to the capital which was built in the federal District of Columbia.

40. The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. The first three Articles of the Constitution establish the rules and separate powers of the three branches of the federal government: a legislature, the bicameral Congress; an executive branch led by the President; and a federal judiciary headed by the Supreme Court. The last four Articles frame the principle of federalism. The Tenth Amendment confirms its federal characteristics.

The Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787, by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and ratified by conventions in eleven states. It went into effect on March 4, 1789[1]. The first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights. The Constitution has been amended seventeen times (for a total of 27 amendments) and its principles are applied in courts of law by judicial review.

The Constitution guides American society in law and political culture.

The Bill of Rights is the collective name for the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. These limitations serve to protect the natural rights of liberty and property. They guarantee a number of personal freedoms, limit the government's power in judicial and other proceedings, and reserve some powers to the states and the public. While originally the amendments applied only to the federal government, most of their provisions have since been held to apply to the states by way of the Fourteenth Amendment.

The amendments were introduced by James Madison to the 1st United States Congress as a series of legislative articles. They were adopted by the House of Representatives on August 21, 1789, formally proposed by joint resolution of Congress on September 25, 1789, and came into effect as Constitutional Amendments on December 15, 1791, through the process of ratification by three-fourths of the States.

Originally, the Bill of Rights legally protected only land-owning white men, excluding African Americans and women. However, these limitations were not explicit in the Bill of Right's text. It took additional Constitutional Amendments and numerous Supreme Court cases to extend the same rights to all U.S. citizens.

The Bill of Rights plays a key role in American law and government, and remains a vital symbol of the freedoms and culture of the nation. One of the first fourteen copies of the Bill of Rights is on public display at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

41. The American Civil War (1861 –1865), also known as the War Between the States, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States (said that they wanted to separate from the United States of America) and formed the Confederate States of America, also known as "the Confederacy". Jefferson Davis led the Confederate states as they fought against the United States (the Union). The Union states (sometimes called "the North") were all those in which slavery was not legal (most of which were in "the North") and five states in which slavery was legal (the "border states").

In the presidential election of 1860, the Republican Party, led by Abraham Lincoln, was actively against expanding slavery beyond the states in which it already existed. The Republican party won in that election. This made seven Southern states declare their independence from the Union even before Lincoln became president on March 4, 1861. Both outgoing President James Buchanan and Lincoln disagreed with the legality of the secession, considering it rebellion. No nation ever recognized the Confederacy as a separate nation.

Fighting started when the Confederates bombarded a Union fort within the territory claimed by the Confederacy. The war was one of the deadliest in U.S. history. There were two important areas where the American Civil War was fought - in the west and in the east.

In the eastern area, there was the US capital, Washington D.C., and the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia. These two cities are only about 90 miles apart. In this area, the Confederate military leader from 1862 until the end of the war was Robert E. Lee. Lee was a great general, and won many battles. Many times, his actions prevented the smaller number of Confederate troops from being badly beaten or destroyed by the Union troops. Even though the North had more soldiers, they could not capture Richmond until the end of the war in 1865.

In the western area, there was the great river, the Mississippi. Ulysses S. Grant (who later became US President) won many battles here. One of the earliest battles to take place in the western area was the Battle of Shiloh. The North captured almost all the cities on the Mississippi River, but the Confederacy still held Vicksburg, an important city and fort. On the 4th of July, 1863, following a long siege, Vicksburg surrendered to Grant. This divided the Confederacy into two. This victory is considered to be one of the turning points of the war.

There were also battles west of the Mississippi River, in the area called the Trans-Mississippi. Two battles which are considered important are the Battle of Wilson's Creek and the Battle of Pea Ridge. After the Union captured Vicksburg, this area became isolated from the rest of the South.

The Union won the war, resulting in the end of slavery in the United States.

42. The United States of America is a federative republic. Since 1959 the Federation comprises 50 states. The president is the head of the state and executive body.He is also the commander-in-chief of the army and Navy of the USA. The president and vice-president are elected for a term of four years. All the legislative power is vested in Congress, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. There are 100 senators and 435 members in the House of Representatives. Two Senators from each state are elected by popular vote for a term of six years, the Representatives are elected for two-year term. Both houses must approve the bill for it to become a law. An essential role in the US political system is played by the Supreme Court, which may declare a law, passed by Congress, to be contradictory to the Constitution of the country. The various states have legislative and executive bodies of their own. Their structure, function and competence are determined by the Constitution of each state. There is an elected governor at the head of each state. States enjoy independence in their domestic affairs, including financial matters. However, state laws and actions of state authorities must not conflict with the Constitution of the USA.

"Checks and balances" is a concept set up in the United States Constitution whereby the various powers of any government are divided into 3 separate branches with no one branch having all of such powers. This is so that no one of the 3 branches of government (executive, legislative, judicial) becomes so powerful that it becomes a virtual monarchy. It also ensures that all three will work together in relative harmony since each needs the others to perform its obligations properly.

43. The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Congress meets in the Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Both Representatives and Senators are chosen through direct election. There are 535 voting Members of Congress, of which, the House of Representatives has a membership of 435 and the Senate has a membership 100. Members of the House of Representatives serve two-year terms representing the people of a district. Congressional Districts are determined by population using the United States Census results and each State in the union having at least one Representative in the Congress. Each state, regardless of population, has two Senators; since there are fifty states, there are one hundred Senators who each serves a six-year term. The terms are staggered, so every two years, approximately one-third of the Senate is up for election. Most incumbents seek re-election, and their historical likelihood of winning subsequent elections exceeds 90%.

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes;

To establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures;

To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States;

To establish post offices and post roads;

To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries;

To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court;

To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations;

To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;

To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years.

44. The powers of the Presidency. They are laid down in Article II, section 1 of the Constitution.

the president has the power to appoint ambassadors, members of the Cabinet, Justices of the Supreme Court and Judges of the lower Federal Courts. The President is the head of the executive branch and plays a large role in making America's laws.

His job is to approve the laws that Congress creates. When the Senate and the House approve a bill, they send it to the President. If he agrees with the law, he signs it and the law goes into effect. If the President does not like a bill, he can refuse to sign it. When he does this, it is called a veto.

If the President vetoes a bill, it will most likely never become a law. Congress can override a veto, but to do so two-thirds of the Members of Congress must vote against the President.

Despite all of his power, the President cannot write bills. He can propose a bill, but a member of Congress must submit it for him. In addition to playing a key role in the lawmaking process, the President has several duties. He serves as the American Head of State, meaning that he meets with the leaders of other countries and can make treaties with them. However, the Senate must approve any treaty before it becomes official.

The President is also the Chief of the Government. That means that he is technically the boss of every government worker. Also, the President is the official head of the U.S. military. He can authorize the use of troops overseas without declaring war. To officially declare war, though, he must get the approval of the Congress.

The President and the Vice-President are the only officials chosen by the entire country. Not just anyone can be President, though. In order to be elected, one must be at least 35 years old. Also, each candidate must be a natural-born U.S. citizen and have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years. When elected, the President serves a term of four years. The most one President can serve is two terms, for a total of eight years.

Before 1951, the President could serve for as many terms as he wanted. However, no one had tried. After two terms as President, George Washington chose not to run again. All other Presidents followed his example until Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt successfully ran for office four times. Early in his fourth term, he died, in 1945.

Six years later, Congress passed the 22nd Amendment, which limits Presidents to two terms. The president can grant reprieves(откладывать приведение в исполнение (смертного) приговора) and pardons(помилование) (except in the case of impeachment). He is bound by the laws of the land and he can be removed from office for treason (предаетльство), bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanours(категория наименее опасных преступлений, граничащих с административными правонарушениями).

One of the more problematic issues is the fact that the Constitution is brief and very generalised - as its writers intended it to be to allow for flexibility as the nation grew. This flexibility leaves it open to interpretation. Society and government have become far more complicated as this century has progressed.

45. The Court system in the USA

The courts are one of the three coequal branches of the federal government, and include:

Highest court

Court of last resort:

Supreme Court of the United States (which primarily has appellate jurisdiction but also has original jurisdiction over a very narrow range of cases). There are nine justices; a Chief Justice of the United States and eight associate justices, who are appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate. Justices serve during good behavior (usually until death, retirement or resignation.)

Appellate courts

Courts with geographic-based appellate jurisdiction:

The eleven numbered United States courts of appeals

The United States Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia

Courts with appellate jurisdiction over specific subject matter:

United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces

United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review

Original jurisdiction

General trial courts:

United States district courts (one in each of the 94 federal judicial districts)

Courts with original jurisdiction over specific subject matter:

United States Alien Terrorist Removal Court[1]

United States bankruptcy courts (one in each of the 94 federal judicial districts)

United States Court of Federal Claims

United States Court of International Trade

United States Court of Private Land Claims (1891-1904)

United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court

United States Tax Court

While federal courts are generally created by the United States Congress under the constitutional power described in Article III, many of the specialized courts are created under the authority granted in Article I. Greater power is vested in Article III courts because they are independent of Congress, the President, and the political process.

Article III requires the establishment of a Supreme Court and permits the Congress to create other federal courts, and place limitations on their jurisdiction. In theory, Congress could eliminate the entire federal judiciary except for the Supreme Court, although the 1st Congress established a system of lower federal courts through the Judiciary Act of 1789.

46. The modern political party system in the United States is a two-party system dominated by the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. These two parties have won every United States presidential election since 1852 and have controlled the United States Congress since at least 1856. Several other third parties from time to time achieve relatively minor representation at the national and state levels.

The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States. It is the oldest political party in the United States and among the oldest in the world. The Democratic Party, since the division of the Republican Party in the election of 1912, has consistently positioned itself to the left of the Republican Party in economic as well as social matters. The economically left-leaning philosophy of Franklin D. Roosevelt, which has strongly influenced American liberalism, has shaped much of the party's economic agenda since 1932. Roosevelt's New Deal coalition usually controlled the national government until the 1970s.In 2004, it was the largest political party, with 72 million voters (42.6% of 169 million registered) claiming affiliation. The president of the United States, Barack Obama, is the 15th Democrat to hold the office, and since the 2006 midterm elections, the Democratic Party is the majority party for the United States Senate.

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America. It is often referred to as the Grand Old Party, GOP, and "Gallant Old Party". Founded in 1854 by anti-slavery expansion activists and modernizers, the Republican Party rose to prominence with the election of Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president. The party presided over the American Civil War and Reconstruction but was harried by internal factions and scandals toward the end of the 19th century. Today, the Republican Party supports an American conservative platform, with further foundations in economic liberalism, fiscal conservatism, and social conservatism. Former President George W. Bush is the 19th Republican to hold that office. It is currently the second largest party with 55 million registered members, encompassing roughly one third of the electorate. Since the 2010 midterm elections, the Republicans have held a majority in the United States House of Representatives.

The Constitution Party is a conservative United States political party. It was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers Party in 1992. The party's official name was changed to the Constitution Party in 1999. It currently the largest third party in the United States. The Constitution Party advocates a platform that they believe reflects the Founding Fathers' original intent of the U.S. Constitution, principles found in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, and morals taken from the Bible.

In the United States, the Green Party has been active as a third party since the 1980s. The party first gained widespread public attention during Ralph Nader's second presidential run in 2000. Greens emphasize environmentalism, non-hierarchical participatory democracy, social justice, respect for diversity, peace and nonviolence. During the 2006 elections the party had ballot access in 31 states.

The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects that group's particular brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration across borders, and non-interventionism in foreign policy that respects freedom of trade and travel to all foreign countries. The Libertarian Party was founded on December 11, 1971. It is one of the largest continuing third parties in the United States.

47. The Secretary of State is the official custodian of the Great Seal of the United States. It is only attached (affixed) to certain documents, such as foreign treaties and presidential proclamations. The Great Seal is kept in a mahogany cabinet and displayed in the Exhibit Hall of the Department of State in Washington, D.C. The United States seal has a rich history beginning with our founding fathers in 1776 when the first Continental Congress resolved that Dr. Franklin, Mr. Jefferson, and J. Adams "bring in a device for a seal for the United States of America." Both sides of the Great Seal can be seen on the back of a U.S. one-dollar bill.

The national flag of the United States of America, often simply referred to as the American flag, consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton (referred to specifically as the "union") bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 states of the United States of America and the 13 stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain and became the first states in the Union.Nicknames for the flag include the "Stars and Stripes", "Old Glory", and "The Star-Spangled Banner" (also the name of the national anthem).

The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886. The statue, a gift to the United States from the people of France, is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, who bears a torch and a tabula ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. A broken chain lies at her feet. The statue has become an icon of freedom and of the United States.

The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington. The monument, made of marble, granite, and bluestone gneiss,[1] is both the world's tallest stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk, standing 555 feet 51⁄8 inches (169.294 m). Taller monumental columns exist, but they are neither all stone nor true obelisks. Construction of the monument began in 1848, but was halted from 1854 to 1877, and finally completed in 1884.

Uncle Sam (initials U.S.) is a common national personification of the American government that according to legend came into use during the War of 1812 and was supposedly named for Samuel Wilson. Legend says Sam Wilson was a meat packer in New York, who supplied rations for the soldiers. They had to stamp their contractors name and where the rations were coming from, onto the food they were sending. On the package, it was labeled “E.A – US.” When someone asked what that stood for, a coworker joked and said “Elbert Anderson (the contractor) and Uncle Sam,” referring to Sam Wilson, though it actually stood for United States.

The Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore near Keystone, South Dakota, in the United States. Mount Rushmore features 60-foot (18 m) sculptures of the heads of former United States presidents (in order from left to right) George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American independence, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It originally cracked when first rung after arrival in Philadelphia, and was twice recast by local workmen John Pass and John Stow, whose last names appear on the bell. In its early years, the Liberty Bell was used to summon lawmakers to legislative sessions and to alert citizens to public meetings and proclamations. Bells were rung to mark the reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 8, 1776. The bell has been featured on coins and stamps, and its name and image have been widely used by corporations.

"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States of America. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort McHenry", a poem written in 1814 by the 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key. The poem was set to the tune of a popular British song written by John Stafford Smith. With a range of one and a half octaves, it is known for being difficult to sing. Although the poem has four stanzas, only the first is commonly sung today. "The Star-Spangled Banner" was recognized for official use by the Navy in 1889, and by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916, and was made the national anthem by a congressional resolution on March 3, 1931, which was signed by President Herbert Hoover.

48. The music of the United States reflects the country's multi-ethnic population through a diverse array of styles. Among the country's most internationally-renowned genres are hip hop, blues, country, rhythm and blues, jazz, barbershop, pop, techno, and rock and roll. The United States has the world's largest music industry and its music is heard around the world. Since the beginning of the 20th century, some forms of American popular music have gained a near global audience. Much of modern popular music can trace its roots to the emergence in the late 19th century of African American blues and the growth of gospel music in the 1920s. Many American cities and towns have vibrant music scenes which, in turn, support a number of regional musical styles. Along with musical centers such as Philadelphia, Seattle, New York City, San Francisco, New Orleans, Detroit, Minneapolis, Chicago, Nashville, Austin, and Los Angeles, many smaller cities such as Asbury Park, New Jersey have produced distinctive styles of music.

Theater of the United States is based in the Western tradition. Regional or resident theatres in the United States are professional theatre companies outside of New York City that produce their own seasons. Earlier styles of theatre such as minstrel shows and Vaudeville acts have disappeared from the landscape, but theatre remains a popular American art form. Broadway productions still entertain millions of theatregoers as productions have become more elaborate and expensive. At the same time, theatre has also served as a platform for expression, and a venue for identity exploration for under-represented, minority communities, who have formed their own companies and created their own genres of works. Smaller urban theaters have stayed a source of innovation, and regional theaters remain an important part of theatre life. Drama is also taught in high schools and colleges, which was not done in previous eras, and many become interested in theatre through this.

The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period. While the Lumiere Brothers are generally credited with the birth of modern cinema, it is undisputably American cinema that soon became the most dominant force in an emerging industry. Since the 1920s, the American film industry has grossed more money every year than that of any other country. By 1911, approximately 60 to 70 percent of films imported into Great Britain were American. The United States was also doing well in Germany, Australia and New Zealand. In 1894, the world's first commercial motion picture exhibition was given in New York City, using Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope. The major film studios of Hollywood are the primary source of the most commercially successful movies in the world, such as Gone with the Wind (1939), Star Wars (1977), Titanic (1997), and Avatar (2009). Today, American film studios collectively generate several hundred movies every year, making the United States the third most prolific producer of films in the world — the first being India and the second being Nigeria.

Visual art of The United States and/or American art encompasses the history of painting and visual art in the United States. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, artists primarily painted landscapes and portraits in a realistic style based mainly on Western painting and European arts. A parallel development taking shape in rural America was the American craft movement, which began as a reaction to the industrial revolution. Developments in modern art in Europe came to America from exhibitions in New York City such as the Armory Show in 1913. After World War II, New York replaced Paris as the center of the art world. Since then many American movements have shaped Modern and Post Modern art. Art in the United States today covers a huge range of styles.

Architecture in the United States is as diverse as its multicultural society and has been shaped by many internal and external factors and regional distinctions. As a whole it represents a rich eclectic and innovative tradition. The remote location of the Hawaiian Islands from North America gave ancient Hawaii a substantial period of precolonial architecture. Early structures reflect Polynesian heritage and the refined culture of Hawaii. Post-contact late 19th century Hawaiian architecture shows various foreign influences such as the Victorian, and early 20th century the Spanish Colonial Revival style. When the Europeans settled in North America, they brought their architectural traditions and construction techniques for building. Greek revival style attracted American architects working in the first half of the 19th century. The most notable United States architectural innovation has been the skyscraper.

49. Sports form an important part of the culture of the United States. The four most popular team sports are ones that developed in North America: American football, baseball, basketball and ice hockey. The major leagues of these sports, the National Football League (NFL), the Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) enjoy massive media exposure and are considered the preeminent competitions in their respective sports in the world. Three of those leagues have teams that represent Canadian cities, and all four are among the most lucrative sports leagues in the world. Soccer (association football) is less popular as a spectator sport in the United States than it is in many other countries, though it has wide participation in amateur and semi-professional levels, particularly among youths and people of Latin American descent, which constitutes people from Mexico all the way down to South America. The top league, Major League Soccer, is starting to approach the level of the NBA and the NHL in terms of attendance, although it lags far behind in average salary and TV interest. Sports are particularly associated with education in the United States, with most high schools and universities having organized sports. College sports competitions play an important role in the American sporting culture. In many cases college athletics are more popular than professional sports.

Other kinds of sport: American Football, Baseball, Ice hockey, Basketball, Soccer, Lacrosse, Rugby Union, Rugby, League. Volleyball, Cricket, Curling, Gaelic games, Inline Hockey, Water Polo, Ultimate (Frisbee), Handball, Roller, derby. Dodgeball, Kickball.

Baseball is the most popular game in the US. It is played throughout the spring and summer by schools, colleges and professional teams.

Football is the most popular game in the autumn. There are professional football teams in all the main cities of the United States. In American football there are eleven players in each team, as in original football, but the rules are different. Players are often hurt in American football. So the teams wear special clothing and helmets as in hockey.

Basketball is a very popular game in the United States too. It is especially popular in high schools, both among boys and girls.

The game of golf is very popular with businessmen and professional people. It is played by both men and women. There are now more golfers than tennis players.

50. No matter what corner of the world, it is more than unlikely to walk up to an adoles-cent, mention the names Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Eminem or Bruce Willis and be confronted with a questioning face of ignorance. Performers and actors such as these have become increasingly omnipresent in people's lives all around the globe. American popular culture with its above-mentioned icons and its lifestyle of fast food and consumer goods tends to be received by foreign societies in a variety of differing ways. Terms such as Americanization, Westernization and even globalization are only a few of many that have been employed to label the phenomenon of America's growing cultural dominance in the world. Various nations have been complaining about a McDonaldization (yet another word for U.S. cultural power worldwide) of their domestic cultures. The present discussion tries to investigate whether American popular culture truly poses a threat to national and regional cultural traditions, values and tastes or whether America's popular commodities in fact bear the potential of cultural diversity in receiving cultures. In an attempt to come to a conclusion regarding this question we take a look at the American music business as well as American film and television shows.

Clothing is most often influenced by celebrities or television personalities. The region of the country a person lives in will also determine the fashion he chooses. Well-known designer labels such as Calvin Klein or Rocawear have become symbols of pop culture in fashion.

Television has influenced American pop culture since the 1950s. An appearance of a product or a person on a popular television program can turn that person or product into a household name overnight.

Music in American pop culture transcends American borders. Due to the creation of MTV and other subsequent channels, American popular music can not only be heard in other countries but it can also be seen. One of the little-known truths about popular American music is that some American artists are not popular in American at all until they have toured the globe to promote their music. Once the record labels see their potential, then they will back them financially for consumption for an American audience.

51. The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, and an upward social mobility achieved through hard work. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth. The idea of the American Dream is rooted in the United States Declaration of Independence which proclaims that "all men are created equal" and that they are "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights" including "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

American society seems to be much more informal than the British and, in some ways, is characterized by less social distinction. Students do not rise when a teacher enters the room. One does not always address a person by his title, such as "Major" or "General" or "Doctor" in the case of a holder of a Doctor of Philosophy degree. The respectful "Sir"

They use first names when calling each other, slap on the back, joke and are much freer in their speech, which is more slangy than the conventional British English. You will often hear the word "Hi" (a form of greeting among friends) used instead of the usual "Hello," and "Howdy" instead of "How do you do?" is not always used in the northern and western parts of the country.

Religion plays an important role in the lives of millions of Americans. Most Americans have a great deal of leisure time, and they spend it in a variety of ways. The national character of America is difficult to define as it is changing with the times. Americans tend to be independently-minded people, ever protective of their civil rights and freedoms. Because of massive immigration into the United States, the population is made up of people of such diverse cultures, religions, and ethnicities, that to define an American character is almost impossible.

52. The United States is a diverse country, racially and ethnically.[1] Six races are officially recognized: White, American Indian and Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and people of two or more races; a race called "Some other race" is also used in the census and other surveys, but is not official.

White Americans are the racial majority, with an 72% share of the U.S. population. Hispanic and Latino Americans compose 15% of the population, making up the largest ethnic minority. Black Americans are the largest racial minority, composing nearly 13% of the population. The majority of the more than 300 million people currently living in the United States consists of White Americans, who trace their ancestry to the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. White Americans are the majority in forty-nine of the fifty states, with Hawaii as the exception. The District of Columbia, which is not a state, also has a non-white majority. African Americans form the largest subgroup, and are primarily descendants of Africans who were involuntarily transported to the U.S. from 1619 until the de jure end of the slave trade in 1808 or its de facto end in the 1830s-40s. Due to this history, the origins of most African Americans are usually untraceable to specific African nations; Africa serves as the general geographic origin. A third significant minority is the Asian American population, comprising 13.4 million in 2008, or 4.4% of the U.S. population. California is home to 4.5 million Asian Americans, whereas 495,000 live in Hawaii, where they compose the plurality, at 38.5% of the islands' people.

The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was accompanied, or followed, by civil unrest and armed rebellion. The process was long and tenuous in many countries, and many of these movements did not fully achieve their goals although, the efforts of these movements did lead to improvements in the legal rights of previously oppressed groups of people.

After the Civil Rights Act of 1875 there was no more federal legislation in this field until the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960, although several states passed their own civil-rights laws. The 20th-century struggle to expand civil rights for African Americans involved the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Congress of Racial Equality, the Urban League, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and others. The civil-rights movement, led especially by Martin Luther King, Jr., in the late 1950s and 60s, and the executive leadership provided by President Lyndon B. Johnson, encouraged the passage of the most comprehensive civil-rights legislation to date, the Civil Rights Act of 1964; it prohibited discrimination for reason of color, race, religion, or national origin in places of public accommodation covered by interstate commerce, i.e., restaurants, hotels, motels, and theaters. Besides dealing with the desegregation of public schools, the act, in Title VII, forbade discrimination in employment. Title VII also prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex.

53. Americans often move house from city to city or from state to state. For this reason American families live far away from their relatives. However, they keep in touch with each other by telephone or letter. During the holidays or at celebrations like Thanksgiving, families often visit each other. A typical American family is the same as a British family. Both parents work. Like British families, parents try to spend time with their children at weekends. They often visit museums. They also go to the cinema or to the park. The buildings in American cities are similar to those in British cities. There are tall tower blocks, skyscrapers, terraced houses and large brick buildings. In the suburbs, however, the houses are very different. A lot of Americans live in wooden houses with front and back gardens. Two thirds of Americans own their houses. Other Americans rent houses, apartments or rooms. Americans are usually very houseproud and take good care of their homes.

Views on gender-based differentiation in the workplace and in interpersonal relationships have often undergone profound changes as a result of feminist and/or economic influences, but there are still considerable differences in gender roles in almost all societies. It is also true that in times of necessity, such as during a war or other emergency, women are permitted to perform functions which in "normal" times would be considered a male role, or vice versa.

A person's gender role is composed of several elements and can be expressed through clothing, behaviour, choice of work, personal relationships and other factors. These elements are not concrete and have evolved through time (for example women's trousers). The masculine gender role in the West has become more malleable since the 1950s. One example is the "sensitive new age guy", which could be described as a traditional male gender role with a more typically "female" empathy and associated emotional responses. Another is the metrosexual, a male who adopts or claims to be born with similarly "female" grooming habits. According to sociology research, traditional feminine gender roles have become less relevant in Western society since industrialization started.

For approximately the last 100 years women have been fighting for the same rights as men (especially around the turn from 19th to 20th century with the struggle for women's suffrage and in the 1960s with second-wave feminism and radical feminism) and were able to make changes to the traditionally accepted feminine gender role. However, most feminists today say there is still work to be done. Numerous studies and statistics show that even though the situation for women has improved during the last century, discrimination is still widespread: women earn an average of 77 cents to every one dollar men earn ("The Shriver Report", 2009), occupy lower-ranking job positions than men, and do most of the housekeeping work. A recent (October 2009) report from the Center for American Progress, "The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Changes Everything" tells us that women now make up 48% of the US workforce and "mothers are breadwinners or co-breadwinners in a majority of families" (63.3%, see figure 2, page 19 of the Executive Summary of The Shriver Report).

The demographics of sexual orientation in any population is difficult to establish with reasonable accuracy. However, some surveys suggest that a greater proportion of men than women report that they are exclusively homosexual, whereas more women than men report being bisexual.

54. Americans share three national holidays with many countries: Easter Sunday, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Easter is a religious holiday. For Christians, it is a day of religious services and the gathering of the family. Many follow old traditions during the holiday such as dyeing hard-boiled eggs, and making presents of chocolate eggs and rabbits. Christmas is a very great religious holiday. It is widely celebrated in America. On this day many go to Church services to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. There are many Christmas traditions which are very popular, for example to give presents to the children with the help of Santa Claus. They have a Christmas tree, which they decorate with toys and small lights. Many firms give their workers gifts of extra money for good work. Christmas is also a time when Americans do a lot of charity work. They help the poor people; organize Christmas dinners for the homeless people.

Americans celebrate New Year's Day very much like people in different countries of the world. The celebrations take place the night before, when Americans gather in homes or in restaurants or other public places to enjoy food and different drinks and to wish each other a happy new year. There is much noise at midnight when the old year passes away, and the new year arrives.

The fourth of July is known as Independence Day when the United States of America was proclaimed an independent republic in 1776. It is a very great holiday marked by parades, flying of flags all over the country and picnics. Fireworks displays fill the skies in the evening. The country’s birthday is the biggest summer party of the year, so to speak.

Besides these two, there are six other uniquely American holidays. The first major American holiday in January is Martin Luther King's Day, which is observed on the third Monday of every January beginning in 1986.

Martin Luther King was a black clergyman who became famous all over the world for his campaigns to win full civil rights for the black people in the USA. These campaigns were organized by King in the 1950s and 1960s, because the black people in America were discriminated in different spheres of life. Ever since Americans honoured his birthday on January 15, and the Congress decided to make the third Monday in January a holiday in honour of Martin Luther King.

Presidents' Day is quite an old national holiday. For quite a long time it was observed on February 22, the birthday of George Washington, first president of the United States. In most states Americans also celebrated Abraham Lincoln's birthday on February 12. In the 1970s the American Congress decided to honour all past presidents of the country on a single day which was called Presidents' Day, and which is observed on the third Monday in February.

Memorial Day is the fourth Monday of every May, when the Americans honour the dead. They remember the dead of all wars and all other dead. Special ceremonies are held in cemeteries, at monuments for the war dead, in churches, schools, or other public places. Memorial Day is also considered to be the beginning of the summer season.

Labour Day is observed on the first Monday of September since 1894. The traditions of this holiday are even still older. On this day the Americans honour their working people. In many cities parades of different labour organizations are held. This day also marks the end of the summer season. Public schools open just before or after Labour Day.

We all know that the New World was discovered by Christopher Columbus on October 12, 1492. Most countries of the American continent celebrate this discovery on October 12, but in the United States Columbus Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October. A great parade takes place in New York on this day.

Veterans' Day is honoured on November 11. This was the date when the First World War ended in 1918. On Veterans' Day the Americans honour veterans of all the wars in which the United States of America took part. Organizations of war veterans organize parades and different ceremonies. The President of the United States places a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery which is situated at Washington, D. C. Here soldiers are buried from each war which was fought by the United States since the First World War (1914 – 18). There is much charity work on this day, when different organizations collect money for veterans, invalids and other people in need.

Besides the public holidays there are two Sundays which are observed in a special way. The second Sunday in May is known as Mother's Day, which is a day when children honour their mothers. Every child does it in his or her own way. The third Sunday in June is called Father's Day, when children honour their fathers.

One other day that most Americans, especially the young people, observe is Valentine's Day. It is on February 14, though it is not an official holiday. The tradition of celebrating Valentine's Day is very old. Very many years ago it was celebrated in honour of a Christian saint. On this day Americans send gifts to people they love. They also send special greeting cards called Valentines to those whom they love. Usually the gifts are sweets, chocolates or flowers. The tradition of celebrating Valentine's Day is well known in Europe.

On October 31, Halloween (the evening before All Saints or All Hallows Day), children dress up in funny or scary costumes and go “trick or treating’: knocking on doors in their neighbourhood. They expect to be given candy or money. Adults may also dress in costume for Halloween parties.

Irish Americans celebrate the old country’s patron saint on March17. On St. Patrick’s Day many Americans wear green clothing in honour of the “Emerald Isle”; some bars even serve green beer.

The celebration of Mardi Gras – the day before the Christian season of Lent beginning in late winter – is a big occasion in New Orleans, Louisiana. The tradition goes back to the city’s settlement by French immigrants.

55. Thanksgiving Day is the fourth Thursday in November, but many Americans take a day of vacation on the following Friday. Thanksgiving is a holiday of the family when members of the family gather together and it is celebrated with big dinners and happy reunions.

The beginnings of this holiday go down to the years of early colonization. The first American Thanksgiving was held in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1621.

The Pilgrim Fathers established the tradition of celebrating the holiday and this is how it happened. The Pilgrim Fathers, who founded their colony at Plymouth in 1620, were not prepared to cope with life on the new continent in the wilderness. The climate was very harsh. During their first winter the Pilgrims suffered very much. Hard work, diseases, bitterly cold weather, bad food killed about half of them. By the end of this terrible first winter only about 50 Plymouth colonists remained alive.

On a spring morning in 1621 an Indian walked into the little village of Plymouth. He introduced himself in a friendly way and offered help. Later, he brought the Indian chief who gave food and gifts to the Pilgrims. The Indians did much to help the white settlers: they taught them how to hunt in the new country, to fish, grow crops which they had never seen before – corn, pumpkins and beans. This help was very important and because of it the Pilgrims raised good crops and had a good harvest. The Pilgrims also became very happy when in autumn a ship brought new settlers from England.

Governor William Bradford, who was the first elected governor in Plymouth, decided to follow an old tradition in the autumn of 1621. On that day the Pilgrims decided to thank God for his kindness to them. They also wanted to strengthen the friendship between the Pilgrims and their Indian neighbors. So the Pilgrims invited the Indians to share the Thanksgiving feast.

The Indians gladly accepted the invitation and sent deer meat for the feast. The Pilgrim men went hunting and returned with turkey and other wild animals. The white women prepared very tasty dishes from corn, potatoes, cranberries, squash and pumpkins.

The first Thanksgiving feast took place out-of-doors. Though it was cold huge fires kept the hosts and guests warm. About 90 Indians joined the Pilgrims for the first Thanksgiving dinner. The celebration continued for three days. On the first day the people spent most of the time eating. On the second and third days they ran races, wrestled, sang songs and danced.

Since then it became a tradition to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. Many of the traditions of modern Thanksgiving come from the early Thanksgiving celebrations. One of them is to serve turkey for the Thanksgiving dinner. Potatoes, cranberry sauce and corn are also served today as in earlier times. Pumpkin pie is a traditional Thanksgiving dessert.

About half a million Americans visit Plymouth every year. They tour Mayflower II, which is a recently built ship similar to the old Mayflower. The tourists see the famous Plymouth Rock and take a walk through a reconstructed Pilgrim village. Many visit the local cemetery where the Pilgrim Fathers were buried.

Unfortunately, in the years following 1621, the holiday was celebrated not only on the occasion of good harvests. The most abhorrent celebration was held in 1637 by John Winthrop, the governor of Massachusetts Bay colony, after ruthless murdering of hundreds of natives. That historic fact explains why Native Americans do not celebrate Thanksgiving.

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