FROM THE HISTORY OF THE USA

James Smith, a well-known historian, told us how America had been discovered. He said that before the first Europeans had come to North America people had lived there who had a red skin. Later on the white men had called them red men or Indians.

The scientist proved that the Indian tribes had never been united because their life had been different in different parts of the country. In the North-East there were many animals in the woods and fish in the rivers. The Indians there hunted and fished. In the South the Indians grew tobacco which was new to the white men. In the west there were many buffaloes who gave the Indians meat and skin. Out of buffalo skin the Indians made clothes and covered their houses – the wigwams with it.

James also told that three European countries had been interested in the discovery of America: Spain, France and England. Spain had sent Christopher Columbus to discover a new way to the East. With three ships he had sailed for three months and in October 12, 1492 he had seen a land. At first Columbus didn’t ask himself if it was a new continent. He thought it was India and gave the name “Indians” to the red-skin men living there. But it was an island not far from the coast of North America.

James told further that many other sailors had gone out to America. An Italian seaman Amerigo Vespucci was one of them. He and his men explored the coast of South America and discovered the Bay of Rio de Janeiro, or the River of January. James explained that the sailors from Amerigo Vespucci’s crew had named the place after the month in which they had found the bay. In one of his letters Amerigo wrote that the new land he had seen had to be named a “New World”. After the publication of those letters the new land was named after him – America, the land of Amerigo.

James informed us also that Spain, France and England had sent many seamen to North America in the 16^th and 17^th centuries. The Spanish had to explore whether there was gold, silver and other metals. The French began a trade with the Indians. The English came to live and work there.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-02