5._THE_USA

Thomas Jefferson - he is known as the author of the Declaration of Independence
- third American President

Elvis Presley - was American singer and author, one of the most popular musician of 20 century

- people know him as “ the King of Rock and Roll”

history
- The American continent was discovered first around the year 1000 by Icelandic Vikings sailing under Leif Ericson. The Icelandic Vikings didn’t establish any permanent settlement, so until the 15th century the only inhabitants were the “Indians”, more precisely the Native Americans.
- Five hundred year later in 1492 a great demand for spices, textiles and also a navigation error brought

Christopher Columbus to the Caribbean Sea instead to Asia.
- In1607 - the first English colony was founded in Virginia at Jamestown

- In 1620 the ship named Mayflower brought 102 English men, women and children to northeaster region where they found the colony called Plymouth. They called themselves the Pilgrim Fathers and wanted to build up a colony based on their own religious ideas. The winter was cold and about half of them died. In spring they planted corn and other plants. In October 1621 they celebrated good harvest and held a feast with much food (including wild turkey). They called this day their day of Thanksgiving.
- During 17th century many colonies, mostly British but also French, German, Dutch and Irish settled in the country, mainly along the eastern coast.
- In 1619 the first African slaves were brought to Virginia. Slaves were working in plantations, where tobacco, cotton and other products were grown for export to Europe.
- The American colonies with their slogan “No taxation without representation” refused to pay taxes and so British soldiers were sent to Boston. In 1773 a group of patriots, dressed as Indians, threw a cargo of British tea into the Boston Harbour. This event is known as the Boston Tea Party. Americans began boycotting British trade
- On July 4th 1776 the Declaration of Independence (written by Thomas Jefferson) was signed. Between the years 1775 and 1783 the War of Independent was fought. In the end the British signed the peace treaty and recognized the USA as s sovereign state.
- Economic and political differences grew between the Northern and Southern states. The North was based on manufacturing and abolished slavery whereas the economy of the South depended on agriculture with slaves. The South tried to set up an independent confederation. This was the start of civil war and also it started after Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.Civil war - war between the North and the South (1861-1865). Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which granted freedom to all slaves. Lincoln was assassinated in April 1865

1917 – the USA entered World War I
1929 – the stock market crashed in NY followed by the Great Depression which led to unemployment, poverty
1941 – Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour in the Hawaii and the USA entered World War II
1945 – US forced dropped the autonomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The Cold War period after WWII saw increasing mistrust between the US and the Soviet Union
1963 – John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas
1969 – an astronaut Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon. The Earth could hear his words: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”