Understanding the USA: Culture, History, and Government
1 – Why is the United States called a “melting pot”?
America is called the melting pot because it is home to people from all over the world. They have different cultures and customs, but when they come to America, they become one nation.
2 – Describe American society and its economic attitudes.
There is a close relationship between America’s political and economic traditions: the belief that the individual pursuit of self-interest leads to the best result both for the individual and for society as a whole. This is believed to be a successful formula for both economic success and optimal political function. The precise amount of individual economic freedom that Americans should have is often debated, with the (usually slight) differences in opinion marking the major differences between political parties. The end result, however, is that the U.S. economy has become the largest on earth, with most of its citizens enjoying comparatively high living standards.
3 – What do the colors of the US flag represent? What do the stars stand for? What do the stripes stand for?
The national flag of the United States of America 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.”
4 – Where is Mount Rushmore located? What presidents are depicted in it? What do they represent?
It is located in Pennington County, South Dakota, U.S. The 4 presidents are: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. They represent the founding, growth, and preservation of the US. The work was designed by sculptor John Borglum in 1927.
5 – What is the formal name of the Statue of Liberty? What does it symbolize?
The Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the World) is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in the middle of New York Harbor, in Manhattan, New York City. The statue was a gift to the United States from the people of France. The statue is of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom. The statue is an icon of freedom and of the United States: a welcoming signal to immigrants arriving from abroad.
6 – What are the states that constitute New England? Mention some characteristics of this area.
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Some of the first movements of American literature, philosophy, and education originated in New England. The region played a prominent role in the movement to abolish slavery and was the first region of the United States to be transformed by the Industrial Revolution.
7 – What does the phrase “Washington DC” stand for?
Washington, D.C. is the capital city of the United States of America. “D.C.” stands for the “District of Columbia”, the federal district containing the city of Washington. The city is named after George Washington, the first President of the United States.
8 – What festivals are typically American (celebrated only in the US)?
American festivals include: New Year’s Day, Groundhog Day, St. Valentine’s Day, Presidents’ Day, Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, Palm Sunday, Easter, April Fool’s Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, Memorial Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
9 – Give a short account of the immigration process to the US.
Native Americans (American Indians) had lived in the area we now call the United States for many thousands of years before the first Europeans arrived. Between 1492 and 1880, most immigrants came from Britain, Ireland, and Northern Europe. Immigrants from China also began arriving in the 1800s. From 1880 to 1930, there was a huge growth in immigration to the US. The largest groups during this period came from southern and eastern Europe. Today, the largest groups of immigrants come from Mexico, the Philippines, and other parts of Latin America and Asia.
10 – What do you know about the history of African people in America?
African Americans are largely the descendants of slaves—people who were brought from their African homelands by force to work in the New World. Their rights were severely limited, and they were long denied a rightful share in the economic, social, and political progress of the United States. Nevertheless, African Americans have made basic and lasting contributions to American history and culture. African Americans make up the second-largest racial and ethnic minority in the United States. Most African Americans are of West and Central African descent.
11 – Describe the three levels of government in the U.S.A briefly.
There are three levels of government in the US: “federal, state, and local”.
- Federal government: The Constitution of the United States limits the power of the federal government to defense, foreign affairs, printing money, controlling trade and relations between the states, and protecting human rights. The federal government is made up of Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court.
- State government: It has the greatest influence over people’s daily lives. Each state has its own written Constitution (set of fixed laws). There are sometimes great differences in law between the different states, concerning things such as property, crime, health, and education. The highest elected official of each state is the Governor. Each state also has one or two elected institutions that make laws, known as state legislatures, whose members represent the different parts of the state.
- Local government: The organizations that are responsible for local government in the US are called town, city, or county councils. They make laws that affect a town, city, or county. These laws concern things such as traffic, when and where alcohol can be sold, and keeping animals. The highest elected official of a town or city is usually the Mayor.
12 – Why do we study History? What skills does a student of History develop? Are these skills important for good citizenship? Why?
History should be studied because it is essential to individuals and to society, and because it harbors beauty. History helps us understand people and societies; it offers a storehouse of information about how people and societies behave. Only through studying history can we grasp how things change; only through history can we begin to comprehend the factors that cause change; and only through history can we understand what elements of an institution or a society persist despite change.
Skills that a student of History develops:
- The Ability to Assess Evidence. The study of history builds experience in dealing with and assessing various kinds of evidence. Learning how to combine different kinds of evidence—public statements, private records, numerical data, visual materials—develops the ability to make coherent arguments based on a variety of data. This skill can also be applied to information encountered in everyday life.
- The Ability to assess conflicting Interpretations. Learning history means gaining some skill in sorting through diverse, often conflicting interpretations. Learning how to identify and evaluate conflicting interpretations is an essential citizenship skill for which history, as an often-contested laboratory of human experience, provides training. The study of history in no sense undermines loyalty or commitment, but it does teach the need for assessing arguments, and it provides opportunities to engage in debate and achieve perspective.
- Experience in Assessing Past Examples of Change is vital to understanding change in society today, it’s an essential skill in what we are regularly told is our “ever-changing world.” Analysis of change means developing some capacity for determining the magnitude and significance of change, for some changes are more fundamental than others.
A study of history is essential for good citizenship. This is the most common justification for the place of history in school curricula. Sometimes advocates of citizenship history hope merely to promote national identity and loyalty through a history spiced by vivid stories and lessons in individual success and morality. But the importance of history for citizenship goes beyond this narrow goal and can even challenge it at some points.