American Studies

Glimpse of USA
Thursday, March 28, 2019 8:04 AM
- The 3rd populous country in the world (< India < China)
-
The 4th largest country in the world (< Canada < China
< Russia)
- Capital: Washington DC
-
Flag: 13 stripes and 50 stars => 50 states and 13 original
British colonies
- National Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner
- Connects:
+ North: Canada
+ West: The Pacific Ocean
+ East: The Atlantic Ocean
+ South: Mexico & Cuba
- Largest population: New York
- Independence Day: July 4th 1776
Additional information:
50 STATES OF AMERICA
The North East

Massachusetts (MA) New Hampshire (NH)
New England
Middle Atlantic
Connecticut (CT) New Jersey (NJ) New York (NY) Pennsylvania
Maine (ME) (PA)

American Studies Pae 1
New Hampshire (NH)
Rhode Island (RI)
Vermont (VT)
The Midwest
Illinois (IL) Missouri (MO)
Indiana (IN) Nebraska (NE)
Iowa (IA) North Dakota
Kansas (KS) (ND) Ohio (OH)
Michigan South Dakota
(MI) (SD) Wisconsin
Minnesota (WI)
(MN)
The West
Mountain Pacific
Arizona (AZ) Alaska (AK)
Colorado (CO) California
Idaho (ID) (CA) Hawaii
Montana (MT) (HI)
Nevada (NV) Oregon (OR)
New Mexico Washington

(WA)
(NM) Utah (UT)
Wyoming (WY)
The South
Alabama (AL) Arkansas Kentucky (KY) Louisiana South Carolina (SC)
(AR) Delaware (DE) (LA) Maryland (MD)

Delaware (DE) Georgia (GA) Tennessee (TN) Texas (TX)
Maryland (MD) Mississippi
District of Columbia (DC) Virginia (VA) West Virginia
(MS) North Carolina (NC)
Florida (FL) (WV)
Oklahoma (OK)
(SC)
13 Original British Colonies

Connecticut New York
Delaware North
Georgia Carolina
Maryland Pennsylvani
Massachuset a Rhode
ts New Island South
Hampshire Carolina
New Jersey Virginia
The American Character

- The most important characteristic of the US: diversity
- Racially:
+ 82% white
+ 13% black
+ 4% Asian and Pacific Islander
+ 1% Native American
- Hispanics 12% => Spanish-speaking people the nation's 2nd largest ethnic minority
- American democracy is based on the principle of majority rule.
- Declaration of Independence "All men are created equal."
-
The American Dream: the belief that anyone can achieve success through honesty and
hard work.
-
Another American characteristic: social mobility (movement from one social class to
another)
- A typical American is "a person who does things because they haven't been done before" - The
characteristic traits of Americans:
+"Be on time" "Time is money" : obsessed with promptness and efficiency + Want to save time & be
more efficient => buy lots of machines
+ Likely materialistic, value money & wealth & possession above all else
+ Strong sense of obligation to help those in needs; generous
+ "Say what you want and mean what you say" direct & assertive
+ Extreme competitiveness; sometimes causes people to do unkind & dishonest things + Prefer
"practical, efficient, fast, and new" over "traditional & leisure"
+ Most are friendly, kind-hearted, very likable
American Marriage
BEFORE THE WEDDING
- "Marriage halves our griefs, doubles our joys, and quadruples our expenses"
-
When choosing a spouse, the decision is usually based on feelings of love rather than on
practical considerations.
- Bridal showers for the bride: people bring gifts -
Bachelor/bachelorette party: celebrate being tied down.
THE BIG DAY
-
Superstitions: bride and groom cannot see each other the day before the wedding
ceremony, bride throwing bouquet of flowers and whoever catches will be next to get
married, etc.
- Bride wears a white gown & veil (veil = protect from evil spirits, white = innocence)
+ "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" - Groom
wears a tuxedo
- Bride has bridesmaids and a maid of honor
- Groom has ushers and a best man
- There is a flower girl as well
-
Reception: an after-party with cake slicing, entertainment (the newlyweds first dance, etc.)
and bouquet tossing
- Some can 'elope' instead at the City Hall
-
Legal age to get married: 18; 16 or 17 can get married with parental consent (though most
states do not allow this)
- After the wedding is the 'honeymoon'

DIVORCE & ALTERNATIVE LIFESTYLES
- US divorce rate > 2x Europe's and > 3x Japan's
- Americans expect too much from marriage => so many get divorced
- "Prefer no marriage than a marriage without love and understanding"
- When getting divorced:
+ Man to pay former wife with alimony (depends on his income, her needs and marriage length)
+ If woman works => may no need for alimony
+ Sometimes, the woman will give her former husband alimony
+ Court decides which children live with whom (most cases: children live with mother while father
supports and have visiting rights)
+ To the child's best interest, father can have full custody or joint custody too - Americans aren't
afraid to get married again

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
- Have a celebration each year
- Anniversaries:
○ 5th: Wooden
○ 10th: Tin
○ 15th: Crystal
○ 20th: China
○ 25th: Silver
○ 30th: Pearl
○ 40th: Ruby
50th: Golden
○ 50th: Golden
○ 60th: Diamond
American Family Life

WHO'S AT HOME?
"We can choose our friends, but we can't choose our relatives."
"Blood is thicker than water."
- Nuclear family: two parents + children
- Extended family: grandparents + parents + children + grandchildren
- Today's typical American household is quite different from those of other times and places.
Most women work because the family needs more money and because they find it more
-
interesting than to be full-time housewives.
- Life of working mother: stimulating but also very hectic & stressful. - Concerns
about the declining roles of fathers in the lives of American children. - A lot of
families have pets/animals.
-
Most American children live with their parents at least until they finish high school at age
17 or 18; some go away for college or move out afterwards.
-
Middle-aged and elderly people avoid moving in with their grown children (take pride in
independence, enjoy freedom) => some live in nursing homes.
- US families are common to span four generations - from grandparents to infants.
WHERE IS HOME?
- Majority live in big cities, but small cities are also widespread.
- 2/3 Americans live in homes/apartments they own, but many rent their residences.
-
More than 7 million Americans live in mobile homes (cheaper than conventional homes,
popular with young couples & retired couples)

- American families move about every 5 or 6 years.

WHO PAYS THE BILL?
- Women can earn more than men: not uncommon
- Children's earning:
+ past: children were a financial asset; help with family income
+ now: state and federal laws limit what children are allowed to do
+ classic part-time jobs: babysitting, shoveling snow, mowing lawns, delivering
newspapers
WHO'S IN CHARGE?
- No longer do American families say "Father's words is law"
- Try to be democratic => everyone has a voice (parents are in charge if they have to)
- Child abuse has become much publicized => a false image of an American family. -
Americans are very loving, kind, generous, and permissive parents.
PARENTHOOD: A CHOICE
- Having or not having children is mostly a matter of choice these days. - Don't want
children: protection, birth controls or abortion (last resort, legal since 1973)
-
Want children: new modern technology helping those who have medical problems or
adoption
A Nation of Immigrants
- Immigrant: someone who moves from one country to another
- Refugee: someone who flees from their country
- Alien: a foreigner
1821 - 1997, about 64 million immigrants came to the US
=> the largest migration the human race had ever known.
IMMIGRANTS BEFORE INDEPENDENCE
- The earliest immigrants: Native Americans (or American Indians)
- 1492: Christopher Columbus reached Western Hemisphere (the West-side half of Earth)
-
1500s: French, Spanish, Portuguese & English explorers visited the New World (USA,
New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Australia & South Africa)
- 1607: Virginia became the 1st permanent British colony.
- 1620: Plymouth became the 2nd colony.
- The British gave the new nation its language, laws, and philosophy of government.
IMMIGRANTS FROM 1790 TO 1920
- 1790 - 1840: < 1 million immigrants
- 1841 - 1860: > 4 million immigrants
- 1881 - 1920: about 23.5 million immigrants
About 90% of those came from Europe.
- After 1882, American workers feared new Asians take their jobs/lower their wages
=> the government kept Asian immigration to a minimum.
-
1881 - 1890: approximately 80% American immigrants came from Northern & Western Europe.
Europe.
IMMIGRANTS SINCE 1920
- WWI, traveling difficulties => immigration declined.
- 1920s, Congress passed 1st quota: limiting the number of immigrants from each country.
- 1930 - 1945: legal limits & WWII kept immigration to a minimum.
- War ended: immigration rose sharply
Last half of 20th Century: Hungarians, Cubans, Chinese, Vietnamese & Russian permitted
-
into the country.
- Today, immigration is permitted according to various categories.
ILLEGAL ALIENS
- Immigrants without proper authorization (undocumented).

The African - American
SLAVERY - From Beginning To End
- 15th Century, Europe began to import slaves from the African continent. - Discovery of
Americas => increase demand for cheap labor & increase slave trade. - For 400 years, 15
million Africans were kidnapped, tortured, marked and sold into slavery.
-
When American Civil (1860) began, there were 4.5 million blacks in USA - most were
slaves.
- Most slaves live in the South.
+ Industrialized North had no use for slavery and it was illegal there.
+ Agricultural South depends on slave labor to work the field. - Slaves
suffer greatly, physically and emotionally. (discrimination) - 1865 Civil
War, North won => united nation = slavery was abolished.
-
Civil rights were given to former slaves, including the African-American right to vote
(women weren't allowed until 1920)
Freedom and Its Difficulties
- Most blacks were uneducated/unskilled
=> w/freedom, found many new problems (legal, social &
economic) - After Civil War, blacks moved back up the North.
- North: more freedom but still discriminated.
- Discrimination in sale & rental of housing
=> blacks forced into poor, crowded, mostly black communities.
-
Southern blacks suffer from worse discrimination, forced to obey state laws (Jim Crow
laws) that kept them segregated from white.

+ different bathrooms, schools, restaurants, fountains, cemeteries
+ different bathrooms, schools, restaurants, fountains,
cemeteries + sit in the back of the bus
+ if accused of a crime, almost certain to be found guilty by the all-white
jury - Southern whites kept the power to vote from blacks.
The Civil Rights Movements
-
The 1st change in 1954 was no sending students to different public schools based on their
race.
=> a lot of discriminatory practices were declared illegal.
- 1960s, the greatest black leader was Martin Luther King Jr.
=> dividing buses into white & black sections were now illegal. (Montgomery Bus Boycott)
King's philosophy was influenced by his Christian beliefs and the example of
○
Mohandas Gandhi.
○ Age 35, won a Nobel Peace prize.

American Etiquette
American Attitudes and Good Manners
-
17th Century, people were given une etiquette (a ticket) listing rules of acceptable
behaviors
=> the word "etiquette" was born.
-
Mostly very casual but the good manners usually show respect and consideration for
others.
- Americans believe that all people are entitled to equal opportunity & respect
"No one is privileged, and no one is worthless."
- Likable and not very likable:
+ A polite but assertive manner is socially acceptable.
+ A person who acts very humble and timid will make Americans feel
uncomfortable. - Eye-contact is highly encouraged.
- Befriend an American 101:
Don't be nosy: questions about age, weight, income or cost of valuable possessions
○
(cars, houses, jewelry, etc.) are considered rude.
○ Don't smoke without permission
○ Don't get too close:
Standing too close: forcing a sense of false intimacy or showing a dominating
tendency
▪ Standing too far: seems formal, aloof and cold
○ Don't touch: skinship aren't appreciated (short handshakes are fine)
○ Don't make ethnic slurs: multi-ethnical country = multi-ethnic people

▪ Ex: nigger, nigga, dyke, faggot, fag, etc.

Introductions and Titles
- People of different sexes:
○ Introduce the woman first
○ If the man is older or famous, then introduce him first
- People of same sex: introduce the older person first - First
name basis tends to come fast
- Titles of respect 101:
○ Mr. : a man
○ Ms. : a single woman
○ Mrs. : a married woman
○ Sir & madam: a man and a woman respectfully
Congratulations, Condolences, and Apologies
-
It's polite to say "Congratulations!" with enthusiasm when a person has accomplished
something.
- RSVP: Répondez s'il vous plaît = "Please respond" ○ "RSVP
regrets only" = "respond only if you cannot come"
-
Avoid the word "die" or "death" when expressing sympathy, just an "I'm sorry for your loss"
is fine.
Dining Etiquette
-
Try to arrive on time, not early; 10 or 15 minutes is fine, but not 45 minutes late (call to
inform the host in such cases)

- Bring a small gift (wine, flowers, fruits)
-
If there's food you don't like or can't eat because of religions? Try to eat whatever you can
and hope no one notices.

and hope no one notices.
If they do, say you don't eat meat (or whatever it is), but mention that you've enjoyed
○
the other foods and have had "more than enough" to eat.
-
Don't leave immediately when you finish eating, but don't overstay (when the host yawns
or conversation runs out, you leave)
-
"Tip" = "to insure promptness" => you automatically add in tips to your bill, about 15% and
more.
- The napkin is always on your lap, not your neck.
Manners between Men and Women
-
It's important for men to be chivalrous, but no one will think you're rude if you don't pull out
a girl's chair. Just open the door, offer to take the bill and make sure she's comfortable
wherever she's at.
-
On the job, treat others like a co-worker instead of a romantic interest/partner. Sexual
harassment has always been an issue.

American Education: First 12 Years

The Goals and Purpose of Public Education
- Kindergarten throughout high school, about 72 million students enrolled in school.
=> to educate these children, > 3 million teachers are employed
=> by far, the largest professional group in the country
- "In the USA, everyone has the right and is obligated to get education."
(even children with physical and mental disabilities)
- There are ESL (English as Second Language) for newcomers in the USA.
- All states have compulsory school attendance laws.
○ The laws vary, but they generally require school attendances from 6 to 16. ○ Most
students attend school at least until high school graduation (17 or 18 years old). ○
About 83% Americans are high school graduates.
- Each state has their own curriculum and their own Department of Education.
Public and Private Schools
Public schools:
About 86% of American children receive elementary & high school education in public
schools.
Important characteristics:
- Supported by state and local taxes => do not charge tuition.
- Most are neighborhood schools, opened for students living in the district. - Co-
educational = boys and girls attend the same school and almost the same classes.
-
Locally controlled: not the federal government, but the individual states are responsible for
education.
Required to follow some state guidelines (curriculum & teacher qualifications) but
Required to follow some state guidelines (curriculum & teacher qualifications) but
○
most decisions are made by an elective board of education and administrators (the
board hires)
- Separation of church & state => public schools are free from religion influences.
(help a diverse population share a common cultural heritage)
Private schools:
- Divided into two categories:
○ Parochial: supported by a particular religious group.
○ Independent: not affiliated with any religious group.
-
Charge tuition, not under direct public control (though many states set educational
standards for them)
- To attend, a student must apply & be accepted.
- Parochial (mostly Catholics) make up the largest group of private schools.
Teaching Methods and Approaches
-
American education was greatly influenced by John Dewey - a famous 20th Century
philosopher.
- "Children learn best by studying."
- Common classes in the curriculum:
○ Driver's education
○ Cooking & sewing classes
○ Sex education
○ A campaign against smoking & the use of illegal drugs
○ Anger management and settling arguments in a peaceful way (conflict resolution) American Studies
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- USA has no daycare system; parents usually pay tuition (though many are supported)
- An average school year: late August or early September to mid June - Typical school
day: 6 hours; ending at 3:00PM
- Subjects get more specialized in high school.
○ Social Science: American History, European History, & Psychology.
○ Math: Algebra, Geometry, & Trigonometry.
○ Science: Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, & Physics.
- Most students learn a second language in high school (Spanish, French, or German)
- Problems and solutions:
○ The quality of a child's education depends on where he/she/they studies.
○ A serious shortage of qualified teachers.
Starting salaries are much lower compared to other jobs that require a college
degree.
▪ A time-consuming job => it's common for a teacher to work 60 hours a week. Many students don't
study enough.

○ Many students don't study enough.
○ Dissatisfied parents: choose charter schools or homeschooling.
- Improving the school system is one of the nation's top priorities.

Higher Education in USA

- -
"The more you learn, the more you earn." - Americans often say. - Two
main categories:
○ Public: charge tuition, also supported by the state.
○ Private: charge tuition, not supported by the state.
○ Additional: proprietary (for-profit) schools.
▪ Usually teach a particular workplace skill (some are quite expensive)
- Three major groups:
Community colleges (or junior colleges): offer the first 2 years of undergraduate
○
studies
▪ Most are public schools.
▪ Serve two types of students:
□ Take 2 years of college before transferring to a 4-year school
□ Enroll in 1 or 2 year job-training programs
○ 4-year colleges
○ Universities

○
-
- An average academic year: 9 months long (September - early June, late August - May)
- Most colleges is divided into 2 semesters (or 3 quarters) (excluding summer vacation)
-
Grades are, from highest to low, A, B, C, D, F; generally, a student must keep a C average
to remain in school.
- Obtaining a bachelor's degree when graduated ○
Bachelor of Business Administrations (B.B.A) ○
Bachelor of Science (B.S)
○ Bachelor of Film (B.F)
○ Bachelor of Arts (B.A)
- Offer three kinds of graduate degrees:
Master's degrees: can be earned in 1 or 2 academic years of study beyond B.S or

○
B.A
○ Ph. D (doctor of philosophy) degrees: usually takes at least 3 years.
▪ Must pass oral & written examinations
Produce a long & comprehensive research paper that makes an original

Produce a long & comprehensive research paper that makes an original
contribution to their field.
▪ In some fields, Ph.D. candidates must also be able to read 1 or 2 languages.
○ Professional degrees (ex: medicine, law, engineering)
- Campus life:
○ Students are involved in many extracurricular activities.
○ Social life revolves around fraternities (for guys) and sororities (for girls)
○ Sports are an important part of life on most campuses.
- College costs quite a bit, vary according to different schools.
Some university may exceed $30.000 (tuition, room, board, books, travel to & from
○
home, etc.)
At these schools, tuition is >>> higher for out-of-state students than for permanent
○
residents of the state.
○ Financial aids:
▪ Scholarships (grants)
▪ Loans to students and/or to their parents.
▪ Student employment
Most financial aids is need-based; only students who need the money
□
receive it.
Financial aids to excellent student who don't need money (merit-based

□
aid) is limited.
▪ Come from 3 main sources:
□ Federal government
□ State government
□ Private contributors
Can contact a financial aid office (at every school) if needed

▪ Can contact a financial aid office (at every school) if needed
Aliens who are permanent residents in the US are eligible for government
assistance, but foreign students are not.
- Standardized tests:
GED (Test of General Educational Development): for adults who have not finished
○
high school
=> anyone who passes can earn a high school equivalency certificate
○ ACTs & SATs: for high school seniors to apply to competitive colleges & universities
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): for students whose native language
○
isn't English at college admission
CLEP (College Level Examination Program): for those who can't prove they have
○
completed certain college courses
- Famous colleges and universities in USA: ○
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) ○
Stanford University
○ Harvard University
○ Yale University
○ Princeton University
○ University of Pennsylvania
○ Columbia University
○ Brown University
○ University of California, Los Angeles
-
"In the US, the education of adults is a never-ending process going on in many different
places for many different reasons."

The Constitution & The Federal System
Saturday, May 4, 2019 6:28 PM
The Constitution
- Oldest constitution still in use
- Adopted on June 21st, 1788
- The basic law from which the U.S government gets all its power
- The law that protects Americans from unreasonable actions by the government - Three branches
○ Legislative (enacts/makes laws)
○ Executive (enforces laws)
○ Judicial (interprets laws/decides what they mean)
Legislative Branch
- Is called Congress
- Made up of 2 groups of legislators - The Senate and The House of Representatives The Senate
- Member of The Senate is addressed as Senator
- Often referred to as the upper house
- 100 members - two senators from each state
- Both senators represent the entire state
- Senators are elected for 6-year terms

- 1/3 senators face re-election every 2 years
=> provide the stability of government
- General duties
○ Legislative power: organizing and functioning the federal system
The House of Representatives
Member of House of Representatives is called Congressman/Congresswoman American Studies Pae

25
- Member of House of Representatives is called Congressman/Congresswoman
- Often referred to as the lower house
- 435 members, all are elected every 2 years
=> better serve the immediate needs of citizens, more responsive & interaction with their
constituents
- General duties:
Representation, legislation, and constituent service and education, as well as

○
political and electoral activities
- The state's population decides the number of representatives of said state ○
California had 52 representatives in the 106th Congress (1998 - 2000) -
Congress's job is to pass laws
- Before being passed, a law is called a bill
- A bill must be approved by a majority of each House of Congress and by the President
If vetoed by the President, it can still become the new law if 2/3 of each House of
-
Congress vote on it again
Required qualifications
House of Representatives
- 25 years of age
- US citizen for at least 7 years
- A resident of the state at the time of election
U.S. Senate
- 30 years of age
- US citizen for 9 years
- A resident of the state at the time of election
Executive Branch
2 elected leaders

- 2 elected leaders
- The President is the nation's chief executive
- Makes decisions about foreign policy with advice from his cabinet ○ Cabinet
members are chosen by the President with the approval of The Senate - Appoints
ambassadors & judges of the federal courts
- The commander-in-chief of the Army & Navy of the United States
- The Vice President
○ President of the Senate
VP's most important function is to become President upon the death, resignation, or
○
disability of the President.
Judicial Branch
- Consists of the federal courts, including the Supreme Court (US's highest court) -
Unusual feature: the power of the courts to declare legislation unconstitutional and void -
All must not be against the constitution
- Federal laws are, in some way, controlled or affected by all 3 branches of government
○ Congress makes them
○ The President approves and enforces them
○ The courts determine what they mean & whether they are constitutional
The Amendments to the Constitution
-
First proposed by a 2/3 vote of both houses of Congress, then approved by legislatures of
3/4 of the states or by a vote of conventions in 3/4 of the states

- Bill of Rights = the first 10 amendments
○ Freedom of religion
○ Freedom of speech
○ Freedom of press
The right to keep and bear arms (guns) (the 2nd amendment)
○ The right to keep and bear arms (guns) (the 2nd amendment)
-
The 14th Amendment: protect former slaves from discrimination, equal protection of the
laws, race, gender discrimination
-
The First Amendment is perhaps the most important part of the Bill of Rights. It protects
five of the most basic liberties. They are freedom of religion, freedom of speech,
freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom to petition the government to
right wrongs.
The Federal System
-
The power is divided between the national (federal) government and the state
governments
- Laws passed by Congress (federal laws) must be authorized by the U.S. Constitution
-
All matters over which the federal government does not have power over can be regulated
only by the individual states

Choosing The Nation’s President

1. What are the two major political parties in the US? How different?
2. When is the Election Day & Inauguration Day?
- Tuesday after the first Monday of November
- January 20th
3. What is the difference between popular votes & electoral votes? -
Citizens vote for their state's representatives (electors) through popular votes.
-
Electors (of the Electoral College) vote for the presidential candidates. The winner must
get at least 270 electoral votes.

Two Presidents And Two Wars
George Washington
- Born: February 22nd, 1732
- Died: December 12th, 1799
- Cause of death: pneumonia
- Political party: Independent
- Came from a wealthy family
- Legacy:
○ He's called "father of the nation", because:
▪ He fought against the British to win back independence
▪ He was the leader in the Revolutionary War
▪ He was the first president of the country
▪ He devoted his whole life to his country
○ Appears on $1 bill
- Notable contribution:
○ Led Revolutionary War
The Revolutionary War
- Date: April 19th, 1775 - September 3rd, 1783
(8 years, 4 months, and 15 days)
- Location:
○ Eastern North America
○ Caribbean Sea
○ Indian subcontinents
Africa

○ Africa
○ The Atlantic Ocean
○ The Indian Ocean
Results:
- Allied victory:
○ Peace of Paris
○ British recognition of American independence
○ End of the first British Empire
○ British retention of Canada & Gibraltar
- Territorial changes:
Great Britain cedes to the US the East area of the Mississippi River and South of the
○
Great Lakes & St. Lawrence River.
○ Great Britain cedes East Florida, West Florida & Menorca to Spain.
○ Great Britain cedes Tobago & Senegal to France.
○ Dutch Republic cedes Negapatam to Great Britain.
- American's victory:
○ The 13 American colonies win their independence from England.
○ 25.000 - 70.000 death toll.
○ Declared the United States of America (July 4th, 1776)
Abraham Lincoln
- Born: February 12th, 1809 - Hodgenville, Kentucky
- Died: April 15th, 1865 - Petersen House, Washington, D.C
- Presidential term: March 4th, 1861 - April 15th, 1865
- Major accomplishments:
○ Served 4 terms in Illinois Legislature
Member of US House of Representatives

○ Member of US House of Representatives
○ 16th President of the US

○ Commander in Chief during Civil War
- Spouse: Mary Todd Lincoln
- Nicknamed: "Honest Abe"
- Uneducated & poor parents => still become a lawyer w/ little education -
1st successful presidential candidate nominated by the Republican Party -
An excellent writer
- Shot by John Wilkes Booth on April 14th, 1865
- Buried in Springfield, Illinois
- In 14 states, his birthday is celebrated as a legal holiday.
Civil War
- Began on April, 1861
- Union (the North) vs Confederacy (the South)
Union
-
California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, new Hampshire, New Jersey,
New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont & Wisconsin
- Nevada & West Virginia joined as new states during the war.
-
The Border states: West Virginia (split from Northwestern Virginia on June 20th, 1863) &
4/5 Northernmost slave states (Maryland, Delaware, Missouri & Kentucky) Confederacy
-
South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana & Texas => the
Confederate States of America (February 4th, 1861 - Jefferson Davis as President)
- Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina & Virginia later joined the Confederacy. November 28th, 1861
- Missouri became the 12th state.

- November 28th, 1861 - Missouri became the 12th state.
- December 10th, 1861 - Kentucky became the 13rd state.
Results
- 620.000 died. 500.000 suffered from war-related wounds/diseases.
- The South's economy was in ruins by the end of the war.
- April 9th, 1865 - Confederate commander surrendered to the Union commander. - May 26th - the
war finally ended.
- Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation declared all Confederate slaves free during the war.
- 13th Amendment freed all slaves after the war.
- American Studies
Pae 33

Capitalism & The American Economy
- Capitalism
- Capitalistic economy
- Prices vary with changes in supply & demand
- Goods & service, profits
- Competition, competitors, competitive
- Monopoly (limited by national law)
- Strikes
- Stocks/shares
○ Shareholder/stockholder
○ Dividend
○ Less safe (risky)
○ Higher interests
- Bonds
○ Bondholder
○ Safer, fixed
- Interests, creditors, debtor
- Bankruptcy
A cashless economy
- Check/cheque
- Bank cards: debit cards, credit cards, master cards…
Christopher Columbus: A Controversial Hero Saturday, May 4, 2019 6:29 PM

Thanksgiving & Native American

American Studies

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American Studies

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Glimpse of USA

Thursday, March 28, 2019 8:04 AM

- National Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner

+ West: The Pacific Ocean

+ East: The Atlantic Ocean

+ South: Mexico & Cuba

- Largest population: New York

- Independence Day: July 4th 1776

The North East

Connecticut (CT) New Jersey (NJ) New York (NY) Pennsylvania

Maine (ME) (PA)

Rhode Island (RI)

Indiana (IN) Nebraska (NE)

Iowa (IA) North Dakota

Kansas (KS) (ND) Ohio (OH)

Michigan South Dakota

(MI) (SD) Wisconsin

Arizona (AZ) Alaska (AK)

Colorado (CO) California

Idaho (ID) (CA) Hawaii

Montana (MT) (HI)

Nevada (NV) Oregon (OR)

New Mexico Washington

Alabama (AL) Arkansas Kentucky (KY) Louisiana South Carolina (SC)

(AR) Delaware (DE) (LA) Maryland (MD)

13 Original British Colonies

ts New Island South

New Jersey Virginia

American Studies Pae 3

The American Character

- The most important characteristic of the US: diversity

+ 4% Asian and Pacific Islander

- American democracy is based on the principle of majority rule.

- Declaration of Independence "All men are created equal."

characteristic traits of Americans:

more efficient => buy lots of machines

+ Strong sense of obligation to help those in needs; generous

"practical, efficient, fast, and new" over "traditional & leisure"

+ Most are friendly, kind-hearted, very likable

American Studies Pae 4

BEFORE THE WEDDING

- Bridal showers for the bride: people bring gifts -

Bachelor/bachelorette party: celebrate being tied down.

THE BIG DAY

+ "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" - Groom

- Bride has bridesmaids and a maid of honor

- Groom has ushers and a best man

- There is a flower girl as well

and bouquet tossing

- Some can 'elope' instead at the City Hall

states do not allow this)

- After the wedding is the 'honeymoon'

American Studies Pae 5

- US divorce rate > 2x Europe's and > 3x Japan's

- "Prefer no marriage than a marriage without love and understanding"

- When getting divorced:

+ If woman works => may no need for alimony

+ Sometimes, the woman will give her former husband alimony

supports and have visiting rights)

afraid to get married again

- Have a celebration each year

American Family Life

"Blood is thicker than water."

- Nuclear family: two parents + children