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  • Amerindians 1 – Introduction to Native Americans

    American Indians (Amerindians / Indians / Amerind / Native Americans) are the aboriginal (=native) people in the USA. Their ancestors lived nomadic lives. Today, most of the Amerindians live a civilized lifestyle and live together with the other nationalities in communities. However, some tribes still keep their nomadc lifestyle and live on reservations.

    NOMADIC vs SETTLED

    Nomadic lifestlye:

    • hunting
    • fishing
    • wandering (usually following the buffalo)
    • gathering edible fruits, roots and berries
    • housing: tents (tepee, wigwam…)
    • tools used: knives, axes (or clubs), bows and arrows, spears
    • mostly warrior people

    Settled lifestyle:

    • building houses –> villages (settlements) –> towns / cities (with schools, stores etc.)
    • farming (maize = corn, beans, squash, pumpkin, berries; cotton plantations)
    • tools used: knives, axes (or clubs), bows and arrows, spears
    • some were warriors, some not

    The regions the tribes lived in were the following:

    • Eastern woodlands;
    • the Southeast;
    • the Great Plains;
    • the Northwest;
    • the Southwest

    indiantribes

  • The Triangular Trade – EXTRA

    Extra material but please read it carefully.

    Also called as:

    triangulartrade-lpmuseum

    • Transatlantic Trade;
    • Transatlantic Slave Trade;
    • Triangle Trade

    was a three-legged trade route across the Atlantic Ocean from the mid 16th to the mid 19th century.

    It was named “triangular” because the shape of the route is much like a triangle.

    Leg 1:

    • started in Europe (mostly in Liverpool, England) where cargo ships left the ports carrying textile, horses, firearms (guns) and alcoholic beverages (later other industrial goods).
    • the destination was in West Africa.

    Leg 2 (also called Middle passage):

    • from Africa to Central America (the Caribbean region, or to the south, even to Brazil)
    • black people were bought by the tradesmen in Africa, carried to the Americas and sold there as slaves
    • these slaves worked on plantations (cotton, tobacco, sugarcane etc.)

    Leg 3:

    • back to Europe
    • the captain of the ship bought luxury products coming from the plantations (cotton, tobacco, coffee, tea, sugar, molasses etc.) and brought them back to Europe
    • the products were sold to rich people (=luxury products as only the wealthy could afford them)

    One triangle? No, actually there were different ones – watch the video below.

  • The 50 states

    Click HERE for Names, terms and dates of the topic on Quizlet.

    There were 13 original colonies on the east coast of the present day USA. These were:

    The New England colonies: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut;
    The Middle colonies: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware;
    The Southern colonies: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.

    The 13 states were established by the Articles of Confederation on March 1, 1781.

    Each state in the USA has its own: abbreviation, state capital, and symbols such as a state flag, a state bird, a state tree, a state flower and a state song. To learn more about the above click HERE.

    Some facts about states
    Play this game on state name abbreviations. Can you solve them all?

    ALASKA (AK):

    • the largest state of the USA;
    • there is Mt McKinley, the highest point in the USA (or Mt Denali in Denali National Park; 6,187 m) – 17 out of the 20 most highest points of the USA are located in Alaska;
    • it’s the coldest state;
    • fishing, mining and oil industries are important in Alaska;
    • it’s the “Bear Country”.

    How to photograph bears:

    FLORIDA (FL):

    WASHINGTON (WA)

    • named in the honor of the first American president, George Washington;
    • WA’s state capital is Olympia;
    • WA’s most important industry is forestry: a new tree is planted for each tree that is cut down, so the state has beautiful forests;
    • orchards are important, too – WA is the no.1 in the USA for apples and pears;
    • rivers are also important – 40 different kinds of fish live in them, the most popular is the salmon.

    HAWAII (HI)

    • it is not a mainland state since it’s located in the Pacific Ocean;
    • it consists of 8 islands and each island has its own flower and color;
    • it is the only state that has its own time-zone called Hawaiian-Aleutian;
    • its capital city is Honolulu on Oahu Island;
    • the only US state that grows coffee;
    • from east to west HI is the widest state.

    TEXAS (TX)

    • the largest mainland state in the USA;
    • home to cowboys and lots of ranches (the King Ranch is larger than the state of Rhode Island, the smallest US state);
    • oil mining is very important in TX as well as agriculture, cattle and beef production;
    • it is the biggest producer of wool in the USA;
    • TX has a unique jam (=jelly) made of jalapeno, a spicy pepper.

    MINNESOTA (MN)

    • the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” – in fact there are more than 11,000 lakes;
    • MN locates the source of Mississippi River (in Lake Itasca);
    • it has the second largest shopping mall in the USA called “Mall of America” that is home to an indoor theme park (Nickelodeon Universe) and Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium.

    A 5-minute journey on the Mississippi from its source to its delta.

     

  • Names, terms and dates: The USA

    EXTRA information in italics.

    ENTERTAINMENT – on Quizlet
    Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA; home of the American movie industry, however, it has become too expensive to shoot films in its studios so film-making industry left Hollywood
    Walk of Fame in Hollywood Boulevard; names of internationally famous entertainers (actors, directors, musicians etc.) are found here in the sidewalks, embedded there in five-pointed stars; there are about 3,000 stars on the pavement
    silent movie films without words or sound effects in the early 20th century, later accompanied by piano music
    talkie a film with sound
    Academy Awards the official name for The Oscars, a prize given to people in the film industry, awarded in numerous categories
    nominate to officially suggest that someone should be given a prize or a job / position
    Steven Spielberg American director, producer and scriptwriter, most famous for the films E.T.; Schindler’s List; Jurassic Park; Saving Private Ryan;  MIIIB (Men in Black 3); won the Oscar for “Best Director” twice
    Walt Disney American cartoonist, best-known for the figure of Mickey Mouse; he made the first cartoon with sound and also the first to create colored cartoons (Disney is famous for Snow White, Bambi, Dumbo, Pinocchio etc.)
    drive-in movie cinemas where the audience parked their cars inside the cinema and were watching the film on screen from their cars
    Broadway, the in Manhattan, NYC; home to lots of theatres and other entertainment facilities; top musicals and theatre shows are played here
    American Idol, the based on British series Pop Idol, a reality-singing talent show competition to find great singers who once will be popular all around the world; the show finished in 2013
    blues music style first introduced by black Americans whose grandparents used to be slaves; the lyrics are about life and relationship problems (blue – meaning sad)
    Elvis Presley a singer and musician who created rock and roll that changed the complete musical industry in the late 1950s and 1960s
    gospel music Christian themed, powerful and rhythmical songs influenced by soul music; was developed in churches where black people used to go
    Michael Jackson one of the most popular as well as dividing entertainer in the US music industry; famous for beginning his career at an early age, later developed a unique movement on stage called “Moonwalk”
    Madonna the best-selling female artist of the 20th century, she also appeared in musical films and won a Golden Globe Award for Evita
    F. Scott Fitzgerald Irish American writer of the early 20th century, member of “The Los Generation”; writer of The Great Gatsby
    the Lost Generation a group of famous American writers who left the States and immigrated into Europe after the WWI
    The Great Gatsby one of the most popular American books, also adapted into a movie; written by F. Scott Fitzgerald; takes place in NYC and Long Island, and describes the “America Dream”, story of love and loss of Jay Gatsby, the story is narrated by Nick, his next-door neighbor

     

    MADE IN THE USA – On Quizlet
    dachshund a small dog with a long, sausage-like body, short legs and long ears
    a spectator a person who watches a public event live (e.g. a match)
    canvas a strong, raw cotton-like material used for making military tents, sails, clothes etc.
    gold miners people who go under the ground to find rocks containing gold
    49’ers nickname for those who took part in the California Gold Rush in 1849
    California Gold Rush gold-seekers arrived to CA from all over the world soon after the news that gold had been found in CA spread
    Levi Strauss a maker of clothing; born in Germany and moved to CA in the 1850s to make clothes for gold miners; found a nicer material (denim) instead of hard canvas to make pants for the miners – these were Levi’s pants, the first popular Levis blue jeans
    denim a canvas-like material but no as raw as canvas
    pants AmE for trousers
    experiment a scientific test to see what happens to someone or something in certain conditions
    wires long, thin metal cables
    electricity energy that can produce light, heat or power for machinery
    voice the sound we make when we speak
    a druggist AmE for pharmacist
    a drugstore AmE or pharmacy
    all-purpose medicine medicine (or remedy) that is considered to cure any illness
    sculptor a person who designs and makes statues and sculptures
    admire to respect (“like) someone or something greatly
    contribute to work together in order to reach an ambition by giving money, goods or work in the process
    the Doubleday myth the belief that used to say that baseball was invented by US general Abner Doubleday in Cooperstown, NY in 1839
    a food stand AmE for food stall, a temporary structure used to make and sell (fast) food to the public
    all-you-can-drink you pay a certain amount of money at the restaurant / bar and then you can fill your glass as many times as you want
    gambling games that take your risk and money, e.g.: poker, the lottery, casinos etc.
    monumental really great in size; important in meaning
    Mount Rushmore a famous memorial carved in the mountain rocks, it contains the heads of four US presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Th. Roosevelt and Lincoln
    dormitory a room at school where students sleep
    Bill Gates an American businessman, co-founder and chairman of Microsoft, currently the second richest person in the world
    Microsoft a company that makes computer software and video games founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975; most popular for Windows and Office programs
    billionaire a person who owns a billion; a very rich person
    the Oscars informal name for the Academy Award, a prize given to people in the film industry, awarded in numerous categories
    assembly line a system for production in a factory in which each worker is responsible one step in the process of making something
    the T-model invented by Henry Ford, the first car to be sold for very little money, built btw 1908 and 1928 by the Ford Motor Company in Detroit, Michigan
    Will Keith Kellogg a food manufacturer who founded Kellogg Company, which produces a wide range of breakfast cereals (first: Kellogg’s cornflakes)
    sanitartium alternative spelling for sanatorium, a place where patients are treated after an operation or serious disease / illness in order to recover

    SPORTS IN THE USA – On Quizlet
    soccer football (BrE); a game played on a field btw teams of 11 players, the aim of the game is to score – drive the ball into the goal
    hockey ice-hockey (BrE); a game played on an ice rink btw teams of 6 players; the aim of the game is to score – drive the puck into the goal
    basketball an indoor game played on a court btw teams of 5 players; the aim is to throw the ball through a net
    baseball a game with a bat and ball btw teams of 9 players, played on a large field having 4 bases
    American football a game btw teams of 11 player, the ball is moved forward by running or passing
    coach a person who instructs or trains usually sportspeople
    career achievement, developing in one’s life, work and experience
    NFL National Football League, the major one in football in the USA
    fan a team’s supporter
    stadium a large building usually without a roof with a field in the center and seats around it for spectators of sporting events
    cheerleader those usually girls or young women who direct and organize cheering at a sporting event (usually football game)
    college an independent school (institution) in higher education
    helmet headwear made of hard material and worn in order to protect one’s head
    shoulder pads in sports pads are made of hard plastic in order to protect one’s shoulders
    quarterback the player in a team sport who directs the offensive play of the team
    NBA National Basketball Association (also National Boxing Association); since 1949, a professional basketball league in the USA
    WNBA Women’s National Basketball Association; since 1996
    pitcher the player who throws the ball towards the catcher in baseball
    batter / hitter the player in baseball facing the pitcher and tries to hit the ball in order the catcher can’t get it
    bat the wooden stick used for hitting the ball in baseball
    NHL National Hockey League; the professional ice-hockey league in North America; since 1919
    ice rink where ice-hockey is played or people go skating
    Stanley Cup, the the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, the winner of the NHL season gets it
    hockey stick the equipment used for hitting the puck in ice-hockey
    puck a kind of “ball” in ice-hockey, a round, flat piece of rubber to be hit
    MLS Major League Soccer, since 1993; the professional league of North American soccer; the season runs from March to October and the final called MLS Cup is played in December after the playoffs
    draws profession sport leagues gather and bring the most talented youth players from the USA or other countries and usually give them a scholarship in order to have them in their professional team after the player’s graduation from university / college

    EDUCATION IN THE USA – on Quizlet
    rural relating to the countryside (opp.: urban)
    semesters two periods of about 18 weeks the schoolyear is divided
    dropout to leave school or college without finishing the studies and courses
    curriculum the subjects, courses and every topic included in them in a country’s school system or in a private school
    Pledge of Allegiance a short speech student learn and say every morning at school before the lessons start, they promise to be loyal to their country
    extra-curricular activities, lessons, courses not included in the curriculum
    choir a group of people singing together
    yearbook classes, teachers, school events, photos collected and published in a book at the end of a schoolyear
    a freshman BrE a fresher; university student in their first year or 4-yr-high school
    a sophomore a student in the second year of a US college or 4-yr-high school
    a junior a student in the third year of a US college or 4-yr-high school
    a senior a student in the last year of a US college or 4-yr-high school
    a graduate holding a diploma or an academic degree
    a grade 1) a schoolyear in the education system, 1-12; 2) a mark given
    to fail to be unsuccessful in a test / exam
    to pass to be successful in a test / exam
    graduation receiving a degree or other qualification after finishing your studies at a college or university
    the prom the party of seniors at high school
    a gown a long robe worn by a graduate at the graduation ceremony
    a mortar board a kind of hat worn by a graduate at the graduation ceremony
    an exchange student a student who spend one or more schoolyears in another country in order to learn a foreign language and get to know other people and cultures
    a scholarship a grant; a student with very good grades can be offered college, studies etc. usually for a year free of charge
    compulsory also mandatory; a “must” for everybody
    a school locker a kind of storage that can be closed with a key / code for individual storage of books, clothes etc.
    a cycle-rack a metal object used for storing bicycles
    discipline punishment
    detention a punishment for a child in which they have to stay at school after the other children have gone home
    suspension a punishment in which the student is removed from school for a short time
    expulsion a punishment in which a student can’t continue the schoolyear because of a major offence/s

    CITIES AND SIGHTS – on Quizlet
    government the group of people who control a country (ministers, in the USA secretaries) or a city
    Boston in Massachusetts State; one of USA’s oldest cities
    urban adj.; relating to towns and cities
    environment all the living things and objects around us
    distance the amount of space between two things
    New York City “The city that never sleeps.”; “The Big Apple” – nickname;
    financial adj.; about money
    borough a district in a town
    5 NYC boroughs Manhattan, (the) Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island
    Broadway, the in Manhattan, NYC; home to lots of theatres and other entertainment facilities; top musicals and theatre shows are played here
    immigration when people enter a country to live there permanently
    East Side, the a multicultural area in NYC
    sidewalk AmE for pavement (side of the road for pedestrians)
    rush hour, the when the most citizens go to work / school in the morning and go home in the evening
    downtown the centre of a town / city
    Statue of Liberty, the one of the most famous US landmarks; stand on Ellis Island; a symbol of freedom; was a present from the French as a token of American – French friendship
    Central Park similar to London’s Hyde Park; CP is in Manhattan, NYC; a great park where people can relax, skate, jog or just feed the chipmunks; one of the most filmed locations in the world
    Los Angeles in CA; nicknamed L.A.; another multicultural city, lies on the west coast, has great museums and galleries
    Hollywood the home of the movie industry
    Chicago in Illinois; on Lake Michigan; “the Windy City”; important centre for train transport and air travel; home to lots of universities and research centres
    Michigan Canal a water route to the Mississippi River
    Houston in TX; the 4th largest American city; home to lots of universities and colleges
    Johnson Space Centre in Houston, TX; the home of the USA’s space exploration program (NASA)
    July 20, 1969 Apollo program, sent the first man (Neil Armstrong) to the moon
    palisade a strong fence made from tall posts with pointed ends built together
    Harlem a big neighborhood in Manhattan borough with a great Hispanic (in West and East Harlem) and Afro-American (in Central Harlem) population. It started as a Dutch village and its name came from a city, Haarlem in Holland.
    landmark a famous building or object that you can see and recognize easily
    American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War was fought between Great Britain and the 13 original colonies (called the Continental army helped by the French and the Spanish). The war took place from 1775 to 1783 with fighting in North America and other places. After the war ended, the Thirteen Colonies became independent and formed the USA.

     
    Washington, D.C. the capital city of the USA formed by Maryland State and Virginia State giving some land (later called the District of Columbia)
    Potomac River
    Capitol Hill where The Capitol, the home of the US government is found
    White House, the the official home of the US President and his / her family in Washington, D.C. in Pennsylvania Avenue
    National Mall, the a tourist attraction, home to memorials for notable US presidents and the only-non president Martin Luther King, Jr
    Philadelphia state capital of Pennsylvania, forms US capital during the War of Independence, where the Declaration of Independence was signed; the 5th largest US state by population
    Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, one of the best US universities
    Supreme Court the highest court in the USA that leads the Judicial Branch; it has an own building in D.C. where it meets
    the Capitol it is the centre of the legislative branch; the building has a north wing for the Senate meetings and a south wing for the H. of Representatives
    House of Representatives part of the US Congress with a maximum of 435 representatives
    Senate, the every state elects 2 people to represent them in the U.S. Senate, a group of people who decide laws of the country
    Smithsonian Institution, the a complex of 19 museums (most of them in Washington D.C.), a large research and educational centre established in 1843
    Rock Creek Park built in 1890, it is a place for relaxing and recreation inside D.C. with its hiking paths, an amphitheater, a planetarium etc.
    ‘Our Nation’s Capital’ nickname for Washington, D.C.

     

    GEOGRAPHY of the USA – On Quizlet
    Alaska (AK) the largest American state, a not mainland, has Mt McKinley; “Bear Country”
    Hawaii (HI) currently the state that joined the USA the latest (in 1959); state capital is Honolulu; HI is a group of volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean
    Canada borders the USA in the north; a federal republic that became independent in 1931; with a population of ca. 35 million, capital: Ottawa; currency: Canadian Dollar; official languages: English, French
    Pacific Ocean a huge body of water, borders the USA on the west coast
    California (CA) important state in the SW with a population of about 40 million; state cap.: Sacramento, largest city: Los Angeles; nickname: “the Golden State” (either because of the Gold Rush or the state flower, the golden poppy); home to Death Valley and Sequoia NP; extremely rich in plants
    the Northeast
    the Southeast
    the Midwest (Central)
    the West
    Death Valley located in CA; is 225 km long, it’s North America’s hottest and driest place; he hottest temperature on Earth was recorded here in 1913 (56.7 oC ); the name comes from the settlers who faced extreme circumstances while crossing the valley and may died on the journey
    Mojave Desert a very dry region in the Southwest in CA, UT, NV and AZ; Death Valley is in the Mohave Desert in the north
    Hoover Dam, the a hydroelectric power station built on the Colorado River in the 1930s in order to generate electricity using the power of the water; also used to regulate the flow of the Colorado River
    Mount McKinley or Mt Denali in Denali National Park, AK; the highest point of the USA with 6,187 m above sea level
    Kilauea part of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
    Mauna Loa the largest volcano in the world, its name means Long Mountain; a very massive mountain with an extremely deep underground/water base
    Mauna Kea the highest volcano in the Hawaii Volcanoes NP with 4205m, its name means “White Mountain”
    Gulf of Mexico, the Rivers Mississippi and (Rio) Grande flow into the gulf whose borders are the USA, Mexico and the island of Cuba; through straits the gulf is linked with the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea
    Yellowstone NP the first NP in the USA created in 1872; named after the Yellowstone River the NP is a popular attraction with visitors who like camping, hiking ad rafting; the NP is located in the West (WY, MT, ID states); home to bears, bisons, wolves, ravens and contains several mudpots and geysers; popular cartoon characters Yogi Bear and Boo Boo have been associated with this NP (called Jellystone NP in the cartoons)
    Grand Canyon, the there are several grand canyons in the USA, however, the Grand Canyon in AZ formed by the Colorado River for millions of years is the most popular; visitors while hiking the canyon can meet the bison, the elk, the bighorn sheep and people as well, the Havasupai Indians (population: around 700)
    Colorado River it is the basis of irrigation and domestic water supply for more than 40 million people in the relatively arid southwestern US states; several dams were built on the river which flows through 7 US states
    Yosemite NP a NP located in CA, home to numerous sequoia trees and the El Capitán, the world’s largest solid granite block (the park is the only habitat of the spider species Yosemite Cave Pseudoscorpion)
    Everglades NP a NP in FL, the largest subtropical wilderness in the US, so there are amphibians like alligators
    Niagara Falls international border between CAN and the USA (Ontario Province and NY State); a system of three waterfalls on the Niagara River; the height of the Falls is 50m where more than 2 million litres of water fall down every minute
    Great Lakes, the Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Superior – the borderline btw CAN and the USA in the north (only Michigan is completely part of the USA)
    climate the weather of a region (annual rainfall, sunshine, seasons etc.)
    fall AmE word for the season autumn
    humid adjective meaning hot and wet that makes people feel quite uncomfortable
    mild weather / climate it means a pleasant warmth (not hot temperature)
    irrigation to bring water to land / plantations by a system of channels to make plants grow
    wildlife animals and plants that have their habitat somewhere
    bison also called buffalo in AmE, a large, cow-like animal with long hair and big head
    cougar or puma, a big wild cat from the mountain areas of the Americas
    caribou or the Canadian (rein)deer, it has long, thin legs and flat-beamed antlers
    moose a large deer that lives in CAN and the USA as well as Northern Europe (called elk)
    elk a type of large deer from Europe and Asia
    coyote a small wild dog from Nort America (South Dakota is nicknamed after them the Coyote State)
    raccoon a small animal with a black and white face whose habitat is mostly North and Central America
    heatwave a long period of extremely and unusually hot temperature
    Tornado Alley the area in the USA (also CAN) where tornadoes the most often appear from Minnesota down to the Gulf of Mexico  including 15-20 states
    earthquake when the ground shakes

     

    SPECIAL DAYS AND CELEBRATIONS – On Quizlet
    Independence Day or the 4th of July, the national holiday of the USA to commemorate the day when the Declaration of Independence  was signed in 1776
    Thanksgiving Day the fourth Thursday in November, a day to spend with the family and celebrate with a Thanksgiving dinner (roast turkey and stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie)
    Black Friday the day after Thanksgiving when the Christmas shopping begins with a lot of discounts and sales offered in stores
    Super Bowl (Sunday) the final of the National Football League, the first Sunday in February
    Groundhog Day on 2nd February, traditionally if the groundhog comes out of its hole the winter will end soon
    Valentine’s Day on 14th February when many Americans give flowers and chocolates to the people they love
    Memorial Day the last Monday of May, a day to remember those men and women who fought and died for their country
    Labor Day the first Monday of September created in 1882, a national holiday to celebrate a day off work, the American football season begins on this day
    Halloween on the evening of 31 October, when kids go trick-or-treating and adults turn many homes into haunted houses
    jack-o-lantern a pumpkin with a scary face carved onto it and a candle placed inside
    Columbus Day the second Monday in October to remember Italian explorer Christopher Columbus
    Martin Luther King Jr’s Day celebrated since 1986, the third Monday of January when Americans celebrate with community work
    Martin Luther King Jr a Baptist priest and civil rights activist, leader of the Civil Rights Movement; his famous speech begins “I have a dream…”; King was assassinated on 4 April 1968
    St Patrick’s Day on 17th of March, a tradition the Irish immigrants brought to the USA in the mid-19th century – Americans wear green on this day and celebrate with street parades
    Cinco de Mayo the 5th of May, a celebration of Mexican culture and Mexican independence
    Inauguration Day on 20th January every fourth year when the elected president starts his office

     

    SLAVERY – on Quizlet
    independence freedom from control by another country or powerful group of people
    slave someone who is forced to work hard for someone else for no money
    servant a person who works for the rich and gets money for the job
    slave master the owner of slaves
    Triangular Trade three main trading routes from Britain to West Africa–from West Africa to the Americas–from the Americas back to Britain; the most important way of on-sea trade from the early 16th century to 1807 when the slave trade was abolished (=banned) by the British parliament
    punishment a penalty for doing something wrong / bad
    plantation a large farm where crops are grown (e.g. sugar cane, cotton, tobacco etc.)
    mutilate to damage someone’s body by cutting or removing part of it
    13th Amendment ratified in 1865, this Amendment to the US Constitution banned slavery all across the USA
    thatched roof when a building’s roof is covered with dried grass (=straw)
    Uncle Tom’s Cabin a novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe, that introduced the hard lives of slaves
    the Underground Railroad several routes from the American South leading to the North and Canada where slaves were escaped
    Harriet Tubman once a slaved, escaped to Pennsylvania where she gained freedom, later helped hundreds of slaves to escape to the North
    Martin Luther King Jr an American Baptist minister and civil rights leader, born in 1928 and assassinated in 1968; was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964; his famous speech begins ‘I have a dream…’
    a spiritual a religious song that once was sung by Black Americans

    NATIVE AMERICANS – on Quizlet
    Amerindian or Amerind, the term used for Natives of America
    pueblo means village or town, a collection of houses built on cliffs
    maize corn to eat
    squash a type of pumpkin, not the round one
    tribe the way the Indians lived together, a group of people
    wigwam a type of Indian tent, round and with a spherical top, also called wickiup
    tepee a type of Indian tent, a triangular-shaped one
    longhouse housing of the Iroquois made of wood
    canoe a boat used by Amerindians
    moccasins a soft leather shoe with a thin and flat sole, worn by the Amerindians
    powwow a traditional Native American ceremony
    civilized a community or people with developed and high quality culture
    buffalo a large wild animal like a cow, also called American bison
    Cherokee one of the 5 civilized Amerindian tribes, they were the last to leave their land in 1838
    Pocahontas a Native American who he helped to make peace between Native Americans and the English colonists of Jamestown, Virginia; she was married to an Englishman but died very young in pneumonia
    Northwest Ordinance a law in 1787 that said lands and property shall never be taken from the Native Americans without their consent
    Trail of Tears a forced movement of the Native Americans (especially the Cherokee) in 1838 when they had to leave Georgia and move west to Oklahoma, every fourth Cherokee died on the way
    Apache a nomadic warrior native tribe of the Southwest, neighboring the Pueblo
    Sioux nomadic tribe of the Great Plains who followed the buffalo
    Navajo another name for Pueblo Indians, lived in the Southwest, were settled farming people
    totem pole a large decorated pole where the history of the Haida Indians can be found
    Sitting Bull a Sioux chief who tried to keep their land away from settlers, at the battle of Little Bighorn his men defeated the soldiers of General Custer
    Sequoyah a Cherokee leader who created a writing system for his tribe
    Popay or Popé, a religious leader who led the Pueblo Revolt against the Spanish in 1680
    Geronimo a very important leader and medicine man of the Apache
    edible something you can eat and you won’t be sick from it
    nomadic lifestyle hunting, fishing, living in huts or tents, gathering food
    war club a weapon used by the Amerindians in hand-to-hand battle
    spear a weapon like a long stick with a sharp, arrow-head-like end

    THE STORY BEHIND  THANKSGIVING – On Quizlet
    Native American an indigenous (not a settler) person in North, Central and South America
    New England the group of states in the northeastern part of the US where the first English people arrived in the 17th century
    Plymouth Colony the colony of the Pilgrim settlers founded in 1621
    Plymouth Rock a rock in Plymouth, Massachusetts where the Pilgrim Fathers are believed to have arrived in North America from England in 1620
    Massachusetts a state in the northeast of the US, one of the 13 original states
    Pilgrims one of the people who left England because of religious reasons and went to live in what is now the US in the early 17th century
    harsh very hard in conditions
    Separatists those Puritans who disagreed some of the puritan beliefs therefore they separated from the Puritan groups
    Samoset a Native American, a chief in the Wampanoag tribe who was the first Native to make contact with the Pilgrims
    Wampanoag tribe a group of Natives that lived in today’s southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, they were farmers who cultivated corn, beans and squash
    Squanto one of the last Patuxet Indians, a liaison (= link) between the Natives and the Pilgrim settlers
    Patuxet tribe a Native North American people living on the western coast of Cape Cod Bay, annihilated by an epidemic infection in 1622
    maize sweetcorn
    alewives a kind of herring found in North America, its dead body was used as fertilizer by Amerindians
    angling fishing
    bountiful harvest the quantity of the harvested crops is large
    Thanksgiving Day the 4th Thursday of November in the USA, the current date of this national holiday was set by president Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939, it is a day when families gather together and have a dinner of roast turkey, potatoes and vegetables, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pies
    cranberry a small sour red fruit that grows on a bush
    Mayflower, the the name of the ship on board 102 Pilgrims left England in the summer of 1620
    Black Friday the Friday following Thanksgiving Day in the USA when the Christmas shopping term begins with great sales and reduced prices

     

    STATES – on Quizlet
    13 original colonies parts of North America that were ruled by Britain before becoming the US that later became the first 13 states: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut (New England colonies); New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware (Middle Colonies); Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia (Southern Colonies)
    Articles of Confederation signed on March 1, 1781, a document that established the first 13 states (i.e. the colonies were formed into states)
    state capital each American state has its own capital city which is not necessarily the biggest and most important / most populated city of the state
    abbreviation a short form of a word / phrase; each US state has an abbreviation, e.g.: FL stands for Florida
    Mt McKinley or Mt Denali in Denali National Park the highest point of the USA with 6,187 m above sea level
    Denali National Park a NP in Alaska including taiga forests and high alpine tundra, home to the highest point of the USA, home to the “Big Five”: moose, caribou, Dall sheep, wolves and grizzly bears
    Bear Country nickname of AL state
    industry the production of goods, especially those made in factories
    mining the process of getting coal or metal from under the ground
    Sunshine State nickname of FL state
    vacation AmE word for holiday
    Everglades National Park a NP in FL, the largest subtropical wilderness in the US, so there are amphibians like alligators
    swamp an area of land covered by water where trees and plants grow
    George Washington the first President of the USA from 1789-1797; one of the 7 “Founding Fathers”
    Cape Canaveral the home of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida where US space vehicles and missiles are built and sent into space
    Olympia state capital of WA state
    orchard an area of fruit trees
    salmon a silver fish with pink flesh (= meat) that lives in the sea but swims up rivers to produce its eggs
    mainland a large mass of land that forms the main part of a country but does not include any islands belonging to the country
    ranch a very large farm in the US or Canada, where cows, horses, or sheep are kept
    source the beginning or starting point of something
    Mississippi River the longest river of the USA that sources in Minnesota state and flows in a delta into the Gulf of Mexico
    jalapeno a spicy pepper
    cattle cows and bulls kept by farmers for their milk or meat
    jelly AmE word for jam
    agriculture the work, business, or study of farming
    Land of 10,000 Lakes the nickname of MN state
    Lake Itasca the source of the Mississippi River in MN state
    Honolulu state capital of HI state, it’s located on Oahu Island that is one out of the 8 Hawaiian islands

     

    INTRODUCTION – First look at the USA – Learn on Quizlet
    Native American an indigenous (not a settler) person in North, Central and South America; also called Amerindians
    state capital the USA has a capital city, however, each of the 50 states has its own capital
    Washington a state in the northwestern coast, its state capital is Olympia
    Washington, D.C. the capital city of the USA, D.C. is the abbreviation of District of Columbia
    George Washington the first President of the USA from 1789-1797; one of the 7 “Founding Fathers”
    Founding Fathers they led the 13 colonies against the British Army in the American Revolution from 1765 to 1783; there were 7 of them
    administration the activity of governing a country (in the USA it’s the 45th Administration, the Trump – Pence Administration)
    Constitution a set of basic laws or principles for a country that describe the rights and duties of its citizens and the way in which it is governed
    Donald Trump a wealthy businessman, in office as the 45th US President since 20/01/2017
    Mike Pence a lawyer, in office as the 48th Vice-President of the US
    amendment a change made in a document; one of the changes that has been made to the US Constitution
    22nd Amendment, the added to the US Constitution added in 1947, it limited the number of terms someone can be elected as US President in two terms
    Separatists those Puritans who disagreed some of the Puritan beliefs therefore they separated from the Puritan groups
    Puritans a member of a strict English religious group of the 16th and 17th centuries who wanted worship (= the church rules) to be more simple
    Pilgrims (Pilgrim Fathers) one of the 102 people who left England and went to live in the New World on board the Mayflower in 1620
    salad bowl, The a metaphor used to describe the multicultural USA: a lot of different cultures mix in a way that the cultures can be easily recognized
    melting pot, The a metaphor used to describe the multicultural USA: a lot of different cultures mix in a way that the cultures cannot be recognized anymore as they melt into each other
    Christopher Columbus Italian explorer and colonizer who completed 4 voyages on the Atlantic; on his first voyage in 1492 he landed on San Salvador Island (now part of The Bahamas)
    commander-in-chief the “boss” of the army in charge of the whole armed forces of a country
    Airforce One the air traffic control call sign of the aircraft carrying the President
    Marine One the air traffic control call sign of a marine helicopter carrying the US President
    Camp David the country retreat (holiday home) of the President
    White House, The the official home of the US President and his / her family in Washington, D.C.
    Blair House the President’s guest house in Washington, D.C.
    Great Seal, the it is used as the coat of arms of the USA and appears on every American government document as well as on both sides of the one-dollar bill
    Stars and Stripes the nickname of the US flag (13 stripes to remember the 13 original colonies and 50 stars, the number of American states)
    Delaware the first American state, located on the eastern coast
    Hawaii currently the state that joined the USA the latest (in 1959); state capital is Honolulu
    Texas the second largest American state, great producer of oil and anything from cattle
    Alaska the largest American state
    bald eagle it is the national bird and symbol of the USA, “bald” meant white-headed originally
    Independence Day the national holiday (birthday) of the USA on July 4th
    colony, a a country that is governed and controlled by another country
    13 original colonies parts of North America that were ruled by Britain before becoming the US that later became the first 13 states:
    New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut (New England colonies); New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware (Middle Colonies); Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia (Southern Colonies)

     

     

  • Introducing the USA

    The first explorers and settlers:

    • Native Americans had lived there long before the European settlers arrived;
    • Columbus in 1492 (to nowadays Bahamas); Amerigo Vespucci to South America in the early 1500s (Brazil, Venezuela etc.)
    • Pilgrim Fathers on board the Mayflower from ENG to Plymouth in 1620; because of religious reasons:
      • Puritans wanted to make the rules of the Anglican Church more simple -> some Puritans called Separatists wanted even more radical changes -> they had to leave England because of their religious views (Pilgrims) -> left to the New Land for freedom (later Dutch Separatists came as well)

     

    FACTS and figures

    Official Name:  United States of America
    Capital City:  Washington, D.C. (pop around 580,000)
    State capitals: each state has its own capital city (usually not the largest and most populated city is the s.c.)
    Country Population: 325,733,770  (visit: https://www.census.gov/popclock/)

    Major Cities by Popoulation: New York City  (about 8.5 million); Los Angeles  (about 4 million);   Chicago  (ca. 2.7 million); Houston  (ca. 2.3 million); Philadelphia  (ca. 1.6); Phoenix  (ca. 1.6)

    Languages: NO official language; mainly English and Spanish are spoken

    Currency: US dollar (change: cent)

    Mostly found religions: Protestant, Roman Catholic, Jewish

    Multiculturalism: the idea of The Melting Pot vs. The Salad Bowl

    The President (click here for list and gallery of US Presidents):

    • head-of-state; head of government; commander-in-chief of armed forces
    • can’t be elected more than twice (the 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution)
    • official home: The White House in Washington, D.C.; holiday and rural estate: Camp David; his guests are accommodated in Blair House
    • State Car; Air Force One; Marine One

    Currently the 45th Presidential Administration is in office: Pres. Donald Trump and Vice-President Mike Pence (he’s the 48th Vice-President)

    First President: George Washington (1788)

    SYMBOLS:

    • The US Flag: Stars and Stripes (50 stars representing the states; 13 stripes representing the 13 original colonies)
    • The Great Seal (motto: E Pluribus Unum), developed by two Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin
    • The Star-spangled Banner (the national anthem)
    • the Bald Eagle
    • the Statue of Liberty; the Grand Canyon; Mount Rushmore; Golden Gate Bridge

    National holiday: July 4th (= Independence Day)

  • THE CITY of London

    The most famous places / sights / landmarks:

    • St Paul’s Cathedral;
    • the Bank of England (and Museum);
    • the Monument (of the Great Fire of London);
    • Millennium Bridge;
    • Shakespeare’s Globe;
    • The Guildhall;
    • Saint Bride’s Church.CityofLondon-map

    The City of London was once “London only” – in Roman times it was Londinium surrounded by walls. You can still see the ruins of these walls.

    In the Bank of England, the UK’s money is held in notes and bars of gold. In its museum, you can see the history of money making in England, touch a real gold bar and see all the types of weapons once were used to defend the bank.

    The Guildhall (= the town hall) of London has been the central governing building of the City since 1440. Once set up by the guildsmen, it’s still the administrative and ceremonial centre of The City of London. Two legendary statues, Gog and Magog can be seen there. There are still City Guilds in London – they used to control all the businesses in the City, but nowadays they do charity work.

    The “gates” of the City are guarded by red dragons, which are statues holding the coat-of-arms of the City. These dragons can be seen as decoration on some buildings, lamp-posts etc.

    The Lord Mayor is only mayor to the City of London. The first was appointed by Richard I, called Henri Fitz-Ailwin de Londonstone. A Lord Mayor in London in chosen for one year. When he is appointed, a 260-year-old (built in 1757) beautiful golden stage coach carries him through the City.

    A Lord Mayor in Scotland is called a Lord Provost – there are 69 of them in the UK (31in SCO). We call them “The Right Honourable”.

  • What’s On at the Tower of London

    ceremonyofthekeysThe Ceremony on the Keys

    • watch live how the Warders close the Tower (tradition for 700 years) – every day!;
    • visitors are escorted in and out the Tower (9.30 p.m.-10.30 p.m.; the ceremony starts at 10.05 p.m.);
    • you must book a ticket (free) online (only) – the event is fully booked for about a year long
    • you can’t take photos / videos; can’t go to the toilet or buy refreshments during the ceremony

    The Crown Jewels

    • The Coronation Spoon (over 800 years old, used at coronations for holy oil)
    • The Sovereign’s Sceptre (with the Cullinan I diamond or Great Star of Africa, the largest colourless cut diamond of the world)
    • St Edward’s Crown (worn at the moment the monarch is crowned since 1661)
    • The Imperial State Crown (since 1937, worn at the State Opening of the Parliament

    whitetowerThe White Tower

    • built to show power and
      strength and fear the intruders of London;
    • inside:
      • The Royal Armouries (e.g. of Henry VIII)
      • Chapel of St John the Evangelist, built in the 11th century
      • torture tools (axes, swords, blocks, etc. used in executions)

    henryviiisarmoury

  • The ravens of the Tower

    Ravens have been in the Tower since it was built. They are the kings of the Tower and the guardians, as the saying goes: “If the ravens leave the Tower, the kingdom will fall.”

    According to the legend, it was King Charles II who ordered to protect the Ravens. There are seven ravens to guard the Tower (six plus one – and there are more – spare).

    towerravens03-ravenmasterIt is the Raven Master who looks after the Tower ravens, moreover, the ravens only respond to him. All of our ravens are bred in captivity, not taken from the wild. To prevent the ravens from flying away, their lifting feathers are trimmed by the Raven Master. This procedure does not hurt the birds in any way, but by unbalancing their flight, it ensures they stay safe and do not stray far from the Tower. Look carefully and you will see the ravens’ graveyard and marker in the south moat (visible from the Middle Drawbridge). This is a great indicator of the respect in which they are held at the Tower.

    Despite their having one wing trimmed, some ravens do in fact go absent without leave and others have had to be sacked. Raven George was dismissed for eating television aerials, and Raven Grog was last seen outside an East End pub. 

    The ravens at the Tower eat 170g of raw meat a day, plus bird biscuits soaked in blood. Generally, a raven that comes from the crow family (and is its largest member) lives for 12-15 years, but at the Tower, a raven lived even up to 44 years.

    towerravens01

  • The Tower of London

    FACTFILE

    Age: more than 900 years

    Built by: William the Conqueror

    Its roles in British history: a Royal palace; a prison; an arsenal; a Royal Zoo; a place of execution; a Royal mint.

    The Tower of London was a prison over a lot of centuries. The prisoners were brought via the River Thames from Westminster. Their trials were held at Westminster and crowds of people waited on the riverbank to find out the verdict.
    The executioner had a long sharp axe. He stood behind the accused on the boat. If the accused was guilty, the executioner pointed his axe towards the victim. If not guilty, he pointed it away. People knew that if found guilty there was a public execution 48 hours later.

    Famous prisoners of the Tower were: Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard (2nd and 5th wife of Henry VIII); Lady Jane Grey and her husband, Guildford Dudley; Queen Elizabeth I; Guy Fawkes; Samuel Pepys…
    Many people have been locked in the Tower, for religious beliefs or suspected treason. Many Tudor’s prisoners entered the Tower of London through the Traitors‘ Gate.

    People and goods arrived and left the Tower via the River Thames, through a door in the walls called the Sallyport.

    GUARDS – YEOMEN WARDERS

    The responsibility for looking after the prisoners was given to the Yeomen Warders or Beefeaters. The Yeomen Warders originate from twelve Yeoman of the Guards, who were once private bodyguards of Henry VIII. There are about 40 of them nowadays.

    Today, in principle, they have to look after any prisoners at the Tower and safeguard the British crown jewels. But in practice (as there are no prisoners nowadays in the Tower) they act as tour guides. There are twelve Yeomen Warders working at a time.

    The Yeomen Warders take part in one State ceremony. At Coronations, they form a guard of honour inside the annexe at Westminster Abbey.

    Their nickname is Beefeater. It comes from the time when the Yeomen Warders at the Tower got part of their salary with chunks of beef up until the 1800s.

    YEOMEN OF THE GUARD

    The Queen’s Body Guard – the Yeomen of the Guard – are a bodyguard of the British Monarch. There are 73 Yeomen of the Guard, they are all former officers and sergeants of the British Services.

    It is the oldest of the Royal bodyguards and the oldest military corps in Britain. The Yeomen of the Guard accompany the current monarch at investitures (e.g. a new bishop, archbishop etc.) and summer Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace, and so on. Their most famous duty is to ‘ceremonially’ search the cellars of the Palace of Westminster prior to the State Opening of Parliament, a tradition that dates back to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up Parliament.

    Yeomen Warders wear two types of uniform – the State Dress Uniform on state occasions, and the normal everyday uniform. The latter is a blue dress with some red and the initials ER in the centre. ER stand for Elizabetha Regina – Regina means Queen in Latin, so the initials refer to Queen Elizabeth II, the current British monarch.

    Bet You Didn’t Know…

  • Royal Parks in London

    There are eight Royal Parks in London:

    • Hyde Park
    • Kensington Gardens
    • Regent’s Park
    • St James’s Park
    • Richmond Park
    • The Green Park
    • Greenwich Park
    • Bushy Park

    hydepark01HYDE PARK (opening times: 05:00 – 00:00)

    • Hyde Park covers 350 acres and is home to a number of famous landmarks including
      • the Serpentine Lake,
      • Speakers’ Corner,
      • the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain.
    • The park offers various recreational activities including
      • open water swimming,
      • boating,
      • cycling,
      • tennis and horse riding.

    kensingtongardens01KENSINGTON GARDENS (06:00 – 18:15)

    • Within its 265 acres, you can :
      • visit Kensington Palace,
      • the Italian Gardens,
      • the Albert Memorial,
      • Peter Pan Statue and the Serpentine Galleries.
    • Magnificent trees and ornamental flower beds are planted here. The gardens are also home to the popular Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground.

    stjamespark02St JAMES’S PARK (06:00 – 00:00)

    • It is the oldest of the capital’s eight Royal Parks.
    • The park includes:
      • The Mall;
      • Horse Guards Parade;

    and is at the heart of ceremonial London, so tourists can watch

    • the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace OR
    • Trooping the Colour.

    greenwichpark01GREENWICH PARK (06:00 – 19:00)

    • Greenwich Park hosts the Prime Meridian Line and Royal Observatory.
    • The park is part of Greenwich Maritime World Heritage Site which is home
      to The National Maritime Museum and Old Royal Naval College.
    • The most historic of all Royal Parks, Greenwich Park dates back to Roman times and was enclosed in 1433. From the statue of General Wolfe the park offers great views across the River Thames all the way to St. Paul’s Cathedral.

    regentspark02REGENT’S PARK (05:00 – 19:00)

    • It covers 395 acres and includes Queen Mary’s Gardens with more than 12,000 roses of 400 varieties.
    • With excellent sports facilities it is the largest outdoor sports area in central London.
    • The park also houses:
      • the Open Air Theatre,
      • London Zoo,
      • Primrose Hill.

    greenpark01THE GREEN PARK (05:00 – 00:00)

    • The smallest of the capital’s eight Royal Parks.
    • It’s just over 40 acres of mature trees and grassland next to Buckingham Palace, the peaceful triangle between Piccadilly and Constitution Hill.
    • The park offers a popular location for picnics and sunbathing in fine weather.

    richmondpark01RICHMOND PARK (07:00 – 18:15)

    • The largest of the capital’s eight Royal Parks and the biggest enclosed space in London.
    • It’s London’s largest Site of Special Scientific Interest and a European Special Area of Conservation.
    • Home to the beautiful Isabella Plantation, Pembroke Lodge and herds of Red and Fallow deer.

    bushypark01BUSHY PARK (06:30 – 19:00)

    • The second largest of the capital’s eight Royal Parks.
    • Located near Hampton Court Palace, Bushy Park’s mixture of woods, gardens, ponds and grassland makes it a fantastic place to enjoy wildlife with roaming herds of Red and Fallow Deer.
    • The park is also home to the famous Chestnut Avenue, a formal Baroque water garden and the beautiful Diana Fountain.