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République Algérienne Démocratique et Populaire

Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique

Université Djillali Liabes

Faculté de Lettres, Langues et Arts

Département d'Anglais

Culture and civilisation of the English Speaking Countries: The USA

1 LMD/Semestre 2

Kheira Arab

2019-2020

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Content

Lecture One: Introduction to the USA ................................................................................ 03

Lecture Two: Symbols of United States …………………………………………………………………………. 05

Lecture Three: USA: Origin and Discovery …………………………………………………………………….. 09

Lecture Four: Colonisation and Birth of the Nation ……………………………………………………….. 12

Lecture Five: US Political System …………………………………………………………………………………… 15

Lecture Six: US Educational System ………………………………………………………………………………. 19

Note: Some passages of these lectures are extracts from different internet sources given

beforehand to 1 LMD students as reading assignment. Students are required to read these

handouts and do the homework to prepare for classroom discussion. They are also invited to

check the different sources of each lecture to widen their knowledge.

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Lecture One

Introduction to the USA

• OFFICIAL NAME: United States of America

• FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Constitution-based Federal Republic.

• Capital: Washington D.C. (with New York as the biggest city)

• President: Donald Trump (45 presidents with George Washington as the first and Barack

Obama as the 44th president)

• Area: 9,826,675 km2 (3rd largest country in the world after Russia and Canada)

• Population: 329 256 465 (3rd most populated country in the world after China and India)

• Currency: US Dollar

• Independence Day: 4th July 1776

• Religion: Historically, the United States has always been marked by religious pluralism and

diversity. Accordingly, every religion is accepted in this country, and people are free to

choose or to have a religion or not. Yet, the largest religion in the US is Christianity, claimed

by the majority of the population (73.7% in 2016) with the various Protestant

churches having the most adherents (49%). Catholics are the next-largest group, at 23% of

the population. Another 6% of the population identifies with a non-Christian faith, including

Judaism, Islam and others, while 21% of Americans do not have a formal religious identity.

• Official Language: The United States has no official language. Many languages are used in

the United States. As the most commonly used language is English, it is regarded as the de

facto official language, followed by Spanish as the second most spoken language.

• Location: It is located in the western hemisphere in the northern part of the American

continent. It is bordered to the west by the Pacific Ocean and to the east by the Atlantic

Ocean. Along the northern border is Canada and the southern border is Mexico. There

are 50 states and the District of Columbia. Forty-eight of the fifty States form the

conterminous/contiguous United States (States within a common boundary). The remaining

two States are Alaska and Hawaii. Canada separates Alaska from the conterminous United

States, and Hawaii is located in the Pacific Ocean.

The country is divided into six regions: New England, the mid-Atlantic, the South, the

Midwest, the Southwest, and the West. These regions are cultural units because the states

comprising each region share many characteristics including history, geography, economics,

literature, customs and traditions, etc.

1. The region of New England was the country’s cultural and economic centre. It includes

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

2. The mid-Atlantic region, an industrial area, includes Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New

York, Pennsylvania, and the city of Washington, D.C.

3. The South includes Alabama , Arkansas , Florida , Georgia , Kentucky , Louisiana ,

Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

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4. The Midwest is considered as the country's agricultural base and is called the "nation's

breadbasket." It comprises the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,

Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota,

and Wisconsin.

5. The Southwest consists of the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

6. The states of the West include Alaska , Colorado , California , Hawaii , Idaho , Montana ,

Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

Homework

Draw a comparison between the United States and Algeria in terms of location, structure,

land area, population, languages, religion, etc.

Sources:

1. https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/countries/united-states/

2. https://kr.usembassy.gov/education-culture/infopedia-usa/travel-usa/regions-united-states/

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_the_United_States

4. https://news.gallup.com/poll/224642/2017-update-americans-religion.aspx

5. https://usa.usembassy.de/travel-regions.htm

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Lecture Two

Symbols of United States

All countries have symbols that represent their beliefs, values, traditions, history, etc. Patriotic symbols reflect the country’s identity and can therefore help to foster the unity of its people. There are some symbols that are commonly shared by all countries including the flag, the anthem and the Coat of Arms and then these are the most important national symbols. But, there are other symbols that are unique to each country.

1. USA Flag The flag of the United States is commonly known as the “Stars and Stripes” or “Old

Glory.” When they were under the British control, the American thirteen colonies were

flying the British Flag called "The Union Jack". In 1775, the colonists decided to fight for their

independence and thus declared war on Britain. Accordingly, they felt that they needed to

create their own symbols including their flag and the “New Flag committee” was formed

under the leadership of Benjamin Franklin to design the flag.

The new flag included: “a smaller Union Jack in one corner, with 6 white stripes

alternating with 7 red stripes” and was therefore known as the Grand Union Flag. This flag

was first flown on January 1, 1776 in the colony of Massachusetts. One year later, the

Americans decided to shut off completely their connection to Britain by creating a new flag

without the Union Jack. Thus, on June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed the first

Flag Act, which said that the flag would be made up of thirteen alternating red and white

stripes and thirteen white stars on a blue field. The flag has been changed many times since

then. New stars were added each time new states joined the union.

The fifty stars represent the fifty states and the 13 stripes represent the original 13

colonies.The current 50-star flag is the 27th “edition” of the flag and the one that has been

in use the longest, since 1960.

The colours are symbolic:

• Red represents hardness and valour/bravery

• White stands for liberty, purity and innocence

• Blue refers to justice, loyalty, vigilance and perseverance

Significance of the stars and stripes

Stars are considered a symbol of the

heavens. The stripe is symbolic of the rays

of light emanating from the sun.

2. USA National Anthem

A national anthem (also state anthem, national hymn, national song etc.) is generally

a patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and

struggles of its people. It is recognized either by a nation's government as the official

national song, or by convention through use by the people.

The US anthem was not written during their Revolutionary war, but it was written during

the War of 1812; a different conflict between the US and the UK. Francis Scott Key, an

American lawyer, wrote the lyrics to the anthem as a poem in 1814 when he saw the flag still

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flying after a night-time battle with Britain. The poem was titled "Defense of Fort McHenry".

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson ordered that "The Star-Spangled Banner" (as it had

come to be known by then) would be played at all state occasions and in 1931 Congress

declared it the US National Anthem.

3. The Great Seal

Seal: a design or insignia usually associated with an organization or an official role.

Great Seal: the main seal of a nation or state that symbolizes its authority, and with which

official documents are stamped.

The Great Seal was created by Ben Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson.

The founding fathers1 felt that the Great Seal would show other countries of the world that

America was an independent and free country.

The US Great Seal pictures a bald eagle with an olive branch in its right talon and arrows in

its left talon. The olive branch signifies that America always wants peace. The arrows signify

that America is always prepared for war if it becomes necessary. The eagle has its head

turned towards the olive branch, on its right side, said to symbolize a preference for peace.

The red and white stripes of the shield “represent the several states... supporting a *blue+

Chief which unites the whole and represents the US Congress.

In its beak, the eagle clutches a scroll with the motto”E pluribus Unum” ("Out of Many,

One"). Over its head there appears a “glory" with 13 stars on a blue field arranged in rows of

1-4-3-4-1, forming a six-pointed star. The back side of the Great Seal shows a 13-step

pyramid with the year 1776 in Roman numerals at the base of the pyramid. Above the

pyramid is an eye known as the Eye of Providence. Above the eye are the words Annuit

Coeptis. Below the pyramid is a scroll with the words Novus Ordo Seclorum. ANNUIT means

to favor, to smile upon. COEPTIS means undertakings, beginnings. Norvus Ordo Seclorum

means "New Order of the Ages." It refers to 1776 as the beginning of the American new era.

The seal is only attached (affixed) to certain documents, such as foreign treaties and

presidential proclamations. It can be seen on the back of a one-dollar bill. Symbolically, the

seal reflects the beliefs and values that the Founding Fathers attached to the new nation and

wished to pass on to their descendants.

4. The Bald Eagle

The bald eagle (piebald: marked with white) is a large, powerful, brown bird with a white

head and tail. It was made the national bird of the United States in 1782 for two main

reasons. First, it is the only eagle that lives exclusively in the US, from Alaska to Mexico and

from the Pacific Coast to the Atlantic Coast. Second, it symbolizes strength, courage,

freedom, and immortality. It is a protected species.

1 The Founding Fathers of the United States are the individuals of the Thirteen British Colonies in North

America who led the American Revolution against the authority of the British Crown and established the United States of America. The term is also used more narrowly, referring specifically to those who either signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 or who were delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention and took part in drafting the proposed Constitution of the United States the key Founding Fathers: John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington.

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It can be found in many places in the U.S., such as on the Great Seal, Federal agency

seals, the President's flag, and on the one-dollar bill. After 6 years of arguing, in 1782 the US

Congress chose the Bald Eagle, rather than the Golden Eagle (most commonly used by other

countries) or the turkey (domestic, useful and tasty but was not impressive enough) a

national emblem because the Bald Eagle was unique to North America and not used by other

countries, while still having impressive nobility.

Statue of Liberty-Liberty Bell-Uncle Sam---Great Seal—----Bald Eagle--Pledge of Allegiance

5. Uncle Sam

It is a tall white-haired man with a white goatee and a star-spangled suit. This symbol

was the personification of the US government and is still spirit of the USA. The exact origins

of Uncle Sam as a symbol for the United States are unknown. The most widely accepted

theory is that Uncle Sam was named after Samuel Wilson, a businessman from Troy, N.Y.

that supplied the U.S. Army with beef in barrels during the War of 1812. The barrels were

labeled "U.S." to indicate government property. When asked what the initials stood for, one

of Wilson's workers said it stood for Uncle Sam Wilson. That identification is said to have led

to the widespread use of the nickname Uncle Sam for the United States, and led to the idea

that Uncle Sam symbolized the Federal Government.

The most famous image of Uncle Sam was created by artist James Montgomery Flagg

(1877-1960). In Flagg’s version, Uncle Sam wears a tall top hat and blue jacket and is

pointing straight ahead at the viewer. During World War I, this portrait of Sam with the

words “I Want You for the U.S. Army” was used as a recruiting poster.

6. The Constitution

It is the formal system of primary principles and laws that regulates a government or

other institutions. The US Constitution is an important document that tells about the

government and the rights of American citizens. The Constitution was written and signed in

1787. It was a charter of government that came to be ratified/approved by the states, and it

continues to be the supreme law of the land.

7. The Pledge of Allegiance

The pledge is a promise citizens make to the flag and all it stands for. The pledge was

written by Francis Bellamy in 1892. It was first used by school children all across the country

while celebrating the 400th anniversary of Columbus landing in America. In 1923 the First

National Flag Conference in Washington, D.C. adopted the pledge after changing the first

line and decided that citizens would place their right hand over their heart while saying it. In

1924 the second National Flag Conference added “of the United States of America”. 1942

Congress officially adopted the Flag Code. In 1954, Congress added "Under God" to the

pledge.

Original pledge: “I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands --- one

Nation indivisible -- with liberty and justice for all”.

New pledge:” I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the

republic for which it stands: one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all”

8. The Liberty Bell The Liberty Bell was ordered by the Pennsylvania colony in 1752. The colony’s leaders

wanted a bell for the state house (now known as Independence Hall) that could be heard around the city. In its early years the bell was used to summon lawmakers to legislative sessions and to alert citizens about public meetings and proclamations. Shortly after its arrival in Philadelphia the Bell cracked. Local craftsmen recast the bell using the metal from the old bell, but this one was also defective.

The Liberty Bell was rung to celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and has become the symbol of freedom in the United States. Today, the Liberty Bell hangs in Philadelphia at the Liberty Bell Pavilion on Market Street for all to see and is still gently rung each July 4th.

9. Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France in 1886. It is located on Ellis Island in New

York harbor. The statue shows Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom. It is a symbol of freedom to Americans and to all who come to this country. The statue holds a torch in one hand and a tablet representing the law in the other. The date of the Declaration of Independence is inscribed on the tablet. The statue is made of copper and is now green in color because of oxidation.

Homework Compare between the US symbols and the Algerian symbols (similarities and differences).

Sources:

1. Lingualeo: https://lingualeo.com/ru/jungle/the-usa-national-symbols-168563 2. https://www.pbs.org/a-capitol-fourth/history/old-glory/ 3. http://seisdborrego.ss4.sharpschool.com/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=4345111 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_anthem 5. https://studfile.net/preview/2983412/page:5/ 6. https://www.superteacherworksheets.com/reading-comp/5th-bald-eagles.pdf 7. https://buffaloah.com/a/niagSq/fed/seal.html 8. https://www.facebook.com/Darby.Collection/posts/today-in-history-1782the-united-states-

great-seal-was-used-publicly-for-the-firs/804947339526646/ 9. https://vision-strike-wear.com/the-great-seal-of-the-united-states/ 10. The Great Seal of the United States. DEPARTMENT OF STATE PUBLICATION 88.68 Released July

1976 Office of Media Services Bureau of Public Affairs: https://books.googleusercontent.com/books/content?req=AKW5QacRz4fXYM_JkhiFRNew4I0BX_UYuMeOISExxvjycVdnSO9-YCQY7-2NW6r6qQYoed-OLg0e0eCuWjhH6r6j4bCgLgJM3bIK5r_YxAJ-WPvK3Q0XkpWC7pdrNDJDRc11vkS6T_oj_kzFeZZXXUf2WjVYPRbMp_vrgp985S-X5Dd7RJfwwyd96o2AitT32mHHCmZ3Iyct_66iZRFZTcc-8sqo2mlmtbLaf_seL5afWjikKmc8ebLCeQLt6rAd2PwBCDmuBXl8B2XWP_QZ3h5oZUdMJ8aN3hbSP9c4aMTkpBP2Zon486g

11. https://www.ereferencedesk.com/resources/state-bird/us.html 12. http://seisdborrego.ss4.sharpschool.com/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=4345111 13. https://www.senate.gov/civics/constitution_item/constitution.htm 14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance

15. https://people.howstuffworks.com/new-state-in-us1.htm

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Lecture Three

USA: Origin and Discovery

The place where is now the United States has been inhabited since prehistoric times by

Native American tribes (Indians) who about 23,000 years ago came from the northeast of Asia. They

crossed a land bridge known as Beringia between northeast Asia and Alaska, eventually making their

way to the rest of the Americas. They reached North America without knowing they had crossed into

a new continent. Then, they started to split into different groups, creating the genetic and cultural

diversity that exists today.

The first Europeans to arrive in North America were Norse (Vikings), traveling west from

Greenland in the 11th century. Evidence of this viking achievement is captured in legends called

Sagas2 which are long stories of heroic achievement, especially , about early Viking voyages and

the battles that took place during the voyages. In 1960, the Norwegian archeologist Helge Ingstad

found an ancient Viking settlement on the Canadian island of Newfoundland that appears to have

been built between 800AD and 1300AD. This evidence supports the sagas’ stories and proves that

the Vikings came to North America 500 years before Christopher Colombus.

By the end of the 15th century many things were changing in Europe which paved the way to

the discovery of the new continent; America. The Europeans used to trade with Asia, particularly with

China and India. They used to buy specific products that were available mainly in these Asian countries,

including but not limited to spices , like pepper or cinnamon, gold, jewels and silk.

However, the land route that connected Europe to Asia, commonly known as the Silk Road,

was very long, arduous and unsafe as merchants were often attacked by hostile armies. Besides, the

Ottoman Empire was at the centre of interactions between the Eastern and Western worlds as it

controlled the overland routes connecting the two continents. Faced with these challenges,

important European countries, like Spain and Portugal, decided to avoid the land route and explore

2 The Sagas of Icelanders: are prose narratives mostly based on historical events that mostly took place in Iceland in the 9th, 10th, and early 11th centuries. They were written in the Old Norse language. These Norse stories were spread by word of mouth before becoming recorded in the 12th and 13th centuries.

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the sea for a possible route leading to Asia. The technological development characterizing Europe at

that era helped the European explorers to achieve their mission and to start the Age of Exploration.

In fact, there were two theories on how to reach India by sea route. First, the Portuguese explorers such as Bartholomeu Dias (1487) and Vasco Da Gama (1497) believed that they could reach India by sailing around the coast of the African continent. Second, the Italian navigator Christopher Columbus thought that he would also reach the Spice Islands of Asia and India by sailing westward.

Christopher Columbus convinced the Spanish Monarchs to finance his expedition and set

sail from Spain to find a new way from Europe to the Far East. The expedition started on the morning

of Friday, August 3, 1492 and ten weeks later, on the morning of October 12, Columbus stepped

ashore on the beach of a low sandy island. He believed that he had landed in the Indies, a group of

islands close to the mainland of India. For this reason he called the native settlers of the “New

World” “los Indios”- Indians. In fact, Columbus was not near India. It was not the edge of Asia that he

had reached, but islands of a new continent. Christopher Columbus made four trips across the

Atlantic Ocean from Spain to America: in 1492, 1493, 1498 and 1502, but to the end of his life he

believed that his discoveries were part of Asia. So, Columbus discovered America, but the European

named the new world in honor of his compatriot; Amerigo Vespucci.

Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) ---- Amerigo Vespucci (1454-15012)

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Amerigo Vespucci (1451-1512) traveled to “the new world” in 1499 and 1502. Being a well

educated man, Vespucci realized that America was not contiguous with Asia and that it was, in fact, a

new continent. Vespucci wrote about his voyages and his books were published in 1502 and 1504,

and then reprinted in different European language. The German mapmaker, Martin Waldseemüller

read about Vespucci’s expeditions and as such he mistakenly thought that the latter was the first to

discover this new land. In 1507, the cartographer decided to make a new map including the new

world and chose to name it after Vespucci.

Homework

1. Who are the first settlers of the American continent?

2. Where did they come from?

3. Who were the first to discover America?

4. Who named America by this name and why?

Sources:

1. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-humans-came-to-americas-180973739/ 2. http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/outlines/history-1994/early-america/the-first-americans.php 3. https://www.historyextra.com/period/viking/vikings-in-america/ 4. https://www.history.com/news/the-viking-explorer-who-beat-columbus-to-america 5. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-mar-31-me-45110-story.html 6. https://www.english-online.at/history/age-of-exploration/explorers-and-navigators.htm 7. http://upwego.ru/culture/us/lesson-1/history.pdf 8. https://edison.mpls.k12.mn.us/uploads/chapter_20_spain_builds_an_empire.pdf 9. https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/christopher-columbus 10. https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/explorers-travelers-and-conquerors-

biographies/amerigo-vespucci 11. https://www.sutori.com/story/amerigo-vespucci--9js3Ap6LQAxwDtsTCjM5pGKH 12. http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/01/why-america-was-named-america/

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Lecture Four

Colonization and Birth of the Nation

In 1492 Columbus discovered America, and shortly after that, Spain, France and

later England started colonies in the Americas. North America became a place where these

European countries would compete for colonial possessions. The British were among the last

of the great European powers to gain colonial influence in North America. Spain and France

had a much greater foothold in the Americas than the English.

The first permanent European settlement was founded in 1565 by the Spanish; it

was St Augustine, present-day Florida. The British established their first permanent

settlement in 1607 at Jamestown, Virginia today. In 1612 they started growing tobacco in

Virginia and more and more English went there. America was becoming a good place for

British merchants to invest. The first African slaves were brought to Virginia in 1619.

Most settlers who came to the British colonies left their homelands to escape war,

political oppression, religious persecution or a prison sentence.

The second English colony was Plymouth in Massachusetts. It was formed in 1620

by English Puritans3 who were religious refugees and became known as the Pilgrim Fathers.

Their purpose in coming to America was to start a religious community. Massachusetts’s

winters were very severe and about half of the colonists died in the first winter The settlers

could not survive if they had not been helped by the friendly Indians, who taught them how

to grow native plants —pumpkin, squash, beans, and corn. In October 1621, the Pilgrims

celebrated their first harvest with feasting and games. Americans still celebrate the first

harvest on Thanksgiving Day. This is now a national holyday. By 1733, there were thirteen

settlements which became colonies of England. They were:

New England Colonies: Massachusetts (1620), Rhode Island (1636), Connecticut (1636), New Hampshire (1638). Middle Colonies: New York (1664), Pennsylvania (1682), New Jersey (1664), Delaware (1638). Southern Colonies: Virginia (1607), Maryland (1632), South Carolina (1663), North Carolina (1663), Georgia (1732).

As the British colonies spread west they came into conflict with the French and the Native Americans. The British army fought against the French and North American Indians between 1754 and 1763. The British won the war against the French and killed many Indians and took their land. They pushed the Indians to the west.

However, the cost of having a large army meant that Britain had to raise money.

One way to do this was to force the colonists to pay taxes on imports into the colonies, like

tea, sugar, coffee, cloth and wine. The colonists did not want to pay British taxes. In the

eighteenth century, the colonists gradually started to feel like Americans . They felt strong,

and they did not need the Mother Country for protection in wars anymore. They were used

3 They were called Puritans because they wanted to purify the Church of England (the Anglican

Church), which they saw as corrupt. They were also called Separatists, because they wanted to separate from the Anglican Church.

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to freedom and self-government. They wanted to create an independent country. However,

the British wanted to keep control of North America because they made a lot of money from

the colonies. They needed the colonies for economic reasons. They were buying goods from

the colonies at low prices and selling back manufactured products at high prices. They were

also charging their taxes on American trade with other countries.

In 1770, there was a demonstration against British taxes. The British troops fired

into the mob killing Five civilians (Boston Massacre). In 1773 England passed the Tea Act

(taxes on imported tea), so a group of colonial patriots disguised as Mohawk Indians

boarded three ships loaded with British tea in Boston harbor. More than five thousand

people watched them. The men threw more than 50 000 dollar worth of tea into the

harbour water. That is about the same as 1,102 000 dollar today. This act was called “the

Boston Tea Party” which symbolized America’s determination to be free from British rule.

The Boston Tea Party made the British so angry that they started to make even stricter laws

in an effort to control their American colonies.

To show their unity against England, the colonies sent representatives to Philadelphia and formed the American Continental Congress. The Congress met many times from 1774 to 1789 and served as the government of the thirteen colonies during the Revolutionary War. The colonists were especially angry about the “taxation without representation”. They had to pay high taxes but were not permitted to vote in British elections.

In 1775 the Continental Army was created and George Washington, who was

named commander in chief, led the colonists in the Revolutionary War that ended with the

Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. In 1783 Britain accepted loss of the colonies

through the Treaty of Paris. The colonies became the United States of America, the

constitution (1787) became the highest law in the land and George Washington became the

first president of the USA (1789). The American Revolutionary War was the first successful

colonial war of independence against a European power.

Declaration of Independence Abraham Lincoln

In 1840’s-1853, millions of Europeans came to America as workers during the

Industrial Revolution. In the 1860’s, Americans fought against one another in the Civil War

between the North and the South. There were two main causes of the war. The first was the

issue of slavery: should Africans who had been brought by force to the US be used as slaves.

The second was the issue of states’ rights: should the US federal government be more

powerful than the governments of individual states. Abraham Lincoln, elected president in

1860, freed the slaves in the Emancipation Proclamation. The Northern states won the war

and the period of Reconstruction began.

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The new nation grew and added more states through purchases and concessions. It

expanded to the Pacific Ocean. The most important of these acquisitions were the Purchase

of the territory of Louisiana from France in 1803 and Alaska from Russia in 1867, and the

annexation of Texas, California and the south-west in 1848 after conflict and war with

Mexico. The last two states to join the union were Alaska and Hawaii on January 3, 1959 and

August 21, 1959 respectively.

Throughout its history, the United States has faced struggles, both within the

country-between various ethnic, religious, political and economic groups- and with other

nations. The efforts to deal with and resolve these struggles have shaped the United States

of America which grew to be one of the greatest powers in the world.

Homework

1. What was the first European colony in America? 2. What was the first English colony in America? 3. How many colonies did the British establish?

4. Who were the Pilgrim Fathers? How did they survive the severe winter of Massachusetts?

5. What happened when the colonists wanted to expand westward?

6. Why did the colonies revolt against Britain?

7. What was the end of the war between Britain and its colonies?

8. What happened in the 1860s? 9. How did the 13 states become 50 states?

Sources: 1. https://mlpp.pressbooks.pub/americanenvironmentalhistory/chapter/chapter-3-colonial-north-america/ 2. https://daily.jstor.org/st-augustine-the-real-first-european-settlement-in-america/ 3. https://www.history.co.uk/article/The-Mayflower-And-the-birth-of-america 4. http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/outlines/history-1994/early-america/early-settlements.php 5. https://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/feast/ 6. http://www.davenportschools.org/wood/files/2012/12/Chap05.pdf 7. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-ushistory/chapter/the-seven-years-war-1754-1763/ 8. https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/townshend-acts 9. https://www.history.com/topics/colonial-america/thirteen-colonies 10. https://www.ncpedia.org/history/usrevolution/reasons 11. https://www.historynet.com/causes-of-the-civil-war

12. http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/the-continental-congress 13. https://www.ushistory.org/us/20c.asp 14. https://people.howstuffworks.com/new-state-in-us1.htm

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Lecture Five

The US Government System

Introduction

The origins of the American system of government go back to the first experiments

of the thirteen American colonies with liberty and democracy that started in 1776 with the

Declaration of their Independence from Britain. Their struggle for freedom and democracy

helped shape their political system which is now defined as a constitutional federal republic.

“Constitutional” refers to the fact that government in the United States is based on a

Constitution which is the supreme law of the United States. The Constitution

provides the framework for how the federal and state governments are structured,

and places significant limits on their powers.

“Federal” means that there is both a national government and the individual

governments of the 50 states.

A “republic” is a form of government in which the people hold power, but elect

representatives to exercise that power.

1. Political System

The United States of America is a federated nation of Sovereign states in a Republic,

managed by the U.S. Federal Government. The Constitution of the United States divides the

federal government into three branches and spread power between them in a way that no

branch, institution, group or individual gains too much control. Thus, the government

consists of the 1) Legislative which makes laws (Congress), the Executive that carries out

laws (President, Vice President, Cabinet), and the 3) Judicial that evaluates laws (Supreme

Court and other courts).

a. The Executive Branch

This branch consists of the President, Vice President, and the Cabinet. Unlike in many other

countries, the US President is both head of state and head of government. His principal

powers are to:

to sign or veto bills approved by Congress,

to appoint Cabinet secretaries, ambassadors, Supreme Court judges and other

federal judges (all with Senate approval),

to sign treaties (subject to Congressional approval) and

to issue pardons, which are not subject to anyone's approval.

The President is the most powerful individual in the government. He leads the country.

He is the head of state, leader of the federal government, and Commander in Chief of

the United States Armed Forces. The President serves a four-year term and can be

elected no more than two times.

The Vice President is elected at the same time, and is first in line to assume the

presidency should the President die, become incapacitated, or be removed from

office upon impeachment and conviction. The Vice President can be elected and

serve an unlimited number of four-year terms as Vice President, even under a

different president.

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The Cabinet members serve as advisors to the President. They include the Vice

President and the heads of executive departments. Cabinet members are nominated

by the President and must be approved by the Senate (with at least 51 votes). The

President’s cabinet by tradition consists of the leaders of the 15 executive

departments — State, the Treasury, Defense, Justice, the Interior, Agriculture,

Commerce, Labor, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development

(HUD), Transportation, Energy, Education, Veterans' Affairs (there are a lot of US

military veterans) and Homeland Security. Each department is headed by an official

called a Secretary (with a capital S), except for the Department of Justice, whose

chief is called the Attorney General instead.

Beneath the President and Vice President are 15 departments and numerous agencies

which together make up the “government”. They are responsible for administering the law,

enforcing it, and delivering various governmental services. The President and Vice President

are not elected directly by the people, but rather by a group called the Electoral College, an

office created by the Founding Fathers to preserve the power of the smaller states in the

voting process.

b. The Legislative Branch

This branch has the power to enact legislation, confirm or rejects Presidential appointments,

and has the authority to declare war. It consists of the Congress. This latter is bicameral, i.e.:

it consists of two branches: The House of Representatives and the Senate.

The House of Representives is considered the “House of the People.” It is comprised

of 435 representatives, apportioned among the states according to population

(California gets 53 Representatives, Wyoming gets 1). Five U.S. territories and

possessions also have nonvoting representation in the House: the District of

Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. All

Representatives serve two-year terms with no limit on the number of terms they

may serve, and all are elected at the same time. Each Representative is elected from

a defined geographic area within a state called a Congressional District.

The Senate is considered the “Upper Chamber”. It is comprised of 100 Senators

(Each state gets 2 Senators, regardless of population). Senators serve six-year terms,

with no limit on the number of terms they may serve. For election purposes,

senators are divided into three classes; one class stands for election every two years.

This ensures that there are always experienced legislators serving in Congress. The

Vice President of the United States serves as the President of the Senate.

The Congress is the only institution that has the power to legislate, i.e. to make laws. Laws

are first introduced as bills by the representatives, through a complicated predefined

procedure. To become a law, the bill has to be accepted by a majority of the House and a

majority of the Senate and be signed by the President. However, the President can refuse to

sign a law, which is called a 'veto', which means the law does not pass.

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C. The Judicial Branch

This branch interprets the meaning of laws, applies laws to individual cases, and decides if

the issued laws violate the Constitution. The judicial branch is comprised of the Supreme

Court and other federal courts.

Supreme Court – The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. The Justices

of the Supreme Court are nominated by the President and must be approved by the

Senate.

Federal courts – The Constitution grants Congress the authority to establish other federal

courts.

As a separate branch of government, the judiciary is independent of the other two branches,

subject only to the checks and balances defined in the Constitution.

Each branch of government can change acts of the other branches as follows:

The President can veto laws passed by Congress.

Congress confirms or rejects the President's appointments and can remove the

President from office in exceptional circumstances.

The Justices of the Supreme Court, who can overturn unconstitutional laws, are

appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

The U.S. federal government seeks to act in the best interests of its citizens through this

system of checks and balances.

2. Political Parties

The USA follows a bipartisan or a two-party system. This is a result of the U.S.

electoral system which is based on plurality voting and where the winner takes all. Plurality

voting, also known as first-past-the-post, is based on the principle that the individual

candidate with the most votes wins, whether or not he or she gains a majority. For instance,

Abraham Lincoln won the presidency in 1860 with only 40 percent of the votes. Since there

is no proportional representation, losers get nothing. Thus a vote for a third party is usually a

lost vote. The two major parties in the United States have been the Republican and the

Democratic parties Of the 45 US presidents that have served, 17 were Democrats and 18 were

Republicans.

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The Democratic Party is the oldest U.S. political party; it was founded in 1828,

nearly 190 years ago. This party usually focuses on providing social services, healthcare, and

jobs, and so it tends to borrow large sums of money and rely heavily on taxes. Examples of

presidents who were Democrats are Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F.

Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are Democrats.

The Republican Party was founded in 1854 as an anti-slavery party and its first

President was Abraham Lincoln in 1861. The party has led America with such figures

as Benjamin Harrison, Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, Ronald

Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. Currently, the Republican Party is identified

as conservative and right-wing favoring fiscal conservatism, fewer government regulations,

and lower taxes with a focus on morality. Any political party in the United States other than

Republican or Democratic is considered a third party or independent party.

Homework

Compare between the Algerian and the American political systems

Sources:

1. http://www.rogerdarlington.me.uk/Americanpoliticalsystem.html

2. http://aappd.org/legislative-advocacy/federal-government

3. https://www.peteygreene.org/structure-of-the-us-government

4. https://pia.gov.ph/branches-of-govt

5. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-government-and-civics/us-gov-interactions-

among-branches/us-gov-congress-the-senate-and-the-house-of-representatives/a/lesson-

summary-the-senate-and-the-house-of-representatives

6. https://courses.lumenlearning.com/amgovernment/chapter/the-two-party-system/

7. http://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Federalist_Party

8. https://web-archive-2017.ait.org.tw/infousa/zhtw/PUBS/AmGov/governed.pdf

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Lecture Six

American Education System

Introduction

Unlike many countries, education in the USA is primarily the responsibility of state and local government, whereas the Federal government contributes only 10% to the education budget. Every State has its own department of education and therefore has great control over what is taught in its schools, the school personnel, and over the requirements that a student must meet, and it is also responsible for the funding of schooling.

In most States, the public education system is further divided into local school districts, which can be small, covering just a small town or rural county, or enormous, covering a whole large city. Therefore, there is huge variation among schools regarding courses, subjects, and other activities – it always depends on where the school is located. Still, there are some common points, as e.g. the division of the education system into three levels: elementary/primary education, secondary education, and post-secondary/higher education (college or university).

Formal schooling lasts 12 years, until around age 18. Compulsory schooling, though, ends by age 16 in most states; some states require students to attend school until they are 17 or 18. All children in the United States have access to free public schools. Private schools (religious and non-sectarian) are available, but students must pay tuition to attend them. Education System Structure 1. Age Newborn to 5 years: Early Childhood Education

a. Daycare is one form of early childhood education. Day Care refers to early childhood settings that focus their goal on substitute care for children while their parents are absent (i.e.: working or in school). They could involve academic training, or they could involve solely socializing activities. Day Care is not required and is not free; in fact, depending on the setting, it could be quite expensive. Day Care programs usually offer daily programs, for up to 12 hours.

b. Pre-School (also called Pre-K or PK or Pre-Kindergarten) refers to the first formal academic classroom-based learning environment that a child usually attends in the United States. It begins around the age of three in order to prepare for the more didactic and academically intensive kindergarten, the traditional "first" class that school children participate in. Pre-School is not required. On the other hand, it acts as a way to prepare children to better succeed in a kindergarten. Pre-School programs usually offer two- or three-hour sessions per day, a few days per week. Children learn the alphabet, colours, and other elementary basics. Pre-School programs are not free: they have to be financed by the family.

2. Age 5 years to 18 years: K-12 U.S. educators frequently use the terms K-12 education to refer to all primary and secondary education, from Kindergarten prior to the first year (or 1st grade) of formal schooling, through secondary graduation (12th Grade).

a. U.S. children enter formal schooling around age 5. Elementary school includes kindergarten through fifth grade (or sometimes, to fourth grade, sixth grade or eighth grade). Basic subjects are taught in elementary school, and students often remain in one classroom throughout the school day with the same teacher, except for specialized programs, such as physical education, library, music, and art classes

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b. After elementary school, students proceed to junior high school (also called middle school), where they usually move from class to class each period, with a new teacher and a new mixture of students in every class. Students can select from a wide range of academic classes and elective classes. During both Elementary and Middle School (or Junior High), children generally stay in the classroom an average of 6.5 to 7 hours. Families have the option to select before and after school programs, which are generally made available through the school. However, these programs are not free: the family will have to finance their cost. If the programs are in a location different from the school grounds, transportation from and to school will be provided by the school.

c. In High School, students in their first year are called freshman, in their second year sophomore, in their third year junior, and in their fourth and last year senior. There is a greater variety of subjects in secondary than in primary school. Students generally stay in the classroom an average of 7.5 hours and must earn a certain number of credits (which they get for a successfully completed course) in order to graduate and be awarded with a High School Diploma – there is no final examination like in many other countries.

The number and combination of classes necessary depend on the school district and on the kind of diploma desired. Only with a high school diploma students can enroll in postsecondary education. It is important to know that colleges and universities sometimes require certain high school credits or tests (e.g. SAT) for admission, and students must plan their high school career with those requirements in mind.

During their high school years, students are given "grades" for all their courses, and these are recorded. At the end of 12th Grade, the pupil's grades are averaged out to provide a "GPA" or Grade Point Average, which will often be used as a selection criterion when they apply to college or university. Students in 12th Grade also take "SAT's", Scholastic Aptitude Tests, or “ACTs”, American College Tests. These are the second principal tests used as criteria for admission to college or university; but they are not exams in the same way as their European or Japanese equivalents (French baccalauréat, German Abitur, English "A" levels), and are generally less demanding. 3. Higher education

Unlike primary and secondary education, higher education is an optional stage of formal learning. Higher education, is also referred as post-secondary education, third-stage, third-level, or tertiary education. It is widely available through thousands of private, religious, and state-run institutions, which offer advanced professional, scientific, and other training programs that enable students to become proficient in diverse subjects. Colleges vary in cost and level of prestige. Many of the oldest and most famous colleges on the East Coast are expensive and set extremely high admissions standards. Large state universities are less difficult to enter, and their fees are substantially lower. Other types of institutions include state universities that provide engineering, teaching, and agriculture degrees; private universities and small privately endowed colleges; religious colleges and universities; and community and junior colleges that offer part-time and two-year degree programs.

The undergraduate bachelor’s degree is the most commonly awarded degree type, preparing students for most jobs that require a postsecondary degree and is a prerequisite for further graduate study. It is ordinarily obtained not by passing a “finals” examination but rather by the accumulation of course “credits,” or hours of classroom study. The quality of work done in these courses is assessed by means of a continuous record of marks and grades

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in a course transcript. The completion of a certain number (and variety) of courses with passing grades leads to the “bachelor’s” degree.

The first two years of a student’s studies are generally taken up with prescribed courses in a broad range of subject areas, along with some “elective” courses selected by the student. In the third and fourth years of study, the student specializes in one or perhaps two subject fields. Postgraduate students can pursue either advanced studies or research in one of the many graduate schools, which are usually specialized institutions. At these schools students work toward either a “master’s” degree (which involves one to two years of postgraduate study) or a doctoral degree (which involves two to four years of study and other requirements). The graduate doctoral degree is the highest academic degree awarded by universities in the United States and is considered the terminal degree in most fields. A marked feature of American education is that students are evaluated according to their performance in individual courses where discussion and written essays figure importantly.

17 12

16 11

15 10

14 9

13 8

12 7

11 6

10 5

9 4

8 3

7 2

6 1

5

4

3

AGE GRADE

Preschool/Kindergarten

Primary

School

Doctoral

Degree (3-6

years) Ph.D.

High School (4 years)

Middle School (Junior High) (3 years)

Graduate

School

AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Elementary School (5 years)

a

College/University (4 years)

Undergraduate Degree B.A.,

B.S.

Master's Degree

(2-3 years)

Secondary

School

Post-

Secondary

School

Homework Draw a comparison between the American and your country’s education system. Sources :

1. Guide to the Education System in the United States by Antonella Corsi-Bunker, available at: https://isss.umn.edu/publications/USEducation/2.pdf

2. https://studfile.net/preview/3965953/page:8/ 3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher_education_in_the_United_States 4. https://www.britannica.com/topic/higher-education/The-system-of-higher-

education-in-the-United-States 5. https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/brief-guide-to-US-higher-ed.pdf