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The melting pot idea is most strongly associated with the United States, particularly in reference to "model" immigrant groups of the past. Past generations of immigrants in America, it is argued by some, became successful by working to shed their historic identities and adopt the ways of their new country. The process of shedding one's native culture and becoming absorbed into the ways of the "host" society is known as assimilation.
Melting pot vs. multiculturalism (metaphors - “a bowl of salad”, “pizza”).
53. Give the names of some ethnic or national communities in the US. Chinese, Jewish, Russian, Italian, etc
54. Is it possible to single out any specific traits of character typical of Americans as a nation? What are they?
Key terms: efficiency, time is money, individualism, self-reliance, loneliness, conformity, the status-seekers
55. When is North America believed to have been visited by Europeans for the first time? Who were those first visitors? Who was their leader?
Icelandic Vikings –the first Europeans who came to the USA 1000 years ago (Leif Ericson – leader). Traces of their visit – Newfoundland. But they did not establish a permanent settlement and soon left the continent.
56. When was America discovered by Christopher Columbus? What national holiday commemorates this event?
The demand for Asian spices, textiles, and dyes spurred European navigators to dream of shorter routes between East and West. Acting on behalf of the Spanish crown, in 1492 the Italian navigator Christopher Columbus sailed west from Europe and landed on one of the Bahama Islands in the Caribbean Sea. Within 40 years, Spanish adventurers had carved out a huge empire in Central and South America. Columbus day - holiday commemorating Christopher Columbus's discovery of America, it is celebrated on the Monday nearest to Oct. 12.
In recent years, the holiday has been rejected by many people who view it as a celebration of conquest and genocide. In its place, Indigenous Peoples Day is celebrated.
57. When was the first British-American settlement founded in North America? What was its name?
The first successful English colony was founded at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. A few years later, English Puritans came to America to escape religious persecution for their opposition to the Church of England.
First permanent British settlement in North America - New England. In New England the Puritans hoped to build a "city upon a hill" -- an ideal community. Ever since, Americans have viewed their country as a great experiment, a worthy model for other nations to follow.
58. When did the first big group of British protestant settlers arrive in North America? What was the name of the ship they sailed on? What was the name of the colony they founded?
“Mayflower”, 102p. In 1620, the Puritans founded Plymouth Colony in what later became Massachusetts.
59. What names can you use to refer to the first British settlers? Pilgrims, the Pilgrim fathers, Puritans.
60. What does the expression "Pilgrim Fathers" mean?
The founders of Plymouth Colony. The name Pilgrim Fathers is given to those members who made the first crossing on the Mayflower. They are considered to be the fathers of the nation. Those people traveled a long distance to be able to worship.
61. What holiday dates back to the first big group of British protestant settlers in Norm America?
The Pilgrims were unprepared for the starvation and sickness of a harsh New England winter and nearly half died before spring. Yet, persevering in prayer, and assisted by helpful Indians, they reaped a bountiful harvest the following summer. The grateful Pilgrims then declared a three-day feast, starting on December 13, 1621, to thank God and to celebrate. Thanksgiving day – 3rd Thursday of November.
62. Why did the first big group of British protestant settlers come to the New World?
They wanted to escape from the religious persecution of Protestants in Catholic England. The New World, although filled with uncertainty and peril, offered both civil and religious liberty. The Puritans believed that government should enforce God's morality, and they strictly punished heretics, adulterers, drunks, and violators of the Sabbath. In spite of their own quest for religious freedom, the Puritans practiced a form of intolerant moralism. In 1636 an English clergyman named Roger Williams left Massachusetts and founded the colony of Rhode Island, based on the principles of religious freedom and separation of church and state, two ideals that were later adopted by framers of the U.S. Constitution.
63. What event does the name "Boston Tea Party" refer to? Бостонське чаювання.
In May 1773, Prime Minister North and the British parliament passed the Tea Act. The Tea Act allowed the British East India Company to sell tea directly to the colonists, bypassing the colonial wholesale merchants. This allowed the company to sell their tea cheaper than the colonial merchants who were selling smuggled tea from Holland.
This act revived the colonial issue of taxation without representation. The colonies once again demanded that the British government remove the tax on tea. In addition, the dockworkers began refusing to unload the tea from ships.
The Governor of Massachusetts demanded that the tea be unloaded. He also demanded that the people pay the taxes and duty on tea.
On the evening of December 16, 1773, a group of men calling themselves the "Sons of Liberty" went to the Boston Harbor. The men were dressed as Mohawk Indians. They boarded three British ships, the Beaver, the Eleanor and the Dartmouth, and dumped forty-five tons of tea into the Boston Harbor.
64. When was the Declaration of Independence signed? Who was its main author?
The Declaration of Independence is the document in which the Thirteen Colonies declared themselves independent of the Kingdom of Great Britain and explained their justifications for doing so. It was ratified by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776; this anniversary is celebrated as Independence Day in the United States. The document is on display in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. The independence of the American colonies was recognized by Great Britain on September 3, 1783, by the Treaty of Paris.
On June 11, 1776, a committee consisting of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman, was formed to draft a suitable declaration to frame this resolution. Jefferson did most of the writing, with input from the committee. His original draft included a denunciation of the slave trade, which was later edited out, as was a lengthy criticism of the British people and parliament. His draft was presented to the Continental Congress on July 1, 1776.
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