History, Economy, and Culture The United States History, Economy, and Culture

HISTORY United States: world’s fourth largest country in terms of area #1: Russia #2: Canada #3: China migration: the movement of people within a country or region

Explorers arriving in the United States: 1.) Spanish: arrived in 1565 2.) French: settled near the St. Lawrence River in Canada in the early 1600s 3.) English: arrived in early 1600s, Jamestown in 1607 **all explorers displacing various Native American tribes**

Columbian Exchange: movement of plants, animals, and diseases between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres during the Age of Exploration

Louisiana Purchase: territory between the Mississippi River and Rocky Mountains that the United States bought from France in 1803 Movement westward during 1850s- 1900s frontier: free, open land in the American west that was available for settlement

Early 1900s: increase in industrialization in cities such as New York, Boston, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Chicago Shift in movement to suburbs starting in the 1950s suburbs: communities located near borders of the central city What is making the move to the suburbs possible?

United States Government Federal Republic: powers are divided between national and state governments Representative Democracy: government in which people rule through elected representatives

economy The United States has the world’s largest economy Leader in producing agricultural goods and global trade Produces 10% of the world’s exports (goods sold to another country)

Three contributing factors for a strong U.S. economy: 1.) Available natural resources 2.) Skilled labor force 3.) Stable political system that has allowed the economy to develop

Free enterprise: economic system in which individuals own most of the resources, technology, and businesses Can operate them with little control from the government American farms supply 40% of world’s corn, 20% of cotton, 10% of wheat and cattle Leading industries: petroleum, steel, chemicals, electronics, telecommunications, lumber, and mining

Service industry: economic activity that produces a service rather than a product Examples: finance, medicine, transportation, and education Multinationals: corporations that engage in business worldwide

Culture 63% of Americans trace their ancestry to Europe Native Americans: 1% of population 85% of Americans identify as Christian 56% Protestant 28% Catholic 2% Jewish 2% Muslim

80% of Americans live in cities or surrounding suburbs Pattern of American migration: rural areas→cities→suburbs

What does it mean for something to be a part of American culture What does it mean for something to be a part of American culture? Brainstorm a list of things that are a part of American culture.