4 th Largest country in the world Made up of 50 states Richest country in the world Leading country in world affairs

Population of 300 million Population is made up of many different ethnic groups: White African-American Hispanics Asian Native Americans 77% 11% 3% 8% 1%

The American political system is made up of 3 branches... Barack Obama President of the United States The White House 1) The President

Capitol Hill, Washington D.C 2) Congress (Parliament) Congress is made up of the Senate and House of Representatives

3) The Supreme Court The highest court in the land.

The first group to settle in America were the Native Americans. They came to America from Asia 25,000 – 35,000 years ago.

1492 Columbus “discovered” America......from then on Europeans started to settle in America.

Soon afterwards, Britain claimed America as one of its colonies.

From the late 15 th Century Europeans needed people to work on the plantations producing tobacco, sugar, cotton, and coffee. Africans were shipped to America to become slaves.

By the mid-1700s Americas wanted to be free from British control The American Wars of Independence were fought between 1775 and 1783

In 1776 America declared itself a free and independent country when the leaders wrote the: Declaration of Independence

The US Constitution It consists of... 3 articles on powers of the President, Congress and Supreme Court 27 amendments (changes added over the years) The founding fathers set out how the country was to be run by writing a very famous document called...

The first president of the United States was... George Washington

In 1861 a Civil War broke out between the states in the North and South.

During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln gave slaves their freedom. The American Civil War ended in 1865 and many former slaves moved to the north to find jobs in the cities.

From 1850 a vast influx of people from all over the world, especially Europe, came to live in America (immigrants).

IMMIGRATION – How immigrant experiences varied depending on their country of origin, colour of skin and culture. CIVIL RIGHTS – Treatment of Black Americans and their fight for equality and freedom in the 20 th Century.