1. Know your USA
Vee 2011

2. United States of America

3. History 1626 The Dutch buy Manhattan from the Indians.
: Revolutionary War of Independence
13 States against Britain
13 Stripes in flag
1788 Declaration of Independence

4. 1861 -1865 : Civil War North against South
President Lincoln assasinated 1865
million immigrants enter USA
‘The big melting pot ‘

5. 1865 Abolition of Slavery
1950s Civil Rights Movement marches against racial segregation
leader: the Reverend
Martin Luther King
NON VIOLENCE
follower of Mahatma Ghandi
Church only means of organizing Black People
Lots of leaders come from Church background

6. 1964 Civil Rights Act Bans racial discrimination
Voting Rights Acts
grants blacks right to vote

7. Lots of violence…. 1963 President Kennedy assassinated
Martin Luther King
assassinated
Robert Kennedy assassinated

8. Ku Klux Klan
White Racist Organisation

9. 1964 – 1973 Vietnam War Lots of protests Many dead Conscription !!
‘A war they couldn’t win’

10. Vietnam
Horrible, inhumane war
use of napalm no human rights

11. 2003 War on Iraq
9/ Attack on the Twin Towers NY

12. Focus on Iraq
Suspected of having biological weapons Invasion of British and American troops: WAR

13. Sadam Hussein executed

14. United States of America
Federal constitutional republic
Stars and Stripes
50 states ( 50 stars ) 13 stripes ( original states)
1 federal district ( Washington D.C.)

15. National Anthem

16. Political system “Checks and Balances “
Constitution of 1787 : federal government
1. legislative branch : Congress
2. Executive branch : the President
3. Judiciary Branch : the Supreme Court

17. Legislative Powers: CONGRESS
The Senate senators: 2 from each State
CAPITOL HILL
(synonym for
USA government)
2. The House of Representatives
435 members : depends on the size of the State
how many representatives per State

18. Political Parties Democrats : left of centre ‘ liberal ‘
more government involvement in public
and social services
Republicans : right- wing
associations with business and industry
private enterprise
SENATORS NOT BOUND TO PARTY POLITICS
INTERESTS OF THEIR VOTERS BACK HOME… !

19. Tea Party Movement: Sarah Palin
Populist political conservative movement :
NO POLITICAL PARTY
Likes to be seen as a
‘grassroots’ movement :
natural and spontaneous
reaction to party politics
But mostly seen as
‘Astroturfing : disguising a political reaction as a ‘natural ‘ reaction of voters. In reality it is all orchestrated

20. Boston Tea Party 1773 Boston , Massachusets :uprising against TEA TAX
Uprising against British
Government, by throwing
3 shiploads of tea into
the harbour,
rather than returning them
to the ‘mothercountry’England
1775 American Revolutionary War

21. Executive Power: the President
Elected directly by the voters!!!
Not by parties. th
(First black )
President
Barack Obama

22. 3. Legislative power SUPREME COURT or High Court of Justice
1 Chief Justice of the USA
8 Judges are installed for life
Nominated by president
Approval of Congress

23. One Big Melting Pot/ Salad bowl?
Great range of nationalities: Still retain their ethnic identities
Integration, little assimilation !
Indians Jewish
Afro-Americans Dutch Reformed Church
Spanish /Cubans Chinese
Irish Mexicans/Vietnamese
etc, etc, etc. …

24. Important places Florida: retirement / loads of old people Disneyworld
California : Silicon Valley
‘world’s centre of high-tech science’
Hollywood
Disneyland
Southern States; Cotton Belt
cotton/ sugar-cane / pecan nuts
* Midwest: ‘ Grain shed’ of USA

25. Keep up to date …
to be continued …