History USA, promised land

History USA, promised land 

Promised land

in the 19/20th century – many opportunities, the best situation there, not corrupted USA, people weren’t persecuted, vision of a good life, wanted to get rich there
- many people from poor Europe went to USA
- America is the land of hope, peace and education, perfect democracy
- offers a prosperous life

Another meaning

- according to the Bible, the land promised by God to the Israelites, the promise was made to Abraham and then renewd to his son Isaac
- was described as the land from the River of Egypt to the Euphrates river
- Moses freed slaves from the Egypt (at first pharaon refused to do it, but God punished him and his country – every oldest son from the family died, then he allowed)
- god made many miracles during their journey to the promised land (let the Israelited walk across the Red Sea, sent them bread every morning, gave them water, although they were in the desert)
- once the God called Moses to go on on monutain Sinai and gave him Ten Commandment
- during Moses’s absence the Israelites built the Golden calf and they worshipped it, Moses became angry
- it lasted 40 years to get to the Promised land

HISTORY OF THE USA

- discovered by Cristipher Columbus (was travelling to India, reached America, names the natives Indians)
- Chinese and Vikings were there first

17th century – Pilgrims came to America, because they wanted to escape the religious persecution in Britain. Sailed by ship called Mayflower.
- the first winter wa devastation, half of them died
- Indians (native people) helped them and showed them how to grow plants
- celebrated their friendship for three days – Thanksgiving, ate roasted turkey, pumpkin pie,
- first colony – Plymouth – Virginia, others were established by English, Dutch, Spanish people
- colonisated from the east to the west

18th century – the American war of independence – Revolutionary war
- newly created United States was fighting against Great Britain over the independence, they won
- 4 July 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed by president Jefferson (nowadays it’s a national holiday), not longer a part o a British empire

19th century – American Civil War between the northern states – the Union and southern states – The Confederate states of America (agricultural states, needed slaves for their economy)
- after four years of fighting the Confederacy collapsed and the slavery was abolished
- Thirteenth amendment was added to the United states constitution (by Abraham Lincoln)

ROSA PARKS – on the 1st december 1955 she was going home by bus, she sat at the seat where the black people were allowed to sit until no white person was standing
- activist of civil rights, but she has never broken rules
- refused to stand up, the driver called the police and she was arrested, inspired many peple (Martin Luther King)

20th century – promised land, Depression era (began soon after the stock market crash of October 1929, Thousands of investors lost large sums of money and many were wiped out, lost everything. The 'crash' led us into the Great Depression. The ensuing period ranked as the longest and worst period of high unemployment and low business activity in modern times. Banks, stores, and factories were closed and left millions of Americans jobless, homeless, and penniless. Many people came to depend on the government or charity to provide them with food.)

WW2 – US fought on the side of the Allies (GB, Soviet Union)
- since 1941 they have been in a war with Japan because of Pearl Harbor, Japan refused to sign the peace treaty and then president Truman authorised use of the atomic bombs
- 6 August 1945 they dropped The little boy on Hiroshima (one of the largest cities, more than half of the inhabitans died)
- 8 August 1945 they dropped The fat boy on Nagasaki
- 2 September Japan surrendered
- US argues that it was the only way how to end the WW2

1964 – the Vietnam war (read worksheet)
The Cold War is the name given to the relationship that developed primarily between the USA and the USSR after World War Two 1945 to 1980. Neither side ever fought the other. They fought together during the war, but then their relationship worsened (struggle over the boundaries of Germany and Poland after the end of the war).