Us History Facts Chart

The accepted date of discovery of America
Explorers of America prior to Columbus
The place that Columbus actually reached
The ship that transported British Pilgrims to America in 1620
One of the conflicts between American colonies and British Government happened in Boston in 1773
The number of American colonies to have confederated themselves as the United States of America
A significant event in American history happened on July 4, 1776
The years of the War of Independence

II. The United States of America: General Facts

1. America declared Independence in 1776 but wasn’t recognized until 1783.

2. The Constitution of the USA was adopted in 1787. Since then it has been amended 27 times.

3. The 1st capital of the USA was Philadelphia, PA.

4. Washington, DC doesn’t belong to any state. The intention of the Founding Fathers (отцы-основатели США) was that the US capital should be at a neutral site, not giving favor to any existing state.

5. Alaska is the largest state in the US by land area.

6. Rhode Island is the smallest state and has got the longest name – the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

7. Hawaii is the most recent of the 50 states in the US (joining in 1959) and is the only one made up entirely of islands.

8. New England is a region in the North-Eastern corner of the United States consisting of the 6 states of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

9. Besides 50 states the US territory includes the Insular Area (островная территория США) that comprises American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands.

10. In the USA there is no official language at federal level.

11. Spanish is the second commonly spoken language in the US (after English).

12. The US two-party system consists of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.

13. Election Day in the United States occurs in November on the Tuesday after the first Monday.

14. As any other nation, the United States have national symbols, both official and unofficial:

Official Symbols of the USA

The flag of the United States is commonly known as the “Stars and Stripes” or “Old Glory”. It was adopted on June 14, 1777. The 50 stars on the blue field stand for 50 states and the 13 red and white stripes represent the 13 colonies the USA emerged from. There is a legend that the first American flag was made by Betsy Ross, a seamstress (швея) from Philadelphia, and it was she who changed the stars on the flag from 6-pointed to easier-to-produce 5-pointed stars. The current 50-star flag is the 27th “edition” of the flag and the one that has been in use the longest, since 1960.

TheGreat Seal of the United States is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the United States federal government. The Great Seal was first used publicly in 1782.The obverseof the great seal is used as the nationalcoat of armsof the United States. It is officially used on documents such as United States passports, militaryinsignia,embassyplacards, and variousflags. The Seal depicts a bald eagle holding 13 olive branches in one talon and 13 arrows in the other. The olive branch stands for the power to make peace, while the arrows stand for the power to make war.

Other official national symbols are:

National anthem: “The Star-Spangled Banner”.

National mottos: “In God We Trust”, “E Pluribus Unum” (лат. «из многих – единое»).

National bird: Bald Eagle.

National floral emblem: Rose.

National tree: oak.

Unofficial Symbols of the USA

Uncle Sam (initials U.S.) is a common national personification of the American government. The first use of Uncle Sam in literature was in the 1816 allegorical book “The Adventures of Uncle Sam in Search After His Lost Honor” by Frederick Augustus Fidfaddy, Esq. An Uncle Sam is mentioned as early as 1775, in the original “Yankee Doodle” lyrics of the Revolutionary War. It is not clear whether this reference is to Uncle Sam as a metaphor for the United States, or to an actual person named Sam.

Other unofficial national symbols are:

Sights: the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Mount Rushmore.

Sports: baseball, football.

Food: apple pie, hot-dog, bourbon whiskey.

Check yourself. Answer the questions:

1. What city was the 1st capital of the USA?

2. What state is the US capital situated in?

3. What is the largest US state? The smallest one?

4. What language has the status of the official one at federal level?

5. What is the nickname of the American Flag?

6. What do the 13 stripes on the US flag stand for?

7. What is American national bird, national tree, and national flower?