The usa flag, Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, the great seal, the bald eagle, White House, LIBERTY BELL, THE STATUE OF LIBERTY.

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1) Symbolizes freedom in the United States of America, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,USA. Was originally cast in 1752 in London, England. It first cracked during a test ringing. After cracking, it was recast twice in 1753 in Philadelphia by John Pass and John Stow (the old one was broken up and melted down, more copper was added to the metal alloy to make it less brittle, and the bell was re-cast). It rang to announce many important events in early American history, including Presidential elections and deaths.

2) is a huge mountain sculpture of four US Presidents, located near Keystone, in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The Presidents depicted are: George Wshington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. These four Presidents were chosen to represent the founding, growth and preservation of the United States.

3) is a huge sculpture that is located in New York Harbor. This monument was a gift to the USA from the people of France in recognition of the French-American alliance during the American Revolution. It pictures a woman who has escaped the chains of tyranny (the broken chains lie at her feet). It holds a torch that is a symbol of liberty. There are 354 steps inside its pedestal and 25 viewing windows in the crown.

4) Tthe official residence of the President of the United States of America, and has been for over 200 years. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., the capital city of the USA. It was originally built from 1792 to 1800, it was constructed by paid and slave laborers, including stonemasons brought in from Scotland. It was burned down by British soldiers during the War of 1812, but was rebuilt .

5) It is only attached (affixed) to certain documents, such as foreign treaties and presidential proclamations. It is kept in a mahogany cabinet and displayed in the Exhibit Hall of the Department of State in Washington, D.C.Both sides of the it can be seen on the back of a U.S. one-dollar bill.

6) It can be seen on the backs of gold coins, the silver dollar, the half dollar and the quarter. It represents freedom. Living as it does on the tops of lofty mountains, amid the solitary grandeur of nature, it has unlimited freedom, with strong pinions it sweeps into the valleys below, or upward into the boundless spaces beyond.Thus full of the boundless spirit of freedom, living above the valleys, strong and powerful in his might, it has become the national emblem of a country that offers freedom in word and thought and an opportunity for a full and free expansion into the boundless space of the future.

7) is one of the nation's most widely recognized symbols. Within the U.S. it is frequently displayed, not only on public buildings, but on private residences. It is also used as a motif on decals for car windows, and clothing ornaments such as badges and lapel pins. Throughout the world it is used in public discourse to refer to the U.S., both as a nation state, government, and set of policies, but also as an ideology and set of ideas.Apart from the numbers of stars and stripes representing the number of current and original states, respectively, and the union with its stars representing a constellation, there is no legally defined symbolism to the colors and shapes on the flag. However, folk theories and traditions abound; for example, that the stripes refer to rays of sunlight and that the stars refer to the heavens, the highest place that a person could aim to reach.

SKETCHES ON AMERICAN HISTORY

I. EARLY EXPLORATIONS

MIND THE PRONUNCIATION OF THE FOLLOWING DIFFICULT WORDS:

accidental [,@ksi#dent{l] случайный

flourishing [#fl[riSiN] процветающий, преуспевающий

craftsmanship [#kra:ft sm{nSip] мастерство;

route [ru:t] путь; маршрут;

Portuguese [,pO:tju#gi:z] португальский

seafarer [#si:,fE{r{] мореплаватель

indentured [ in#dEntS{d] обусловленный договором

об отдаче в ученичество

2)обусловленный договором серви тута

worship [#w{:Sip] вероисповедание ;

исповедовать

(религию)

borderland [#bO:d{,l@nd] пограничная

полоса;

окраинная зона

consequences [#kOnsikw{nsis] последствия

feast. [fi:st] пир

fortress [#fO:tris] крепость

to swear loyalty [ swE{ #lOi{lti] клясться в верности

resentment [ri#zEntm{nt] недовольство

chest [tSest] ящик с крышкой на петлях

retreating [ri#trit] отступать

The term New World- newly discovered and settled is used in contrast with Old World- meaning the then known world of written historical records and literatures. In the period immediately after Columbus' accidental discovery, the major influences on the American continents were European, and for the people in Europe, America was a New World. For the people who lived in America at the time, however, it was the only world in their memory.

Before Columbus, the most noted discoverer of America, arrived in the New World, several flourishing civilizations had existed there for centuries. By the time Columbus reached the New World in 1492, the American civilizations had reached a level of culture which included personal wealth, fine buildings, expert craftsmanship, and religions which structured the daily lives of the people.

The Vikings, people who lived in northern Europe more than a thousand years ago, sailed not only to other parts of Europe. The Viking trips did not lead to any European settlement of America - travel to a new land beyond the ocean was slow and dangerous; people who did travel were more interested in trade with Asia.

Starting in the 1400's the people of Portugal began to explore the oceans. They thought they might be able to find a sea route to Asia. In time, Portuguese sailors did find a route to Asia - they sailed all the way around Africa to reach India.

Christopher Columbus, an Italian sea captain, who had sailed to many European and African ports, believed that Asia could be reached by sailing west from Europe across the Atlantic. He needed money for ships and sailors, but the rulers in Italy and Portugal refused to pay. Then he tried the rulers of Spain, and King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella liked the idea of finding a new route to Asia. In August, 1492, Columbus and his three ships sailed from Spain. After leaving the Canary Islands, near the coast of Africa, they headed west into the Atlantic Ocean, still called The Sea of Darkness by many Europeans. After six weeks of sailing without sight of land the men began to demand that the ships turn back. Suddenly they saw an island and soon were able to land.

The people on the island watched as Columbus carried Spanish flags onto the beach; by doing that, he claimed the island for Spain. He named the island San Salvator which is Spanish for "Holy Saviour." The seafarer was sure that the island was in the East Indies, near Asia, and he called the people of the islands Indian. Three times Columbus returned to the new lands he had found. He did find other islands, but he never did find Asia. The islands he found were in the Caribbean Sea, between North and South America, now called the West Indies. On later trips Columbus also landed in Central and South America and the island of Trinidad.

II. AMERICA IN THE 17th-18th CENTURIES

One of the first English colonies was called Roanoke. In 1587 over a hundred English men, women, and children landed on Roanoke Island off the coast of what is now North Carolina. But three years later the colonists were gone. No one ever found out what happened to them. The Roanoke settlement became known as the Lost Colony. Then, in 1606 three small ships set sail from England and headed for North America. In May, 1607 they started a settlement and named it Jamestown for King James I of England. The colony faced a lot of problems: hunger, living in a wilderness; the ruling of the colony belonged to the Virginia Company which didn't give the colonists freedom to do what they wanted. In 1624 the English king took control of the colony away from the Virginia Company, and from then on Virginia was called a royal colony. A governor ruled the colony in the king's name, but the settlers elected their representatives to help make laws for the colony. This idea of self-government was very important for the further history of the U.S. The changes helped the colony survive. The first black colonists " -20 Africans - were brought to Jamestown in 1619 by a Dutch ship. The year 1624 saw the birth of the first black child born in English North America. His name was William Tucker. The first black colonists were indentured servants, i.e. they were supposed to work for an owner for a certain number of years and then be given their freedom. In 1661, however, black people in Virginia were sold as slaves.In time, more English people crossed the Atlantic Ocean. The first settlers who came to America for religious reasons were the Pilgrims.

The 180-ton ship Mayflower, carrying the Pilgrim Fathers to their new life across the Atlantic, left England oft September 6, 1620. The ship sailed from Plymouth and carried 102 passengers. They were the Separatists, or members of the radical wing of the Puritan movement, who were looking for a land where they could worship in their own way, free from persecution. They came from the district now often referred to as the "Pilgrim Country" and formied the borderland of three counties - Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.

More than two months later, on November 10, the Pilgrim Fathers first sighted Cape Cod - and, as tradition has it, stepped ashore at Plymouth Rock. They arrived in what is now Massachusetts.

Before anyone went ashore, two actions with far-reaching consequences were taken. One was the signing by most of the men of the so-called Mayflower Compact - the first modern example of a system of government instituted as a result of voluntary agreement by men accepting equal rights. Secondly the election of Deacon Carver as Governor, the first elected colonial governor in history.

The Pilgrims called their colony Plymouth. They suffered terribly through the cold winter. Nearly half of them died. Finally, with the help of friendly Indians, the Pilgrims were able to build houses and raise food crops. To show how they felt about the Indians' help, they invited the Indians to share their first Thanksgiving feast.

Soon after the Pilgrims, some other people in 1630 started the Massachusetts Bay Colony. They were Puritans, and Boston was the main town. The Puritans hoped to build a new society based on their religion. More colonies were started in New England. One group of settlers followed a minister named Thomas Hooker south and east of Massachusetts. They built villages in the valley of the Connecticut River. The Pequot Indians tried to stop the English people from settling on their land but they lost a war they fought with the English settlers, so the new villages became a colony called Connecticut.

Other pioneers settled farther north. In 1623 a few trading posts were started in the area that became the colony of New Hampshire. Little villages started to grow, and one settlement became the seaport of Portsmouth.

South of New England, more colonies were started. Four of them became known as the Middle Colonies.

One of the Middle Colonies was settled by the Dutch and was called New Netherland. In 1664, a British fleet ordered them to surrender and New Netherland became the English colony of New York. The seaport village of New Amsterdam also had its name changed to New York. The New York colony was given by the king of England to his brother, the Duke of York. The duke gave a part of it to friends. They started a colony called New Jersey.

One of the most successful colonies began when the Duke of York gave a large area to William Penn. In 1682, Penn started planning a colony called Pennsylvania. Penn belonged to a small religious group called the Friends, or Quakers. Pennsylvania soon became the largest and wealthiest colony. One part of the colony was later separated from Pennsylvania and became the colony of Delaware in 1701. Swedish people had earlier settled in Delaware and had brought a new idea to America -to build cabins made of logs.

Colonial towns and cities were centers of trade and government. But most colonists did not live in towns and cities: nine out of every ten people lived on farms or in small villages. Some settlers headed west to live on the frontier, beyond the settled places. When pioneers found a place in the wilderness they liked, they cleared trees and built log cabins. Again and again, as settlers moved to the west, the Indians found people moving into their hunting grounds and burned cabins and crops, hoping to stop the settlements.

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR

By the 1750's the English colonies were spreading westward from the Atlantic coast. The French rulers of Canada were alarmed: as English colonists spread into the frontier, they moved into the land claimed by the French. The French government decided on a plan. A line of French forts would be built along the frontier. With the help of their Indian friends, French soldiers stationed at those forts would hold back the English settlers.

The forts were built, and frontier settlements of the English colonists were raided by Indian war parties. The colonists were sure the French were helping the Indians make those attacks. The frontier settlers demanded that the British government do something , they wanted the British troops to protect their settlements.

The war started in 1754: Britain and France fought a war over land that they both claimed , they fought to decide who would control Canada and the Ohio Valley. The French were supported by Indians, and the war was called the French and Indian War by the American colonists. The British soldiers (called redcoats because of their bright red uniforms), sent by the British government, were joined by men from Virginia. One of the Virginians was a young colonel named George Washington. The first battle (not far from Fort Duquesne, which stood at a place where two rivers came together to form the Ohio River) was won by the French - more than 600 Indians and 200 Frenchmen fired from behind trees, bushes and fallen logs, and the British, caught by surprise, were mowed down.

In 1759 the British captured the fortress town of Quebec. A year later, the British also captured Montreal. Finally, the French gave up the struggle to hold on to Canada, and in 1763 a peace treaty was signed. France gave up all its land on the North American continent. Canada became a British colony.

Most French settlers stayed in Canada and accepted British rule, but when French-speaking people in eastern Canada refused to swear loyalty to Britain, they were forced to leave their villages.

The American colonists were thrilled over the victory. Now that the French had been defeated, the lands to the west seemed open to frontier settlers. The Americans felt grateful to Britain and its new young king, George III. In 1763 few colonists ever thought that the problem of paying for the war expenses would lead to serious trouble with Britain.

In fact, Britain had started its first colonies in America to gain new wealth - it needed raw materials, it needed places to sell its goods (furniture, hats, glass, paint, etc.). For example, to help the British hat business, colonists had to buy hats made in Britain -they were not allowed to make hats in America.

The war left Parliament with a large bill to pay. One law passed by Parliament to raise money was the Stamp Act. This law said that the colonists would have to buy certain stamps, and the stamps would have to be used on things like newspapers, calendars, and business papers.

The meeting of protest took place in New York City in October, 1765, and it was called the Stamp Act Congress. The colonists did not agree to being taxed as they had no representation in Parliament to be protected from unjust actions. The words "no taxation without representation" were repeated all over the colonies.

THE BOSTON TEA PAR TY

Resentment against the British government was growing strong. That was especially true in Boston, were British soldiers were on duty. One night in March, 1770, there was a strong opposition between some British soldiers on guard duty and a small crowd of people who started yelling at the soldiers and throwing stones and snowballs. Suddenly the soldiers started to shoot, and three people fell dead. Eight others were wounded. This event caused an uproar and was called the Boston Massacre by colonists. As news of the Boston Massacre spread to other colonies, more Americans began to wonder whether it was right for them to be under British rule. People who were against strict British control called themselves Patriots. In Boston the Patriots called themselves the Sons and Daughters of Liberty. They decided to do something to show their protest against the tax on tea which had to be paid when buying tea from Britain. British ships were kept from unloading. One night, late in 1773, Sons of Liberty dressed up like Indians, went to the harbor and boarded three British ships. Seizing the tea chests, they dumped their contents into the water. That raid became known as the Boston Tea Party.

The British government thought it could bring about obedience by being strict and passed some laws to punish Boston. No trade was to be allowed in Boston's port. The port would stay closed until the tea was paid for. Then, Parliament said the Massachusetts assembly could no longer meet, and a British general was made governor of the colony. So Massachusetts lost its right of self-government. More British soldiers were sent to live in the homes o f the people of Boston.

The other colonies sent food and money to Boston, and their messages of support.

THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE

Virginia sent out invitations for a meeting of the colonies. The meeting was held in Philadelphia in the fall of 1774 and it was called the Continental Congress. It decided to stop all trade with Britain, start collecting guns and practice using them and not to obey the laws passed for punishing the colonies.

That meant an open conflict. The Patriots were watching every move of the British. Fighting broke out at Lexington and then at Concord, where the soldiers had arrived to look for the hidden weapons. Shooting started between the British and the colonists, who called themselves minutemen as they could get ready with their guns so fast. The minutemen attacked the retreating soldiers and finally won a victory. The battles of Lexington and of Concord were the start of the war that became known as the American Revolution.

In every colony people who chose the Patriot side joined with others who planned to fight the British. The Continental Congress organized the Continental Army. George Washington of Virginia was chosen to be the army's commander.

On July 4, 1776, the members of the Continental Congress agreed to issue the paper that is now called the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration said that "these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states".

The Declaration of Independence helped give Americans an even stronger belief in the rightness of their cause. But they still had to win independence.

The American soldiers turned out to be brave and able fighters, but at first they were no match for the trained British soldiers. At that time Britain was the most powerful country in the world. When George Washington became commander of the American forces, he had no real army to lead, as the Americans who fought in the Revolution were citizen-soldiers, volunteers. They joined the army because they wanted to and not because they were ordered to. But the Americans got more experience, and the things improved.

Throughout the war, supplies were a serious problem. General Washington pleaded with Congress to find enough food, clothes, and guns for his army. His leadership made it possible for the American army to keep fighting , he encouraged the soldiers not to lose heart in spite of losing some battles in the first years of the war. The Americans were fighting for the freedom of their country and believed in their cause.

In 1777 the Patriots won an important victory at Saratoga in New York State.

By 1781 the Americans had been fighting for six long years. Finally the American Army forced the British soldiers who had gathered at Yorktown, Virginia, and could not retreat by sea because of some French ships, to surrender. As the British soldiers piled up their weapons, a band played a tune called "The World Turned Upside Down."

The Battle of Yorktown marked the end of the fighting. But it was two years before a peace treaty was signed. In the treaty, Great Britain agreed that the thirteen colonies would be independent. The new nation was called the United States. The treaty also said what land was to be part of the United States. The new nation reached from Canada to Florida and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River.

EXERCISES:

I TRANSLATE THE FOLLOWING WORD EXPRESSIONS INTO RUSSIAN AND MAKE UP YOUR OWN SENTENCES WITH THEM:

Columbus’ accidental discovery; several flourishing civilizations; expert crafsmanship; to structure the daily lives of people; to explore the oceans; to find sea route ;to claim the island for Spain; seafarer; far-reaching consequences; to spread onto the frontier; to hold back the settlers; to be caught by surprise; to refuse to swear the loyalty; to be protected from unjust actions; resentment against government; to cause the uproar; to bring about obedience; strong belief in the rightness of one’s cause; to lose heart; to force somebody to surrender;indentured servants.

II FIND ENGLISH EQUIVALENTS FOR THE FOLLOWING

EXPRESSIONS:

Достигать определенного уровня культурного развития; исследовать океанические просторы; найти морской путь в Азию; отправиться в плавание; взять колонии под контроль; сформировать окраинную зону; свободно исповедывать свою религию; отдать приказ о капитуляции; расчищать дикую местность; захватить крепость; дорого заплатить по счетам; добиться повиновения строгими мерами; нападать на отступающих;верить в правоту своего дела;сложить оружие.

III DISCUSS THE QUESTIONS:

1 Where does the term New World originate from?

2 What do know about explorations of America made before Columbus?

3 What were Columbus’s intentions in his sail across the Atlantic?

4 What territories were discovered by Columbus after long, six-weeks trip across the ocean?

5 Why did Columbus claim the island he discovered not for Italy but for Spain ?

6 What were the first English colonies inn America?

7 How did black colonists happen to come to America?

8 What settlers come to America for religious reasons?

9 What were Pilgrims looking for on a new land?

10 How did Pilgrims call their colony?

11 What way did they find to survive cold winters and starvation?

12 What colony was founded by Puritans?

13 What other colonies were established on the territory of New England?

14 How did Indians try to stop the English people from setting on their land?

15 Why was French government alarmed by the spreading of English colonies westwards from the Atlantic coast?

16 What was the object of claims on the part of France and Btitain?

17 What measures were undertaken by French government?

18 Why was the war called French and Indian one?

19 What did the war result in?

20 What territories of Canada refused to swear loyalty to Britain?

21 What were the reasons of resentment against the British government on the part of the colonists?

22 What were the premises of Boston Tea Party?

23 What was the British government reaction to the raid in Boston?

24 What was summoned in Philadelphia in 1774?

25 What were the Patriots fighting for?

26 What battles are considered to be the start of the War of Independence?

27 When did the Declatation of Independence appear?

28 Who was the leader of American army?

29What event marked the end of fighting?

30 What were the achievements of American forces?

IV TRANSLATE INTO ENGLISH:

В 1497 г. судно под начальством Джона Кабота в поисках морского пути в Китай прибыло к о-ву Ньюфаундленд. Затем французы Вераццано (1524) и Картье (1535) открыли устье р. Гудзон и устье р. Св. Лаврентия. Поиски морских путей в Китай и Индию на севере продолжались в XVI и XVII вв. Четыре плавания с этой целью предпринял Генри Гудзон. Он пытался отыскать проход в обход Северной Америки. Отважные мореходы Т. Баттон, Р.Байлот, В. Баффин, Т.Джемс, Л.Фокс оставили заметный след, открыв все северовосточное побережье Северной Америки. К половине XVII в. очертания Нового Света были определены на всем протяжении от Огненной Земли до Калифорнии на западе и до Баффиновой Земли на Атлантическом побережье.

III. AMERICA IN THE EARLY 1800's

I MIND THE PRONUNCIATION OF THE FOLLOWING DIFFICULT WORDS:

mansion [#m@n(t)S{n] большой особняк, дво рец

navy [#neivi] флот

expansion [ik # sp@n(t)S{n] расширение;

растяжение; наращивание

seize [siz]….. захватывать

shawnee [SO:#ni:] шауни Индейское племя, имевшее пять подразде лений

conquer [#kONk{] завоевать, покорить

outnumber [,Aut#n[mb{] превосходить численно стью, превосходить ко личеством

fierce [ fi{s] жестокий, лютый, свире пый

annex [#@neks] присоединять

sawmill [#sO:mil] лесопильня , лесорама

vigilante [,vidZi#l@nti] виджиланте,

член комитета

бдительности

stagecoach [#steidZk{utS] дилижанс, oсновной вид транспорта на Западе

до постройки железных дорог,использовался для перевозки

пассажиров, почты и

грузов.

сonvention [k{n#ven(t)S{n] собрание, съезд ,

договор, соглашение, конвенция

secede [ si#si:d] выходить (из союза) , от падать, отложиться,

отделиться, отколоться

bloodshed [#bl[dSed] кровопролитие; массовое убийство, резня, бойня

bitterness [#bit{n{s] горечь;

oil burner [Oil #b{:n{] керосинка , форсунка

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