BS 2M Cultures: American

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• mavo
• Leerjaar 2

BS cultures: USA

What do you think of when you hear "America", also called The United States?

999 AD

Norse explorer from Iceland;

First European to visit North America - 

probably by accident.

1492 AD

Italian explorer Christopher Columbus did NOT really set foot on American soil - but he did find the Bahamas. He thought he had discovered India and called the people he met "Indians". 

Nov. 11, 1620

Pilgrims (very strict Christians) were kicked out of England, weren't happy in Holland and set out for America. After 66 days at sea, they landed at Cape Cod. They were bad at farming and would have died if local native Americans hadn't given them food. That's why Americans still celebrate Thanksgiving. 

1609/1624 AD

Henry Hudson finds the east coast of America and starts a colony called "Nieuw-Nederland". In 1624 a city called "Nieuw Amsterdam" is founded where Manhattan, the heart of New York City, is now. Plenty of names in NYC are still dutch: the Holland Tunnel, Brooklyn (Breukelen), Flushing (Vlissingen), Coney Island (konijneneiland), Wall Street (Waalstraat). The words cookie, boss, dollar (daalder) and many more were also adopted from Dutch. 

In 1664, England and The Netherlands swap territories: England gets Nieuw Amsterdam and calls it New York. The Netherlands get Surinam and an island in Indonesia. 

1773 AD

American colonists had to pay taxes to England, but had no say in how they were ruled by King George. They revolted by throwing British tea in the Boston Harbor. "No taxation without representation!"

July 4, 1776

In 1776, Americans declared themselves independent from England. The exact date, July 4th, is still a national holiday, celebrated with fireworks, parades and parties. 

1789 AD

George Washington, the general who had defeated the British army and helped write the Declaration of Independence, became the first President of the United States of America. 

1860 AD

Abraham Lincoln is elected President. In the southern states, the economy was based on slavery. Lincoln wanted to abolish slavery. The southern states got very angry because they didn't want to lose the money they earned by using slave labor, and so....

1860-1865 AD

... The Civil War broke out between northern and southern states. The North won and in 1865, slavery was abolished for good. However, southern states still practiced "segregation" until the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s finally put an end to that.

1914-1918 AD

America was neutral at first during the First World War, also called the Great War. They did help by sending weapons. In 1917, after the Germans kept sinking American ships and submarines, America decided to send troops and help defeat Germany. 

1942 AD

Germany had invaded half of Europe since 1939. The USA wanted to remain neutral. However, Germany's ally, Japan, attacked the American navy at Pearl Harbor (Hawaii). Then America declared war on Germany and Japan and started to fight on different fronts: in Europe, North Africa and Asia.

1945 AD

In 1945, Germany surrendered and there was peace in Europe. Japan said they would keep fighting to the last soldier. America then dropped two atomic bombs on Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Over 200,000 people lost their lives. Japan had no choice but to surrender.

1960s AD

The Soviet Union (now Russia) and America became enemies after World War 2. They started the space race. The first living being in space was Laika the Russian space dog. 

Yuri Gagarin, a Russian, was the first man to orbit earth in 1961. Neil Armstrong, an American, was the first man to set foot on the moon in 1969: "A small step for man, a giant leap for mankind". 

Dominance

After World War 2, America becomes the most important country in the world. It has the biggest economy and the best army. It is by far the richest country. Its culture spreads around the globe. Everyone knows and loves American jeans, shoes, movies, TV shows, music and food. 

21st century

Tech companies put their headquarters in Silicon Valley, California. From there, they transform all of our lives with their inventions. American technology leads the world. 

2025 AD

Donald Trump is elected President for the 2nd time. He has been convicted of many crimes such as assaulting women and telling his supporters to storm the government buildings after he refused to accept that Joe Biden had won the 2020 election. Trump's supporters don't care about his crimes. They think he will "make America great again" (MAGA). Trump tells many lies and calls them "alternative truth". Everything people say that he doesn't like, even if it is true, he calls "fake news". 

Trump has only been President for less than 3 weeks, but he has already threatened to invade Panama, Greenland and even Canada. He also wants to send all Palestinians away from Gaza and develop it into a luxurious beach front for the rich and powerful. Donald Trump is undermining democracy in the USA. Will he succeed?

American history summary:

- Leif Erikson accidentally stumbles upon Canada (999 AD)

- Christopher Columbus ''discovers'' the United States (1492)

- Pilgrims arrived at Cape Cod, not Plymouth Rock (1607)

- Nieuw Amsterdam (1624-1664)

- Boston Tea Party - no taxation without representation! (1773)

- Declaration of Independence (1776) 

- George Washington is the first President (1789)

- Abraham Lincoln is elected president (1860)

- The American Civil War (1861-63) - end of slavery

- World War I (1914-1918)

- Word War II (1940-1945) - Pearl Harbor, two atomic bombs on Japan

- space race, sports, warfare, technology, tv and film, the internet: SUPREMACY!!!

- After Fake News, alternative facts, MAGA,  Insurrection - Donald Trump is re-elected (2025)

create.kahoot.it

Do you know what the Star Spangled Banner is?

What is the Pledge of Allegiance?

What is a typical American dish?

Name a difference between a Dutch teenager and an American teenager.

create.kahoot.it

And finally....

The following video explains what people mean when they say something is "violently American":

What did you learn about this topic?
Mention 3 things you didn't know before.

Homework: interview (10 pt)

Bedenk tien vragen die met Amerika, de Amerikaanse geschiedenis en de Amerikaanse cultuur te maken hebben. 

Schrijf de vragen op (mag ook op je iPad bij notities). Laat ze door de docent goedkeuren. 

Interview nu iemand van BOVEN DE 50 en iemand van ONDER DE 18 door ze deze 10 vragen te stellen. 

Schrijf de antwoorden op. 

Mail je docent met: (1) welke 2 mensen je geïnterviewd hebt, (2) hoe oud ze zijn, (3) welke antwoorden ze hebben gegeven en (4) de overeenkomsten en verschillen die je hebt gevonden in hoe oudere mensen en jongeren over Amerika denken. 

*** Let op: wie deze opdracht in het Engels doet, krijgt bonuspunten! ***