History and Government of the United States

1. Chapter 6 History and Government of the United States

2. Migration The United States has abundant natural resources along with favorable climate and fertile soil. Those factors attracted waves of immigrants seeking a better life. So is the constant migration or movement of people from one place to another. 

3. Inhabitants First came from Asia 14,000 years ago. They developed separate cultures and occupied the land until the 15th century. In the 1600s the French settled in what is now Canada and the British settled the Atlantic coast from what is now Maine to Georgia.

4. Columbian Exchange The coming of Europeans brought the Columbian Exchange. This is the movement of plants, animals, and diseases between the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere.

5. Independence After the French and Indian War ended (1763) the British controlled all of North America east of the Mississippi River. That did not last long, the colonist resented British rule and the American Revolution occurred 1775-1783 and the founding of the United States.

6. Louisiana Purchase In 1803, the United States more then doubled size. The United States purchased from France the vast plains region between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountain. This was called the Louisiana Purchase.

7. Civil War Immigrants from Western Europe arrived in great numbers in the early 1800’s. Meanwhile many people started to place more loyalty to there region or section then to the country. In 1861, these tensions led to the four year civil war.

8. The Frontier Is free open land available for settlement in the West.The government removed the native Americans. In 1869 the railroads reached both coasts and by 1890 the free frontier was filled.

9. Industrialized In the late 1800’s more immigrants came from Southern and Eastern Europe to the cities to work in factories along with millions of Americans who left rural areas to work in the growing industries. America was transformed from a rural agriculture nation to a urban industrial nation.

10. World Power America tried to isolated from foreign involvement but Industrialized and then a world depression. Which led to two World Wars brought changes.

11. suburbs In the late 20th century was a time of social changes. Many people moved from cities to surrounding suburbs or communities on the outskirts of the city.

12. Civil Rights In the 1960s and 70s saw much social unrest. The civil rights and women’s rights movements worked for equality for all.

13. Information Technology The US economy boomed despite some economic downturn. Providing services and information technology soon passed industrial production in importance.

14. Superpower America’s influence spread around the world. During the cold war (1945-1990) The US became the leader of the non-communist world. When communism ended in Europe in 1991, the US became the world’s only super power.

15. Representative Democracy One of the strengths of the United States is the political system created by the US Constitution. The US is a representative democracy, in which people rule through elected representatives.

16. Section 2 Economy and Culture of the United States

17. Success of the US Economy Three factors 1. Abundant natural resources 2. skilled labor force 3. stable government

18. Free Enterprise In this system, private individuals own most of the resources, technology, and businesses. This is what the economic system is in the United States.

19. Service Industry Is any kind of economic activity that provides a service rather than a product. The American economy is driven by the Service Industry.

20. Postindustrial economy Economy phase in which manufacturing no longer plays a dominate role

21. multinationals Many American corporations engage in business worldwide and are called multinationals.

22. Exports Are goods sold to another country. In global trade ten percent of the world’s exports are from the United States.

23. Diversity The United States is composed of a diverse group of races, ethnicities, arts and popular culture, and languages and religions.

24. Suburbs 80% of Americans live in cities or nearby suburbs. Americans moved first from rural areas to cities and then from the cities to suburbs. The move to the suburbs was made possible by the widespread ownership of the automobile.

25. Section 3 Sub-regions of the United States

26. New England States The New England states are Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

27. Northeast States Along with the New England States the northeast also includes the middle Atlantic States of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. This area has 20% of the US population but only 5% of the country’s land area.

28. Megalopolis Is an area in which several large cities and surrounding areas (metropolitan area) grow together. The first one is in the Northeast where “Boswash” Boston to Washington DC developed/

29. The Midwest Is the that contains the 12 states of the north central United States. It is known as America’s heartland because of its central location. It is the nation’s breadbasket because its farms feed the world and it also has many lakes and rivers for excellent transportation system.

30. Chicago Serves as the regions industrial, transportation hub and cultural center.

31. The South Is a sub-region that covers ¼ of the area of the United States

32. The south and industrialization Was hindered because of its subtropical humid weather. The use of air conditioning in the 1950s had boost industrialization in the south.

33. The West Is a sub-region of 13 states that stretches from the Great Plains to the Pacific Ocean and Alaska and Hawaii.

34. The growth of the west This region has seen the most rapid growth in the 20th century because of irrigation and the use of air conditioning.