The
USA
Theme 1
The geographical position of the USA, its climate, the major
rivers, lakes, mountain rangers, some general information about the country.
The USA
is situated in the central part of the
North American continent and borders with Canada
in the north and Mexico in the south. It's washed by the Atlantic ocean in the west. The USA
covers the territory of over 9 million
square km. The USA is the 4th largest
country in the world after Russia, Canada and China. It runs 3d in population
after China and India. Population is 280 562 489. The main feature of the USA
population is ethnic diversity.
The USA originated with the declaration of independence comprises 50 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and Virgin islands. The main landmass includes 48 states. Two
separate states of Hawaii, in the Pacific ocean and Alaska, which occupies the north western part of North
American continent.
The capital of the USA is Washington, which is in the district of Columbia. The official language is English. National anthem -the star –spangled Banner,
National flag -the old glory. 50
white stars represent 50states of the USA. 13 stripes *red and white
denote the original 13states. The
red colour symbolize courage. The white
colour – purity. The blue - justice and firmness.
National moto - in god we trust.
Bold headed eagle-national bird. National cartoon figure-uncle Sam.
The main geographical areas of the USA
1) the atlantic lowland to the east of Appalachians
2) the central plains
between the Rocky mountainsin the west and
Appalachians in the east.
3) the narrow pacific
lowlands of the west coast.
4) the southern part of
the great lakes in the central USA
5) the great ΄plateau most of which is desert between the Rockies and
Sierra Nevada. The main mountains
are the Appalachians, the Rocky mountains, Sierra Nevada, the Cascades, Coast Rangers.
The Rockies are a sort
of natural border. All the rivers west of Rockies flow (течь) to the Pacific Ocean.
All the ricers east of the Rockies flow to the Atlantic Ocean.
The greatest rivers of the USA the Colorado, the Columbia flow into the Pacific
ocean. The Mississipi runs from the west, is the longest river,
called the father of waters. Has tributaries
the Missouri river and the Ohio river, flow into the Gulf of Mexico. The Hudson river. The rivers in the west
are unsuitable for navigation as they are cut by deep rapids . They serve as a great
source of electricity .
World famous is the region of Great Lakes Huron,
Ontario, Superior, Michigan. The
lakes are joined together by short rivers and canals and cut by rapids. The greatest of them is the Niagara Falls. In the west of the
USA - the Great Salt Lake.The deepest
lake is situated in Oregon, called Crater
lake.
Climate
There are different climatic zones of the ΄territory of the USA. On the whole the
climate is continental. Alaska lies in sub-arktic and arktic zones. The southern part of Florida and Hawaii are situated in the tropical zones.
Large reserves of coal, oil, gas, iron, ΄ferrous
and non-ferrous ΄metals form a solid base for the development of
the USA ΄industry.
The American states
1 New England states –Maine, Vermont, New
Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
Connecticut,
2 Middle Atlantic states -New Jork, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia
3 the South – Virginia, West Virginia,
Kentucky, North +South Carolina,
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee,
Mississippi
4 South Central states – Arkansas, Louisiana,
Oklahoma, Texas
5 the Mid Western states –Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin
6 the
Plains states –Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, North +South Dakota, Nebraska Missouri
7 the Mountain states - Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming
8 the Pacific states –California, Oregon, Washington
9 Alaska+Hawaii
Each state has an
elected government and state legislature to make the states laws
with state courts to enforce them. Every state has its own official name, flag,
song, animal, bird, moto. There is at
least 1 university in each state.
Population
When the
first census was taken in 1790, much
of the country had not even been explored,
and much of it did not belong to the UN, but to France and Spain. The “western settler” of that day were in the Appalachian. By 1854, the UN had acquired the western
part of the country by purchase and by treaty. This region had been unified
politically, and there were about as many people living west of the Appalachians
as east of them. At that time people seriously believed that the task of
settling and developing the country would require at least 500 years. The speed
with which it actually was settled is one of the most exciting stories in
American history.
At first,
the settlers pushed westward in thin
lines along the rivers; then they began to fill the intervening spaces
throughout the middle of the country. And there, dramatically, the
movement of the population jumped to the Pacific.
Now the population is estimated at about 236
mln with a density of
65 persons per square mile. 77% of
the population lives in urban areas ; 23% - in rural areas. The peoples of the United States represent cultures
from around the world. There are many ethnic
groups. The largest minority group consists of Afro-Americans who
make up about 12% of the population. Spanish-speaking people from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba and other Hispanic countries
from another group which equals 6% of the population. Native Americans are less than one half of
one percent of the total. Minorities of Asian
descent include Chinese, Japanese,
Indochinese and others.
Discovery of America and American Indians
Indians were the first
Americans, they populated North America long before the ΄continent was settled by Europeans. American Indians are of Asian ΄ancestry. Many years before they entered NA from Siberia by crossing a narrow strip of land, that once connected Alaska and Siberia. Today this place is called the
Bering Strait. Emigrants entered the world where there were no people at
all, except animals, plants, berries, forests. The new comers spread out. Some
moved to the south into central and South America. Others traveled east to the
Atlantic Ocean. These migrations were gradual and took thousands of years. Eventually the
people, who became known as Indians have spread across NA. Those people were
different in their lifestyles-some were hunters, some farmers. They spoke over
300 separate languages. Indians were called so by Columbus. Recently appeared a new term, which describes first
Americans more accurately - they were called Native Americans, «Amerindians» американский индеец).
Around 1000 AD a group of Vikings from island under Leaf Eriksson sailed from Greenland to the eastern coast of
NA. The foundations of Viking’s huts were
found in Newfoundland. The first
Vikings settlements didn't last. The local American Indians were hostile, the northern seas were not
friendly and the Vikings gave up their attempt to colonize Vinland. The expedition was soon forgotten.
The USA was discovered in 1492. In this very year Columbus persuaded the King and the
Queen of Spain to fi΄nance his voyage to the Far
East . Instead of Asia he landed one of the Bahama Islands in the Caribbean
Sea. Columbus thought that he had reached west India and he called natives
as Indians. Columbus never reached
the far East but he returned home with gold and within 14 years΄ treasure hungry Spanish adventurers conquered the Empire in South&Central
Am. The Spanish established some of the earliest settlements in NA.
Theme
2
The
European exploration of the North American ΄continent (Spanish,
Dutch, French, German territories ).
Colonial powers
1) Spain possessed all the southern part of NA and the
Pacific coast.
2) German farmers settled in Pennsylvania.
3) Swedes founded the colony
of ΄Delaware,
4) ΄Hudson was a very good see ΄navigator who was employed by Dutch company to explore eastern coast of NA. The Dutch bought an island from Indians
which was called Manhattan and they built a town
of New Amsterdam on it. The settlements weren't very ΄prosperous. In 1664 it was ΄captured
by the British and remained New York.
5) Russian colonists. Russian
American ΄company was formed to explore the wealth of Russian America as Alaska and California came to be named. About
that time the Russian began to show interest to the eastern coast. In 1812 a Russian settlement Fort Ross was established in
California. In 1867 Alaska was sold to
the USA. It was a good bargain for the states. They
paid only 7.2millions § was a largest state. For Russia it was a considerable loss. As soon as large deposits of gold and coal was found in Alaska and later oil.
The main rivals of the English in colonization of NA were the French. They had 2large territories: New France and Louisiana. A vast territory along Mississippi. If the British came to
a new world to get there and develop the land, the French were mostly traders. In the 18th century the continental wars between England
and France. The latter were defeated.
The 7 years war ended with a peace of Paris. The English kept the territories
they had conquered in America and received all the territory east
of Mississippi except New Orleans. The rest of French province of Louisiana was transferred to Spain. By 1733 there were 13 colonies settled along the Atlantic Sea board.
Virginia, Massachusetts, Hampshire New York, Connecticut
Maryland, Rhode island, Delaware, Pennsylvania,
North Carolina, New Jersey, South
Carolina, Georgia. Each had own government, currency
trade laws, religion ways. The 3 cultures emerged on the British colonies
the planter society of the South. The more galanterian settlements of New England
were controlled by a puritan oligarchy.
3 the greatly variety Middle Colony reaching from New York to
the Virginia border which were agrarian and merchentile. Besides they gave birth to
the first cities, businessman, a stream of ports and a range of traders.
The first English settlements in North America
The Spanish established
some of the earliest settlements in NA. The first town found by spanishmen in 1565 was called St.Augustine. Later in 1609
Santa Fe in New Mexico was also
established by the spanishmen.
However the first
beginnings of permanent settlement of NA were nearly a hundred years after Columbus's first voyage. The Englishman
sir Waster Raleigh named the whole
of NA for England and they called this place Virginia in honour Elisabeth 1. The first English colonists were
mostly adventurers and impoverished gentlemen incapable of working on the land.
That’s why the early colonists in Virginia were complete failures.
The first successful
and permanent settlement in Virginia
was established in 1607, this place
was called James Town. It was a very
typical settlement - a fort, a
church, and they began tobacco.
English capitalists found 2 Virginia companies, a southern one, based on London, and a northern one based on Bristol. By 1619 Virginia had 1000 people. That year was noted for three
events:
1)
the arrival of a ship from England with 90 young maidens who were
to be given as wives to those settlements who would pay 120 pounds of the tobacco
for their transportation.
2) the beginning of
self-government. On the 30 July in Jamestown.
Church met the first legislative
assembly on the continent. There were a government, 6 councilors, 2 burgesses, each from 10 plantations
3) the arrival of Dutch ship with Negro slaves of whom it sold 20 to
the settlers. First Negroes appeared in NA.
In 1620 a group of puritans refugees reached the coast of
NA in their ship called Mayflower.
They landed on Massachusetts coast and founded a
settlement there, which they called Plymouth.
This was the beginning of the northern English colonists in America. Those
people were called the Pilgrim’s fathers. These pilgrims were prosecuted because they denied the primacy of the king and wished
to set up their own separate church. The Pilgrim's fathers suffered terrible of
first and half of them died during their first
winter, but those who survived for the first year managed to live and reap the harvest from the land. A year
after their arrival and their ship came from England, they celebrated this
event, besides the harvest they have gathered, and it was a feast of. They still celebrate it every November as a public holiday (on
the 4th Thursday). Between 1620-1640 the Piligrims fathers were followed by many more shipboards of
settlers in New England, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut , Maryland, North
Carolina.
During the same period
New Amsterdam was founded from Holland on the small island of Manhattan. The Dutch administration was oligarchic and the colony made rather slow progress.
In 1664 Charles 2 granted the area to his
brother, the duke of York. In the summer of 1664 3 worships
arrived in port New Amsterdam and English took over the colonies and changed its name to
New York. Most of the Dutch settlers
sick of disported rule made no objections to a change of sovereignty. Meanwhile further south
Virginia developed, the settlers were helped by the beginning of the cruel
slave trade. The merchants brought
slaves from Africa.
The last European settlers come in 1683. This time the Quakers had become the most energetic representatives of England of
the puritan traditions. The Quakers called themselves the society
or friends. They believed in the quality of men. William Penn was prominent English Quaker led a group of religion sympathies to settle in America. To attract colonies he
offered legal terms assuring all that they could obtain land and live in justice and quality. He directed the
establishment of Philadelphia his
city of brotherly love. The state Pennsylvania bears the name of William Penn's father.
Theme
3.
THE
WAR OF INDEPENDENCE: its reasons and results
Reasons:
1 England was busy with wars against France, so the
king of England allowed the 13 American colonies a large amount of
self-government.
2
In
1763 the war ended and
England one control over most of the
colonies of NA. But by this time the colonists felt they were Americans. They
often traded with other countries, they felt strong, they didn’t need the
mother-country for protection in wars any more. They were used to freedom and
self-government.
3 But the English needed the colonies for economic reasons. They were buying
goods from the colonies at lower prices and selling manufactured ΄products
at hire prices. They were also charging high taxes on American trade with
other countries. England put new taxes on the colonies such as the Stamp act taxes
on printed material (1765).
4 Strict laws made life difficult for the colonists;
they could send their products only on their ships. They could send some goods
only to England. The colonists were not free to settle the west of Appalachian Mountains and they had to
allow British soldiers to live in their homes. The colonists were especially angry about the taxation without
representation. They had to pay high taxes, but couldn’t send delegates to England to vote on them, in 1773 England passed the Tea
–act (taxes on imported tea).
Against the duty of Tea taxes a party of about 50
citizens of Boston was organized. They disguised as Indians, attacked 3
English ships with Tea and burst open the chests of tea and emptied it into the
sea. This event is known in American history as the Boston Tea party. It was the first open act of ΄violence against the English, which heralded the coming of the revolution.
Following the Boston Tea party in 1774 the first ΄continental
΄congress met in Philadelphia the congress of
representatives of all the English colonies of the American continent
(except Georgia). It was the first unofficial American government. Arms
were being brought illegally and American patriots organized secret
military training to prepare the people for armed resistance.
The following year in 1775 the first shorts of war were fired at Lexington when the red coats were trying to seize an illegal store of arms at Concord. The patriots learned all the British soldiers’ plans to
seize the
colonial supplies, they were ready
for the coming British. The news of the battle at Concor spread around the country and gave the colonies
a hope again. It was evident that they could resist England. The War of
Independence began with a victorious
battle of the colonies against British troops at Lexington
and Concord.
Within a few weeks the last royal governments were
being overthrown all over the country and the
2d continental congress met
again in Philadelphia. But this time as an openly rebellious body which
organized the American troops about Boston. The American continental army had appointed George
Washington to take command. On
the July the 4th in 1776
Congress adopted and proclaimed the
Declaration of Independence. The author of this document was
Tomas Jefferson, a democratic minded patriot. Thus the war which had began
as a war for the rights of Englishman became in a little more than a year a war
of Independence.
In the first years of the war Washington’s army
suffered several defeats, the
American soldiers lacked discipline and military training, the quality of officers was poor, there were
financial difficulties. The separate colonies distrusted Congress, were jealous at one another. It was impossible to set up a strong
central government. The Americans had practically no navy. But despite these drawbacks
they had some advantages: they fought in their vast and populated land; their
army was revolutionary, with a fighting spirit.
On the other hand English fought 3000 miles from home, it was expensive to
transport men and supply [sə'plaɪ], proper strategic management of the English force was
impossible.
Results:
In 1777 the Americans
achieved the 1st great victory of the War at Saratoga. It was a turning point in the whole course of the war. The North was placed under American control.
Another direct result of Saratoga was alliance with France, which brought money and supplies, and the navy. Spain and Holland also began to support
the Americans. The War continued in the south, here the Americans suffered many
defeats, but they won the last battle, which was decisive. The war was practically over but the King George 3 refused to acknowledge the defeat for another 2 years. The peace treaty was finally signed in 1783. In this year Britain recognized the independence of the
USA (13 colonies). And to the nation all the country between the Atlantic
coast and Mississippi. The constitution that was adopted in 1789 was at that time the most democratic
constitution in the world.
Territorial Expansion of the USA
1783-1861 - the period of territorial expansion, when the US expanded westwards and the colonisation of the American continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific
was completed.
Louisiana (1
mln m2) – vast
territory from the Middle West to
the Gulf of Mexico was bought by the US from the
French (Napoleon) for 15 mln $, this
transaction was called “LOUISIANA PURCHASE” in 1803
(the size of the US increased by 1/3). The Mississippi was the western boundary and New Orlean
(by Spanish officials or government) was very important to the
settlers of Kentucky, because they sold their farm products here when the port of N.O. was open, but the Spanish
used to close it sometimes, American commerce could hardly develop there and
Jefferson advised the Ambassador to
France to make an offer to Napoleon to buy it for 2 mln $, there was no answer
though Napoleon thought about the matter thoroughly:
to lead the war in Europ he needed money immensely,
his losses on the island of Santa
Domingo were immense, he realised that he could no longer use the territory
as he had planned and offered to the USA not only N.O. but the whole Louisiana.
The MEANING: the size of the
territory gained was enormous (larger
than France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal combined!!!).
Florida, was occupied by the US troops in 1811, 8 years later bought from Spain for 5 mln – a purchase by force of
arms. 1845 – Texas annexed 1846 – the Americans entered Oregon territory and the whole
Pacific coast to the North of California was joined to the USA. In the Mexican war (1846-48) half of the Mexican
territory conquered (California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado , Arisona, New Mexico)
By the middle of the 19th ent.the USA
reached its present dimensions.
Moreover in 1948 The Gold Rush began in California
began and people started to move west in search of gold.
The
Civil War: reasons, economic and
social results.
The conflict between 2 antagonistic economic
and social systems in the USA: the
capitalist System in the north and the Slavery System in the
South as specific form of American feudalism. For capitalism to develop slavery should
be abolished and political power of planters in the south must be broken + the
problem in new territories in the west (slavery or freedom?!), especially after
the Mexican war (1848).
NORTH: industry & manufacture (clothing,
furniture), NO slaves, produced expansive
products and had the protectionist on ones from other
countries; larger population=>more representatives in Congress; the Union!;
supported Lincoln.
SOUTH:
agriculture (cotton)=>
needed slaves; preferred cheap European products, had smaller population => lost power in
the House of Representatives; opposed the Union, created The Confederate States of America chose Davis
Jefferson as the President of Confederation.
1854 –the Republican
Party is founded by the
northern Capitalists (antislavery and progressive course). 1860 – Lincoln won the Presidential
Elections stating that slavery was to continue where it already existed but the
new territories were free. Before he took office 11 southern states separated
from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America with Jefferson Davis
as the President. April 1861 The
Confederate Government
demanded the evacuation of
Fort Sumper in Charlsetone Harbour garnisoned by federal
troops. The commander of the
fort refused and the southerners opened
fire – the war began! The North had the advantage but the South had the support
of the british ruling class because it was necessary for the british cotton industry + talented generals of the south Robert Lee and
“stonewall” Jackson + the unity of purpose in the south
while the ruling class in the north was confused as Lincoln hesitated to abolish slavery completely. January, 1 in 1863 the EMANCIPATION
PROCLAMATION was issued (all slaves are
FREE!) It was a turning point, because the war now had the revolutionary basis. A ΄military turning point was the Battle at Gettysborough in 1863.
(famous address of Lincoln
after that: Government of the people, by the people, for the people). In 1864 General Grant was appointed by Lincoln as the
Commander of the Union Forces=> no doubt as to the victory of the Union, but
the south kept on fighting. April, 1 in
1861 the northern troops captured
Richmond (the capital of the Southern Confederacy). April, 9 in General Lee surrendered to Geneneral
Grant=the end of the Civil War. 14 April
Lincoln – assassinated.
Results: 215000 lives, the defeat of the
Revolution in the South + abolition of slavery => a slow and long consequence– the reconstruction of the
economic and political structure of the Southern States (Henry Johnson – a new
President). The Period of Reconstruction
lasted for 12 years, progress of democracy
(the Blacks could vote), economic development, bought Alaska in
1867 for 7 mln 200 tsd, in 1869 the first Transcontinental
Railway opened the way to a rapid
exploitation of the
West. By 1890 the USA surpassed Britain and became the leading
world power.
The
War of Independence and the Civil War: differences and similarities.
Difference: basic reasons – War of Independence - to become a
separate powerful state, Civil War - mostly because of the course of
development of the country and different humane rights. War of Independence was
between Americans and Britain, thus the control over the British troops was
quite isolated. Civil war was of
more revolutionary basis (esp after
Lincoln’s state that ALL the slaves should be free).
Similarities: as the result of both wars two most important documents in the history of the country were
issued: War of Independence – The
Constitution (1789), Civil War –
The Emancipation Proclamation
(1862-during the war). After both wars there were long periods of the
development of the country: after
the 1st one it was territorial expansion first of all, while after the Civil war it was primarily economic, social and political
development (attitude towards the Blacks, industries, etc)
The USA in the modern world
The latest period of the US history begins with the end of the Cold War tensions between
the USA and the USSR and the presidency of Bill Clinton. Thus it is from
1991-till nowadays. In the 1990's the United States played the role of world policeman, sometimes alone but
more often in alliances. The decade began with Sadam
Husein's invasion of Kuwait and the resultant Gulf War. By September, 1994, the U.S. was
once again sending troops to a foreign country to overthrow a military dictatorship, this time in Haiti. In 1996 about 20,000 American
troops were deployed to Bosnia as part
of a NATO peace keeping force. In late March 1999, the U.S.
joined NATO in air strikes against Yugoslavia
in an effort to halt the Yugoslavian government's
policy of ethnic cleansing in its province of Kosovo. On the domestic front big issues were connected with
violence and sex scandals dominated the media, e.g. President Clinton kept the
gossip flowing as several women accused him of sexual misconduct. As for the presidency of George Bush, it was
very rich in terms of foreign policy events. Bush decided to withdraw from global initiatives such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Anti-Ballistic
Missile Treaty. The Bush presidency has also
been marked by diplomatic tensions with China and North Korea, the latter of
which admitted in 2003 to having been in the process of building nuclear weapons and threatened to use them if provoked
by the U.S. The administration is concerned that Iran may also be developing nuclear weapons, although Iran
has denied such accusations and maintains that it is pursuing peaceful use of nuclear energy. The USA faced horrible terroristic attacks - On September 11, 2001 two hijacked planes crashed into and destroyed the World Trade Center in New York City. After that Bush announced that the U.S. was fighting a war on terrorism. On October
7, the U.S. started the military
campaign in Afghanistan. The Bush administration has been
criticized for holding several hundred people in jails without trial. To
the “axis of evil” Bush also related Iraq. Bush claimed that he was
preparing to open a new front in
the U.S global "war on
terrorism". Bush declared, "Iraq continues to flaunt its hostility toward America
and to support terror."
American troops captured Baghdad and Iraqi Constitution was signed. Throughout the
course of the Iraq war, Bush was often the target of harsh criticism. After
the terroristic acts through an act of Congress,
the Department of Homeland Security was created. Thus the USA are
often referred to as the superpower of the modern world. Apart from military
actions the USA actively influences the rest of the world by movies, music,
lifestyle etc.
The
American Constitution, the Bill of Rights. The
US system of government is based on the Constitution adopted in 1787. Separated from the feudal European
states by the Atlantic Ocean the US was in a favourable position for the successful development of republican principles and
the triumph of the
anti-colonial revolution. The
American Revolution unlike the Great French Revolution didn’t have to defend itself
from numerous feudal powers.
This was favourable for the development of the progressive social system.
After the War of Independence the US was not a unified nation but a group of 13 former colonies called states. Each had its own government and
was like an independent nation. Each made its own laws, but there was the Congress of Delegates who adopted the Articles of Confederation, but they failed as the states didn’t cooperate
with the Congress and each other. The Constitutional Convention opened in Philadelphia, May 25, 1787 with
G.Washington presiding. The
Constitution was adopted on Sept.17,
1787 it came into effect on March 4,
1789.
Out of 74 delegates
chosen to represent the states only 55 attended sessions– the
Founding-Fathers- (G.Washington, Alexander Hamilton, T.Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander
Flaming). The Congress agreed upon with some amendments is in force to this
date. Constitution consists of the preambule,
7 articles and 26 amendments.
When the Constitution was first adopted there was
wide-spread dissatisfaction as it didn’t guarantee (against) certain basic freedoms, so in Dec., 1791 the Cogress adopted 10 amendments to the Constitution known
as the Bill of Rights. The Bill
enumerated what the Government was not allowed to do. Jefferson described it as “what
the people are entitled to against every governmetn on Earth”. It
was an important democratic gain
1) Freedom of press,
speech, religion
2) The right to
bear arms
3) Prohibition
of ΄quartering of troops.
4) Protection against unlawful search and seizure.
5) the right of due
process of law
6) the right to
a fair and public trial (to have an attorney appointed by the court) 7)
the right to a trial by jury
8) Prohibiton
of cruel punishments (electrocution)
9) Protection of
non-enumerated rights
Reservation
of powers
Powers not reserved for the Federal
Government reside in the States. Some amendments are now relatively
unimportant, but №1, 4-8 continue to be important and significant. Other important amendments: 13 (1865) –
abolished slavery, 15 (1870) – forbade the denial to
vote on account of race] or color (black men got the right to
vote), 18 (1919) – prohibited the production, trade and consumption of spirits, 19 (1920) – established women’s ΄suffrage, 22
(1951) – limited the presidential tenure of office to 2 elective terms, 23 (1961) – gave
to the residents of Washington DC the right to vote in
presidential elections, 26 (1970) –
lowered the voting age to 18. The 27th amendment proposed 20
years ago (1984) on women’s equality hasn’t been adopted yet. ERA (Equal Rights
Amendment) passed by the Congress but not ratified by the required number of
states. In the US Constitution there is no
amendment on maintaining
international peace.
The Bill has been repeatedly
violated, exspecially Mc Carthy campaign in New York in 1964 – the law was adopted allowing the police to break the doors or smash windows to search a building. Also the
rights of the blacks are not still equal.
