Columbus Day

is a holiday in the USA. It is the day on which they commemorate the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, in 1492. Columbus represents for most American people the idea of courage and the symbol of a new life in a new world. The day is marked with a large parade up Fifth Avenue in New York.

Crazy Horse Monument

In the Black Hills of South Dakota there are two huge monuments carved from mountains. One is the Mount Rushmore National Monument. It shows the faces of four American presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt. The other is the Crazy Horse Monument. It is only 27 km away from the Mount Rushmore Memorial. Work on the monument began in 1948, and when completed, it will show the famous Sioux Indian leader on horseback. These two monuments are tributes to heroes of two cultures that clashed on the American continent.

The American Civil War (12 April 1861 - 26 May 1865)

The basic cause of the US Civil War was slavery. The southern states used slave labour to work in the cotton plantations. At that time there were 34 states. In 15 of these, most black people were slaves. In the 19 states to the north and west, black people were free. In 1860 Abraham Lincoln, who was against slavery, was elected president. At once 7 southern states broke away from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America. Lincoln took action to stop this break-up of the Union, and war began. The war led to the abolition of slavery and a victory for the North.

The melting pot

Many different nationalities have found homes in America - a "melting pot". The term expresses the view that immigrants of different nationalities mix together, they mix with native-born Americans, and melt into the general society. All these nationalities, each with its own customs and traditions, add new flavour to American life.

The English-speaking World

English is surely one of the most important languages in the world. It is spoken worldwide by more than one billion people. Some 400 million use the language as a mother tongue, chiefly in the USA (c. 227 million), the UK (c. 57 million), Canada (c. 20 million), Australia (c. 15 million), New Zealand (c. 3.4 million), Ireland (c. 3.5 million), and South Africa (c. 3.6 million). At least 150 million people use English fluently as a foreign language.

Jack London (1876-1916)

American writer, whose works show the struggles for survival as romantic conflicts with nature. He worked as a miner during the Alaska gold rush. When he returned to the San Francisco area, he began to write about his experiences. That’s why most of his works are set in Alaska. London’s best known novels include The Call of the Wild, The Sea Wolf, and White Fang. London's style - vivid and exciting - made him very popular outside the US; his works were translated into many languages.