Chapter 1: Americans, Citizenship, and Government Lesson 1: Being an American

A Diverse Population Americans share many different traditions Some are brought from the many different countries Others have been developed in the United States Immigrants: an individual who moves permanently to a new country Bring many new traditions to the United States

A Diverse Population About 98% of all the people now living in the United States are descended from families who once lived in another country They came from many different countries over hundreds of years and for many different reasons. They have all worked together to create an American Culture

A History of Immigrations Most scholars believe that the very first people to live in what is now the United States came from Asia around 20,000 years ago. These groups spread across North America and are known as Native Americans In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed for Spain and was the first “official” explorer to land in the Americas in the Bahamas

A History of Immigrations 1500s – Spanish settle in present day Florida and late settled in the southwest region of the United States, especially California and Texas 1600s-People from France, Netherlands, and England settled in American Late 1600s and 1700s, people from Germany, Sweden, Ireland, and Scotland arrive Creation of the 13 colonies

A History of Immigration Some people who came to the Americas did not come willingly Many people from western and central Africa were taken by force 1807, the United States Congress passed a law that stopped the practice of bringing enslaved people to the United States 500,000 Africans had already arrived

A History of Immigration 1830s and 1860s, from Ireland and Germany Fleeing poverty and disease The discovery of gold in California in 1848 led many people from China to journey to the United States in search of wealth. 1860s and 1890s, 10 million Europeans arrived from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden 1890s to 1924, 22 million immigrants arrived from Italy, Greece, Poland, and Russia The later 1900s saw a large group of immigrants from Asia and Latin America

Ongoing Transformation Between 1830 and 1930, the nation’s population grew from about 12 million people to nearly 120 million people 40 million were immigrants In the mid-1800s, people began moving from rural areas to cities America develops to new industries to keep up with the demand of the growing populations, The Industrial Revolution Following the Civil War, African Americans who had been enslaved were freed They left the south for northern cities 1920s, more than half of all Americans lived in cities and worked jobs, which became known as blue collard jobs 1950s, shift to the suburbs and a commuter way of life

American Diversity The American population is very diverse with a variety of different racial and ethnic groups Ethnic Groups: a group of people who share a common national, cultural, or racial background Latinos, African Americans, and Asian Americans are said to be members of minority groups; however, by 2040s these minority groups will be the majority

American Diversity Americans also have diverse religious beliefs Christianity – 173 million Jewish Islam Buddhism

Values and Institutions Values: the general principles or beliefs people use to make judgments and decisions People’s values are important because they influence how people act Shared values help unite all American and provide Americans with a shared identity Freedom, Equality, Opportunity, Justice, Democracy, Unity, Respect for one another, and Tolerance Many of these values are stated in the country’s founding documents Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

Social Institutions Institutions: a key practice, relationship, or organization in a society Example: Family, which is the center of social life, and teaches individuals values Although the idea of family is evolving to meet the needs of a modern society Example: Religious Institutions, such as churches, temples, and mosques, give a sense of meaning and belonging to the people who worship there Example: Schools, which reflect society’s culture, history, and knowledge They do more than teach students. They also help those students develop a shared sense of being American Examples: clubs and volunteer groups

Government Institutions American government institutions reflect how strongly Americans value freedom Freedom is the right to make one’s own choices in life without arbitrary, or unrestrained, interference from the government American government is based on the principle of popular sovereignty Popular sovereignty: the idea that power lies with the people The people choose the nation’s leaders The Constitutions reflects another key principle, limited power Three branches of government in which no one part can have more power than the other two The Bill of Rights makes sure the government cannot abuse its power over the individual