"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the name of our national anthem. The song is about the United States flag. In the War of 1812, the United States fought the British. One night during the war, British ships attacked Fort McHenry in Baltimore. Bombs exploded all night. An American man named Francis Scott Key watched the battle from a ship. He worried that the United States might lose the battle. The next morning, he saw the United States' flag flying in the wind. He knew that the United States won the battle. Then he wrote the words to "The Star-Spangled Banner." "The Star-Spangled Banner" is now the national anthem of the United States.
The United States fought Germany, Italy, and Japan in World War II. The United States entered World War II because Japan bombed the United States at Pearl Harbor in 1941. Japan was an ally of Germany and Italy. Together they formed the "Axis powers." The United States and its allies won the war in 1945 against Germany, Italy, and Japan.
Today, there are two major political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans. The political party of the president might change in each election.
Colonists came to America because they wanted political liberty. They wanted religious freedom and economic opportunity. The United States is a country where individual rights and self-government are important. This has always been true. Colonists first came to America for more freedom. Governments in Europe ruled the colonies. But the colonists were free to decide many things for themselves. Some colonists came to America for religious freedom. In Europe, governments punished people for practicing certain religions. In America, there was more freedom of religion. Some colonists came to America for political liberty. One example of political liberty is the government in Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. The men in the colony voted to elect a governor. Later, they elected representatives to their government. Some colonists came to America for economic opportunity. In the colonies, people had more opportunities to trade goods and farm the land. America was a place where colonists were free to do things differently. It was an opportunity to have a better life.
The vice president advises the president. If the president can no longer serve, the vice president becomes the president. The vice president is also the president of the U.S. Senate. He or she votes in the Senate when there is a tie.
The Democratic Party and the Republican Party are the two major political parties in the United States. Political parties are groups of people who organize to help candidates win elections and to create public policies. The members of the two major political parties are called the Democrats and the Republicans. The symbol of a donkey represents the Democrats. The symbol of an elephant represents the Republicans. Party membership is voluntary. Many people belong to a political party.
We elect U.S. senators for six years. Senators can run for as many terms as they want. Their job is to represent all the people of their state in the Senate.
The Statue of Liberty is on an island in New York Harbor. In 1886, France gave the statue to the United States. Many immigrants came by boat to New York. The Statue of Liberty was the first symbol of the United States they saw. The statue represents liberty. The statue is a famous symbol of hope. It is a symbol of starting a new life in the United States.
Some states have more representatives than other states because they have more people. We know how many people live in each state because of the census. Every ten years, the United States government counts the people of the United States in the census. The census results decide how many representatives come from each state. The state is divided into districts. Each district elects one representative. If the number of people in a state changes, the number of representatives might change.
There are nine justices on the Supreme Court. The president nominates Supreme Court justices. The Senate votes to confirm them. Supreme Court justices have the job for life or until they decide to retire.
Woodrow Wilson was the president during World War I. The war started in 1914. Many countries in Europe and other places fought each other during World War I. Woodrow Wilson and others in the United States did not want to enter World War I. But in 1917, German submarines attacked American ships. Woodrow Wilson decided the United States had to fight in the war. Congress agreed and declared war.
There are 435 voting members in the House of Representatives. Each state is divided into districts. Each district elects one representative. California is the state with the most people. It has more than 50 representatives. States with fewer people, like Alaska, have only one representative.
The president signs bills to become laws. A bill is a proposed law. Members of Congress write bills to address issues that are important to the American people. They vote on bills. If Congress accepts a bill, they send it to the president to be signed. If the president agrees with the bill, the president signs it. Then the bill becomes a law.
The Pacific Ocean is on the West Coast of the United States. The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean in the world. It reaches from the West Coast of the United States to Asia and Australia. The states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii border the Pacific Ocean.
There are five major U.S. territories: Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. Territories have their own local governments. They also must follow the laws of the U.S. federal government.
We vote for the president in November. In 1845, Congress decided that November was the perfect month to have elections. At that time, most American citizens lived on farms. By November, farmers had finished harvesting their crops. They could leave the farm to vote. Also, November was not as cold as the winter months. Bad weather would not stop people from voting.
Congress makes federal laws. A bill is a proposed law. Members of Congress can introduce bills. They debate the bill. They make changes. Congress must agree to send the bill to the president. When the president signs the bill, it becomes a federal law.
The Declaration of Independence announced the United States' independence from Britain. The colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The Declaration of Independence said that the United States was free from Britain.
The powers of the United States government are listed in the Constitution. The powers of the federal government include the power to print money, create an army, and make treaties. Another is the power to declare war. The president can ask Congress for a declaration of war. In 1941, after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war. Congress voted to declare war and the United States entered World War II.
There are four states that border Mexico: California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Mexico is the country to the south of the United States. All of the states that now border Mexico were once part of Mexico.
