10 THINGS YOU (PROBABLY) DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE HISTORYOF THE UNITED STATES
1.HOW MANY PRESIDENTS HAS AMERICA HAD?
In the United States, there have been 46 presidencies and 45 different presidents, since Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms. He was the twenty-second president and later became the twenty-fourth after winning again. This happened again because Donald Trump won the election on November 5; he was the forty-fifth president but now also the forty-seventh.
2.IS IT A YOUNG COUNTRY?
The United States is considered a young country compared to most European nations. Although Native American populations already existed, the modern history of the United States began in 1600 with the first English settlement. Imagine that in Rome, every building built more than 400 years ago disappeared—much of the city would vanish. Similarly, if we removed everything in the U.S. dating back after that time, little would remain.
3.TURNING POINTS
One key moment in American history is Abraham Lincoln’s speech after the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War. In this speech, Lincoln shifts the aim of the war from fighting to making reforms based on the Constitution, to leading the end of slavery. He says we should honor those who died by dedicating ourselves to freedom and ensuring that government is of the people, by the people, and for the people. These ideas were crucial in shaping the United States.
4.RELIGION
Religion is present in American public life. For instance, the phrase “In God We Trust” is printed on their money. Additionally, the president and other officials often swear on the Bible, though the law doesn’t require it: they can swear on anything. Swearing on the Bible sends a symbolic message. For example, Obama chose Lincoln’s Bible, indicating a connection to that renowned president. This practice is part of a “civil religion,” where religious symbols are used to give a sense of solemnity to institutions in a young country that needed to build its own
tradition. Even the classical style of many public buildings, like the Supreme Court, is inspired by European architecture.
5.THE SYMBOL
The Democratic Party’s symbol is a donkey, while the Republican Party’s symbol is an elephant. These symbols are ironic: when Andrew Jackson, a Democratic president, ran for re-election, his opponent called him a “donkey” to insult him. The Democrats then embraced the donkey as their symbol. For the Republicans, a cartoon from the 1800s showed an elephant with the caption “The Republican Vote.” This represented conservative voters who are slow to change, which is the reason why the elephant became their symbol.
6.THE ADDRESS TO CONGRESS
Every year, the president gives a solemn address to Congress, gathering the top government leaders in one place. This event, however, presents security risks: all government leaders are in the same location, and an attack could create a power vacuum. For this reason, a “Designated Survivor” is chosen, a government member who remains in a secret location to ensure leadership continuity in case of catastrophe. Fortunately, the designated survivor has never had to take office.
7.THE AMERICAN FLAG
The current American flag has 50 stars and 13 stripes. It was created by a middle school student, Robert Heft, for a school project. Although his teacher didn’t think his project was great, the student sent it to the White House. When the number of American states reached 50, the design was used for the new flag. President Eisenhower later called Robert and said, “That design you made? It’s now the flag of the United States.”
8.SLAVERY
Slavery was one of the most painful parts of American history. From the 16th to the 19th century, hundreds of thousands of people were brought from Africa and treated as property. It’s not surprising that issues around ethnic inequality are deeply felt in the United States today. During slavery, there was the “Underground Railroad,” a network of people and secret passages that helped enslaved people escape north. Many risked their lives to help slaves gain freedom.
9.CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS AND AMERICA
The sentence “Christopher Columbus discovered America” is surprisingly wrong. Columbus found the American continent but never reached what is now the United States. He arrived in Central America in the Caribbean, and later, the Spanish and Portuguese moved north to conquer what we now know as the United States.
10.THE MOST DANGEROUS JOB
Being President of the United States is considered one of the most dangerous jobs: out of 46 presidents, four were assassinated while in office (Lincoln, Kennedy, Garfield and McKinley), and four others died of natural causes during their term. Curiously, two famous presidents, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, both died
on July 4, Independence Day.