The president of the United States is the leader of the executive branch. The president enforces the laws of the United States.
The United States' main concern during the Cold War was communism. The Cold War was not a traditional war. It was cold because the United States and the Soviet Union did not fight each other directly. The Cold War began after World War II ended in 1945. The Soviet Union was a communist country. Communism is an economic system where most property belongs to the government. The United States has a capitalist economy, where property usually belongs to individuals. The United States and the Soviet Union competed for world power. Leaders of both countries worried that the other would use the atomic bomb to turn the Cold War into a real war. This never happened. The Cold War ended in 1991 when the Soviet Union divided into many smaller countries.
The United States fought four wars in the 1800s: the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, and the Spanish-American War. The United States fought Mexico in the Mexican-American War from 1846 to 1848. The United States wanted to expand west. In 1846, the government of the United States decided it wanted land that belonged to Mexico. Many citizens of the United States and Mexico lived on that land. The United States won the war. The land that was once part of Mexico became part of the United States. That land now forms the states of California, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the leader of the House of Representatives. He or she speaks for the majority party. If the president and vice president can no longer be in office, the Speaker of the House of Representatives becomes president.
The war between the states in the North and the states in the South is called the Civil War. The Civil War started in 1861. It ended in 1865. Southern states disagreed with the North over slavery and other issues. They did not want to be part of the United States. They formed their own country called the Confederate States of America, or the Confederacy. States in the North wanted to keep the United States together. They were the Union. The North won the war. The Confederacy became part of the United States again.
We elect a U.S. representative for two years. Representatives can run for office as many times as they want. Their job is to represent the people who live in their district in the House of Representatives.
The United States flag has 13 stripes because there were 13 original colonies. Today, the United States is an independent country. Before that, it was 13 separate colonies. Great Britain governed the 13 colonies. The 13 colonies worked together to fight the British. They won the War of Independence in 1783. The colonies became an independent country, called the United States of America. The 13 original colonies became the first states. The flag has 13 stripes to represent the 13 original colonies.
We elect a president for a 4-year term. A candidate can run for president as many times as he or she wants. The person can only be elected president for eight years, or two terms of four years each. The Constitution says how many terms a president can serve. For example, President Dwight D. Eisenhower became president for the first time in 1953. Then he ran for president again. He won the election and, in 1957, became president for another four years.
If the president can no longer serve, the vice president becomes the president. This has occurred nine times in American history. For example, on November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas, Texas. Ninety-nine minutes after President Kennedy's death, Vice President Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as president.
The Atlantic Ocean is on the East Coast of the United States. The Atlantic Ocean reaches from the East Coast of the United States to Europe and Africa. The 13 original colonies bordered the Atlantic Ocean.
The president vetoes bills. The president has the power to stop a bill from becoming a law. The president can refuse to sign a bill that Congress approved. This is called a veto. The bill is sent back to Congress without the president's signature. Congress can change the bill or vote again. If two-thirds of the House of Representatives and two-thirds of the Senate vote to override the veto, it becomes a law without the president's signature.
The president's cabinet advises the president. The people in the cabinet are the vice president and the heads of 15 government departments.
National holidays honor special events and important people in American history. Some holidays honor individuals. On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we honor a man who worked for equality for all Americans. Columbus Day commemorates the day Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas. Some holidays honor groups of people. Veterans Day and Memorial Day honor people who served in the military and who died for their country. On Labor Day, we celebrate American workers. On Presidents' Day, we honor the work of American presidents. On Thanksgiving and Independence Day we remember important events in U.S. history. Christmas and New Year's Day are national holidays in the winter season. There are also other holidays during this time.
The Constitution was written in 1787. The American army won the War of Independence in 1783. For several years, the United States was governed by a congress of representatives from the states. But in 1787, delegates for the states met in Philadelphia to create a stronger federal government. They wrote the Constitution that gave the framework for the government we have today. The Constitution was written in 1787.
Leaders of the new American government wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It told the world that American colonists were free from Great Britain. It said that all people were created equal. It said that the government should protect citizens' rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The rights in the Declaration of Independence are important in United States history. They are still important today. Americans continue to believe in the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Disagreements over slavery and other issues led to the Civil War. Some people believed slavery should be illegal. Other people did not. When the Civil War started in 1861, enslaved African Americans worked on farms and in cities. Many people in the South believed their economy and daily life needed slaves. Many people in the North wanted to stop slavery. The South fought the Civil War because they wanted states' rights to keep slavery legal. The North won the war in 1865. Slavery became illegal in all states. Slavery, economic reasons, and states' rights were problems that led to the Civil War.
On July 4, 1776, the colonists adopted the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. It said the colonies were free from Great Britain. Representatives from the 13 colonies signed the Declaration. July 4, 1776, is a special date in American history. It is the day that the United States became an independent country, separate from Britain.
The United States fought five wars in the 1900s: World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War. In 1917, 2 million American soldiers went to France to help end World War I. The United States joined France, Britain, and Russia in a war against Germany and Austria-Hungary. The war ended in 1918.
All men must register for the Selective Service between the ages of 18 and 26. When you register, you tell the government you can serve in the military if necessary. Selective Service was used in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The government calls this the draft. The United States does not have a draft now. You do not have to serve in the military unless you want to.
Individual freedoms, or rights, are protected in the United States. Many of these rights are for everyone. For example, we all have the right to free expression and free speech. We have the right to freedom of assembly. We can meet peacefully with other people. We have the right to petition the government. We can ask the government to change or correct a problem. We have the right to practice religion as we choose. We have the right to practice no religion at all. This is freedom of religion. With limits, we also have the right to bear arms. These rights are for everyone living in the United States.
