The United States of America is one of the youngest political and economic leaders among the states of the world. The country gained independence after long wars and today has the status of one of the most prosperous places for living, career growth and achieving any goals. America is territorially divided into 50 states and the Federal District of Columbia, where the capital of the country, Washington, is located.
History of the development of American lands
For a long time, until the ships of the Old World reached the shores of America, its population consisted exclusively of Indians. The first people settled here more than 15 thousand years ago, having got to the West along the isthmus, which once connected the mainland with Eurasia. The undivided reign of the Indian civilization lasted until the 15th century, until Christopher Columbus discovered new lands, before this event the Europeans had no idea about the existence of another mainland. Since the 16th century, the colonization of American lands by England, France, Spain, Holland and other maritime powers began.
US Colonization
Todaythe ethnic composition of America consists mainly of former Europeans - the British, Irish, Germans, Spaniards, Dutch and others. Open vast territories caused an incredible stir in Europe, where bloody wars raged for centuries for every piece of land. In search of a better life, tens of thousands of residents went to the New World en masse, driven by the promises of statesmen to sponsor enterprises for the development of new territories.
The colonialists built their cities, laid railroads. The largest cities in the United States were founded by Europeans. The city of New York, for example, was built by the Dutch and was called New Amsterdam for a while. America was rich in minerals, gold, furs, and therefore a real war was unfolding over the fertile territory. The local population, trying to defend their usual way of life, was subjected to cruel extermination. For a century, more than a million Indians were killed, the genocide continued until the Europeans managed to completely suppress the resistance. By that time, the number of native Americans had dwindled to a few thousand.
Independence struggle and civil war
By the 18th century, the American colonies began to prosper and bring significant income to Britain. England, in turn, taxed these lands heavily, which caused new unrest in society. The territory of America was so huge that the British could not exercise full control, while the local authorities began to actively promote the idea ofdeclaration of independence of the country.
In 1774, Benjamin Franklin adopted the Declaration of Independence of the Rights of Man and began a general mobilization aimed at war against England. July 4, 1776 was proclaimed the independence of the United States of America, this day is still the main national holiday. In 1783, the Treaty of Versailles was signed, officially confirming the country's independence from the British, while George Washington, thanks to whom the liberation army achieved victory, was elected the first president. The country then consisted of 13 states. The question arose about which city would have the status of "the capital of the United States" - New York or Washington. The decision was made in favor of Washington. In 1800, it became the official capital of an independent country.
The process of adopting a constitution was long due to the disagreements that prevailed in society: in the north of the country, the black population was predominantly free, while the southerners categorically did not want to abolish slavery. As a result, the confrontation turned into a civil war, which ended only in 1865 with the victory of the north - the black inhabitants of the country were equal in rights to the rest of the population.
States of America and their capitals
At the time of independence, the United States consisted of only 13 states: the territory expanded gradually, land was bought from other colonialists (from the French, Spaniards) or conquered. The wars were fought mainly in the south - Mexican lands were captured, the state of California was annexed. The last to join the United StatesHawaiian Islands in 1959.
Each state has its own capital. As a rule, this developed historically, only in some states the main one is the largest and most developed city. For example, in the state of New York, the capital city is Albany, which has 80 times less population than New York City. The capital of the United States occupies a separate place in this system. New York or Washington at different times were the capitals of the country. Currently, the first city is considered the center of economic life, the second - political. Which capital of the United States today plays a more significant role in the life of society, it is impossible to answer: responsibilities are dispersed and closely connected.
New York is the world economic center
New York is the former capital of America. It was founded in 1629 by colonizers from the Netherlands. On the site of modern Manhattan, Indians lived, who, in exchange for goods worth only 24 dollars, agreed to leave their ancestral lands. Soon, English troops invaded the territory of the settlement, which gave New Amsterdam a different name - in honor of the Earl of York.
Today, New York City is the largest city in the United States, with 19 million people living in its metropolitan area. The city has an extremely diverse ethnic composition: approximately 40% of the population is white, and the same number are Hispanics and African Americans. The rest of the percentage is distributed among Asians, Hawaiians, Eskimos, Indians and other races. More than 160 different languages can be heard in the city, although English is the traditional one,followed by Spanish.
Washington is the capital of the USA
The name for the new capital was given by the first US President George Washington. The city was proclaimed the capital of the country in 1800, and was founded only ten years earlier. Initially, the city was located on the territory of the states of Maryland and Virginia, but later it was decided to separate the territory of the city into a separate autonomous region - this is how the independent District of Columbia appeared.
The center of Washington is the Capitol building - since 1800, the country's congress has been sitting here. In 1812, this symbol of independence was set on fire by British troops, the building was almost completely destroyed. Today, the city is home to about 600 thousand people, employed mainly in the field of management. The city is home to the Library of Congress, which contains unique documents and books that capture the short history of the country.
US capital: New York or Washington
Before the construction of Washington DC, the capital of the United States was New York. It was there that George Washington assumed the status of the first president in the history of the country. The city was built specifically to become the political center of the country, independent and not tied to any of the then existing states. In addition to the construction of the city, the autonomous District of Columbia was created, to which the US capital was supposed to belong. New York or Washington, today both of these cities are the centers of the cultural and social life of the country.
Why is New York called the capital
New York is the largest, most developed andthe most famous city in the USA. Not surprisingly, the question often arises as to which US capital is more significant. Many people think that New York is the main city of the country. All the financial power of the state is concentrated in it - the famous Wall Street is the center of exchange trading, the economies of the world's largest powers depend on it today. The largest shopping centers have been built in Manhattan, hundreds of thousands of people are working on global projects.
However, America has the status of the most free and liberal country for a reason. Its capital, Washington, does not belong to any of the 50 states, and therefore it is believed that the administration will be completely objective and fair.
