A48
Landmarks in American History
Native Americans had lived on the North American continent for thousands of years before the first Europeans arrived in 1492.
The Pilgrim Fathers arrived in North America in 1620, and built a town which they called Plymouth – the same name as the town in England where they had started their journey.
July 4th is celebrated throughout the United States as Independence Day. It is the date when 13 states signed the Declaration of Independence from Britain in 1776.
The Civil War, from 1861 to 1865, was fought between 11 states of the North and 11 states of the South. Over half a million people died in the war. The result was victory for the North and the end of slavery in the United States.
Between 1892 and 1924, more than 20 million immigrants came to the United States through Ellis Island in New York.
During the 1960s, the civil rights movement demanded equal rights for African Americans. In August 1963, over 250,000 people from all over the country took part in the March on Washington. After the march, the leaders went to talk to President John F. Kennedy in the White House. A year later, the Civil Rights Act made it illegal to discriminate against people because of their colour.