History of USA and Canada

European conquest of North America
In 1492 Christopher Columbus ‘discovered’ America thinking it was India.
Columbus’s contemporary Amerigo Vespucci made four voyages to the New World and suggested that North and South America were not part of Asia.
Martin WaldseemüllerMartin Waldseemüller named the new continent America on his world map of 1507.

European conquest of North America
The Europeans who came to America were Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch people.
The indigenous population all became Indians, though in reality they were peoples speaking different languages and leading different ways of life, some were settled, others nomadic.

European conquest of North America
Beginning in the late 15th century, FrenchBeginning in the late 15th century, French and BritishBeginning in the late 15th century, French and British expeditions explored the Atlantic coast.
French fishing fleets began to sail to the Atlantic coast and into the St. Lawrence River, trading with Indians.
In 1604, a North American fur tradeIn 1604, a North American fur trade monopoly was granted to Pierre Dugua in Canada.
In 1608 Champlain founded what is now Quebec CityIn 1608 Champlain founded what is now Quebec City, which became the first permanent settlement and the capital of New France.

The thirteen colonies
Britain began to colonize North America only in the beginning of the 17th century.
The Thirteen Colonies were the colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America founded between 1607 (Virginia) and 1733 (Georgia).

New England Colonies
Province of New Hampshire, later New Hampshire
Province of Massachusetts BayProvince of Massachusetts Bay, later MassachusettsProvince of Massachusetts Bay, later Massachusetts and Maine
Colony of Rhode Island and Providence PlantationsColony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, later Rhode Island
Connecticut ColonyConnecticut Colony, later Connecticut

Middle Colonies
Province of New YorkProvince of New York, later New YorkProvince of New York, later New York and VermontProvince of New York, later New York and Vermont[3]
Province of New JerseyProvince of New Jersey, later New Jersey
Province of PennsylvaniaProvince of Pennsylvania, later Pennsylvania
Delaware Colony (before 1776, the Lower Counties on Delaware), later Delaware

Southern Colonies
Province of MarylandProvince of Maryland, later Maryland
Colony and Dominion of VirginiaColony and Dominion of Virginia, later VirginiaColony and Dominion of Virginia, later Virginia, KentuckyColony and Dominion of Virginia, later Virginia, Kentucky, and West Virginia
Province of North CarolinaProvince of North Carolina, later North CarolinaProvince of North Carolina, later North Carolina and Tennessee
Province of South CarolinaProvince of South Carolina, later South Carolina
Province of GeorgiaProvince of Georgia, later GeorgiaProvince of Georgia, later Georgia, northern sections of AlabamaProvince of Georgia, later Georgia, northern sections of Alabama and Mississippi

The French and Indian war
(1754 – 1763)
The war was the product of an imperial struggle, a clash between France and Britain over colonial territory and wealth.
Tensions between the British and French in America had been rising for some time, as each side wanted to increase its land holdings.

The French and Indian war
After a year and a half of undeclared war, the French and the English formally declared war in May 1756. For the first three years of the war, the outnumbered French dominated the battlefield, soundly defeating the English in battles at Fort Oswego and Ticonderoga.

The French and Indian war
The tide turned for the British in 1758, as they began to make peace with important Indian allies and, under the direction of Lord William Pitt began adapting their war strategies to fit the territory and landscape of the American frontier. Outnumbered and outgunned by the British, the French collapsed during the years 1758-59, climaxing with a massive defeat at Quebec in September 1759.

The French and Indian war
By September 1760, the British controlled all of the North American frontier; the war between the two countries was effectively over. The 1763 Treaty of Paris, which also ended the European Seven Years War, set the terms by which France would capitulate. Under the treaty, France was forced to surrender all of her American possessions to the British and the Spanish.

American Revolution
The American Revolutionary War (1775 – 1783) or American War of Independence began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen former British colonies began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen former British colonies in North America began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen former British colonies in North America, and concluded in a global war began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen former British colonies in North America, and concluded in a global war between several European great powers.

No taxation without representation
The war was the culmination of the political American RevolutionThe war was the culmination of the political American Revolution, whereby the colonists rejected the legitimacyThe war was the culmination of the political American Revolution, whereby the colonists rejected the legitimacy of the Parliament of Great BritainThe war was the culmination of the political American Revolution, whereby the colonists rejected the legitimacy of the Parliament of Great Britain to govern them without representationThe war was the culmination of the political American Revolution, whereby the colonists rejected the legitimacy of the Parliament of Great Britain to govern them without representation, claiming that this violated the Rights of Englishmen.

The role of Boston
Before the war, Boston had been the scene of much revolutionary activity.
like Boston Tea party.
The first battles of the war were fought in Boston or nearby (Bunker Hill, Lexington, Concord).

The Boston Massacre site
is located directly in front of the Old State House and is marked by a circle of dark stones. Exactly at this site on March 5, 1770 an argument between Boston residents and British regulars turned violent killing five colonists.

Boston Tea party
The men who dumped tea into Boston Harbor in 1773 were from many different backgrounds. About one-third of them were skilled artisans such as carpenters, masons and shoemakers. A much smaller number were merchants, doctors, clerks, and the like.

Boston Tea party

The Boston Tea Party was a key event in the growth of the American RevolutionThe Boston Tea Party was a key event in the growth of the American Revolution. British Parliament responded in 1774 with the Coercive ActsThe Boston Tea Party was a key event in the growth of the American Revolution. British Parliament responded in 1774 with the Coercive Acts, which, among other provisions, closed Boston's commerceThe Boston Tea Party was a key event in the growth of the American Revolution. British Parliament responded in 1774 with the Coercive Acts, which, among other provisions, closed Boston's commerce until the British East India Company had been repaid for the destroyed tea.

Colonists in turn responded to the Coercive Acts with additional acts of protest, and by convening the First Continental CongressColonists in turn responded to the Coercive Acts with additional acts of protest, and by convening the First Continental Congress, which petitioned the British monarch for repeal of the acts and coordinated colonial resistance to them.

In 1775, revolutionaries gained control, revolutionaries gained control of each of the thirteen colonial governments, set up the Second Continental Congress, revolutionaries gained control of each of the thirteen colonial governments, set up the Second Continental Congress, and formed a Continental Army, revolutionaries gained control of each of the thirteen colonial governments, set up the Second Continental Congress, and formed a Continental Army. The crisis escalated, and the American Revolutionary War began near Boston in 1775.

Concord
The British marching to Concord in April 1775

Battles of Lexington and Concord
On the night of April 18, 1775, General Gage sent 700 men to seize munitions stored by the colonial militia at Concord, Massachusetts.
Riders including Paul Revere Riders including Paul Revere alerted the countryside, and when British troops entered Lexington Riders including Paul Revere alerted the countryside, and when British troops entered Lexington on the morning of April 19, they found 77 minutemen formed up on the village green.
With the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the revolutionary war had begun.

Paul Revere's Ride
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.
He said to his friend, "If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,--
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm."

Paul Revere’s ride

Statue of Paul Revere
This Iconic statue of patriot Paul
Revere, was created by American
This Iconic statue of patriot Paul Revere, was created by American sculptor Cyrus Edwin Dallin. Cyrus Dallin's struggle to give Boston a monument to Paul Revere was a 58-year ordeal with a happy ending. The sculpture now crowns Boston's North End.

George Washington
In July 1775, newly appointed General Washington arrived outside Boston to take charge of the colonial forces and to organize the Continental Army.
Realizing his army's desperate shortage of gunpowder, Washington asked for new sources. Arsenals were raided and some manufacturing was attempted; 90% of the supply (2 million pounds) was imported by the end of 1776, mostly from France.

The role of France in the war
FranceFrance provided supplies, ammunition and weaponsFrance provided supplies, ammunition and weapons to the rebels from 1776, and the Continentals' victory at Saratoga over a British armyFrance provided supplies, ammunition and weapons to the rebels from 1776, and the Continentals' victory at Saratoga over a British army in 1777 led France to enter the warFrance provided supplies, ammunition and weapons to the rebels from 1776, and the Continentals' victory at Saratoga over a British army in 1777 led France to enter the war in early 1778, which evened the military strength with Britain. SpainFrance provided supplies, ammunition and weapons to the rebels from 1776, and the Continentals' victory at Saratoga over a British army in 1777 led France to enter the war in early 1778, which evened the military strength with Britain. Spain and the Dutch RepublicFrance provided supplies, ammunition and weapons to the rebels from 1776, and the Continentals' victory at Saratoga over a British army in 1777 led France to enter the war in early 1778, which evened the military strength with Britain. Spain and the Dutch Republic – French allies – also went to war with Britain over the next two years, threatening an invasion of EnglandFrance provided supplies, ammunition and weapons to the rebels from 1776, and the Continentals' victory at Saratoga over a British army in 1777 led France to enter the war in early 1778, which evened the military strength with Britain. Spain and the Dutch Republic – French allies – also went to war with Britain over the next two years, threatening an invasion of England and severely testing British military strength with campaigns in Europe — including attacks on MinorcaFrance provided supplies, ammunition and weapons to the rebels from 1776, and the Continentals' victory at Saratoga over a British army in 1777 led France to enter the war in early 1778, which evened the military strength with Britain. Spain and the Dutch Republic – French allies – also went to war with Britain over the next two years, threatening an invasion of England and severely testing British military strength with campaigns in Europe — including attacks on Minorca and GibraltarFrance provided supplies, ammunition and weapons to the rebels from 1776, and the Continentals' victory at Saratoga over a British army in 1777 led France to enter the war in early 1778, which evened the military strength with Britain. Spain and the Dutch Republic – French allies – also went to war with Britain over the next two years, threatening an invasion of England and severely testing British military strength with campaigns in Europe — including attacks on Minorca and Gibraltar — and an escalating global naval war.

American Revolution
All hope of a British victory ended in October 1781 when Lord Cornwallis was forced to surrender at Yorktown, Virginia.
In 1782 a provisional agreement was signed between the British and the Americans. In 1783 the Treaty of Paris was signed.
American Revolution became possible due to several outstanding people: G. Washington, Th. Jefferson, B. Franklin.

Results of the American revolution
Treaty of Paris (1783)
Britain recognizes independence of the United States, cedes East FloridaBritain recognizes independence of the United States, cedes East Florida, West FloridaBritain recognizes independence of the United States, cedes East Florida, West Florida, and MinorcaBritain recognizes independence of the United States, cedes East Florida, West Florida, and Minorca to Spain and Tobago to France.

Canada and American Revolution
During the American RevolutionDuring the American Revolution there was some sympathy for the American cause among theCanadiens .
When the British evacuated New York City in 1783, they took many Loyalist refugees to Nova Scotia, while other Loyalists went to southwestern Quebec.
So many Loyalists arrived on the shores of the St. John RiverSo many Loyalists arrived on the shores of the St. John River that a separate colony—New Brunswick—was created in 1784
In 1791 Quebec was divided into the Lower Canada Quebec was divided into the Lower Canada (French Canada Quebec was divided into the Lower Canada (French Canada) along the St. Lawrence River and an anglophone loyalist Upper Canada, with its capital settled by 1796 in present-day Toronto.

George Washington (1732-1799)

G. Washington was a commander of the Revolutionary Army, presided over the Constitutional Convention and became the first President of the USA in 1789.

WashingtonWashington and LafayetteWashington and Lafayette look over the troops at Valley Forge.

Today, Washington's face and image are often used as national symbols of the United States, along with the icons such as the flag and great seal.
Washington, together with Theodore RooseveltWashington, together with Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas JeffersonWashington, together with Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham LincolnWashington, together with Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln, is depicted in stone at the Mount Rushmore Memorial.

Mount Rushmore Memorial.

Washington's name became that of the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. (The capital moved from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. in 1800.
The state of Washington is the only state to be named after an American
The Washington Monument, one of the most well-known American landmarks, was built in his honor.

The Washington Monument
It is an obeliskIt is an obelisk on theNational MallIt is an obelisk on theNational Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first US president, General George WashingtonIt is an obelisk on theNational Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first US president, General George Washington. The monument, made of marbleIt is an obelisk on theNational Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first US president, General George Washington. The monument, made of marble, granite, is both the world's tallest stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk, (169.294 m) Construction of the monument began in 1848, and was finally completed in 1884.

Benjamin Franklin (1706 – 1790)
Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Franklin was a leading author, printer, politician Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. Franklin was a leading author, printer, politician, scientist, musician, satirist inventor, statesman, and diplomat. He was the first United States Ambassador to France.

American Constitution
Right after the end of the American revolution there appeared a Confederation of 13 independent states.
In 1787 representatives of these states met in Philadelphia and worked out the American Constitution.
The first ten ammendments added to the Constitution in 1791 are known as the Bill of Rights.

Thomas Jefferson (1743 – 1826)
Thomas Jefferson
was an American Founding Father was an American Founding Father who was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence was an American Founding Father who was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence (1776) and the third was an American Founding Father who was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence (1776) and the third President of the United States (1801–1809).

Thomas Jefferson
At the beginning of the American Revolution, Jefferson served in the Continental Congress, representing Virginia. He then served as a wartime Governor of Virginia, representing Virginia. He then served as a wartime Governor of Virginia (1779–1781). From mid-1784 Jefferson served as a diplomat, stationed in Paris, to help negotiate commercial treaties. In May 1785, he became the United States Minister to France, representing Virginia. He then served as a wartime Governor of Virginia (1779–1781). From mid-1784 Jefferson served as a diplomat, stationed in Paris, to help negotiate commercial treaties. In May 1785, he became the United States Minister to France. He was the first United States Secretary of State, representing Virginia. He then served as a wartime Governor of Virginia (1779–1781). From mid-1784 Jefferson served as a diplomat, stationed in Paris, to help negotiate commercial treaties. In May 1785, he became the United States Minister to France. He was the first United States Secretary of State(1790–1793) during the administration of PresidentGeorge Washington.

Louisiana Purchase
By a treaty signed on Apr. 30, 1803, the United States purchased from France the LouisianaTerritory, more than 2 million sq km (800,000 sq mi) of land extending from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. The price was 60 million francs, about $15 million; $11,250,000 was to be paid directly.

Further expansion of the USA
The war of 1812 with Britain led to an agreement in 1818 to demarcate the .USA’s northern border with Canada along the 49th parallel.
The USA captured Florida from Spain in 1813-1819.
In 1846 Oregon became American.
In 1845 Texas was annexed by the USA. In the following war with Mexico the USA captured California, Nevada, Utah and New Mexico.
Alaska was purchased in 1867.

The problem of slavery
As the new country expanded the problem of slavery became more and more acute.
The Missouri Compromise was an agreement passed in 1820 between the pro-slavery was an agreement passed in 1820 between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery was an agreement passed in 1820 between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States Congress was an agreement passed in 1820 between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States Congress, involving primarily the regulation of slavery in the western territories.
The compromise allowed Missouri to come into the Union as a slave state and Maine would be a free state.

The problem of slavery
Arkansas 1836 slave
Michigan 1837 free
Florida 1845 slave
Texas 1845 slave
Iowa 1846 free
Wisconsin 1848 free

The problem of slavery
In 1850 California asked to be admitted to the Union. The Missouri Compromise had cut California in half. Congressmen argued over whether California should enter the war as a free or slave state.
The new agreement was called the Compromise of 1850. In this compromise Northern California entered the Union as a free state.

The problem of slavery
The Missouri Compromise of 1820 prohibited slavery in the unorganized territoryprohibited slavery in the unorganized territory of the Great Plains (dark green) and permitted it in Missouri (yellow) and the Arkansas Territory (lower blue area).

The Civil War (1864 – 1865)
In 1861 when Abraham Lincoln became president some southern states decided to leave the Union: South Carolina, Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Missouri, Mississippi, Texas, Florida.
Those states formed the Confederacy, which was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by eleven Southernwhich was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by eleven Southern slave stateswhich was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by eleven Southern slave states that had declared their secession from the United States.

The confederate flag

Civil war
Hostilities began on April 12, 1861, whenConfederate forces fired on a U.S. military basis at Fort Sumter at Fort Sumter in South Carolina.
Both sides raised armies as the Union seized control of the border states early in the war and established a naval blockade.
In 1862 Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which made ending slavery a war goal.

Civil war
In 1863, Confederate general Robert E. Lee'sIn 1863, Confederate general Robert E. Lee's northward advance ended in defeat at the Battle of GettysburgIn 1863, Confederate general Robert E. Lee's northward advance ended in defeat at the Battle of Gettysburg. To the west, the UnionIn 1863, Confederate general Robert E. Lee's northward advance ended in defeat at the Battle of Gettysburg. To the west, the Union gained control of the Mississippi RiverIn 1863, Confederate general Robert E. Lee's northward advance ended in defeat at the Battle of Gettysburg. To the west, the Union gained control of the Mississippi River after the Battle of ShilohIn 1863, Confederate general Robert E. Lee's northward advance ended in defeat at the Battle of Gettysburg. To the west, the Union gained control of the Mississippi River after the Battle of Shiloh(April 1862) and Siege of VicksburgIn 1863, Confederate general Robert E. Lee's northward advance ended in defeat at the Battle of Gettysburg. To the west, the Union gained control of the Mississippi River after the Battle of Shiloh(April 1862) and Siege of Vicksburg, splitting the Confederacy in two and destroying much of their western army. Due to his western successes, Ulysses S. Grant was given command of all Union armies in 1864.

Civil war
Ulysses Grant restructured the union army, and put other generals in command of divisions of the army that were to support his push into Virginia, which resulted in Robert Lee's surrender to Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865.

Civil war
The American Civil War was one of the earliest true industrial wars. Railroads, the telegraph, steamships, and mass-produced weapons were employed extensively. The practices of total war, developed by Sherman in Georgia, the experimental use of the first usable predecessor of the machine gun of the machine gun and of trench warfare of the machine gun and of trench warfare around Petersburg, all foreshadowed World War I in Europe.

Civil war
Victory for the North meant the end of the Confederacy and of slavery in the United StatesVictory for the North meant the end of the Confederacy and of slavery in the United States, and strengthened the role of the federal government. The social, political, economic and racial issues of the war decisively shaped the reconstruction era that lasted to 1877.

Canada becomes a state
In 1860s people in British North American colonies wanted to unite.
The reasons were the following:
-After the victory of the North in American Civil war people worried that they would be the next target because of the British support of the South during the war.
-Free trade between the provinces would be easier if the provinces were united.
- In Britain many politicians thought that the colonies were too expensive to defend.

The USA in WWI
World War I (WWI) was a global war) was a global war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918.
There were two opposing alliances: the Allies (based on the Triple Entente(based on the Triple Entente of theUnited Kingdom(based on the Triple Entente of theUnited Kingdom, France(based on the Triple Entente of theUnited Kingdom, France and Russia) and the Central Powers (originally centred around the Triple Alliance (originally centred around the Triple Alliance of Germany (originally centred around the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy.

The USA in WWI
Additional fronts opened after the Ottoman Empire joined the war in 1914, Italy and Bulgaria in 1915 and Romania in 1916. The Russian Empire collapsed in March 1917. The Russian Empire collapsed in March 1917, and Russia left the war after theOctober Revolution.
At the outbreak of the war the United States pursued a policy of non-interventionAt the outbreak of the war the United States pursued a policy of non-intervention, avoiding conflict while trying to broker a peace. When a German U-boat sank the British liner RMS Lusitania on 7 May 1915 with 128 Americans among the dead, President Woodrow Wilson demanded an end to attacks on passenger ships.

The USA in WWI
After the sinking of seven U.S. merchant ships by submarines, Wilson called for war on Germany, which the U.S. CongressAfter the sinking of seven U.S. merchant ships by submarines, Wilson called for war on Germany, which the U.S. Congress declared on 6 April 1917.
The United States had a small army, but, after the passage of the Selective Service Act, it drafted 2.8 million men, and by summer 1918 was sending 10,000 fresh soldiers to France every day.

The USA in WWI
The United States NavyThe United States Navy sent a battleship groupThe United States Navy sent a battleship group to Scapa FlowThe United States Navy sent a battleship group to Scapa Flow to join with the British Grand Fleet,destroyersThe United States Navy sent a battleship group to Scapa Flow to join with the British Grand Fleet,destroyers to QueenstownThe United States Navy sent a battleship group to Scapa Flow to join with the British Grand Fleet,destroyers to Queenstown, Ireland, and submarinesThe United States Navy sent a battleship group to Scapa Flow to join with the British Grand Fleet,destroyers to Queenstown, Ireland, and submarines to help guard convoys. Several regiments of U.S. Marines were also dispatched to France.

The USA in WWI
General John J. PershingGeneral John J. Pershing, American Expeditionary ForcesGeneral John J. Pershing, American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) commander, refused to break up U.S. units to be used as reinforcements for British Empire and French units. As an exception, he did allow African-American combat regiments to be used in French divisions. The Harlem Hellfighters fought as part of the French 16th Division.
On 11 November at 5:00 am, an armistice with GermanyOn 11 November at 5:00 am, an armistice with Germanywas signed in a railroad carriage at Compiègne. At 11 am on 11 November 1918 — "the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" — a ceasefire came into effect.

The USA in WWI
A formal state of war between the two sides persisted for another seven months, until the signing of the Treaty of VersaillesA formal state of war between the two sides persisted for another seven months, until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles with Germany on 28 June 1919. However, the American public opposed ratification of the treaty, mainly because of the League of NationsA formal state of war between the two sides persisted for another seven months, until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles with Germany on 28 June 1919. However, the American public opposed ratification of the treaty, mainly because of the League of Nations the treaty created; the U.S. did not formally end its involvement in the war until the Knox–Porter Resolution was signed in 1921.
In 1934, Britain owed the US $4.4 billion billion of World War I debt.

Great Depression.
After nearly a decade of optimism and prosperity, the United States was thrown into despair on Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, the day the stock market crashed and the official beginning of the Great Depression.

Unemployment rate in the US 1910–1960, with the years of the Great Depression (1929–1939) highlighted.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Roosevelt's ebullient public personality, conveyed through his declaration that "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself" and his "fireside chats" on the radio did a great deal to help restore the nation's confidence.

New Deal
As soon as Roosevelt took office, he closed all the banks and only let them reopen once they were stabilized. Next, Roosevelt began to establish programs that became known as the New Deal.
These programs were mostly known by their initials. Some of these programs were aimed at helping farmers, like the AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Administration). While other programs, such as the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) and the WPA (Works Progress Administration), attempted to help curb unemployment by hiring people for various projects.

The USA in WW II
War officially began on September 1, 1939, when Germany attacked Poland. Germany then crushed six countries in three months — Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, and France — and proceeded to conquer Yugoslavia and Greece.
Japan`s plans for expansion in the Far East led it to attack Pearl Harbor in December 1941, bringing the United States into the war. By early 1942, all major countries of the world were involved in the most destructive war in history.

The USA in WW II
President Franklin D. RooseveltPresident Franklin D. Roosevelt called upon the United States to be "the great arsenal of democracy," and supply war materials to the Allies through sale, lease, or loan. The Lend-LeasePresident Franklin D. Roosevelt called upon the United States to be "the great arsenal of democracy," and supply war materials to the Allies through sale, lease, or loan. The Lend-Lease bill became law on March 11, 1941. During the next four years, the U.S. sent more than $50 billion worth of war material to the Allies.

The Big Three
The leaders of the Allies, W. Churchill, F.D. Roosevelt and J. Stalin met several times coordinating their policy: they had conferences in
Teheran, Yalta, Potsdam.

The USA in WW II
The Battle of Normandy was fought between invading American, British, and Canadian forces, and German forces occupying Western Europe. Preparations for the invasion began early in 1943, but the operation Overlord, or D-Day took place only on 6 June, 1944. Roosevelt and Churchill selected General Dwight D. Eisenhower as supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force.

The USA becomes a superpower
On August 6,1945 a B-29 called the Enola Gay dropped the first atomic bomb used in warfare, on the city of Hiroshima. More than 92,000 people were killed or ended up missing. Three days later, an atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, which killed at least 40,000.
The order to use atomic bomb was given by Harry Truman who became president after the death of FDR.

H.Truman about Russia
Harry S. Truman
If we see that Germany is winning we ought to help Russia and if Russia is winning we ought to help Germany, and that way let them kill as many as possible, although I don't want to see Hitler victorious under any circumstances. Neither of them thinks anything of their pledged word.
The New York Times (24 June 1941)