Great Things About America (Part Two)

In Great Things About America (Part One) I mentioned things that make America great. Part One was not enough to cover all the wondrous things that make America, America. Part Two continues on these are the things that make America unique, and make those that live in the states realize just how special it is to be here.

Patriotism is when we stand united as a country. It is when a crisis hits that Americans bound together even more. When Hurricane Katrina hit people made donations to help those in need. People even went down to the gulf to lend a hand. The greatest example of patriotism happened when 9/11 happened in 2001. The horror of that day brought people together like nothing else.

The holiday shopping for Christmas doesn’t really start till after Thanksgiving then there is the madness known as Black Friday. People get up early to find deals on merchandise. Now cyber deals have snuck in on the process, but Black Friday is the original maniacal day where everyone is out there for the thrill of the hunt.

Americans love their cars and the United States had more cars to purchase than Europe did years ago. Europe pushed people to bicycle, use mass transit or walk. The US had a interstate system and roads. Americans were first to adapt to a car on a large scale.

Thanksgiving originated with the Pilgrims who first celebrated it October 1621 after they had their first harvest. The celebration lasted for 3 days. There were 90 native American Indians and 50 Pilgrims.

The meal is usually turkey, dressing, potatoes, beans, bread, yams, cranberries, etc.

It has been celebrated off and on nationally since 1789.

Air Conditioning is used in over 90 percent of households in America. It was a great invention. In 1947, British scholar S.F. Markham wrote, "The greatest contribution to civilization in this century may well be air-conditioning — and America leads the way."

It has been a great help to civilization making life much more comfortable.

Theme Parks started in the 1800’s it originated as a place where a worker could go to relax and enjoy good food and have inexpensive entertainment. Coney Island created their theme park in 1895. Since then theme parks have sprouted up the most famous being Disneyland and Disney World and Six Flags.

This began in the 19th century a chance to show off agricultural themes of livestock and produce and later when America became more industrial the fair had games and rides. It is usually held in the summer and the fall. It is a time to have fun and stroll around with family and friends.

The Founders of our Country came together to free our nation from Great Britain, without them there would have been no America. It was devised the unite the 13 colonies All of them considered themselves British subjects, but King George was getting to be very oppressive and they created the Declaration of Independence stating they wanted their freedom.

These great men were George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Samuel Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and John Jay. Thanks to them we have the freedom we have today.

This road also called the Will Rogers Highway was established November 11, 1926. The highway is the most famous one in America. It was a road that helped to lead people west. It originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, ending in Santa Monica, California.

A song “Get Your Kicks on Route 66” was written about it and there was also a television show entitled Route 66. The movie and the book The Grapes of Wrath mention Route 66 as the main characters travel from Oklahoma to California during the Great Depression.

This is something that we take for granted today, but it was a great invention. We have a man named John Gorrie to thank for it. He was a Floridian John Gorrie MD (1804-1855) he put in for a patent for mechanical refrigeration in 1851, and the first ice machine in 1845. This helped to create health, comfort and convenience.

This began in American during World War II when the pilots used a thumbs up to ground control to signal all was ok.

Pumpkins have been in the United States for five thousand years. It also originated in central Mexico, but now the pumpkin can be found in 6 continents. The English that came over used beets for Halloween then they spotted the pumpkins and found them to be perfect to celebrate the holiday.

The beginnings of this popular cup began as cone shaped cups used to get water at the office. Next came the wax covered cup for hot drinks. The 1970’s brought the invention of the sturdy party cup. The cup was blue at first, but it was discovered that red outsold any other color every time. Now at most parties these festive cups can be found.

American style is known for cowboy hats, jeans, boots and motorcycle jackets. It can be a cool look.

It is a day of great celebration. It is celebrating the Independence of America in 1776. It is a day of barbecuing, family get together, and fireworks. It is a fun time and a time for Americans to feel a sense of pride in the development of the United States.

The United States is the only country that has all of the earths five climate zones which are tropical, dry, temperate, continental, and polar. That is amazing.

America has Lake Superior and it is bordered by Canada. It is the largest freshwater in the world by surface area.

The United States has the world’s strongest higher education system it draws over a million international students a year more than any other country.

USA Today states being a large country, the US has plenty of room for golf courses. 52% of the top courses are in America out of 100 in the world.

It is a time where people can go to the ballot box and choose a candidate they feel strongly about. It is the right to choose that makes the United States so great.

America it is a place where people live free and have a chance to make dreams come true through hard work and determination. It is a land of beauty, and a land of diversity. It is unique and it is something to be proud of when thinking how far we have come from oppression, and how we have had to fight to keep not only ourselves free, but other countries free too. There is so much to see and do here, and so much to be grateful for in this lands uniqueness.