USA History Facts - Facts about United States of America History
- Only one President didn’t marry, James Buchanan.
- The tallest President was Abraham Lincoln at 6’4”, the shortest was James Madison who was a foot shorter than Lincoln.
- The USA gained most of its current territory by purchasing it off other countries. It often got bargain prices too, the Louisiana Purchase of much of the middle of America cost just $15 million in 1803, equivalent of just $220 million today. The US spends more buying some military jets than this!
- The first permanent English settlement in America was at Jamestown which was founded in 1607.
- The US system of government was established by a constitution, but this has been amended many times, usually to give additional rights to citizens.
- During the years of 1861 to 1865 the US was engaged in a bloody civil war between the North and South over issues such as slavery, states rights and the economy.
- Another war that divided America was the Vietnam war. Many felt so strongly the US shouldn’t have been involved that they were involved in violence against the government.
- The first black US President is Barack Obama.
- While the USA was a major participant in both World War 1 and World War 2, it joined both later than most European countries involved.
- The USA amended its constitution to guarantee women to the right to vote on August 18th 1920.
- One American President, William McKinley, was assassinated by an anarchist.
- The USA was the first country to put a man on the moon, Neil Armstrong being that man.
- The only country to ever use a nuclear bomb in warfare was the USA. It dropped one on Nagasaki and one of Hiroshima in Japan in World War 2.
- In 1974 Richard Nixon resigned from his position as President of the United States due to the Watergate scandal.
- The USA had an aggressive year in 1898. It invaded Hawaii and in defeating Spain took Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines.
- The Wall Street Crash in 1929 caused the Great Depression which saw 13 million people unemployed.
- The USA briefly banned alcohol from 1920, although the law proved unpopular and unworkable and was eventually withdrawn.
- Britain and the USA haven’t been at peace since the War of Independence. In 1812 they went to war again.
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