American Indians or Native Americans
They arrived to the territory of the present day US some 30,000 years ago. They were mainly hunters who followed the herds of animals. They were living peacefully on the land and close to nature till the Whites came. Initially the relationship between the Natives and the Newcomers were that of friendship and cooperation. The Natives introduced them to Indian utensils, clothing, food, etc. But with time their relations worsened, as the Whites started to cheat them, seize their lands, disrespect their culture and deprived them of their rights. Very soon they became bitter enemies that led to confrontations and bloodshed.
By 1786 the US government began to allocate special territories for the Indians, which were much poorer than they used to have. These were mostly the lands in the Southwest and the Northwest of the USA. Such territories became known as “reservations”. Today there are about 300 of them and they are the centers of Indian traditions, culture and languages. Although the federal government is doing its best to improve the situation with the natives, but still they remain one of the most deprived and unhappy ethnic groups.
There are about 2.5 mln of Native Americans in the US speaking 200 native languages. About 62% of them live in big cities or rural areas, other reside in the reservations which make up 2.5% of the territory.
The Whites or Caucasians
The Whites or Europeans started to come to the US right after its discovery in 1492. They came from Britain, Spain, Portugal, France, Holland, Germany and Sweden. But the predominant group was the English. Thus, in 1780 every four citizens of the US were either of English or Irish descent. Besides the political and economic instability in Europe made about 5 mln people leave their homeland to America. The USA saw the greatest influx of population between 1840-1860 (after the American Revolution and the Civil War). The people were attracted by relative stability and new opportunities of the new state. Furthermore, the States’ government encouraged immigration by providing some benefits and freedoms. E.g. during the Civil War the government of the North encouraged emigration from Europe (esp. Germany) by giving land in return of service in the Union Army.
The next great influx happened 1892-1954 when 12 mln of immigrants arrived. During this time the government tried to introduce the first restrictions on the people coming. First they established a special port for the coming immigrants. It was port on Ellis Island in New York City’s Harbour. There they had to pass a special inspection. E.g. If a person was suffering from TB or had lice he had to go back. If you didn’t have at least $25 on you, again you were sent back.
Communities of Immigrants
| Nation | State | Nation | State |
| German | Pennsylvania | French | Louisiana |
| Swedes | Minnesota | Slavs | north-east of the country |
The Blacks or African Americans
They were bought to the USA in the period 1619-1808 as slaves to work on southern plantations. Throughout the whole period they brought 500,000 slaves. The process of ending slavery was long and tough. The first attempt to abolish slavery was with the Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, and later on it was officially ended with the adoption of the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution (1865). But, however, the segregation in the society had remained for quite a time. In 1950s- 1960s the Blacks started to fight for their rights by means of various forms of civil protests. Soon the government issued laws that prohibited discrimination in all spheres of life, thus giving boost to the growth of the black middle class.
The Hispanics
They are the ones who have Spanish ancestry. But today Hispanics come to the US from various countries of Latin America (El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Columbia), Mexico and Cuba. They mostly live in California, Texas, New York, Illinois and Florida.