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Unit 2

GENERAL FACTS ABOUT THE HISTORY
OF THE USA

1. Read and memorize the following words, word-
combinations and word groups:

empire - імперія
settler - поселенець
to establish - засновувати
to acquire - одержувати
to expand - розширювати
slavery - рабство
to defeat - завдавати поразки
troops - війська
influence - вплив
pivotal - осьовий, основний

2. Read and translate the text:

North America's history before Europeans arrived is incomplete,
but the original inhabitants had large empires and advanced
civilizations. From the 17th century on, Native Americans were
displaced by European settlers who had come for riches, territory, and
a "new world." British colonies (the thirteen colonies) were
established on the east coast of North America. Spanish and French
explorers also claimed large territories.
By the mid-18th century, the colonists desired independence from
Great Britain. The American Revolution of 1776 led to independence
and a loose confederation of states. The Constitution of 1787
established the basic form of government as it exists today. Explorers
and pioneers moved west and settled large areas of land. The United
States acquired territory from France, Mexico, and Spain throughout
the 19th century, expanding its borders from the Atlantic Ocean to the
Pacific.
In 1861, civil war broke out between Union states in the north
and Confederate states in the south over issues of slavery, states'