The capital of the USA is New York or Washington? History of America

The United States of America is one of the youngest political and economic leaders among the states of the world. The country gained independence after long wars and today has the status of one of the most prosperous places for living, career growth and achievement of any goals. America is territorially divided into 50 states and the federal district of Columbia, where the capital of the country is Washington.

History of the development of American lands

For a long time, while the ships of the Old World did not reach the shores of America, its population consisted exclusively of Indians. The first people settled here more than 15 thousand years ago, hitting the West through the isthmus, which once connected the continent with Eurasia. The undivided reign of the Indian civilization lasted until the 15th century, until Christopher Columbus discovered new lands, before this event the Europeans had no idea of the existence of yet another continent. Since the 16th century colonization of American lands by Britain, France, Spain, Holland and other maritime powers began.

Colonization of the USA

Today, the ethnic composition of America consists mainly of former Europeans - English, Irish, Germans, Spaniards, Dutch and others. Open vast territories caused an incredible hype in Europe, where bloody wars raged for each piece of land for centuries. In search of a better life in the New World, tens of thousands of people were massively en route, encouraged by the promises of statesmen in sponsoring enterprises for the development of new territories.

The colonialists built their cities, laid railways. The largest cities in the US were founded by Europeans. The city of New York, for example, was built by the Dutch and for some time was called the New Amsterdam. America was rich in minerals, gold, furs, and therefore for the fertile territory of a real war unfolded. The local population, trying to defend their habitual way of life, was subjected to cruel extermination. For a century, more than a million Indians were killed, the genocide continued until the Europeans could not completely suppress the resistance. By that time, the number of Native Americans had dropped to several thousand.

The struggle for independence and civil war

By the 18th century, the American colonies began to thrive and bring significant income to the UK. England, in turn, taxed these lands with a high tax, which caused new unrest in the society. The territory of America was so huge that it was impossible for the British to exercise full control, while the local authorities began actively promoting the idea of proclaiming the independence of the country.

In 1774, Benjamin Franklin adopted a declaration of the independence of human rights and launched a general mobilization, the purpose of which was the war against England. July 4, 1776 was proclaimed the independence of the United States of America, this day is still the main national holiday. In 1783, the Treaty of Versailles was signed , officially confirming the country's independence from the British, then George Washington, thanks to which the liberation army achieved victory, was elected the first president. The country then consisted of 13 states. There was a question: what city will have the status of the "capital of the USA" - New York or Washington. The decision was made in favor of Washington. In 1800 it became the official capital of an independent country.

The process of adopting the constitution was long due to the disagreements that prevailed in society: in the north, the black population was mostly free, while the southerners categorically refused to abolish slavery. As a result, the confrontation resulted in a civil war that ended only in 1865 with the victory of the north - the black people of the country were equated with the rights to the rest of the population.

States of America and their capitals

At the time of independence, the United States consisted of only 13 states: the territory expanded gradually, the land was bought from other colonizers (from the French, Spanish) or conquered. The wars were fought mainly in the south - the Mexican lands were annexed, the state of California was annexed. The last in the United States included the Hawaiian Islands in 1959.

Each state has its own capital. As a rule, this has evolved historically, only in some states the main is the largest and most developed city. For example, in the state of New York, the capital is the city of Albany, whose population is 80 times less than in the city of New York. A separate place in this system is the capital of the United States. New York or Washington at different times were the capitals of the country. Currently, the first city is considered the center of economic life, the second - political. Which capital of the USA today plays a more significant role in the life of society, it is impossible to answer: the responsibilities are dispersed and closely related.

New York - world economic center

New York is the former capital of America. It was founded in 1629 by the colonialists from the Netherlands. In the place of modern Manhattan there lived Indians, who in exchange for goods worth only $ 24 agreed to leave their ancestral lands. Soon British troops invaded the territory of the settlement, which gave New Amsterdam another name - in honor of the Earl of York.

Today the city of New York is the largest city in the United States, and in its urban agglomeration is home to 19 million people. The city has a very diverse ethnic composition: approximately 40% of the population is white, the same number - Hispanic and African American. The remaining percentage is distributed among Asians, Hawaiians, Eskimos, Indians and other races. In the city you can hear more than 160 different languages, although English is traditional, followed by Spanish.

Washington - the capital of the USA

The name for the new capital was given by the first US President George Washington. The city was proclaimed the capital of the country in 1800, and it was founded only ten years earlier. Initially, the city was located on the territory of Maryland and Virginia, but later it was customary to allocate the city's territory to a separate autonomous region - so appeared the independent district of Columbia.

The center of Washington is the Capitol building - since 1800 the Congress of the country has been sitting here. In 1812, this symbol of independence was set on fire by British troops, the building was almost completely destroyed. Today about 600 thousand people live in the city, they are engaged mainly in the sphere of management. In the city there is the Library of Congress, which contains unique documents and books that captured the short history of the country.

US capital: New York or Washington

Before the construction of Washington, the capital of the United States was New York. It was there that he assumed the status of the first president in the history of the country, George Washington. The city was built specifically to make it a political center of the country, independent and detached to none of the then existing states. In addition to the construction of the city, the Autonomous District of Columbia was established, to which the capital of the United States was to belong. New York or Washington, today these two cities are the centers of cultural and social life of the country.

Why New York is called the Capital

New York is the largest, most developed and most famous city in the USA. Not surprisingly, the question often arises as to which US capital is more significant. Many believe that it is New York that is the main city of the country. It focuses all the financial power of the state - the famous Wall Street is the center of exchange trade, the economies of the world's largest powers depend on it today. The largest shopping centers have been built in Manhattan, hundreds of thousands of people work on world projects.

However, America does not just have the status of the freest and most liberal country. Its capital, Washington, does not belong to any of the 50 states, and therefore it is believed that the administration will be completely objective and fair.