Unit 2: United States and Canada: From Past to Present

About 10,000 to 15,000 years ago, the first Americans crossed a land bridge from Asia and settled the Americas. Since then, Americans have come from all over the world. After winning their independence from Great Britain, early leaders created a representative democracy. During the twentieth century, the United States became a world superpower. Today, the American way of life and culture reflects the country's spirit and diversity.

Canada's indigenous people are known as First peoples. French and British settlers later settled along the St. Lawrence River and near the Great Lakes. As a result, Canada became a bilingual country with two official languages-French and English. Canada slowly and peacefully won its independence from the British during the 1800s and early 1900s. Canada's government is a parliamentary democracy, headed by a prime minister. Today, Canada's culture reflects the country's diverse people and unique history.