USA+Period+3

Country Project: **American North East** North America is located south of Canada and north of Mexico. Over the years its population has increased greatly and is now the third most populated country with over 311 million people. The capital of the country is Washington D.C. The size of the country is 9,826,630 sq km. There are many special celebrations that Americans have such as Thanksgiving Day, Independence Day, Memorial Day, Veterans Day and more. New England is an interesting place in terms of holidays because there are so many different holidays celebrated. People from all over the world have immigrated to the United States, bringing their culture with them. In schools today there are days off for Catholic holidays, Jewish holidays, and even Muslim Holidays, as well as holidays to celebrate certain influential people of America, such as Martin Luther King Jr. Roast turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, and pumpkin pie are some of the traditional foods present at these celebrations.Before the meal begins, families or friends usually stop and give thanks for their blessings.

New England is on the East Coast of the United States, making fishing one of the major jobs and leisure activities. Because so many people fish, there is an abundance of seafood available in New England (everyone's heard of New England's Clam Chowder!) When the colonies were first born, the jobs mostly included farming and trading. Farmers grew beans, corn, grains, and pumpkins. This affected the food we have today. New England is known for having an abundance of pumpkin flavored treats in fall. Our many pumpkin patches make this yummy vegetable a New England favorite. The harsh winters of New England gave early settlers, who were used to farming and fishing, a hard time. They had to turn to hunting in order to survive. This is where most of New England's meat preferences originated.
 * How did the geography effect the food of New England?**

New England is big on tradition, which can be proven with the fact that Thanksgiving, created in the 1620's, is still celebrated today. Most of the foods eaten in New England were the foods the early settlers and Native Americans enjoyed.
 * How does culture effect the food of New England?**

In September of 1620 the “Mayflower” came to America from England, carrying 102 passengers. Their journey was a strenuous sixty-six days long filled with diseases such as scurvy. Those who made it to the new land, named “New England,” are now known as the Pilgrims. After a brutal winter they saw their first New England spring. They were greeted by a Native American who spoke English. Days later they were greeted by another Native American who taught them how to cultivate corn. In November of 1621, after their first successful corn harvest, they planned a celebratory feast, now known as Thanksgiving.
 * The History of Thanksgiving**

• [|Great Barrington] [|MA] was the first town in the world to have electric street lights, in 1886 • Of the hundreds of people accused of witchcraftin [|Salem] [|MA] in 1692, only one confessed—and she claimed others had forced her into evil.
 * New England Fun Facts**