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New England
I want to tell you something about New England. First I want to tell you something general about New England and the 6 states.
New England is in the northeast of the USA. The 6 states of New England are: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. In New England live about 13 million people on an area of about 200 000 km².
Now I want to say one sentence to each state.
Rhode Island is the smallest state of the USA, but there live about 1 million people.
Maine is the biggest state of New England and it is the northeasest state of the USA.
Vermont and New Hampshire are states with some industries, nice countrysides and tourism.
Massachusetts is the most famous state of New England because of the capitol Boston with the Harvard University.
Connecticut is also a well-known state and later I will tell you something about the capitol Hartford.
But now I will talk about the history of New England.
Boston
Boston is the capitol of Massachusetts and there live about 500 000 people. Boston was founded in 1630. At this time it consisted of a small peninsula with a small link to the mainland, but it was too small for the people, who lived there. So they poured land around the peninsula. Beacon Hill was original a steep hill, they transported the peak away and built houses on it. The ground was used to built the North and the South Cove of Boston.
Today Boston is a very big and interesting town with many shopping centres, galleries, churches and a big harbour.
The Trinity Church for example is a very famous and old Neoromanesque building and was built by Henry Hobson Richardson. Next to the Trinity Church is the very modern and 241m high John Hancock Tower. You can take the lift to the 60th floor and look out of the windows to see the beautiful town. The area of the lawn of Boston Common is often used as a place for picnics, athletes and dogs. The Boston Symphony Hall is one of the most impressive concert halls of the USA. The Boston Symphonie Orchestra is famous around the world. They play mostly classical music. But their is also an orchestra, which plays music for younger people. The Boston Pops play modern music. In the summer they often play in the open. At the Independence Day they give every year a concert near the Charles River in the Hatch Memorial Shell.
There are about 50 universities, colleges annd high schools in and around Boston. In Camebridge are two of the most famous universities. The Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Benjamin Franklin was born in 1706 in Boston. He was a famous politician and scientist. He proclaimed and signed the Declarartion of Independence in 1776. He died in 1790 in Philadelphia.
Henry David Thoreau was born in 1817 in Concord in Massachusetts. He was a very famous writer. He studied for four years at the Harvard University. Henry David Thoreau lived two years in the woods, after that he wrote the book „Walden, or life in the woods“, which explains his philosophy of the simple life. In his other book „Civil Disobedience“, he discusses the idea of resistance to the state. Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King were greatly influenced by that book.
Economy
Stock farming, tobacco and cranberries are important things for the economy on New England.
The mineral resources in Vermont are the only important ones in New England. Asbestos and slate play a big role, but lime is most important for the rest of the USA.
New England has the biggest wool production of the USA
In Hartford and Boston are big insurance companies, which play also a big role in the USA.
New England
in the northeast of the USA
states: Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island
History
one of the oldest regions of the United States
native peoples: the Abenaki, the Penobscot, the Wampanoag and many others
At the beginning of the 17th century: first europeen settlers arrived - expeditions or religious persecution in Europe
name „New England“ got the region of Captain John Smith
In 1620 the Pilgrim fathers arrived at Massachusetts Bay and founded Plymouth
In 1635 cities were founded on Connecticut river (colony Connecticut)
In the same year Roger Williams founded the colony Rhode Island
Boston Tea Party on december 16 in 1773
and the „Battle of Lexington“: considered to be the reason for the „War of Independence“ in 1775
Later New England opposed the „War of 1812“ with Great Britain
In the 19th century: prominent role in the movement to abolish slavery in the USA, source of some of the first examples of American literature and philosophy, showed the first signs of the effects of the Industrial Revolution in North America
Massachusetts – Boston
was founded in 1630
consisted of a small peninsula with a small link to the mainland
it was too small for the people who lived there, so they poured land around the peninsula
some sights of Boston:
Trinity Church: - old Neoromanesque building
John Hancock Tower: - very modern and 241m high
Boston Common: - lawn is often used as a place for picnics
Boston Symphonie Hall: - one of the most impressive conert halls of the USA, Boston Symphonie Orchestra is famous around the world (mostly classical music), Boston Pops play music for younger people, at the Independence Day they give every year a concert near the Charles River in the Hatch Memorial Shell
there are about 50 universities, colleges and high schools in and around Boston
Camebridge - two of the most famous universities: Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Rhode Island - Providence
capital of Rhode Island
architecture and restaurants, harbour and textile industrie
Connecticut- Hartford
capital of the U.S. State of Connecticut - located on the Connecticut River
divided up into many neighborhoods:
The Central Business District (Downtown) - - Hartford City Hall, the Wadsworth Atheneum(art museum) and the oldest park in the USA, Bushnell Park
Asylum Hill, the home of St. Joseph´s Cathedral and many other churches
West End: visit the Mark Twain House or Elizabeth Park (rose garden)
Sheldon/Charter Oak
North End: dangeroust area of the town, mortality rates are comparable to those of the South Bronx in New York City
South End, known as „Little Italy“
South Green
South Meadows: home to many industrail and commercial businesses
North Meadows: visit the Dodge Music Center (hosts hundreds of big name concerts each year)
Economy
stock farming, tobacco, cranberries
mineral resources in Vermont: asbestos and slate play a big role, but lime is most important for the rest of the USA
New England has the biggest wool production of the USA
in Hartford and Boston big insurance companies
Nationalparks
Minute Men National History Park: leftovers from the Revolution
Walden Pond: 122 ha wildlife sanctuary, popular for fishing, swimming, and walking
Festivals
Aston Magna: Music festival of classic, romantic and baroque music Sometimes with the Boston Symphony Orchestra
Koussevitzky Music Shed: Jazz, Folk, Pop and Classic
Universities
some of the oldest and renowned institutions of higher learning in the United States.
first such institution, Harvard: founded at Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1636 (20.000 students)
Famous students: Jon F. Kennedy, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Robert Frost, T. S. Eliot
also the world-renowned university Yale
Famous students: Bill and Hilary Clinton, George Herbert walker Bush; George W. Bush; John F. Kerry, Howard Dean
1701 founded in Killingworth
Orders: Skull & Bones, Scroll and Key, Wolf\'s Head, Book and Snake
result: region = world leader in science, engineering, medicie, law, business research and so on...
Personalities:
Benjamin Franklin - * 1706 in Boston, † 1790 in Philadelphia.
famous politician and scientist
proclaimed and signed the Declarartion of Independence in 1776
Henry David Thoreau - * 1817 in Concord in Massachusetts
very famous writer
studied for four years at the Harvard University
lived two years in the woods, after that he wrote the book „Walden, or life in the woods“, which explains his philosophy of the simple life
In his other book „Civil Disobedience“, he discusses the idea of resistance to the state. Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King were greatly influenced by that book.
Some interesting facts
some other famous „New Englanders“: Stephen King: born in Portland, Maine and Dan Brown, author of „The Da Vinci Code“ was born in New Hampshire; Matt Damon (Massachusetts) or some members of Aerosmith
New Englanders are sometimes called „Yankees“
Indian summer: name given to a period of sunny warm weather in autumn;landscap-bathed in warm colors
New England´s ciusine, well-known for maple syrup, cranberries and various types of seafood
Vocabulary:
Pilgrim fathers - Pilgerväter
collectively opposed - insgesamt sich wiedersetzen
abolish slavery - Sklaverei abschaffen
source - Ursprung
mortality rates - Mordraten
comparable - vergleichbar
renowned - berühmt
maple syrup - Ahornsirup
divinity - Theologie
leftover - Relikt
wildlife sanctuary - Naturschutzgebiet
peninsula - Halbinsel
pour - schütten / aufschütten
neoromanesque - neoromanisch
lawn - Rasen
proclaim - verkünden
resistance - Widerstand
slate - Schiefer
lime - Kalk
insurance company - Versicherungsunternehmen
stock farming - Viehzucht
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