Texas has only one star on its flag while California has a star and a bear. A thirteen-year old boy Benny Benson made the design for Alaska’s flag. It had a blue background, on it were seven stars in the shape of the Great Bear and one gold which stood for the North Star. Today, the Statue of Liberty stands at America’s shores, to give a welcome to all who pass near it, to symbolize democracy and freedom. It is the largest metal statue in the world, a gift of the French to the American people. It was first though of by Bartholdi and designed by the famous engineer Alexandre Eiffel to withstand wind and storm. It took nine years to built and was made of copper steel, iron and gold leaf.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Every President of the United States but one has lived in the White House. George Washington, the first President, was the only one who didn’t. It wasn’t the elegant building it is today. In fact, the Adamses hung their washing in the unfinished East Room. The British burnt the President’s House during the War of 1812. The house was rebuilt by 1819 and it was painted white to hide the fire-blackened walls. That is how it came to be called the White House.
THE CRADLE OF LIBERTY
Boston, Massachusetts, one of the most interesting cities in America, is over 300 years old. There you can walk the Freedom Trail and see the famous places of the American Revolution. The Old North Church still stands in the heart of the city. It was here that people put a lantern to warn the soldiers that the British were coming. South of Boston is Plymouth where the Mayflower (the first ship which brought people to America) docked in 1620. To the west of the city are Lexington and Concord where the Revolutionary War began.
