Le jour de l'indépendance américaine - cours d'anglais

Le 4 juillet, aux États-Unis, on commémore chaque année la proclamation de l'indépendance du pays. Découvrez les origines et l'histoire de cette fête nationale avec le professeur d'anglais Hadrien.

Téléchargez le support du cours en pdf, ainsi que le témoignage sonore de deux Américaines sur le symbole du 4 juillet pour elles.

Objectifs du cours

• Découvrir l’histoire derrière une grande fête américaine.
• Écouter deux personnes américaines donner leur point de vue sur le sujet.
• Faire une révision sur différents points en anglais.

4 juillet 1776 : le jour de l'indépendance américaine (texte en anglais)

1776 was « America’s birthday ». What is the story behind Independence Day in 1776 ? 

• June 11^th : the « Committee of Five » started writing the Declaration of Independence.
• July 2^nd : based on that text, Congress decided to declare independence.
• July 4^th : the Declaration was finished and approved by Congress.
• August 2^nd : the text was finally delivered to Great Britain.
• November : the Declaration was finished and approved by Congress.

John Adams (2^nd President) and Thomas Jefferson (3^rd) were members of the Committee of Five, who wrote the Declaration of Independence. July 4^th has been a national holiday since 1870.

Construction des Etats-Unis (texte en anglais)

What happened after the US Independence ? After the Declaration of Independence, the USA still remained a small « nation ». The 13 colonies became a country. But it had to expand and push its frontier to the west. By the 1830s, the USA counted 24 states from the east coast to the middle-west, that’s because they had bought Lousiana in 1803 (and doubled their territory). Finally the idea of a west « frontier » was progressively forgotten throughout the 19th century. The first west coast state to be born was Oregon. The biggest internal conflict in the US was the Civil War (1861-1865). The United States (in the north) fought the Confederate States (in the south) who stood against the abolition of slavery. So the nation had overcome many different problems when in 1870, July 4^th was declared a national holiday. It brought a sense of unity throughout the country.

Symboles de la fête nationale américaine aujourd'hui (texte en anglais)

Symbols of July 4^th celebrations are :

• National anthem
• Parade
• Celebration
• Barbecue
• Birthday
• Flag
• Fireworks
• Hang
• Anniversary