December 13, 2024

Donn Booser

Escape Boundaries

7 Interesting Facts About American Culture

7 Interesting Facts About American Culture

Introduction

The United States is a big country, and it’s filled with people who have different upbringings, customs, and ways of living. In fact, even if you grow up in the same town as someone else in the country, chances are that there’s something that makes your culture different from theirs—even if you’re both Americans! Here are some facts about American culture that might surprise or delight you:

7 Interesting Facts About American Culture

The U.S. Constitution was written by a bunch of guys in a room, so to speak

The Constitution was written by a group of men in 1787, who were called the “framers.” They were all white, wealthy and educated. They were lawyers.

The framers were:

  • George Washington (President)
  • James Madison (Secretary of State)
  • Alexander Hamilton (Secretary Treasury)
  • Benjamin Franklin (diplomat)
  • Roger Sherman (Connecticut delegate to Congress; signed Articles of Confederation)

A lot of American words aren’t even English

You might be surprised to learn that a lot of the words we use in American English aren’t even English. In fact, they come from other languages like German and French. This is because the United States has been around for a long time (and it’s still growing) and people from all over the world have come here to live and work.

Some examples are:

  • Canned Goods – This comes from French when someone would put food into cans or bottles for storage or transportation.
  • Freeway – This comes from German where “frei” means free and “weg” means way or path; so it means open road!

There’s an official state pie for every state

  • The state pie is a dessert with a connection to the state.
  • It’s often a fruit pie, or a pie with fruit as its main ingredient.
  • Sometimes it’s based on a dessert that was popular in that region before it became part of the United States (like pecan pie).

You can stand on an American flag, but not on the Bible or Koran

Americans are very patriotic and love their country. The flag is a symbol of our nation and we should respect it. If you want to stand on an American flag, get a flag shaped pillow or cushion!

In many other countries, standing on a national flag is considered disrespectful and offensive. But in America? You can do whatever you want with it!

Americans used to pay taxes with cigarettes

During the Great Depression, cigarettes were used as currency. In fact, it wasn’t uncommon for people to trade cigarettes for money or other goods during this time period. Cigarettes were also a form of payment in prisons: inmates would use them to purchase goods from other inmates.

Tipping is not just an American thing anymore. In fact, it hasn’t always been part of our culture at all.

Tipping is not just an American thing anymore. In fact, it hasn’t always been part of our culture at all.

Tipping has become more common in other countries because tourists have brought the practice with them on their travels and spread it around the world through social media.

When you say you’re going to “the city center,” what city are you going to? Are there different definitions for different cities?

When you say you’re going to “the city center,” what city are you going to? Are there different definitions for different cities?

The answer is yes. The definition of the city center depends on the size and shape of a city, as well as its history. Some cities have multiple centers and some are not built on a grid, so it’s hard to define their center without referring back to historical documents or maps from before they were developed into what we know today as our modern cities.

The United States is full of interesting facts and oddities that few people know about

The United States is a big country. It has a lot of interesting facts and oddities that few people know about, especially when it comes to traveling around the country. There are many different ways to explore this amazing land, with each one having its own unique experiences.

Let’s take a look at some of these facts!

Conclusion

Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of some of the quirky things about American culture. We’re not perfect, but we do our best!