American Culture

Salem, Massachusetts

Salem, Massachusetts, is famous for the Salem witch trials of 1692–1693, one of the most well-known episodes in early American history.

During the trials, people in Salem and the surrounding area were accused of practicing witchcraft. More than 150 people were accused, and 20 people were executed.

Today, Salem is known for its historical sites, museums, and strong association with witches and Halloween. However, the story of the witch trials is also remembered as an important lesson about fear, prejudice, and the dangers of denying people a fair trial.

Image: Salem Witchcraft Trial, 1876 — Public Domain.

Thanksgiving Day

An American Tradition

Thanksgiving Day is one of the most important American holidays. It is celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November and is traditionally a time for family, food, and giving thanks.

The story of Thanksgiving is traditionally associated with Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1621. The Pilgrims, who had arrived in North America aboard the Mayflower the previous year, had experienced a very difficult first winter. Many of the colonists died from illness, hunger, and exposure to the harsh conditions.

In the spring of 1621, the Pilgrims established relations with the Wampanoag, the Indigenous people who lived in the region. The Wampanoag shared valuable knowledge about the local environment and agriculture. After the colonists' first successful harvest, a three-day gathering took place in the autumn of 1621. Members of the Wampanoag community were present, and the gathering included food, games, and other activities.

Although this event is often called the “First Thanksgiving,” it was not yet the national holiday Americans celebrate today. Various colonies and later states held days of thanksgiving at different times.

In 1789, President George Washington proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving. However, there was still no permanent national date.

In 1863, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be observed on the last Thursday of November. Finally, in 1941, Congress established the 4th Thursday of November as the official date.

Today, Thanksgiving remains one of America's most important family holidays. For many Americans, it is a day to reflect on what they are thankful for and to spend time with family and friends.

The U.S. National Anthem

Oh,
say can you see by the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
‘Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Letra: Francis Scott Key, 1814.
Música: John Stafford Smith, “Anacreon in Heaven”.
Image: The Song of the “Star-Spangled Banner.” — Public Domain.

The Spirit of America

Massachusetts is sometimes associated with the expression “The Spirit of America,” a phrase that reflects the state's important role in American history.

Massachusetts was one of the major centers of the American Revolution. Events such as the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, and the battles of Lexington and Concord took place there. Boston also became an important center of the movement for American independence.

For this reason, Massachusetts is often connected with the ideals of freedom, independence, courage, and self-government— qualities that came to be associated with the American spirit.

The state's traditional nickname, however, is “The Bay State.”

Image: The Spirit of ’76, Archibald M. Willard — Public Domain.

Black Friday

The Day After Thanksgiving

In the United States, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving and traditionally marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Since Thanksgiving is celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November, Black Friday always falls on a Friday.

On Black Friday, many stores offer special discounts and open very early in the morning. Some stores advertise a limited number of products at exceptionally low prices to attract customers. These deals can bring large crowds, and people sometimes wait in line for hours to get the products they want.

The expression “Black Friday” became associated with post-Thanksgiving shopping in Philadelphia during the 1950s and 1960s. One explanation is that Philadelphia police used the term to describe the heavy traffic and large crowds that appeared in the city on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Retailers later helped popularize the term throughout the United States.

Today, Black Friday has become a major shopping event not only in the United States but also in many other countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and Brazil. Online shopping has also transformed the event, with many retailers offering Black Friday deals on their websites as well as in physical stores.

But did you know that there was another “Black Friday” long before the shopping event?

On September 24, 1869, the U.S. financial market experienced a major crisis known as Black Friday. Two speculators, Jay Gould and James Fisk, attempted to manipulate the price of gold by buying large amounts of it. Their plan caused the price of gold to rise dramatically. When the U.S. government intervened and released gold onto the market, prices fell sharply, causing serious financial losses and widespread panic.

This earlier Black Friday had nothing to do with Thanksgiving or shopping. The two events simply happen to share the same name—a rather curious coincidence!