Governments of all the countries, including the United States of America, have five purposes. They are defense, national identity, representation, social welfare, and infrastructure. A government, basically, has three branches - the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judicial.
I think that another ice age occured. It allowed people to see a different continent by lowering sea level and freezing over Berin Strait.
The Emancipation Manifesto freed the serfs of the Russian Empire.
welfare payments given to people who never worked