United States

Discover the United States

Fun Foods

Burgers, Clam Chowder, BBQ, Apple Pie

This country was built by people running away from somewhere else. Pilgrims escaping religious persecution, enslaved Africans brought in chains, Irish fleeing famine, and millions more who saw a chance at something new.

But Native Americans were here first. For at least 15,000 years, hundreds of nations lived across this land. They built the first roads, grew the first crops, and created civilizations that Europeans never understood.

English colonists arrived in 1607 at Jamestown and 1620 at Plymouth Rock. They learned to survive from Indigenous peoples, then pushed them off their land. By 1776, thirteen colonies decided they'd had enough of British rule.

The Revolutionary War lasted eight years. George Washington's army froze at Valley Forge and crossed icy rivers at night. Britain gave up in 1783.

The United States doubled its size by buying Louisiana from France in 1803 for about three cents an acre. Napoleon needed cash for his wars. America got a deal.

Westward expansion meant disaster for Native Americans. The Trail of Tears forced 60,000 Cherokee, Creek, and other nations to walk over a thousand miles to Oklahoma. Thousands died along the way.

Slavery split the nation in two. The Civil War killed over 600,000 Americans from 1861 to 1865. Lincoln won the war and freed enslaved people. He was shot five days later.

American inventors changed daily life everywhere. Thomas Edison lit up the world with the electric light bulb in 1879. The Wright Brothers flew the first airplane at Kitty Hawk in 1903. Henry Ford made cars cheap enough for regular people.

Between 1892 and 1954, over 12 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island in New York Harbor. They came from Italy, Poland, Ireland, and dozens of other countries.

World War II pulled America onto the global stage. Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and the US joined the fight. American troops stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day in 1944. Over 400,000 Americans died helping defeat Nazi Germany and Japan.

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s fought to finish what the Civil War started. Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and thousands of ordinary people changed laws through marches, sit-ins, and sacrifice.

Today's America mixes all of it together.

The Statue of Liberty still stands in New York Harbor. The Grand Canyon drops a mile into the Earth. Yellowstone's geysers blast steam on schedule.

American food is a remix. Southern fried chicken came from West African and Scottish traditions. Tex-Mex loaded nachos and burritos with cheese. Chicago deep-dish pizza is basically a cheese casserole.

Fourth of July means fireworks and hot dogs. Thanksgiving brings families together over turkey. Halloween lets kids demand candy from neighbors.

Everyone came from somewhere else. That mix built America into the land of opportunity.