{"id":9155,"date":"2022-05-27T04:00:09","date_gmt":"2022-05-27T11:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/?p=9155"},"modified":"2022-05-27T07:04:14","modified_gmt":"2022-05-27T14:04:14","slug":"united-states-of-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/united-states-of-america\/","title":{"rendered":"United States"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/h2>\n

The United States of America\u00a0(U.S.A.\u00a0or\u00a0USA), commonly known as the\u00a0United States\u00a0(U.S.\u00a0or\u00a0US) or\u00a0America, is a country\u00a0primarily located in North America<\/a>. It consists of 50\u00a0states<\/a>, a\u00a0federal district<\/a>, five major\u00a0unincorporated territories<\/a>, 326\u00a0Indian reservations<\/a>, and some\u00a0minor possessions<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0At 3.8\u00a0million square miles (9.8\u00a0million square kilometers), it is the world’s\u00a0third- or fourth-largest country by total area<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0The United States shares significant land borders with Canada to the north and Mexico to the south, as well as limited maritime borders with the\u00a0Bahamas<\/a>,\u00a0Cuba<\/a>, and Russia.<\/sup>\u00a0With a population of more than 331 million people, it is the\u00a0third most populous country<\/a>\u00a0in the world. The\u00a0national capital<\/a>\u00a0is\u00a0Washington, D.C.<\/a>, and the\u00a0most populous city<\/a>\u00a0is\u00a0New York City<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
United States on the Globe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Paleo-Indians<\/a>\u00a0migrated from Siberia<\/a>\u00a0to the North American mainland at least\u00a012,000 years ago<\/a>, and\u00a0European colonization<\/a>\u00a0began in the 16th century. The United States emerged from the\u00a0thirteen British colonies<\/a>\u00a0established along the\u00a0East Coast<\/a>. Disputes over\u00a0taxation<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0political representation<\/a>\u00a0with\u00a0Great Britain<\/a>\u00a0led to the\u00a0American Revolutionary War<\/a>\u00a0(1775\u20131783), which established\u00a0independence<\/a>. In the late 18th century, the U.S. began expanding across North America, gradually\u00a0obtaining new territories<\/a>, sometimes\u00a0through war<\/a>, frequently\u00a0displacing Native Americans<\/a>, and\u00a0admitting new states<\/a>; by 1848, the United States spanned the continent.\u00a0Slavery<\/a>\u00a0was legal in the\u00a0southern United States<\/a>\u00a0until the second half of the 19th century when the\u00a0American Civil War<\/a>\u00a0led to\u00a0its abolition<\/a>. The\u00a0Spanish\u2013American War<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0World War I<\/a><\/span>\u00a0established the U.S. as a\u00a0world power<\/a>, a status confirmed by the outcome of\u00a0World War II<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

During the\u00a0Cold War<\/a>, the United States fought the\u00a0Korean War<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0Vietnam War<\/a>\u00a0but avoided direct military conflict with the\u00a0Soviet Union<\/a>. The two superpowers competed in the\u00a0Space Race<\/a>, culminating in the\u00a01969 spaceflight<\/a>\u00a0that first landed humans on the Moon. The\u00a0Soviet Union’s dissolution in 1991<\/a>\u00a0ended the Cold War, leaving the United States as the world’s sole\u00a0superpower<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The United States is a\u00a0federal republic<\/a>\u00a0and a\u00a0representative democracy<\/a>\u00a0with\u00a0three separate branches of government<\/a>, including a\u00a0bicameral legislature<\/a>. It is a founding member of the\u00a0United Nations<\/a>,\u00a0World Bank<\/a>,\u00a0International Monetary Fund<\/a>,\u00a0Organization of American States<\/a>,\u00a0NATO<\/a>, and other international organizations. It is a\u00a0permanent member<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0United Nations Security Council<\/a>. Considered a\u00a0melting pot<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0cultures<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0ethnicities<\/a>, its population has been profoundly shaped by\u00a0centuries of immigration<\/a>. The U.S.\u00a0ranks high<\/a>\u00a0in international measures of\u00a0economic freedom<\/a>,\u00a0quality of life<\/a>,\u00a0education<\/a>, and\u00a0human rights<\/a>, and has low levels of\u00a0perceived corruption<\/a>. However, the country has received criticism concerning\u00a0inequality<\/a>\u00a0related to\u00a0race<\/a>,\u00a0wealth<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0income<\/a>, the use of\u00a0capital punishment<\/a>, high\u00a0incarceration rates<\/a>, and lack of\u00a0universal health care<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Washington DC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The United States is a highly\u00a0developed country<\/a>, accounts for approximately a quarter of global\u00a0GDP<\/a>, and is the world’s\u00a0largest economy by GDP at market exchange rates<\/a>. By value, the United States is the world’s\u00a0largest importer<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0second-largest exporter<\/a>\u00a0of goods. Although its population is only 4.2% of the world’s total, it holds\u00a029.4% of the total wealth in the world<\/a>, the largest share held by any country. Making up more than a third of\u00a0global military spending<\/a>, it is the foremost military power in the world; and it is a leading\u00a0political<\/a>,\u00a0cultural<\/a>, and\u00a0scientific<\/a>\u00a0force internationally.<\/p>\n

History:<\/h2>\n

Indigenous peoples and pre-Columbian history:<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n

It has been generally accepted that the\u00a0first inhabitants of North America<\/a>\u00a0migrated from\u00a0Siberia<\/a>\u00a0by way of the\u00a0Bering land bridge<\/a> and arrived at least 12,000 years ago; however, some evidence suggests an even earlier date of arrival.<\/sup>\u00a0The\u00a0Clovis culture<\/a>, which appeared around 11,000 BC, is believed to represent the first wave of human settlement of the Americas.\u00a0This was likely the first of three major waves of migration into North America; later waves brought the ancestors of present-day Athabaskans, Aleuts, and Eskimos.<\/sup><\/p>\n

Over time, indigenous cultures in North America grew increasingly complex, and some, such as the pre-Columbian\u00a0Mississippian culture<\/a>\u00a0in the southeast, developed advanced agriculture, architecture, and complex societies.<\/sup>\u00a0The city-state of\u00a0Cahokia<\/a>\u00a0is the largest, most complex pre-Columbian\u00a0archaeological site<\/a>\u00a0in the modern-day United States.<\/sup>\u00a0In the\u00a0Four Corners<\/a>\u00a0region,\u00a0Ancestral Puebloan<\/a>\u00a0culture developed from centuries of agricultural experimentation.<\/sup>\u00a0The\u00a0Haudenosaunee<\/a>, located in the southern\u00a0Great Lakes<\/a>\u00a0region, was established at some point between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries.<\/sup>\u00a0Most prominent along the Atlantic coast were the\u00a0Algonquian<\/a>\u00a0tribes, who practiced hunting and trapping, along with limited cultivation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
The\u00a0Cliff Palace, built by the\u00a0Native American\u00a0Puebloans\u00a0between AD 1190 and 1260<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
Estimating the native population of North America at the time of European contact is difficult.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Douglas H. Ubelaker<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0<\/span>Smithsonian Institution<\/a> estimated that there was a population of 92,916 in the south Atlantic states and a population of 473,616 in the Gulf states,<\/span> but most academics regard this figure as too low. <\/span>Anthropologist<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>Henry F. Dobyns<\/a>\u00a0believed the populations were much higher, suggesting around 1.1 million along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, 2.2 million people living between\u00a0<\/span>Florida<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Massachusetts<\/a>, 5.2 million in the\u00a0<\/span>Mississippi Valley<\/a>\u00a0and tributaries, and around 700,000 people in the\u00a0<\/span>Florida peninsula<\/a>.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

European settlements:<\/span><\/h3>\n

Claims of very early colonization of coastal New England by the\u00a0Norse<\/a>\u00a0are disputed and controversial. The first documented arrival of Europeans in the continental United States is that of Spanish\u00a0conquistadors<\/a>\u00a0such as\u00a0Juan Ponce de Le\u00f3n<\/a>, who made his first expedition to\u00a0Florida<\/a>\u00a0in 1513. Even earlier,\u00a0Christopher Columbus<\/a>\u00a0had landed in\u00a0Puerto Rico<\/a>\u00a0on his\u00a01493 voyage<\/a>, and\u00a0San Juan<\/a>\u00a0was settled by the Spanish a decade later.<\/sup>\u00a0The Spanish set up the first settlements in Florida and New Mexico, such as\u00a0Saint Augustine<\/a>, often considered the nation’s oldest city,<\/sup>\u00a0and\u00a0Santa Fe<\/a>. The French established their own settlements along the\u00a0Mississippi River<\/a>, notably\u00a0New Orleans<\/a>.\u00a0Successful\u00a0English settlement<\/a>\u00a0of the eastern coast of North America began with the\u00a0Virginia Colony<\/a>\u00a0in 1607 at\u00a0Jamestown<\/a>\u00a0and with the\u00a0Pilgrims<\/a>‘\u00a0colony at Plymouth<\/a> in 1620.\u00a0The continent’s first elected legislative assembly, Virginia’s\u00a0House of Burgesses<\/a>, was founded in 1619. Documents such as the\u00a0Mayflower Compact<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0Fundamental Orders of Connecticut<\/a> established precedents for representative self-government and constitutionalism that would develop throughout the American colonies.\u00a0Many settlers were\u00a0dissenting Christians<\/a>\u00a0who came seeking\u00a0religious freedom<\/a>. In 1784, the Russians were the first Europeans to establish a\u00a0settlement in Alaska<\/a>, at\u00a0Three Saints Bay<\/a>.\u00a0Russian America<\/a>\u00a0once spanned much of the present-day state of\u00a0Alaska<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In the early days of colonization, many European settlers were subject to food shortages, disease, and attacks from Native Americans. Native Americans were also often at war with neighboring tribes and European settlers. In many cases, however, the natives and settlers came to depend on one another. Settlers\u00a0traded<\/a>\u00a0for food and animal pelts; natives for guns, tools and other European goods.<\/sup>\u00a0Natives taught many settlers to cultivate corn, beans, and other foodstuffs. European missionaries and others felt it was important to “civilize” the Native Americans and urged them to adopt European agricultural practices and lifestyles.<\/sup><\/sup>\u00a0However, with the increased European\u00a0colonization<\/a>\u00a0of North America, the\u00a0Native Americans<\/a>\u00a0were\u00a0displaced and often killed<\/a>. <\/sup>The\u00a0native population of America declined<\/a> after European arrival for various reasons, primarily diseases such as\u00a0smallpox<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0measles<\/a>.<\/sup><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
The original\u00a0Thirteen Colonies\u00a0(shown in red) in 1775<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
European settlers also began <\/span>trafficking<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0<\/span>African slaves<\/a>\u00a0into Colonial America via the\u00a0<\/span>transatlantic slave trade<\/a>.<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Because of a lower prevalence of tropical diseases and better\u00a0<\/span>treatment<\/a>, slaves had a much higher life expectancy in North America than in South America, leading to a rapid increase in their numbers.<\/span> Colonial society was largely divided over the religious and moral implications of slavery, and several colonies passed acts both against and in favor of the practice. <\/span>However, by the turn of the 18th century, African slaves had supplanted European\u00a0<\/span>indentured servants<\/a>\u00a0as\u00a0<\/span>cash crop<\/a> labor, especially in the American South.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The\u00a0Thirteen Colonies<\/a>\u00a0(New Hampshire<\/a>,\u00a0Massachusetts<\/a>,\u00a0Connecticut<\/a>,\u00a0Rhode Island<\/a>,\u00a0New York<\/a>,\u00a0New Jersey<\/a>,\u00a0Pennsylvania<\/a>,\u00a0Delaware<\/a>,\u00a0Maryland<\/a>,\u00a0Virginia<\/a>,\u00a0North Carolina<\/a>,\u00a0South Carolina<\/a>, and\u00a0Georgia<\/a>) that would become the United States of America were administered by the British as overseas dependencies.<\/sup>\u00a0All nonetheless had local governments with elections open to most free men.<\/sup> With extremely high birth rates, low death rates, and steady settlement, the colonial population grew rapidly, eclipsing Native American populations.\u00a0The\u00a0Christian revivalist<\/a>\u00a0movement of the 1730s and 1740s known as the\u00a0Great Awakening<\/a> fueled interest both in religion and in religious liberty.<\/p>\n

During the\u00a0Seven Years’ War<\/a>\u00a0(1756\u20131763), known in the U.S. as the\u00a0French and Indian War<\/a>, British forces captured Canada from the French. With the creation of the\u00a0Province of Quebec<\/a>, Canada’s\u00a0francophone<\/a>\u00a0population would remain isolated from the English-speaking colonial dependencies of\u00a0Nova Scotia<\/a>,\u00a0Newfoundland<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0Thirteen Colonies<\/span>. Excluding the\u00a0Native Americans<\/a>\u00a0who lived there, the Thirteen Colonies had a population of over\u00a02.1 million<\/span> in 1770, about a third that of Britain. Despite continuing new arrivals, the rate of natural increase was such that by the 1770s only a small minority of Americans had been born overseas. The colonies’ distance from Britain had allowed the development of self-government, but their unprecedented success motivated British monarchs to periodically seek to reassert royal authority.<\/p>\n

Independence and expansion:<\/span><\/h3>\n

The\u00a0American Revolutionary War<\/a>\u00a0fought by the\u00a0Thirteen Colonies<\/a>\u00a0against the\u00a0British Empire<\/a>\u00a0was the first successful\u00a0war of independence<\/a>\u00a0by a non-European entity against a European power in\u00a0modern history<\/a>. Americans had developed an ideology of “republicanism<\/a>“, asserting that government rested on the will of the people as expressed in their local legislatures. They demanded their “rights as Englishmen<\/a>” and “no taxation without representation<\/a>“. The British insisted on administering the empire through Parliament, and the conflict escalated into war.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
Declaration of Independence<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The\u00a0Second Continental Congress<\/a>\u00a0unanimously adopted the\u00a0Declaration of Independence<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0July 4, 1776<\/span>; this day is celebrated annually as\u00a0Independence Day<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0In 1777, the\u00a0Articles of Confederation<\/a> established a decentralized government that operated until 1789.<\/p>\n

After its defeat at the\u00a0Siege of Yorktown<\/a>\u00a0in 1781, Britain signed a\u00a0peace treaty<\/a>. American sovereignty became internationally recognized, and the country was granted all lands east of the\u00a0Mississippi River<\/a>. Tensions with Britain remained, however, leading to the\u00a0War of 1812<\/a>, which was fought to a draw.<\/sup>\u00a0Nationalists led the\u00a0Philadelphia Convention<\/a>\u00a0of 1787 in writing the\u00a0United States Constitution<\/a>,\u00a0ratified<\/a>\u00a0in state conventions in 1788. The federal government was reorganized into three branches in 1789, on the principle of creating salutary checks and balances.\u00a0George Washington<\/a>, who had led the\u00a0Continental Army<\/a>\u00a0to victory, was the first\u00a0president<\/a>\u00a0elected under the new constitution. The\u00a0Bill of Rights<\/a>, forbidding federal restriction of\u00a0personal freedoms<\/a> and guaranteeing a range of legal protections, was adopted in 1791.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
Territorial acquisitions of the United States\u00a0between 1783 and 1917<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
Although the federal government <\/span>outlawed<\/a>\u00a0American participation in the Atlantic slave trade in 1807, after 1820, cultivation of the highly profitable cotton crop exploded in the\u00a0<\/span>Deep South<\/a>, and along with it, the slave population.<\/span>\u00a0The\u00a0<\/span>Second Great Awakening<\/a>, especially in the period 1800\u20131840, converted millions to\u00a0<\/span>evangelical<\/a>\u00a0Protestantism. In the North, it energized multiple social reform movements, including\u00a0<\/span>abolitionism<\/a>;<\/span><\/sup> in the South, Methodists and Baptists proselytized among slave populations.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Beginning in the late 18th century, American settlers began to\u00a0expand westward<\/a>,<\/sup>\u00a0prompting a long series of\u00a0American Indian Wars<\/a>. The 1803\u00a0Louisiana Purchase<\/a> almost doubled the nation’s area, Spain ceded Florida<\/a> and other Gulf Coast territory in 1819,\u00a0the\u00a0Republic of Texas<\/a>\u00a0was\u00a0annexed<\/a> in 1845 during a period of expansionism,\u00a0and the 1846\u00a0Oregon Treaty<\/a>\u00a0with Britain led to U.S. control of the present-day\u00a0American Northwest<\/a>.\u00a0Victory in the\u00a0Mexican\u2013American War<\/a>\u00a0resulted in the 1848\u00a0Mexican Cession<\/a>\u00a0of California and much of the present-day\u00a0American Southwest<\/a>, making the U.S. span the continent.<\/sup><\/p>\n

The\u00a0California Gold Rush<\/a>\u00a0of 1848\u20131849 spurred migration to the Pacific coast, which led to the\u00a0California Genocide<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0and the creation of additional western states.<\/sup>\u00a0The giving away of vast quantities of land to white European settlers as part of the\u00a0Homestead Acts<\/a>, nearly 10% of the total area of the United States, and to private railroad companies and colleges as part of\u00a0land grants<\/a>\u00a0spurred\u00a0economic development<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0After the Civil War, new transcontinental\u00a0railways<\/a>\u00a0made relocation easier for settlers, expanded internal trade, and increased conflicts with Native Americans.<\/sup>\u00a0In 1869, a new\u00a0Peace Policy<\/a>\u00a0nominally promised to protect Native Americans from abuses, avoid further war, and secure their eventual U.S. citizenship. Nonetheless, large-scale conflicts continued throughout the West into the 1900s.<\/p>\n

Civil War and Reconstruction era:<\/span><\/h3>\n
Irreconcilable sectional conflict regarding\u00a0the enslavement<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0Africans<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0African Americans<\/a>\u00a0ultimately led to the\u00a0American Civil War<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0With the\u00a01860 election<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0Republican<\/a>\u00a0Abraham Lincoln<\/a>, conventions in thirteen slave states declared secession and formed the\u00a0Confederate States of America<\/a>\u00a0(the “South” or the “Confederacy”), while the federal government (the “Union<\/a>“) maintained that secession was illegal.<\/sup>\u00a0In order to bring about this secession, military action was initiated by the secessionists, and the Union responded in kind. The ensuing war would become the deadliest military conflict in American history, resulting in the deaths of approximately 618,000 soldiers as well as many civilians.<\/sup>\u00a0The Union initially simply fought to keep the country united. Nevertheless, as casualties mounted after 1863 and Lincoln delivered his\u00a0Emancipation Proclamation<\/a>, the main purpose of the war from the Union’s viewpoint became the abolition of slavery. Indeed, when the Union ultimately won the war in April 1865, each of the states in the defeated South was required to ratify the\u00a0Thirteenth Amendment<\/a>, which prohibited slavery except as\u00a0penal labor<\/a>. Two other amendments were also ratified, ensuring citizenship for blacks and, at least in theory, voting rights for them as well.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
The Battle of Gettysburg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Reconstruction<\/a>\u00a0began in earnest following the war. While President Lincoln attempted to foster friendship and forgiveness between the Union and the former Confederacy,\u00a0his assassination<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0April 14, 1865<\/span>\u00a0drove a wedge between North and South again. Republicans in the federal government made it their goal to oversee the rebuilding of the South and to ensure the rights of African Americans. They persisted until the\u00a0Compromise of 1877<\/a>\u00a0when the Republicans agreed to cease protecting the rights of African Americans in the South in order for Democrats to concede the\u00a0presidential election of 1876<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Southern white Democrats, calling themselves “Redeemers<\/a>“, took control of the South after the end of Reconstruction, beginning the\u00a0nadir of American race relations<\/a>. From 1890 to 1910, the Redeemers established so-called\u00a0Jim Crow laws<\/a>,\u00a0disenfranchising<\/a>\u00a0most blacks and some poor whites throughout the region. Blacks would face\u00a0racial segregation<\/a>\u00a0nationwide, especially in the South.<\/sup>\u00a0They also occasionally experienced vigilante violence, including\u00a0lynching<\/a>.<\/sup><\/p>\n

<\/span>Further immigration, expansion, and industrialization:<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n

In the North, urbanization and an unprecedented <\/span>influx of immigrants<\/a>\u00a0from\u00a0<\/span>Southern<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Eastern Europe<\/a>\u00a0supplied a surplus of labor for the country’s industrialization and transformed its culture.<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0National infrastructure, including\u00a0<\/span>telegraph<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>transcontinental railroads<\/a>, spurred economic growth and greater settlement and development of the\u00a0<\/span>American Old West<\/a>. The later invention of\u00a0<\/span>electric light<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0<\/span>telephone<\/a> would also affect communication and urban life.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Ellis Island<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The United States fought\u00a0Indian Wars<\/a>\u00a0west of the Mississippi River from 1810 to at least 1890.[104]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Most of these conflicts ended with the cession of Native American territory and their confinement to\u00a0Indian reservations<\/a>. Additionally, the\u00a0Trail of Tears<\/a>\u00a0in the 1830s exemplified the\u00a0Indian removal policy<\/a>\u00a0that forcibly resettled Indians. This further expanded acreage under mechanical cultivation, increasing surpluses for international markets.<\/sup>\u00a0Mainland expansion also included the\u00a0purchase of Alaska<\/a>\u00a0from\u00a0Russia<\/a>\u00a0in 1867.<\/sup>\u00a0In 1893, pro-American elements in Hawaii\u00a0overthrew<\/a>\u00a0the\u00a0Hawaiian monarchy<\/a>\u00a0and formed the\u00a0Republic of Hawaii<\/a>, which the U.S.\u00a0annexed<\/a>\u00a0in 1898.\u00a0Puerto Rico<\/a>,\u00a0Guam<\/a>, and the\u00a0Philippines<\/a>\u00a0were ceded by Spain in the same year, following the\u00a0Spanish\u2013American War<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0American Samoa<\/a>\u00a0was acquired by the United States in 1900 after the end of the\u00a0Second Samoan Civil War<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0The\u00a0U.S. Virgin Islands<\/a> were purchased from Denmark in 1917.<\/p>\n

Rapid economic development<\/a>\u00a0during the late 19th and early 20th centuries fostered the rise of many prominent industrialists.\u00a0Tycoons<\/a>\u00a0like\u00a0Cornelius Vanderbilt<\/a>,\u00a0John D. Rockefeller<\/a>, and\u00a0Andrew Carnegie<\/a>\u00a0led the nation’s progress in the\u00a0railroad<\/a>,\u00a0petroleum<\/a>, and\u00a0steel<\/a>\u00a0industries. Banking became a major part of the economy, with\u00a0J. P. Morgan<\/a>\u00a0playing a notable role. The American economy boomed, becoming the world’s largest.<\/sup>\u00a0These dramatic changes were accompanied by social unrest and the rise of\u00a0populist<\/a>,\u00a0socialist<\/a>, and\u00a0anarchist<\/a>\u00a0movements.<\/sup>\u00a0This period eventually ended with the advent of the\u00a0Progressive Era<\/a>, which saw significant reforms including\u00a0women’s suffrage<\/a>,\u00a0alcohol prohibition<\/a>, regulation of consumer goods, and greater\u00a0antitrust measures<\/a> to ensure competition and attention to worker conditions.<\/sup><\/p>\n

<\/span>World War I, Great Depression, and World War II:<\/span><\/h3>\n
The United States remained neutral from the outbreak of <\/span>World War I<\/a>\u00a0in 1914 until 1917 when it joined the war as an “associated power” alongside the\u00a0<\/span>Allies of World War I<\/a>, helping to turn the tide against the\u00a0<\/span>Central Powers<\/a>. In 1919, President\u00a0<\/span>Woodrow Wilson<\/a>\u00a0took a leading diplomatic role at the\u00a0<\/span>Paris Peace Conference<\/a>\u00a0and advocated strongly for the U.S. to join the\u00a0<\/span>League of Nations<\/a>. However, the Senate refused to approve this and did not ratify the\u00a0<\/span>Treaty of Versailles<\/a> that established the League of Nations.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
The\u00a0Empire State Building<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
In 1920, the women’s rights movement won passage of a <\/span>constitutional amendment<\/a>\u00a0granting\u00a0<\/span>women’s suffrage<\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0The 1920s and 1930s saw the rise of\u00a0<\/span>radio<\/a>\u00a0for\u00a0<\/span>mass communication<\/a>\u00a0and the invention of early\u00a0<\/span>television<\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0The prosperity of the\u00a0<\/span>Roaring Twenties<\/a>\u00a0ended with the\u00a0<\/span>Wall Street Crash of 1929<\/a>\u00a0and the onset of the\u00a0<\/span>Great Depression<\/a>. After his election as president in 1932,\u00a0<\/span>Franklin D. Roosevelt<\/a>\u00a0responded with the\u00a0<\/span>New Deal<\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0The\u00a0<\/span>Great Migration<\/a>\u00a0of millions of African Americans out of the American South began before World War I and extended through the 1960s;<\/span>\u00a0whereas the\u00a0<\/span>Dust Bowl<\/a> of the mid-1930s impoverished many farming communities and spurred a new wave of western migration.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
At first effectively neutral during <\/span>World War II<\/a>, the United States began supplying materiel to the\u00a0<\/span>Allies<\/a>\u00a0in March 1941 through the\u00a0<\/span>Lend-Lease<\/a>\u00a0program. On\u00a0<\/span>December 7, 1941<\/span>, the\u00a0<\/span>Empire of Japan<\/a>\u00a0launched a surprise\u00a0<\/span>attack on Pearl Harbor<\/a>, prompting the United States to join the Allies against the\u00a0<\/span>Axis powers<\/a>, and in the following year, to\u00a0<\/span>intern<\/a>\u00a0about 120,000<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0U.S. residents (including American citizens) of Japanese descent.<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0Although Japan attacked the United States first, the U.S. nonetheless pursued a “<\/span>Europe first<\/a>” defense policy.<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0The United States thus left its vast Asian colony, the\u00a0<\/span>Philippines<\/a>, isolated and fighting a losing struggle against\u00a0<\/span>Japanese invasion and occupation<\/a>. During the war, the United States was one of the “<\/span>Four Powers<\/a>“<\/span><\/sup> who met to plan the postwar world, along with Britain, the Soviet Union, and China.<\/span>\u00a0Although the nation lost around 400,000 military personnel,<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0it emerged\u00a0<\/span>relatively undamaged<\/a> from the war with even greater economic and military influence.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
U.S. Marines\u00a0raising the American flag\u00a0on\u00a0Mount Suribachi\u00a0during the\u00a0Battle of Iwo Jima<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
The United States played a leading role in the <\/span>Bretton Woods<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>Yalta<\/a>\u00a0conferences, which signed agreements on new international financial institutions and Europe’s postwar reorganization. As an\u00a0<\/span>Allied victory was won in Europe<\/a>, a 1945\u00a0<\/span>international conference<\/a>\u00a0held in\u00a0<\/span>San Francisco<\/a>\u00a0produced the\u00a0<\/span>United Nations Charter<\/a>, which became active after the war.<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0The United States and Japan then fought each other in the largest naval battle in history, the\u00a0<\/span>Battle of Leyte Gulf<\/a>.<\/span><\/sup><\/sup>\u00a0The United States developed the\u00a0<\/span>first nuclear weapons<\/a>\u00a0and used them on Japan\u00a0<\/span>in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki<\/a>\u00a0in August 1945; the Japanese\u00a0<\/span>surrendered<\/a> on September 2, ending World War II.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Cold War and civil rights era:<\/span><\/h3>\n

After World War II, the United States and the\u00a0Soviet Union<\/a>\u00a0competed for power, influence, and prestige during what became known as the\u00a0Cold War<\/a>, driven by an ideological divide between\u00a0capitalism<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0communism<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0They dominated the military affairs of Europe, with the U.S. and its\u00a0NATO<\/a>\u00a0allies on one side and the Soviet Union and its\u00a0Warsaw Pact<\/a>\u00a0allies on the other. The U.S. developed a policy of\u00a0containment<\/a>\u00a0towards the expansion of communist influence. While the U.S. and Soviet Union engaged in\u00a0proxy wars<\/a> and developed powerful nuclear arsenals, the two countries avoided direct military conflict.<\/p>\n

The United States often opposed\u00a0Third World<\/a>\u00a0movements that it viewed as Soviet-sponsored and occasionally pursued direct action for\u00a0regime change<\/a>\u00a0against left-wing governments, occasionally supporting authoritarian right-wing regimes.<\/sup>\u00a0American troops fought communist\u00a0Chinese<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0North Korean<\/a>\u00a0forces in the\u00a0Korean War<\/a> of 1950\u20131953. The Soviet Union’s 1957 launch of the\u00a0first artificial satellite<\/a>\u00a0and its 1961 launch of the\u00a0first crewed spaceflight<\/a>\u00a0initiated a “Space Race<\/a>” in which the United States became the first nation to\u00a0land a man on the Moon<\/a>\u00a0in 1969.<\/sup>\u00a0The United States became increasingly involved in the\u00a0Vietnam War<\/a> (1955\u20131975), introducing combat forces in 1965.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
Martin Luther King Jr.\u00a0gives his famous “I Have a Dream” speech at the\u00a0Lincoln Memorial\u00a0during the\u00a0March on Washington, 1963<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
At home, the U.S. had experienced\u00a0sustained economic expansion<\/a>\u00a0and a\u00a0rapid growth of its population<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0middle class<\/a> following World War II. After a surge in female labor participation, especially in the 1970s, by 1985, the majority of women aged 16 and over were employed.\u00a0Construction of an\u00a0Interstate Highway System<\/a>\u00a0transformed the nation’s infrastructure over the following decades. Millions moved from farms and\u00a0inner cities<\/a>\u00a0to large\u00a0suburban<\/a> housing developments.\u00a0In 1959, the United States formally expanded beyond the\u00a0contiguous United States<\/a>\u00a0when the territories of\u00a0Alaska<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Hawaii<\/a>\u00a0became, respectively, the 49th and 50th states admitted into the Union.<\/sup>\u00a0The growing\u00a0Civil Rights Movement<\/a>\u00a0used\u00a0nonviolence<\/a>\u00a0to confront segregation and discrimination, with\u00a0Martin Luther King Jr.<\/a> becoming a prominent leader and figurehead. A combination of court decisions and legislation, culminating in the\u00a0Civil Rights Act of 1968<\/a>, sought to end racial discrimination.\u00a0Meanwhile, a\u00a0counterculture movement<\/a>\u00a0grew, which was fueled by\u00a0opposition to the Vietnam war<\/a>, the\u00a0Black Power movement<\/a>, and the\u00a0sexual revolution<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
U.S. president\u00a0Ronald Reagan\u00a0(left) and\u00a0Soviet general secretary\u00a0Mikhail Gorbachev\u00a0in Geneva, 1985<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
\n

The launch of a “War on Poverty<\/a>” expanded entitlements and welfare spending, including the creation of\u00a0Medicare<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Medicaid<\/a>, two programs that provide health coverage to the elderly and poor, respectively, and the\u00a0means-tested<\/a>\u00a0Food Stamp Program<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Aid to Families with Dependent Children<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The 1970s and early 1980s saw the onset of\u00a0stagflation<\/a>. The United States supported Israel during the\u00a0Yom Kippur War<\/a>; in response, the country faced an oil embargo from\u00a0OPEC<\/a>\u00a0nations, sparking the\u00a01973 oil crisis<\/a>. In 1979, President\u00a0Jimmy Carter<\/a>\u00a0brokered\u00a0a peace treaty<\/a>\u00a0between\u00a0Egypt<\/a> and Israel, marking the first time an Arab nation recognized Israeli existence. After his election, President\u00a0Ronald Reagan<\/a>\u00a0responded to economic stagnation with\u00a0free-market oriented reforms<\/a>. Following the collapse of\u00a0d\u00e9tente<\/a>, he abandoned “containment” and initiated the more aggressive “rollback<\/a>” strategy towards the Soviet Union.\u00a0The late 1980s brought a “thaw<\/a>” in relations with the Soviet Union, and\u00a0its collapse<\/a> in 1991 finally ended the Cold War.\u00a0This brought about\u00a0unipolarity<\/a><\/sup> with the U.S. unchallenged as the world’s dominant superpower.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Contemporary history:<\/span><\/h3>\n
\n

After the\u00a0Cold War<\/a>, the conflict in the Middle East triggered a crisis in 1990, when\u00a0Iraq<\/a>\u00a0invaded and annexed Kuwait<\/a>, an ally of the United States. Fearing the spread of instability, in August, President\u00a0George H. W. Bush<\/a>\u00a0launched and led the\u00a0Gulf War<\/a>\u00a0against Iraq; waged until January 1991 by\u00a0coalition forces<\/a> from 34 nations, it ended in the expulsion of Iraqi forces from Kuwait and restoration of the monarchy.<\/p>\n

Originating within\u00a0U.S. military defense networks<\/a>, the\u00a0Internet<\/a>\u00a0spread to international academic platforms and then to the public in the 1990s, greatly affecting the global economy, society, and culture.<\/sup>\u00a0Due to the\u00a0dot-com boom<\/a>, stable monetary policy, and\u00a0reduced social welfare spending<\/a>, the 1990s saw the\u00a0longest economic expansion<\/a>\u00a0in modern U.S. history.<\/sup>\u00a0Beginning in 1994, the U.S. signed the\u00a0North American Free Trade Agreement<\/a> (NAFTA), causing trade among the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to soar.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
The\u00a0World Trade Center\u00a0in\u00a0Lower Manhattan\u00a0during the\u00a0September 11\u00a0terrorist attacks\u00a0by the\u00a0Islamic terrorist\u00a0group\u00a0Al-Qaeda\u00a0in 2001<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
On <\/span>September 11, 2001<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>Al-Qaeda<\/a>\u00a0terrorist hijackers flew passenger planes into the\u00a0<\/span>World Trade Center<\/a>\u00a0in New York City and\u00a0<\/span>the Pentagon<\/a> near Washington, D.C., killing nearly 3,000 people. <\/span>In response, President\u00a0<\/span>George W. Bush<\/a>\u00a0launched the\u00a0<\/span>War on Terror<\/a>, which included a\u00a0<\/span>war in Afghanistan<\/a>\u00a0and the 2003\u20132011\u00a0<\/span>Iraq War<\/a>.<\/span> A 2011 military operation in Pakistan led to the <\/span>death of the leader of Al-Qaeda<\/a>.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Government policy designed to promote affordable housing,<\/sup> widespread failures in corporate and regulatory governance,\u00a0and historically low interest rates set by the Federal Reserve<\/sup>\u00a0led to the\u00a0mid-2000s housing bubble<\/a>, which culminated with the\u00a02008 financial crisis<\/a>, the nation’s largest economic contraction since the Great Depression.<\/sup> During the crisis, assets owned by Americans lost about a quarter of their value. Barack Obama<\/a>, the first\u00a0multiracial<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0president, with\u00a0African-American<\/a>\u00a0ancestry<\/sup>\u00a0was elected in 2008<\/a>\u00a0amid the crisis,<\/sup>\u00a0and subsequently passed\u00a0stimulus measures<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0Dodd\u2013Frank Act<\/a>\u00a0in an attempt to mitigate its negative effects and ensure there would not be a repeat of the crisis. In 2010, President Obama led efforts to pass the\u00a0Affordable Care Act<\/a>, the most sweeping reform to the\u00a0nation’s healthcare system<\/a> in nearly five decades.<\/p>\n

In the\u00a0presidential election of 2016<\/a>, Republican\u00a0Donald Trump<\/a>\u00a0was elected as the\u00a045th<\/a>\u00a0president of the United States, a result viewed as one of the biggest political upsets since\u00a0the 1948 election<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0In the\u00a0presidential election of 2020<\/a>, Democrat\u00a0Joe Biden<\/a>\u00a0was elected as the 46th president.<\/sup>\u00a0On January 6, 2021, supporters of outgoing President Trump\u00a0stormed the United States Capitol<\/a> in an unsuccessful effort to disrupt the presidential Electoral College vote count.<\/p>\n

Geography:<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
Topographic Map of the United States<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The\u00a0<\/span>48 contiguous states<\/a>\u00a0and the District of Columbia occupy a combined area of 3,119,885 square miles (8,080,470\u00a0km<\/span>2<\/sup>). Of this area, 2,959,064 square miles (7,663,940\u00a0km<\/span>2<\/sup>) is contiguous land, composing 83.65% of total U.S. land area.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Hawaii<\/a>, occupying an archipelago in the central\u00a0<\/span>Pacific<\/a>, southwest of North America, is 10,931 square miles (28,311\u00a0km<\/span>2<\/sup>) in area. The five populated but unincorporated territories of\u00a0<\/span>Puerto Rico<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>American Samoa<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>Guam<\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>Northern Mariana Islands<\/a>, and\u00a0<\/span>U.S. Virgin Islands<\/a>\u00a0together cover 9,185 square miles (23,789\u00a0km<\/span>2<\/sup>).<\/span>\u00a0Measured by only land area, the United States is third in size behind Russia and China, just ahead of Canada.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

The United States is the world’s\u00a0third- or fourth-largest nation by total area<\/a> (land and water), ranking behind Russia and Canada and nearly equal to China. The ranking varies depending on how two territories disputed by China and India are counted, and how the total size of the United States is measured.<\/sup><\/p>\n

The\u00a0coastal plain<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0Atlantic<\/a>\u00a0seaboard gives way further inland to\u00a0deciduous<\/a>\u00a0forests and the rolling hills of the\u00a0Piedmont<\/a>.\u00a0The\u00a0Appalachian Mountains<\/a>\u00a0divide the eastern seaboard from the\u00a0Great Lakes<\/a>\u00a0and the grasslands of the\u00a0Midwest<\/a>. The\u00a0Mississippi<\/a>\u2013Missouri River<\/a>, the world’s\u00a0fourth longest river system<\/a>, runs mainly north\u2013south through the heart of the country. The flat, fertile\u00a0prairie<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0Great Plains<\/a>\u00a0stretches to the west, interrupted by\u00a0a highland region<\/a> in the southeast.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Denali<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The\u00a0Rocky Mountains<\/a>, west of the Great Plains, extend north to south across the country, peaking around 14,000 feet (4,300\u00a0m) in\u00a0Colorado<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0Farther west are the rocky\u00a0Great Basin<\/a>\u00a0and deserts such as the\u00a0Chihuahua<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Mojave<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0The\u00a0Sierra Nevada<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Cascade<\/a>\u00a0mountain ranges run close to the\u00a0Pacific coast<\/a>, both ranges reaching altitudes higher than 14,000 feet (4,300\u00a0m). The\u00a0lowest and highest points<\/a>\u00a0in the\u00a0contiguous<\/a>\u00a0United States are in the state of\u00a0California<\/a>,<\/sup>\u00a0and only about 84 miles (135\u00a0km) apart.<\/sup>\u00a0At an elevation of 20,310 feet (6,190.5\u00a0m), Alaska’s\u00a0Denali<\/a> is the highest peak in the country and in North America.<\/sup>\u00a0Active\u00a0volcanoes<\/a>\u00a0are common throughout Alaska’s\u00a0Alexander<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Aleutian Islands<\/a>, and Hawaii consists of volcanic islands. The\u00a0supervolcano<\/a>\u00a0underlying\u00a0Yellowstone National Park<\/a>\u00a0in the\u00a0Rockies<\/a> is the continent’s largest volcanic feature.<\/p>\n

Economy:<\/h2>\n

According to the\u00a0International Monetary Fund<\/a>, the U.S. GDP of\u00a0$22.7 trillion<\/span>\u00a0constitutes 24% of the\u00a0gross world product<\/a>\u00a0at market exchange rates and over 16% of the gross world product at\u00a0purchasing power parity<\/a>.\u00a0The United States is the\u00a0largest importer<\/a>\u00a0of goods and\u00a0second-largest exporter<\/a>,<\/sup>\u00a0though\u00a0exports per capita<\/a>\u00a0are relatively low. In 2010, the total\u00a0U.S. trade deficit<\/a>\u00a0was\u00a0$635 billion<\/span>.<\/sup> Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, and Germany are its top trading partners.<\/p>\n

From 1983 to 2008, U.S. real compounded annual GDP growth was 3.3%, compared to a 2.3% weighted average for the rest of the\u00a0G7<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0The country ranks fifth in the world in\u00a0nominal GDP per capita<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0and seventh in\u00a0GDP per capita at PPP<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0The\u00a0U.S. dollar<\/a>\u00a0is the world’s primary\u00a0reserve currency<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
United States Exports Treemap 2019<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/sup>In 2009, the\u00a0private sector<\/a>\u00a0was estimated to constitute 86.4% of the economy.<\/sup>\u00a0While its economy has reached a\u00a0postindustrial<\/a>\u00a0level of development, the United States remains an industrial power.<\/sup>\u00a0In August 2010, the American labor force consisted of\u00a0154.1 million<\/span>\u00a0people (50%). With\u00a021.2 million<\/span>\u00a0people, government is the leading field of employment. The largest private employment sector is health care and social assistance, with\u00a016.4 million<\/span>\u00a0people. It has a smaller\u00a0welfare state<\/a> and redistributes less income through government action than most European nations.<\/p>\n

The United States is the only\u00a0advanced economy<\/a>\u00a0that does not\u00a0guarantee its workers paid vacation<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0and is one of a few countries in the world without\u00a0paid family leave<\/a>\u00a0as a legal right.<\/sup>\u00a074% of full-time American workers get paid sick leave, according to the\u00a0Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a>, although only 24% of part-time workers get the same benefits.<\/sup>\u00a0In 2009, the United States had the third-highest\u00a0workforce productivity<\/a>\u00a0per person in the world, behind\u00a0Luxembourg<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Norway<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Transportation:<\/h2>\n

Personal transportation is dominated by automobiles, which operate on a network of 4\u00a0million miles (6.4\u00a0million kilometers) of public roads.<\/sup>\u00a0The United States has the world’s second-largest automobile market,<\/sup> and has the highest vehicle ownership per capita in the world, with 816.4 vehicles per 1,000 Americans (2014). In 2017, there were 255,009,283 non-two wheel motor vehicles, or about 910 vehicles per 1,000 people.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Interstate Highway System<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The\u00a0civil airline industry<\/a>\u00a0is entirely privately owned and has been largely\u00a0deregulated since 1978<\/a>, while\u00a0most major airports<\/a>\u00a0are publicly owned.<\/sup>\u00a0The three largest airlines in the world by passengers carried are U.S.-based;\u00a0American Airlines<\/a>\u00a0is number one after its 2013 acquisition by\u00a0US Airways<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0Of the\u00a0world’s 50 busiest passenger airports<\/a>, 16 are in the United States, including the busiest,\u00a0Hartsfield\u2013Jackson Atlanta International Airport<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The United States has the\u00a0longest rail network<\/a>\u00a0in the world, nearly all\u00a0standard gauge<\/a>. The network handles mostly freight, with intercity passenger service provided by the government-subsidized\u00a0Amtrak<\/a> to all but four states.<\/p>\n

Transport is the largest single source of\u00a0greenhouse gas emissions by the United States<\/a>, which are the second highest by country, exceeded only by\u00a0China’s<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0The United States has historically been the world’s largest producer of greenhouse gases, and\u00a0greenhouse gas emissions per capita<\/a>\u00a0remain high.<\/p>\n

Flag of the United States:<\/h2>\n

The\u00a0flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the\u00a0American flag\u00a0or the\u00a0U.S. flag, is the\u00a0national flag<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0United States<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Flag of the United States<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the\u00a0canton<\/a>\u00a0(referred to specifically as the “union”) bearing fifty small, white,\u00a0five-pointed stars<\/a>\u00a0arranged in nine offset horizontal rows, where rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternate with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50\u00a0states of the United States of America<\/a>, and the 13 stripes represent the\u00a0thirteen British colonies<\/a>\u00a0that declared independence from the\u00a0Kingdom of Great Britain<\/a>, and became the first states in the U.S.<\/sup>\u00a0Nicknames for the flag include the\u00a0Stars and Stripes,<\/sup><\/sup>\u00a0Old Glory,<\/sup>\u00a0and the\u00a0Star-Spangled Banner.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the American flag or the U.S. flag, is the national flag of the United States. It consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton (referred to specifically as the “union”) bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows, where rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternate with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 states of the United States of America, and the 13 stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain, and became the first states in the U.S. Nicknames for the flag include the Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, and the Star-Spangled Banner.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9695,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[66,16,8,9,59,5,6,7,29,41,30,60,40],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9155"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9155"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9155\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9696,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9155\/revisions\/9696"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}