United States of America

United States of America
Established in 1776
Flag	Coat of Arms
Capital	Washington, D.C.
Government	Constitutional Republic
Language	English (unofficial)
President	Barack Hussein Obama
Area	3,718,695 sq mi
Population	301,554,000 (2007)
GDP per capita	$44,333 (2007)
Currency	United States Dollar (USD)

The United States of America (conventional short form: United States; abbreviation: US or USA; sometimes also referred to as the States or simply as America) is a North American nation that consists of a federal union of fifty individual states, along with territories and a capital district. Founded originally as 13 colonies in the British Empire, Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country on July 4, 1776 with the Declaration of Independence. The new nation became recognized as the United States of America following the War of Independence in 1783. Shortly thereafter, in 1787, the United States Constitution was written; grounded on Christian values and republican political principles, the constitution remains in effect today. The Americans created the world's first political parties and, since abolishing slavery in a bloody civil war (1861-65), instituted a form of government guided by the rule of law rather than the desires of a majority of voters. According to the U.S. Constitution written by America's Founding Fathers, the United States is a Constitutional Republic. It is not a Democracy.

America's capitalist economy grew rapidly, becoming the largest in the world by the 1870s. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. After defeating Communism in the Cold War, the U.S. emerged as the world's only superpower, boasting the largest economy and most powerful military. It exerts enormous cultural and intellectual influence worldwide, and in return is the target of the enemies of democracy and capitalism.

The capital of the United States of America is Washington, DC.

Geography

For a more detailed treatment, see North America.

North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, is between Canada and Mexico. In addition to the boundaries of the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, the United States is otherwise bounded by the Bering Sea, the Arctic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Two of the fifty states, Alaska and Hawaii (an archipelago), are not contiguous with any of the other states. Puerto Rico, which is largely self governing, is part of the U.S., as are several smaller territories in the Pacific Ocean, such as Guam. Each of the 50 states has a large degree of sovereignty, but the boundaries are debated and shift slightly every year.

At over 3.7 million square miles (over 9.6 million km²), the U.S. (including its non-contiguous and overseas states and territories) is the third largest country by total area. It is the world's third most populous nation, with over 350 million people.

History

American Revolution

For a more detailed treatment, see American Revolution.

The American Revolution exploded from fears the British Empire was trying to restrict the historic rights and liberties of Americans. The British victory in the French and Indian War ended the threat that foreign powers might attack the colonies; Britain's protection was no longer needed. At the same time Britain decided to assert its powers by imposing taxes. The taxes (as on stamps, sugar, and tea) were not large but the principle was simple: Americans insisted their own legislatures could impose taxes but not Parliament, because Americans were not represented there. "No taxation without representation!" and "Don't tread on me" became common phrases in America by the American people, but the British refused over and over again to accept it. London sent in troops when Boston protested vehemently, and Americans organized shadow governments in every colony.

The Americans were adopting a new political philosophy, called republicanism, which stressed civic virtue, fear of corruption, and disdain for aristocracy (there were no aristocrats in America apart from occasional British visitors). Republicanism alerted Americans to their constitutional rights as Englishmen – one right was that the people, through their elected officials, set the taxes and upheld law. Constitutionally, to Americans their "elected officials" were not represented in the British Parliament, it meant having their own colonial legislatures. The British replied haughtily toward this desire from the Americans, going so far as to suggest America was "virtually represented" by the British Parliament in some way or form.

Boston Tea Party

For a more detailed treatment, see Boston Tea Party.

The British Parliaments idea of representation in America fueled their desire to increase taxes on the Americans. The tax on stamps in 1765 incited near rebellion, as the 13 separate colonies began meeting together and sharing their grievances. The stamp tax was repealed but others followed, especially the tax on tea. In response, Americans boycotted tea and merchants refused to order it, except in Boston. There, a well-organized group of patriots dumped the tea in the harbor, historically known as the Boston Tea Party. These events infuriated London, so they sent troops to North America and stripped Massachusetts of its self government and suspended the historic rights the colonists were so proud of.

Thirteen Colonies

For a more detailed treatment, see Thirteen Colonies.

The thirteen original colonies began organizing shadow governments, called "Committees of Correspondence," which prepared the Americans for the day "patriots" (or "Whigs," as they called themselves) could assume all functions of local government. That day came when the British sent troops from Boston to seize gunpowder in attempt to dismantle a potential revolt, and the American patriots gathered there to defend their liberty. These patriots were known as the American "Minute men," a well trained militia, and had planned for this day at Lexington and Concord. When the militia clashed with the elite British troops they soundly defeated them, prompting an historic backlash from Britain. The American Revolution had begun.

The thirteen colonies, organized as the "First Continental Congress," became a national government as the shadow governments in each colony took control and ousted all royal officials. Congress set up a Continental Army and gave command to an American hero and Virginia's leader, George Washington. George Washington took charge in Boston, and he forced the British to leave in the spring of 1776. All 13 colonies were at this point in control of the American Patriots, and they listened as Tom Paine explained Common Sense principles, proudly boasting of America's strength and its power as a new nation. America, in its own right as an individual nation no longer needed nor wanted a foreign King. Congress called on the colonies to become States and to write new State constitutions. On July 4, 1776, Congress unanimously declared the independence of a new nation, the United States of America.

France in the American Revolutionary War

King George III could not abide the insolent Americans and he sent his small army and large navy to America in attempt to reconquer his lost colonies. They were able to recapture New York City, but the King's failure to spread elsewhere greatly outweighed this small victory. The powerful Royal navy gave the British command of the seas and the ability to land troops anywhere and capture any specific place, but the shortage of British soldiers, and the very long 3000 mile supply line, meant that the British could only hold a few points at any one time. Hiring German soldiers (Hessians) was necessary, but they were not enough, for the Patriots always had more available soldiers. The British expectations that Loyalist would rise up and overthrow the Patriots was a chimera; the Loyalists did provide some help to British invasion forces, but were never strong enough to operate on their own or control any territory.

France, humiliated by Britain in the 1760s, was stronger in the late 1770's than it was a decade earlier and wanted revenge against the British for their past woes. Thus, the French secretly armed and financed the Americans. In 1777, the British sent a large army to invade New York and cut off the revolutionary states of New England. The plan was a disaster as the American militia captured the entire British invasion force at Saratoga. Encouraged by diplomat Benjamin Franklin, the French recognized the United States as an independent nation, signed a treaty of alliance, and entered the war against Britain. Later, the treaty extended to Spain and the Netherlands as allies to America; Britain's diplomacy was disjointed that it had no allies at all, and was militarily matched or surpassed by America and its new allies. The British invasion of the South in 1780-81 was designed to bring out Loyalist support, but it failed and the second major British army was captured at the Battle of Yorktown. The British Parliament revolted at their reckless king and his incompetent government and sued for peace, which was achieved on terms favorable to the U.S. in 1783. About 20% of the Loyalists moved to Canada, but many stayed in America, and the new peaceful nation resumed its rapid growth.

New Nation

In 1783, when the Treaty of Paris concluded the war of independence, the American population totalled some three million citizens and slaves living on about one million square miles of land. Tens of thousands of Native Americans also lived in the Northwest Territory and the Southwest.

The Thirteen original states are Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts (including maine), New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Virginia. In 1790, an agreement between supporters of Jefferson and those of Alexander Hamilton resulted in the creation of the District of Columbia from part of Maryland; it has served as the national capital since 1800. The remainder of the 1783 territory was eventually organized as the states of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama.

Expansion

In 1803, French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte took advantage of a lull in his war with Great Britain to sell the Louisiana Territory to the United States, more than doubling the nation's land area. This territory would later be organized as the states of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana proper. President Jefferson commissioned Lewis and Clark to explore the new territory from 1802 to 1804.

The U.S. seized, then purchased Florida from Spain in 1819. Texas joined the United States in 1845 after winning its revolution against Mexico.

After victory the Mexican American War of 1846-48, the U.S. purchased via the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo territory that became the states of California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. In 1846 the U.S. and Britain agreed that the 49th Parallel (degree of latitude) would serve as the boundary between the U. S. and British Columbia (now part of Canada). The American portion became the states of Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

In 1867, the U.S. purchased Alaska from Russia. It became a state in 1959.

Hawaii became an independent republic in 1894 and voluntarily joined the U.S. in 1898, becoming a state in 1960.

As a result of the Spanish-American War, the United States took control of the Philippines and annexed Puerto Rico and Guam. The Phillipines became independent in 1946, after the U.S. reconquered the islands from Japan in World War II. Puerto Rico has occasionally held referenda that ratified its continuing unique "Commonwealth" status as part of the United States. The residents of Puerto Rico are U.S. citizens. Guam continues as a U.S. owned territory with full citizenship for its inhabitants. The people of Puerto Rico and Guam have a vote in presidential primaries and a voice, but not a vote, in Congress.

The Constitution and Politics in the United States

The drafting committee presenting the Declaration of Independence to the Continental Congress, painted by John Trumbull 1817–1819.

Between 1776 and 1788, the United States was governed according to the Articles of Confederation. The Founding Fathers formally established the current structure of the United States by ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1788. Since 1789, that constitution has been the basic governing document. America's Founding Fathers understood that a democracy is always in flux and given to “mob rule,” while a republic is fixed and stable, resting on “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.” Because of the uncertainty of democracy, Benjamin Rush — a signer of the Declaration of Independence — wrote: “A simple democracy is one of the greatest of evils.”

Sovereignty in America comes from the citizenry, and the basic political values are called "republicanism," (not to be confused with the Republican Party,) especially the commitment to civic virtue and civic duty, and opposition to corruption and aristocracy. Popular political parties emerged in the United States in the 1790s; currently the two major political parties are the Democratic Party, and the Republican Party. Minor parties are of little importance.

The Role of Religion in Government

For a more detailed treatment, see Religion and U.S. Government.

Government

For a more detailed treatment, see United States Federal Government.

The White House, the official home and workplace of the President of the United States of America.

Executive Branch

• Chief of state: The President of the United States is both the chief of state and head of government
• Head of government: President of the United States; Vice President of the United States
• Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate approval
• Elections: The president and vice president serve four-year terms (eligible for a second term)

Legislative Branch

The United States legislative branch of government is a bicameral Congress, which consists of the Senate (100 seats, 2 members are elected from each state by popular vote to serve six-year terms; one-third are elected every two years) and the House of Representatives (435 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms).

Judicial Branch

For a more detailed treatment, see Supreme Court of the United States.

The United States Supreme Court consists of nine justices, nominated by the president and confirmed with the advice and consent of the Senate. Members of the Supreme Court are appointed to serve for life; the judicial branch extends to the United States Courts of Appeal, the United States District Courts, and State and County Courts. The primary role of the nine justices of the Supreme Court is to assure the United States government does not attempt to surrender, sell or transfer the people's unalienable rights given by God. The Supreme Court has the power to consider the constitutionality of laws passed by Congress.

2010 Federal Holidays

The table below lists public holidays for U.S. Federal employees for 2010.

Date	Holiday
Friday, Jan. 1	New Year’s Day
Monday, Jan. 18	Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Monday, Feb. 15*	Washington’s Birthday
Monday, May 31	Memorial Day
Monday, July 5**	Independence Day
Monday, Sept. 6	Labor Day
Monday, Oct. 11	Columbus Day
Thursday, Nov. 11	Veterans Day
Thursday, Nov. 25	Thanksgiving Day
Friday, Dec. 24***	Christmas Day

Flag Description

The Flag of the United States of America

For a more detailed treatment, see Flag of the United States of America.

Thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies; known as Old Glory; the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico.

Also See

• Pledge of Allegiance
• Famous American artists
• List of 50 states
• Americas
• America (continent)
• Columbia

External links

• CIA - The World FactBook
• America
• Flags of the U.S. States
• Interactive map test of the 50 U.S. states
• U.S. History