53 topics · Updated 2026-09-17
The capital of the United States is Washington, D.C. The Statue of Liberty is in New York Harbor on Liberty Island (also acceptable: New Jersey, near New York City, on the Hudson River).
The flag has 13 stripes because there were 13 original colonies, which the stripes represent. It has 50 stars because there is one star for each of the 50 states.
The national anthem is 'The Star-Spangled Banner.' The Nation's first motto was 'E Pluribus Unum,' meaning 'Out of many, one' (we all become one).
Independence Day celebrates U.S. independence from Britain.
The U.S. has many national holidays.
Native Americans lived in North and South America for thousands of years before Europeans arrived. Millions died from disease and conflict after European arrival.
Spain was first to send ships across the Atlantic. England created Jamestown in 1607, its first permanent settlement, starting the Colonial Period (1607-1776).
European countries took people from Africa to the Americas and sold them as slaves. The first enslaved Africans arrived in Jamestown in 1619.
The flag has 13 stripes because there were 13 original colonies; the stripes represent the original colonies.
The flag has 50 stars because there is one star for each state — each star represents a state, and there are 50 states.
The name of the national anthem is 'The Star-Spangled Banner.'
The United States is a republic—a constitution-based federal republic and representative democracy. The supreme law of the land is the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution forms the government, defines its powers and parts, and protects the rights of the people.
The Constitution begins with 'We the People,' meaning self-government, popular sovereignty, consent of the governed, and social contract. Changes to the Constitution are made through amendments (the amendment process). The Constitution has 27 amendments.
The Bill of Rights protects the basic rights of Americans and people living in the U.S. The Declaration of Independence said America was free from British control and that all people are created equal, identifying inherent rights and individual freedoms. The phrase 'Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness' is in the Declaration of Independence.
The economic system of the United States is capitalism / a free market economy. The rule of law means everyone must follow the law, leaders and government must obey the law, and no one is above the law.
There are three branches of government so that no single part becomes too powerful, providing checks and balances and separation of powers. The three branches are the legislative (Congress), executive (President), and judicial (courts).
Important ideas from the Declaration of Independence and Constitution include equality, liberty, social contract, natural rights, limited government, and self-government. Documents that influenced the Constitution include the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, Federalist Papers, Anti-Federalist Papers, Virginia Declaration of Rights, Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, Mayflower Compact, and Iroquois Great Law of Peace.
The colonists fought the British because they did not have self-government and objected to taxation without representation. The war lasted 1775-1783.
The Declaration of Independence was adopted July 4, 1776, and announced independence from Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson wrote it.
The Declaration states everyone has the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The 13 colonies became the 13 original states.
Benjamin Franklin was a Founder famous as a diplomat who negotiated the 1783 treaty with Great Britain, among other accomplishments.
Independence Day celebrates U.S. independence from Britain (the country's birthday). National U.S. holidays include New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Memorial Day is a holiday to honor soldiers who died in military service. Veterans Day is a holiday to honor people in the U.S. military and people who have served in the U.S. military.
We celebrate Independence Day on July 4.
National U.S. holidays include New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Naming two is required.
Congress (the U.S. legislature/legislative branch) writes the laws. Its two parts are the Senate and the House of Representatives. Powers of Congress include writing laws, declaring war, and making the federal budget.
There are 100 U.S. senators—two per state—regardless of population, ensuring equal representation (the Great Compromise / Connecticut Compromise). A senator's term is 6 years. Senators represent all people/citizens of their state and are elected by their state's citizens.
There are 435 voting members in the House of Representatives. A representative's term is 2 years—shorter than senators' to more closely follow public opinion. Representatives represent the people of their congressional district. States have different numbers of representatives based on population.
The President is in charge of the executive branch and is elected for a 4-year term, limited to two terms by the 22nd Amendment (to prevent too much power). If the President can no longer serve, the Vice President becomes President. Presidential powers include signing or vetoing bills, enforcing laws, serving as Commander in Chief, acting as chief diplomat, and appointing federal judges.
The judicial branch reviews and explains laws, resolves disputes about the law, and decides if a law violates the Constitution. The highest court is the Supreme Court. It has 9 seats; usually 5 justices are needed to decide a case. Justices serve for life (lifetime appointment) to remain independent of politics.
The executive branch includes the President, the Cabinet, and federal departments and agencies. The Cabinet advises the President. Cabinet-level positions include Attorney General; Secretaries of State, Treasury, Defense (War), Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs; and the Vice President, among others.
The Electoral College is important because it decides who is elected President. It provides a compromise between the popular election of the President and congressional selection.
In 1787 leaders met in Philadelphia to write the Constitution, 11 years after the Declaration. George Washington was elected the first President.
In 1803 the U.S. purchased the Louisiana Territory from France, adding land between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains.
Over 500 American Indian tribes exist in the U.S. today. The Trail of Tears forced five southern nations to relocate.
The Mexican-American War (1846-1848) was one war fought in the 1800s. The U.S. gained southwestern territory from Mexico.
Westward expansion and disagreements over slavery led toward the Civil War. Problems included slavery, economic reasons, and states' rights.
The Civil War (1861-1865) was fought between the North and the South. A main problem was slavery, with Southern states forming the Confederacy.
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President, led the U.S. during the Civil War and signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
The Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves in most Southern states. The 13th Amendment made slavery illegal; Juneteenth marks the end of slavery.
Susan B. Anthony fought for women's rights and against slavery. Frederick Douglass was a leading civil rights figure who escaped slavery.
The Great Depression was the worst economic period in U.S. history. The U.S. has a capitalist/market economy.
Franklin Roosevelt was President during the Great Depression and World War II. The 22nd Amendment limits Presidents to two terms.
The U.S. fought in World War II (1941-1945) after Pearl Harbor. The U.S. fought Japan, Germany, and Italy.
The Civil Rights Movement worked to end racial discrimination. Martin Luther King, Jr. was its leader; laws like the Civil Rights Act (1964) resulted.
On September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked the United States, hijacking planes that hit the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
World War I (1914-1918) was one war the U.S. fought in the 1900s. Woodrow Wilson was President during the war. Veterans Day marks its end.
After WWII the U.S. and Soviet Union entered the Cold War. The main U.S. concern was the spread of communism.
The flag has 13 stripes for the original colonies and 50 stars for the states. It is a symbol of freedom.
The Pledge of Allegiance shows loyalty to the flag and the United States. The national anthem is 'The Star-Spangled Banner.'
Federal holidays include Independence Day, Juneteenth, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
The Statue of Liberty is in New York Harbor on Liberty Island. France gave it to the U.S. in 1886 as a symbol of freedom and friendship.
Ellis Island (New York) and Angel Island (California) were major immigration stations processing millions of immigrants.
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