Early United States history
Photo: Humberto Moreno, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The United States has existed longer as an independent country than most other countries in the world. Thousands of years after Native Americans settled the continent, the British established Thirteen Colonies along the Atlantic coast. These colonies declared independence in 1776, and were recognized by their mother country as independent in 1783. From there, the fledgling republic set out to expand across the North American continent, until it nearly tore itself apart.
This article starts with the first European settlement in the 1500s. It covers the colonial era, the American Revolution, and the early republic up until the outbreak of civil war in 1861.
UnderstandFollowing the first voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1492, the Spanish Empire and the Portuguese Empire were the first Europeans to claim land in the New World.
Itineraries
See also
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Early United States history" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Humberto Moreno, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons