The history of the US begins with aboriginal peoples (today called Native Americans, American Indians or Amerindians) who inhabited the land long before any European explorers arrived. Explorers started landing in what is now the United States at the end of 15th century, but it was not until 1607 that English settlers arrived in what is now Jamestown, Virginia. It was in this area on the James River that English colonization began.
The United States of America started as thirteen colonies, along the eastern coast. In the 1770s, American colonists fought off the British army in the American Revolutionary War and issued the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The Declaration of Independence, a statement adopted by the Continental Congress, announced that the thirteen American colonies were now independent states, and thus no longer a part of the British Empire. Seven years later, the signing of the Treaty of Paris officially recognized America's independence from Britain. The thirteen founding states were Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
In the nineteenth century, westward expansion of United States territory began, upon the belief of Manifest Destiny, in which the United States would occupy all the North American land east to west, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans. By 1912, with the admission of Arizona to the Union, the US reached that goal. The outlying states, Alaska and Hawaii, were both admitted in 1959.
US History Fast Facts
1492 Christopher Columbus lands on one of the Bahamas Islands, discovering the New World for 15th century Europe.
1497 John Cabot lands in Newfoundland, beginning the British presence in North America.
1513 Juan Ponce de León, a Spaniard, is the first European to arrive in the continental United States. He landed on a lush shore, which he christened "La Florida."
Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, Illinois Founded in 1850, Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) is a highly selective liberal arts university with an enrollment of 2,100. IWU ...
Spokane Falls Community College Spokane, Washington Spokane is a GREAT place to live and study. SFCC is a fully accredited, public college located in the city ...
Take a Virtual Tour of a featured
College in the USA
Campus e-tours allow students to view the facilities and student life at featured Universities, Community Colleges and ESL Schools in the USA, giving you the opportunity to see what the schools looks like, as well as facts about the campus, courses, etc. Once you’ve completed your tour you can read the in-depth profile to get more detailed information, or click the Request FREE Info link to request specific information such as scholarships and financial aid directly from that institution.
Click here to view Virtual Tours of Featured Colleges in the USA
Request FREE Info!
Request FREE info directly from featured
Schools.
Featured institutions want to send you more information on their
programs.
Click here
to receive free information directly from the school. To see a complete list of featured schools,
click here.
Note: Your request is sent directly to the institution and is not maintained on this website. Your privacy is completely protected.