Introduction

Background: In the 1400's and 1500's, the Western Hemisphere was home to many groups of Native Americans with many different cultures. In the next 200 years, people from several European countries crossed the Atlantic Ocean to North and South America. Among them were colonists-chiefly British-who settled along the eastern coast of North America from present-day Maine to Georgia. These colonists built up a series of thriving settlements. They lived under British rule for many years. But their dedication to liberty led them to declare independence and form the United States of America in 1776.

Growth and expansion: The American people dedicated their new nation to the principles of democracy, freedom, equality, and opportunity for all. From the start, the United States welcomed immigrants to its shores. Attracted by the opportunity for freedom and a chance for a better life, newcomers from many lands poured into the United States by the millions. Immigration and natural growth have caused the nation's population to mount steadily since its early years. However, not all newcomers came voluntarily, and not all found freedom or equality when they arrived. The slave trade brought millions of people from Africa against their will.

As the population grew, the American people spread out across North America. Wherever they went, these pioneers worked hard to earn a living. They cut down huge expanses of forest and plowed vast stretches of prairie to establish farms. They searched for minerals and other valuable resources, and established towns where they found resources. Cities grew up along the main transportation routes, and business and industry prospered there. America's rapid growth made it one of the largest nations in the world in terms of both size and population. The country's bustling economic activity turned it into a land of enormous wealth.

Today, the United States ranks as the world's leading producer of farm products and manufactured goods, and its people have one of the highest standards of living in the world. The United States also became a leader in many other fields, including science, medicine, technology, military strength, finance, and entertainment.

Challenges and hardships. The United States grew and prospered in spite of many challenges and hardships. At the start, the very survival of the new nation was in doubt. The colonists who founded the United States had to defeat the mighty British Empire in the Revolutionary War in America (1775-1783) to make their claim to independence stick. They succeeded despite great odds against them.

Both the colonists and the pioneers who moved westward across the country faced many dangers, including disease and starvation. The newcomers and the Native Americans-whom the newcomers called Indians-often fought bitter wars when the Indians resisted further expansion into their lands.

In the 1860's-less than 100 years after the Revolution-the survival of the United States was threatened once again. Eleven Southern states withdrew from the Union and tried to establish an independent nation. A war between the North and the South-the tragic, bloody American Civil War (1861-1865)-followed. The North won the war, and the country remained united.

The American ideals of equality and opportunity for all did much to help the United States grow and prosper. Yet the ideals have not always been followed in practice. From colonial times until the end of the Civil War, many African Americans were slaves. In addition, some Americans have suffered from discrimination in jobs and other areas because they were immigrants, or because of their race or religion.

America's economic growth, though amazingly rapid, has not always been smooth. Periodically, severe depressions have brought the economy to a near standstill. At such times, large numbers of Americans lost their jobs and lived in poverty.

In the 1900's, the United States became one of the world's strongest military powers. As such, it took on the role of defending democracy throughout the world. This role led the United States into two world wars and other conflicts. As the 1900's ended, many Americans questioned what the country's role should be in world affairs.

Today, as always, the United States faces many problems. They include the existence of poverty amid great wealth, recurring slumps in the economy, disputes over foreign policy, and pollution of the environment. But Americans retain deep pride in their country and hope to overcome their difficulties as their ancestors did.

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