United States

Table of Contents

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
  - The Interior Lowlands and their upland fringes
  - The Appalachian Mountain system
  - The Atlantic Plain
  - The Western Cordillera
  - The Western Intermontane Region
- Drainage
  - The Eastern systems
  - The Pacific systems
- Climate
  - Climatic controls
  - The change of seasons
  - The bioclimatic regions
    - The Humid East
    - The Humid Pacific Coast
    - The Dry West
    - The Humid–Arid Transition
    - The Western mountains
- Plant life
- Animal life
- Settlement patterns
  - Rural settlement
    - Early models of land allocation
    - Creating the national domain
    - Distribution of rural lands
    - Patterns of farm life
    - Regional small-town patterns
  - The rural–urban transition
    - Weakening of the agrarian ideal
    - Impact of the motor vehicle
    - Reversal of the classic rural dominance
  - Urban settlement
    - Classic patterns of siting and growth
    - New factors in municipal development
    - The new look of the metropolitan area
    - Individual and collective character of cities
    - The supercities
- Traditional regions of the United States
  - The hierarchy of culture areas
  - The cultural hearths
    - New England
    - The South
    - The Midland
  - The newer culture areas
    - The Midwest
    - The problem of “the West”
People
- Ethnic distribution
  - Ethnic European Americans
  - African Americans
  - Hispanics
  - Asian Americans
  - Middle Easterners
  - Native Americans
- Religious groups
- Immigration
Economy
- Strengths and weaknesses
- Taxation
- Labour force
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing
- Resources and power
  - Minerals
  - Biological resources
  - Power
- Manufacturing
- Finance
- Foreign trade
- Transportation
  - Roads and railroads
  - Water and air transport
Government and society
- Constitutional framework
  - The executive branch
  - The legislative branch
  - The judicial branch
- State and local government
- Political process
  - Suffrage
  - Voting and elections
  - Money and campaigns
  - Political parties
- Security
  - National security
  - Domestic law enforcement
- Health and welfare
- Housing
- Education
Cultural life
- Literature
- The visual arts and postmodernism
- The theatre
- Motion pictures
- Television
- Popular music
- Dance
- Sports
- Audiences
History
- Colonial America to 1763
  - The European background
  - Settlement
    - Virginia
    - Maryland
    - The New England colonies
    - The middle colonies
    - The Carolinas and Georgia
  - Imperial organization
  - The growth of provincial power
    - Political growth
    - Population growth
    - Economic growth
    - Land, labour, and independence
  - Cultural and religious development
    - Colonial culture
    - From a city on a hill to the Great Awakening
  - Colonial America, England, and the wider world
  - The Native American response
- The American Revolution and the early federal republic
  - Prelude to revolution
    - The tax controversy
    - Constitutional differences with Britain
    - The Continental Congress
  - The American Revolutionary War
  - Treaty of Paris
  - Foundations of the American republic
    - Problems before the Second Continental Congress
    - State politics
    - The Constitutional Convention
  - The social revolution
  - Religious revivalism
  - The United States from 1789 to 1816
    - The Federalist administration and the formation of parties
    - The Jeffersonian Republicans in power
    - Madison as president and the War of 1812
    - The Indian-American problem
- The United States from 1816 to 1850
  - The Era of Mixed Feelings
    - Effects of the War of 1812
    - National disunity
  - The economy
    - Transportation revolution
    - Beginnings of industrialization
  - Social developments
    - Birth of American Culture
    - The people
    - Cities
      Education and the role of women
      Wealth
  - Jacksonian democracy
    - The democratization of politics
    - The Jacksonians
    - The major parties
    - Minor parties
  - An age of reform
    - Abolitionism
    - Support of reform movements
    - Religious-inspired reform
  - Expansionism and political crisis at midcentury
    - Westward expansion
    - Attitudes toward expansionism
- The Civil War
  - Prelude to war, 1850–60
    - Sectionalism and slavery
    - A decade of political crises
      Popular sovereignty
      Polarization over slavery
  - Secession and the politics of the Civil War, 1860–65
    - The coming of the war
    - The political course of the war
      Moves toward emancipation
      Sectional dissatisfaction
  - Fighting the Civil War
    - Foreign affairs
    - Aftermath
- Reconstruction and the New South, 1865–1900
  - Reconstruction, 1865–77
    - Reconstruction under Abraham Lincoln
      Lincoln’s plan
      The Radicals’ plan
    - Reconstruction under Andrew Johnson
      Johnson’s policy
      “Black Codes”
      Civil rights legislation
    - The South during Reconstruction
    - The Ulysses S. Grant administrations, 1869–77
  - The New South, 1877–90
    - The era of conservative domination, 1877–90
    - Jim Crow legislation
    - Booker T. Washington and the Atlanta Compromise
- The transformation of American society, 1865–1900
  - National expansion
    - Growth of the nation
      Immigration
      Westward migration
      Urban growth
    - The West
      The mineral empire
      The open range
      The expansion of the railroads
      Indian policy
  - Industrialization of the U.S. economy
    - The growth of industry
      The dispersion of industry
      Industrial combinations
    - Foreign commerce
    - Labour
      Formation of unions
      The Haymarket Riot
  - National politics
    - The Rutherford B. Hayes administration
    - The administrations of James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur
    - Grover Cleveland’s first term
      The surplus and the tariff
      The public domain
      The Interstate Commerce Act
      The election of 1888
    - The Benjamin Harrison administration
      The Sherman Antitrust Act
      The silver issue
      The McKinley tariff
      The agrarian revolt
      The Populists
      The election of 1892
    - Cleveland’s second term
    - Economic recovery
- Imperialism, the Progressive era, and the rise to world power, 1896–1920
  - American imperialism
    - The Spanish-American War
    - The new American empire
    - The Open Door in the Far East
    - Building the Panama Canal and American domination in the Caribbean
  - The Progressive era
    - The character and variety of the Progressive movement
      Origins of progressivism
      Urban reforms
      Reform in state governments
    - Theodore Roosevelt and the Progressive movement
    - Republican troubles under William Howard Taft
      The Republican insurgents
      The 1912 election
    - The New Freedom and its transformation
  - The rise to world power
    - Woodrow Wilson and the Mexican Revolution
    - The struggle for neutrality
      Loans and supplies for the Allies
      German submarine warfare
      Arming for war
    - The United States enters the Great War
      Break with Germany
      Mobilization
      America’s role in the war
    - Wilson’s vision of a new world order
    - The Paris Peace Conference and the Versailles Treaty
    - The fight over the treaty and the election of 1920
- The United States from 1920 to 1945
  - The postwar Republican administrations
    - Postwar conservatism
    - Peace and prosperity
    - New social trends
    - The Great Depression
  - The New Deal
    - The first New Deal
      Relief
      Agricultural recovery
      Business recovery
    - The second New Deal and the Supreme Court
    - The culmination of the New Deal
    - An assessment of the New Deal
  - World War II
    - The road to war
    - The United States at war
      War production
      Financing the war
      Social consequences of the war
      The 1944 election
    - The new U.S. role in world affairs
- The United States since 1945
  - The peak Cold War years, 1945–60
    - The Truman Doctrine and containment
    - Postwar domestic reorganization
    - The Red Scare
    - The Korean War
    - Peace, growth, and prosperity
    - Eisenhower’s second term
      Domestic issues
      World affairs
    - An assessment of the postwar era
  - The Kennedy and Johnson administrations
    - The New Frontier
    - The Great Society
    - The civil rights movement
    - Latino and Native American activism
    - Social changes
    - The Vietnam War
  - The 1970s
    - The Richard M. Nixon administration
      Foreign affairs
      Domestic affairs
      The Watergate scandal
    - The Gerald R. Ford administration
    - The Jimmy Carter administration
      Foreign affairs
      Domestic policy
  - The late 20th century
    - The Ronald Reagan administration
    - The George H.W. Bush administration
    - The Bill Clinton administration
  - The 21st century
    - The George W. Bush administration
    - The Barack Obama administration
      First term
      Election and inauguration
      Tackling the “Great Recession,” the “Party of No,” and the emergence of the Tea Party movement
      Negotiating health care reform
      Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)
      Deepwater Horizon oil spill
      Military de-escalation in Iraq and escalation in Afghanistan
      The 2010 midterm elections
      WikiLeaks, the “Afghan War Diary,” and the “Iraq War Log”
      The repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the ratification of START, and the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords
      Budget compromise
      The Arab Spring, intervention in Libya, and the killing of Osama bin Laden
      The debt ceiling debate
      The failed “grand bargain”
      Raising the debt ceiling, capping spending, and the efforts of the “super committee”
      Occupy Wall Street, withdrawal from Iraq, and slow economic recovery
      Deportation policy changes, the immigration law ruling, and sustaining Obamacare’s “individual mandate”
      The 2012 presidential campaign, a fluctuating economy, and the approaching “fiscal cliff”
      The Benghazi attack and Superstorm Sandy
      Second Term
      The 2012 election
      The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
      “Sequester” cuts, the Benghazi furor, and Susan Rice on the hot seat
      The IRS scandal, the Justice Department’s AP phone records seizure, and Edward Snowden’s leaks
      Removal of Mohammed Morsi, Obama’s “red line” in Syria, and chemical weapons
      The decision not to respond militarily in Syria
      The 2013 government shutdown
      The Obamacare rollout
      The Iran nuclear deal, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, and the Ukraine crisis
      The rise of ISIL (ISIS), the Bowe Bergdahl prisoner swap, and imposition of stricter carbon emission standards
      The child migrant border surge, air strikes on ISIL (ISIS), and the 2014 midterm elections
      Normalizing relations with Cuba, the USA FREEDOM Act, and the Office of Personnel Management data breach
      The Ferguson police shooting, the death of Freddie Gray, and the Charleston church shooting
      Same-sex marriage and Obamacare Supreme Court rulings and final agreement on the Iran nuclear deal
      New climate regulations, the Keystone XL pipeline, and intervention in the Syrian Civil War
      The Merrick Garland nomination and Supreme Court rulings on public unions, affirmative action, and abortion
      The Orlando nightclub shooting, the shooting of Dallas police officers, and the shootings in Baton Rouge
    - The Donald Trump administration
      The campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination
      The campaign for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination
      Hillary Clinton’s private e-mail server, Donald Trump’s Access Hollywood tape, and the 2016 general election campaign
      Trump’s victory and Russian interference in the presidential election
      “America First,” the Women’s Marches, Trump on Twitter, and “fake news”
      Scuttling U.S. participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership, reconsidering the Keystone XL pipeline, and withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement
      ICE enforcement and removal operations
      The travel ban
      Pursuing “repeal and replacement” of Obamacare
      John McCain’s opposition and the failure of “skinny repeal”
      Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation to the Supreme Court, the air strike on Syria, and threatening Kim Jong-Un with “fire and fury”
      Violence in Charlottesville, the dismissal of Steve Bannon, the resignation of Michael Flynn, and the investigation of possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign
      Jeff Session’s recusal, James Comey’s firing, and Robert Mueller’s appointment as special counsel
      Hurricanes Harvey and Maria and the mass shootings in Las Vegas, Parkland, and Santa Fe
      The #MeToo movement, the Alabama U.S. Senate special election, and the Trump tax cut
      Withdrawing from the Iran nuclear agreement, Trump-Trudeau conflict at the G7 summit, and imposing tariffs
      The Trump-Kim 2018 summit, “zero tolerance,” and separation of immigrant families
      The Supreme Court decision upholding the travel ban, its ruling on Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, No. 16-1466, and the retirement of Anthony Kennedy
      The indictment of Paul Manafort, the guilty pleas of Michael Flynn and George Papadopoulos, and indictments of Russian intelligence officers
      Cabinet turnover
      Trump’s European trip and the Helsinki summit with Vladimir Putin
      The USMCA trade agreement, the allegations of Christine Blasey Ford, and the Supreme Court confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh
      Central American migrant caravans, the pipe-bomb mailings, and the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting
      The 2018 midterm elections
      The 2018–19 government shutdown
      Sessions’s resignation, choosing a new attorney general, and the ongoing Mueller investigation
      The Mueller report
      The impeachment of Donald Trump
      The coronavirus pandemic
      The killing of George Floyd and nationwide racial injustice protests
      The 2020 U.S. election
    - The Joe Biden administration
      The COVID-19 vaccine rollout, the Delta and Omicron variants, and the American Rescue Plan Act
      Economic recovery, the American Rescue Plan Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the failure of Build Back Better
      Stalled voting rights legislation, the fate of the filibuster, and the appointment of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court
      Foreign affairs: U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
      The Buffalo and Uvalde shootings, overturning Roe v. Wade, and the January 6 attack hearings
Presidents of the United States
Vice presidents of the United States
First ladies of the United States
State maps, flags, and seals
State nicknames and symbols

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park

Explore the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, the Great Lakes, the Black Hills, and more in the American Midwest

For Students

United States summary

United States: Media

Videos

Explore the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, the Great Lakes, the Black Hills, and more in the American Midwest

Learn about the different physical landscapes that make up the American Midwest.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Explore the U.S. Northeast region's Appalachian Mountains, Hudson River, and Atlantic seaboard

Discover the climate, landscape, and waterways of the northeastern United States.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Tour the U.S. Southeast region and learn about its warm climate, landforms, and water features

Learn about the landforms and climate of the southeastern United States.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Explore the United States' Mountain region and its diverse landscape, rivers, and settlement

The physical landscape of the Mountain Region of the United States ranges from the...

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Explore the diverse geography and climates across the United States' Pacific Region

The Pacific Region of the United States is both geographically diverse and beautiful.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Wander through the mountains, across valleys, down rivers, and along the coasts of the U.S. Pacific region

Learn about the Pacific region of the United States—from the mainland's Cascade Range...

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

See the disruption wrought by the kudzu vine, which was introduced to the southeastern United States

Learn about the impact invasive kudzu vine (Pueraria montana) has had on...

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Discover how European American settlers drove Native Americans and bison from the Midwest and transformed the land

Learn how European American settlers drove Native Americans and bison from the Midwest...

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See how European settlers in U.S. Northeast created metropolises such as Boston and New York City

See why the cities of the Northeast are so important.

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Study the settlement of the American South and the evolution of music in the region from gospel to country

Listen to the music of the American south, and you'll hear the diverse backgrounds...

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Examine how Native Americans, Spanish explorers, and Mormons have influenced the U.S. Mountain Region

Native Americans, Spanish explorers, and Mormons have all left their mark on the...

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Explore the Rocky Mountains, Colorado Plateau, Grand Canyon, and Sonoran Desert in the U.S. Southwest

Explore the beautiful and varied topography of the southwestern states.

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Meet diverse immigrants in the Pacific Region and follow an immigrant Vietnamese family in California

People come from all over the United States and all over the world to live in the...

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What is National Hispanic Heritage Month?

National Hispanic Heritage Month is a monthlong celebration in the United States...

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How did the 2007–08 global financial crisis unfold?

Overview of the global financial crisis of 2007–08.

Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Weerayos Surareangchai/Dreamstime.com

Know how the United States elects the offices of the House of Representatives, the Senate, the president, and the vice president unlike the United Kingdom

Learn how the United States elects the offices of the House of Representatives, the...

Video: © UK Parliament Education Service (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Learn about Maryland's many historical figures such as George Calvert, Benjamin Banneker, and Thurgood Marshall

Learn more about Maryland and its geography, people, economy, and history.

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Revisit the battle between Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Grozon's and James Wolfe's forces along the St. Lawrence

The British took command of the French and Indian War at the Battle of Quebec.

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Uncover how the new United States fought with the British over naval impressment and their history of conflict

Learn how the American Revolution and the War of 1812 fit into broader global conflicts...

Video: © Civil War Trust (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Find out how the 13 American colonies gained their political independence from Great Britain

Learn about the major events of the Revolutionary War (1775–83), which won 13 American...

Video: © Civil War Trust (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Discover the truth about the Hessians, the German mercenary soldiers who assisted the British during the American Revolutionary War

Learn about the Hessians, German mercenary soldiers who fought as auxiliary troops...

Video: © Civil War Trust (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Understand how Washington organized the Continental Army while besieging the British forces in Boston

Overview of the Siege of Boston during the American Revolution.

Video: © Civil War Trust (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Learn how George Washington and other commanders reconstituted the Continental Army while wintering at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, during the American Revolution

Learn how George Washington and other commanders oversaw the regrouping and retraining...

Video: © Civil War Trust (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Discover the importance of trade, manufacturing, and town shops in settling the American frontier

By the mid 1800's, towns in the Mississippi Valley began to resemble those in the...

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Discover more about Copperhead opposition to Abraham Lincoln during the U.S. presidential election of 1864

Confronted by Copperhead opposition and by dissension within his cabinet, U.S. Pres....

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See pictures of immigrants entering the United States of America via New York and Boston

In the late 19th and early 20th century, many immigrants came to America by way of...

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Hear William Jennings Bryan deliver his “Cross of Gold” speech at the Democratic National Convention

William Jennings Bryan's “Cross of Gold” speech, given at the Democratic National...

Video: Public Domain video

See how the Supreme Court decision in Lochner v. New York affected labourers in the Industrial Revolution

During the Industrial Revolution, decisions such as Lochner v. New York...

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Watch the American Expeditionary Force sail across the Atlantic to join the Allies in World War I

When the United States entered World War I, it created one of the most confident...

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Examine the conflict between U.S. President Wilson and Congress in the aftermath of World War I

The United States quickly became known as formidable in battle as well as diplomatically...

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Listen to former vice president Hubert Humphrey examine the personalities of memorable U.S. presidents

Hubert Humphrey discusses the personalities of some of the 20th century's most memorable...

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Listen to President Kennedy rally the American people to support NASA's Apollo program

Pres. John F. Kennedy rallying the people of the United States to support NASA's...

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What was the Iran hostage crisis?

After the takeover of the U.S. embassy in Tehrān in November 1979 by Iranian students...

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Witness the historic speech by U.S. Pres. Barack Obama announcing the killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. forces, May 2011

Pres. Barack Obama announcing that U.S. forces had killed Osama bin Laden, May 2011.

Video: Official White House Video

Study the migratory, predatory, and living habits of North American bald eagles

Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flying, perching, and fishing in...

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Learn about the successes and failures of the U.S. space shuttle program and the cost of space exploration

Erik Gregersen, astronomy and space exploration editor of Encyclopædia Britannica,...

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Images

United States

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

United States of America

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Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Fishing boat at the harbour at Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Craig Blouin/New England Stock Photo

United States

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Colorado River, Grand Canyon National Park

The Colorado River in Marble Canyon at the northeastern end of Grand Canyon National...

High Plains

The High Plains, near Fort Morgan, Colorado.

Epimethius

Screw Auger Falls

Screw Auger Falls in the Mahoosuc Range, northern Appalachian Mountains, Maine.

ridge-and-valley topography

Ridge-and-valley topography in the Appalachian Highlands, near Bristol, Tennessee,...

Bantosh

Mount Washington, New Hampshire

Mount Washington, in the White Mountains, New Hampshire.

William Hemmel/© New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism Development

Grand Teton National Park: Teton Range

The Teton Range at sunset, with Jenny Lake in the foreground, Grand Teton National...

Robert Glusic/Getty Images

South Fork Kings River, Kings Canyon National Park, California

South Fork Kings River, Kings Canyon National Park, California, U.S.

Josef Muench

Mount Whitney, California

Mount Whitney, California.

Beartooth Mountains, Montana

Forested slopes of the Beartooth Mountains, Montana, in the northern Rocky Mountains.

American bison (Bison bison)

American bison, or plains buffalo (Bison bison).

American badger

American badger (Taxidea taxus).

Alvin E. Staffan—The National Audubon Society Collection/Photo Researchers

kangaroo rat

Kangaroo rat (Dipodomys).

population density of the United States

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Boston

Faneuil Hall, Boston, Massachusetts.

Geoff Tompkinson/GTImage.com (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch (left) on the west bank of the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri,...

Illinois

The city of Chicago accounts for a large share of Illinois's population and economy.

Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California.

Skyguy414

Las Vegas, Nevada

The Las Vegas Strip at night, 2001.

United States: New England

New England.

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United States: The Upper South

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United States: Deep South

The Deep South.

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Mason and Dixon Line

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Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo, Texas

Cadillac Ranch, art installation by the art collective Ant Farm, near Amarillo,...

Carol M. Highsmith's America/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-highsm-04824)

United States: Middle Atlantic region

The Middle Atlantic region.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

United States: The Midwest

The Midwest.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

United States: Southwest

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

United States: The northern Mountain region

The northern Mountain region.

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United States: southern Mountain region

The southern Mountain region.

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California

California.

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United States: The northern Pacific Coast

The northern Pacific Coast.

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Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York City

Spectators are showered with confetti during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in...

ordination

Ordination of a pastor by the Slovak Zion Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church...

Thespiano7

Statue of Liberty

For many immigrants to the United States, the first glimpses of the country were...

Tom Sobolik/Black Star

Boeing factory, Everett, Washington

Test planes being assembled at Boeing's manufacturing site in Everett, Washington.

Jeff McNeill

AFL-CIO “Make Wall Street Pay” demonstration

Workers participating in an AFL-CIO “Make Wall Street Pay” demonstration on March...

Joe Raedle—Getty Images News/Thinkstock

corn harvesting, Iowa

Harvesting corn on a farm near Alden, north-central Iowa.

Thomas Hovland/Grant Heilman Photography

Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building

Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building, Washington, D.C.

©Adam Parent/Shutterstock.com

New York Stock Exchange

Trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange, New York City.

Carol M. Highsmith Archive/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-highsm-11972)

Interstate System

Interstate System bypasses, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Mississippi River: barge

A barge on the Mississippi River near Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

air distances from United States

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

the Mall, Washington, D.C.

The Mall, looking east toward the Capitol, Washington, D.C.

Bush, George W.; National Security Council

U.S. Pres. George W. Bush meeting with the National Security Council in the Cabinet...

Courtesy of the George W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum/NARA

U.S. Senate Chamber

Chamber of the U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C.

U.S. Senate Photo Studio

U.S. Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C.

U.S. Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., designed by Cass Gilbert and completed...

U.S. Supreme Court

Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court (bottom row, from left) Associate Justice Tom...

Warren K. Leffler—U.S. News and World Report/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (reproduction no. LC-DIG-ppmsca-41069)

Brown v. Board of Education

(From left) Lawyers George E.C. Hayes, Thurgood Marshall, and James M. Nabrit, Jr.,...

AP Images

Rock Hill, South Carolina

City Hall in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Akhenaton06

woman suffrage

Woman suffrage advocates parading in an open car in support of ratification of the...

George Grantham Bain Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (digital file no. 19032)

polling place

A polling place sign posted at a polling station, November 2, 2010, in Drake, Kentucky....

Tom Pennington—Getty Images/Thinkstock

Alabama certificate showing the state's electors' votes

A certificate from Alabama showing the signatures of the state's electors in 2000....

Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration

Perot, Ross: campaign button

Button from Ross Perot's 1996 presidential campaign.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon during a campaign stop in 1968, saluting the crowd with his iconic...

Oliver F. Atkins—White House Photo/Nixon Presidential Library and Museum/NARA

American presidential election, 1960

Results of the American presidential election, 1960. Sources: Electoral and popular...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Bill Clinton and Al Gore

Democratic presidential nominee Bill Clinton (right) and his running mate, Al Gore,...

Marcy Nighswaner—AP/Shutterstock.com

Pentagon

Aerial view of the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S.

seal of the Central Intelligence Agency

Seal of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Lyndon B. Johnson: Medicare

Former U.S. president Harry S. Truman (right) looking on as U.S. Pres. Lyndon B....

Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum/NARA

Head Start

Lady Bird Johnson, wife of U.S. Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson, visiting a classroom at...

LBJ Library photo by Robert Knudsen

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Pres. Barack Obama (center left) and Vice Pres. Joe Biden (center right) reacting...

Pete Souza—Official White House Photo

Alexandria, Virginia

Nineteenth-century town houses in Alexandria, Virginia.

Milt and Joan Mann/CameraMann International

San Jose State University, California

Tower Hall and Morris Dailey Auditorium, San Jose State University, San Jose, California.

John Pozniak

Winslow Homer: Daydreaming

Daydreaming, watercolours, pencil, pen, and black ink on paper by Winslow...

In a private collection

Mark Twain

Mark Twain, lithograph from Puck, 1885.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. LC-USZC4-4294

Piet Mondrian

Piet Mondrian, photograph by Arnold Newman, 1942.

Bharati Mukherjee

Bharati Mukherjee, 2004.

Embassy of the United States, Tel-Aviv, Israel/U.S. Department of State

Let Us Now Praise Famous Men

Bud Fields and his family, Hale county, Alabama, photograph by Walker Evans, c....

Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Photograph Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (digital file no. 8c52407u)

Tom Wolfe

Tom Wolfe.

Jim Cooper/AP/REX/Shutterstock.com

cover of The Catcher in the Rye

Reproduction of the cover of the first edition of J.D. Salinger's novel The Catcher...

Little, Brown and Company/Hachette Book Group USA

Robert Rauschenberg: Monogram

Monogram, combine painting (mixed media) by Robert Rauschenberg, 1959; in...

Moderna Museet, Stockholm/Photograph: Statens Konstmuseer

August Wilson

Playwright August Wilson.

Ted S. Warren/AP Images

To Have and Have Not

(From left) Lauren Bacall, Marcel Dalio, and Humphrey Bogart in To Have and Have...

Apocalypse Now

Robert Duvall (centre) in Apocalypse Now (1979).

Lee, Ang

Film director Ang Lee on the set of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000).

Chan Kam Chuen/Sony Pictures Classic

Iron Man

Robert Downey, Jr., appearing as Iron Man/Tony Stark in a scene from the film Iron...

Paramount Pictures/Marvel Entertainment

scene from Seinfeld

Scene from the television series Seinfeld, with actors (from left) Jason...

The Sopranos

Cast members of The Sopranos: (from left) Tony Sirico, Steven Van Zandt,...

Game of Thrones

Peter Dinklage (as Tyrion Lannister) in a scene from the HBO series Game of Thrones.

King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band

King Oliver (standing, trumpet) and his Creole Jazz Band, Chicago, 1923.

Gilles Petard Collection/Getty Images

John Lewis

John Lewis with the Modern Jazz Quartet.

Frank Driggs Collection

Doris Day

Doris Day.

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Sun Records label

Sun Records label.

Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images

Al Green

Al Green.

David Redfern—Redferns/Getty Images

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga, wearing a meat dress, after accepting the award for video of the year...

Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images Entertainment

Martha Graham in “Appalachian Spring”

Martha Graham dancing in “Appalachian Spring” in 1954.

Baron—Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Gregory Hines and Savion Glover

Gregory Hines (left) and Savion Glover facing off at the American Tap Dance Foundation's...

Mario Tama/Getty Images

Henry Hudson

A colour lithograph based on a painting done by American artist Frederic A. Chapman...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Landing of Columbus

Landing of Columbus, oil on canvas by John Vanderlyn, 1846; in the U.S....

Architect of the Capitol

Jacques Cartier

This map details the first two voyages of Jacques Cartier.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

John Cabot landing at Labrador

John Cabot landing on the shores of Labrador, colored engraving by an unknown artist,...

English colonies in 17th-century North America

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Jamestown

Jamestown Fort in Virginia (U.S.), c. 1608.

MPI/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

historical interpreters, Maryland

Costumed interpreters in St. Mary's, Maryland, re-creating a scene from life in 17th-century...

Tim Tadder/Maryland Office of Tourism

Maryland colony

Map of Maryland colony.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

The Landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, Mass., Dec. 22, 1620

The Landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, Mass., Dec. 22, 1620, lithograph...

Library of Congress, Washington D.C.

Jean Leon Gerome Ferris: The First Thanksgiving

The First Thanksgiving, reproduction of an oil painting by Jean Leon Gerome...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC-USZC4-4961)

Pilgrims signing the Mayflower Compact

Pilgrims signing the Mayflower Compact, reproduction of an oil painting, 1932.

Prints and Photographs Division/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (digital. id. cph 3g07155)

17th-century New England

Detail of a 17th-century map of New England with the Plymouth colony appearing opposite...

Library of Congress, Rare Book Division

Massachusetts Bay Colony

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

John Winthrop

John Winthrop, detail of an oil painting, school of Sir Anthony Van Dyck, c. 1625–49;...

Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Mass.

Roger Williams

Roger Williams.

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The New York Public Library (424056)

William Penn

William Penn.

land granted to William Penn and his daughter

Diagram of lots of land in Philadelphia granted to William Penn and his daughter,...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; map division

“An accurate description of the recently founded province of Pennsylvania”

Title page from “An accurate description of the recently founded province of Pennsylvania”...

Library of Congress, Rare Book Division

Philip Carteret

Philip Carteret arriving at the colony of New Jersey in 1665 to serve as its governor,...

The Granger Collection, New York

Boston, 1760s

View of Boston in the 1760s.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Philadelphia

Map of Philadelphia, 1776.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

transporting tobacco

Tobacco being transported by boat.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Joseph Galloway

Joseph Galloway.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Rush, Benjamin

Benjamin Rush, coloured engraving, 19th century.

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin's experiment proving the identity of lightning and electricity.

Poor Richard's almanac

Title page for Poor Richard's almanac for 1739, written, printed, and sold...

Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Gilbert Stuart: Mrs. Richard Yates

Mrs. Richard Yates, oil painting by Gilbert Stuart, 1793–94; in the National...

Courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Andrew Mellon Collection

William and Mary College

William and Mary College, engraved copperplate, c. 1740.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Nassau Hall, King's College

Nassau Hall, built in 1756, was the first and the largest building at King's College...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards.

French and Indian War

British troops under Edward Braddock near Fort Duquesne, Pennsylvania, during the...

MPI/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Fort Ticonderoga

Map of Fort Ticonderoga, on Lake Champlain.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

English engraving celebrating the blockade of Louisbourg

An English engraving from 1775 celebrating the blockade of Louisbourg, Nova Scotia,...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

death of the marquis de Montcalm

French military leader the marquis de Montcalm dying during the Battle of Quebec,...

The New York Public Library Digital Collection (b13504202)

Pocahontas

Pocahontas—daughter of Chief Powhatan, who presided over the Powhatan empire—painting...

MPI/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Iroquois Confederacy

Map of the initial nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, from History of the Five...

Library of Congress, Rare Book Division, Washington, D.C.

Red Jacket

Red Jacket.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-ppmsca-05086)

Pontiac

Pontiac, chief of the Ottawa tribe, hand-coloured engraving.

Stamp Act

Procession in New York opposing the Stamp Act, depicted in a hand-coloured woodcut....

Charles Watson Wentworth, 2nd marquess of Rockingham

Charles Watson Wentworth, 2nd marquess of Rockingham.

Mary Evans Picture Library

Townshend Acts

A notice to the public from Simeon Coley regarding the duties imposed by Lord Townshend.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Charles Willson Peale: Portrait of John Dickinson

John Dickinson, portrait by Charles Willson Peale, 1782; in Independence National...

Courtesy of the Independence National Historical Park Collection, Philadelphia

James Otis

James Otis, portrait by J. Blackburn, 1755; in the Library of Congress, Washington,...

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

George III

King George III, c. 1800.

Lord North

Lord North, detail of a portrait by Sir Nathaniel Dance-Holland; in the National...

Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, London

Boston Tea Party

Illustration of the Boston Tea Party.

North Wind Picture Archives/Alamy

George Washington and the Continental Congress

George Washington (middle) surrounded by members of the Continental Congress, lithograph...

Currier & Ives Collection, Library of Congress, Neg. No. LC-USZC2-3154

minuteman statue, Lexington, Massachusetts

A statue in Lexington, Massachusetts, honouring the minutemen who fought against...

Common Sense

Title page from Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense, 1776.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

John Trumbull: Declaration of Independence

Declaration of Independence, oil on canvas by John Trumbull, 1818; in the...

Architect of the Capitol

American Revolution era political cartoon

Cow representing English commerce being milked and dehorned by France, Spain, Holland,...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

William Howe

William Howe, 1778.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Emanuel Leutze: Washington Crossing the Delaware

Washington Crossing the Delaware, oil on canvas by Emanuel Leutze, 1851;...

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of John Stewart Kennedy, 1897 (97.34), www. metmuseum.org

John Trumbull: Surrender of Lord Cornwallis

Surrender of Lord Cornwallis (at Yorktown, October 19, 1781), oil on canvas...

Architect of the Capitol

Peace of Paris

Signing the Preliminary Treaty of Peace at Paris, November 30, 1782, print...

U.S. Diplomacy Center

atrocities against Loyalists

Etching showing atrocities against Loyalists.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

George Washington

Gen. George Washington (riding a white horse) and his staff welcoming a provision...

The Granger Collection, New York

Washington, George; Morris, Robert; Salomon, Haym

A bronze sculpture that stands in Chicago, Illinois, showing George Washington (centre),...

John Dickinson's draft of the Articles of Confederation

John Dickinson's draft of the Articles of Confederation.

National Archives, Washington, D.C.

U.S. Constitution

The signing of the U.S. Constitution by 39 members of the Constitutional Convention...

Architect of the Capitol

U.S. Constitution

Original copy of the U.S. Constitution, housed in the National Archives in Washington,...

National Archives, Washington, D.C.

attacks on the Pennsylvania state constitution

Cartoon depicting attacks on the Pennsylvania state constitution by self-interest...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

The Federalist

The Federalist, written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay,...

National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton, detail of an oil painting by John Trumbull; in the National Gallery...

Courtesy of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Andrew Mellon Collection

auction of enslaved persons

Sale of Estates, Pictures and Slaves in the Rotunda, New Orleans, 1842,...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Methodist camp meeting

Early 19th-century Methodist camp meeting.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Lyman Beecher

Lyman Beecher, oil on canvas by James Henry Beard, 1842; in the National Portrait...

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Mrs. Fredson Bowers (NPG.75.5)

United States: 1783–1812

The United States, 1783–1812.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Washington inauguration triumphal arches

Triumphal arches, such as these near Philadelphia, were erected throughout the United...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

caricature of Thomas Paine

English caricature of Thomas Paine's involvement in the French Revolution.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Gilbert Stuart: portrait of John Adams

John Adams, oil painting by Gilbert Stuart, 1826; in the Smithsonian American Art...

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.; Adams-Clement Collection, gift of Mary Louisa Adams Clement in memory of her mother, Louisa Catherine Adams Clement (object no. 1950.6.11)

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson.

Giraudon/Art Resource, New York

Louisiana Purchase

The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

N.C. Wyeth: Sacagawea, Meriwether Lewis, and William Clark

Shoshone guide Sacagawea with Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, oil and tempera...

The Granger Collection, New York

John Marshall

John Marshall, crayon portrait by Charles-Balthazar-Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin;...

Courtesy of Duke University, Durham, N.C.

Asher B. Durand: portrait of James Madison

James Madison, detail of an oil painting by Asher B. Durand, 1833; in the collection...

Collection of The New-York Historical Society

broadside showing French attacks on U.S. ships

Federalist broadside publicizing French attacks on American ships.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

War of 1812 political cartoon

Cartoon from 1812 showing Columbia (the United States) warning Napoleon I that she...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

War of 1812 political cartoon

Cartoon showing Pres. James Madison fleeing from Washington, D.C., which is being...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC-USZ62-1559)

Treaty of Ghent

A tableau of the Treaty of Ghent, signed in Belgium, December 24, 1814.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Battle of Tippecanoe

Battle of Tippecanoe, lithograph by Kurz and Allison c. 1889.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-pga-01891)

War of 1812 political cartoon

An American cartoon attacking the alliance between the “Humane British” and the Indians...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

United States: 1812–22

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

James Monroe

James Monroe, oil sketch by E.O. Sully, 1836, after a contemporary portrait by Thomas...

Courtesy of the Independence National Historical Park Collection, Philadelphia

Adams, John Quincy

John Quincy Adams; daguerreotype by Mathew Brady.

Brady-Handy photograph collection, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (cwpbh 02619)

Jefferson note on the Monroe Doctrine

Note from Thomas Jefferson to James Madison commenting on the Monroe Doctrine, October...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Nicholas Biddle

Nicholas Biddle.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Panic of 1837

Wood engraving relating to the financial setback experienced on the U.S. frontier...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

John Fitch's steamboat

Illustration of an early version of John Fitch's steamboat.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Erie Canal

Barge near the western end of the Erie Canal, New York, mid-1800s.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

early railroad in New York

Early railroad scene, Little Falls, New York.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Henry Clay

American political leader Henry Clay.

automatic gristmill patent

One of the first U.S. patents granted was to Oliver Evans in 1790 for his automatic...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Eli Whitney: cotton gin sketch

Sketch submitted to the Patent Office by Eli Whitney, showing the operation of the...

National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Boott Cotton Mills, Lowell, Massachusetts

Boott Cotton Mills, Lowell, Massachusetts.

North Wind Picture Archives/Alamy

Herman Melville

Herman Melville, etching after a portrait by Joseph O. Eaton.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (Digital File Number: cph 3c35949)

William Clark's expedition diary

A detail of a page from William Clark's expedition diary, including a sketch of evergreen...

North Wind Picture Archives

Lewis and Clark Expedition

Map of Lewis and Clark Expedition by William Clark and Meriwether Lewis, 1804–06.

Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division, Washington, D.C

P.T. Barnum's tent

P.T. Barnum's mammoth tent housing his menagerie and exhibits.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Stephen Foster

Stephen Foster, 1859.

Courtesy of the Foster Hall Collection, University of Pittsburgh

Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman, photograph by Mathew Brady.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Irish emigrants

Irish emigrants departing for the United States.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (reproducution no. LC-USZ62-2022)

Swedish immigrants

Swedish immigrants en route to the western United States in the mid-19th century.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Frances Wright

Frances Wright.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

American Progress, chromolithograph print, c. 1873

American Progress, chromolithograph print, c. 1873, after an 1872 painting...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (digital id: ppmsca 09855)

New York City in the 1850s

New York City in the 1850s.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Olympia Brown

Olympia Brown.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.; neg. no. LC USZ 62 53513

Mount Holyoke College

From the left, Abbey Memorial Chapel, Williston Memorial Library, and Clapp Laboratories...

Jim Gipe; courtesy of Mount Holyoke College

Alexis de Tocqueville

Alexis de Tocqueville, detail of an oil painting by T. Chassériau; in the Versailles...

H. Roger-Viollet

Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson, oil on canvas by Asher B. Durand, c. 1800; in the collection of the...

Bettmann/Getty Images

“Old Hickory” (Andrew Jackson)

Caucus Curs in Full Yell, an 1824 cartoon by James Akin, showing “Old Hickory”...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

William H. Crawford

American political leader William H. Crawford.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Nullification Crisis cartoon

Cartoon drawn during the Nullification Crisis showing the manufacturing North getting...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

The United States at One View broadside

The United States at One View, broadside, 1847.

The Newberry Library, Strauss Memorial Fund, 2007 (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

United States: 1822–54

The United States, 1822–54.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Reverend Charles G. Finney

Reverend Charles G. Finney, 1835 engraving.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Horace Mann

Horace Mann.

Courtesy of Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio

Charles Fourier

Charles Fourier.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

women's suffrage: Declaration of Sentiments, Seneca Falls

Signatories to the Declaration of Sentiments, which was set forth at the Seneca Falls...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

William Lloyd Garrison

William Lloyd Garrison.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Lydia M. Child

Lydia M. Child at age 22.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Oneida utopian community

Recruit arriving at the utopian community in Oneida, New York.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

John Tyler

John Tyler.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

James K. Polk

James K. Polk.

Library of Congress, Washington D.C. (LC-DIG-pga-11757)

Karl Bodmer: Sauk and Fox Indians

Sauk and Fox Indians, painting by Karl Bodmer, c. 1833.

MPI/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Chief Black Hawk

Chief Black Hawk.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Historical Pictures Service, Chicago

Compromise of 1850; Henry Clay

U.S. Senator Henry Clay, in a speech before the Senate, outlining the principal features...

Atlanta: Whitehall Street, 1864

Whitehall Street, Atlanta, Georgia. A typical commercial street in the American South...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (reproduction no. LC-B8171-3608 LC)

Nat Turner

Nat Turner.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

United States: Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850, and Kansas-Nebraska Act

Compromises over extension of slavery into U.S. territories.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Stephen A. Douglas

Stephen A. Douglas.

Brady-Handy photograph collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

Pierce, Franklin

Franklin Pierce.

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.; transfer from the National Gallery of Art; gift of the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust, 1942 (object no. NPG.65.49)

attack on Charles Sumner

Engraving showing the attack on Charles Sumner on the floor of the Senate, 1856;...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Dred Scott decision

Newspaper notice for a pamphlet on the U.S. Supreme Court's Dred Scott decision.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-USZ62-132561)

William H. Seward

William H. Seward; photo by Mathew Brady.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Harpers Ferry

View of the town of Harpers Ferry, now in West Virginia, and railroad bridge.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-B8171-7187 DLC)

1860 presidential campaign

“The Undecided Political Prize Fight,” a lithograph depicting the presidential campaign...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-USZ62-7877)

Jefferson Davis: inauguration

Inauguration of Jefferson Davis as president of the Confederate States of America,...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (reproduction no. LC-DIG-pga-01584)

Fort Sumter, 1861

Interior view of Fort Sumter, South Carolina, under the Confederate flag, April 15,...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (reproduction no. LC-DIG-ppmsca-32284)

Antietam, Battle of: Lincoln and McClellan meet in the general's tent

President Abraham Lincoln and General George B. McClellan in the general's tent,...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. LC-DIG-cwpb-01131)

Battle of Shiloh

Battle of Shiloh, 1862; chromolithograph by Thure de Thulstrup, c. 1888.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-pga-04037)

Battle of Antietam: Confederate dead

Confederate dead by a fence on the Hagerstown road, Antietam, Maryland, photo by...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-B8171-0560 DLC)

Battle of Corinth

Battle of Corinth, Mississippi, October 3–4, 1862, colour lithograph.

Stock Montage

Battle of Chancellorsville

Gen. Stonewall Jackson's attack at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Virginia, May...

Gettysburg battlefield

The battlefield of Gettysburg, photograph by Timothy O'Sullivan, July 1863.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-B8184-7964-A DLC)

Lookout Mountain, Tennessee

General Ulysses S. Grant (far left) with (left to right) General John Rawlins, General...

Courtesy, Colorado Historical Society, Denver (image no. F7289)

American Civil War: Union soldiers wrecking railroads in Atlanta

Union soldiers wrecking railroad lines (making “Sherman's neckties”), Atlanta.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (B8184-10488)

Battles of Cold Harbor: Gaines's Mill

Ruins of Gaines's Mill, near Cold Harbor, Virginia, photograph by John Reekie, April...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-B8171-0932 DLC)

Appomattox Court House surrender

Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendering to Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox...

North Wind Picture Archives/Alamy

Battle of the Merrimack and Monitor

Battle of the Merrimack (rechristened the Virginia) and Monitor,...

Adams, Charles Francis

Charles Francis Adams

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-USZ62-14451)

United States after 1861

The United States after 1861.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Lincoln-Johnson campaign banner

Campaign banner for 1864 Republican presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln and running...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Benjamin F. Wade

Benjamin F. Wade.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Henry Winter Davis

Henry Winter Davis.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Andrew Johnson: oath of office

Andrew Johnson taking the oath of office in the parlour of the Kirkwood House, Washington,...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Andrew Johnson

Andrew Johnson pardoning Confederate soldiers at the White House, Washington, D.C.,...

Harper's Weekly V. 9, No. 459, October 1865

Andrew Johnson

Andrew Johnson; photo from the Brady-Handy Collection.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson

The impeachment trial of U.S. Pres. Andrew Johnson, illustration from Frank Leslie's...

Library of Congress—Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Roscoe Conkling

Roscoe Conkling.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Horace Greeley

Horace Greeley.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Tilden, Samuel J.

Samuel J. Tilden, candidate in the disputed United States presidential election of...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Rutherford B. Hayes

U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes, c. 1877–1893.

Library of Congress (neg. no. LC-USZ62-13019 )

William Mahone

William Mahone.

Courtesy Meserve-Kunhardt Collection

Booker T. Washington

Booker T. Washington, first principal and chief developer of Tuskegee Institute in...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Black Hills; immigrant

Immigrants bound for the goldfields in the Black Hills of South Dakota filling the...

Rare Book and Special Collections Division/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

cowboy; roundup

Cowboys at “mess” during a roundup before a cattle drive in 1887; photo by J.C.H....

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Promontory Point

The completion of the transcontinental railroad at Promontory Point, Utah, on May...

railroad bridge over the Ohio River

Railroad bridge over the Ohio River, Bellaire, Ohio, 1872.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

John D. Rockefeller

John D. Rockefeller.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Carnegie, Andrew

Andrew Carnegie.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (cph 3b35116)

Vanderbilt, Cornelius

Cornelius Vanderbilt.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (cph 3a11569)

Leland Stanford

Leland Stanford.

From The Days of a Man, Being Memories of a Naturalist, Teacher, and Minor Prophet of Democracy, by David Starr Jordan, Vol. 1, 1922

Mesabi Range, Minnesota

Pillsbury Mine in the Mesabi Range, near Hibbing, Minnesota.

Milt and Joan Mann/CameraMann International

flouring mill

C.C. Washburn's flouring mills, by the Falls of St. Anthony in the historical milling...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (digital. id. pga 01523)

cotton mill: weaving room

Weaving room in a cotton mill, Augusta, Georgia, late 19th century.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Knights of Labor

"Puck" cartoon attacking James Cardinal Gibbons's support of the Knights of Labor.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Haymarket Affair

Wood engraving of the Haymarket Riot by Thure de Thulstrup, published in Harper's...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Samuel Gompers

Samuel Gompers, 1911.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-USZ62-19862)

Grover Cleveland

Grover Cleveland.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Rutherford B. Hayes

Rutherford B. Hayes, 1877.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Hancock, Winfield Scott

Winfield Scott Hancock

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (reproduction no. LC-USZ62-53819)

James A. Garfield

James A. Garfield, 1881.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

James Garfield assassination attempt

Print showing the attempted assassination of U.S. Pres. James A. Garfield in July...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (cph 3a10265)

Chester A. Arthur taking the presidential oath

Chester A. Arthur taking the presidential oath after the death of U.S. Pres. James...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (file no. LC-USZ62-7615)

political cartoon of Chester A. Arthur

Political cartoon of Chester A. Arthur by Joseph Keppler.

Drawing by Joseph Ferdinand Keppler/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (file no. LC-DIG-ppmsca-15781)

Grover Cleveland

Grover Cleveland.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

pro-high-tariff cartoon

A pro-high-tariff cartoon depicting U.S. Pres. Grover Cleveland introducing lower...

MPI/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Harrison, Benjamin

Benjamin Harrison.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC-USZ62-73640)

Reed, Thomas B.

Thomas B. Reed, detail of a portrait by John Singer Sargent; in the U.S. Capitol,...

Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives

Sherman, John

John Sherman

Brady-Handy photograph collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-cwpbh-04451

Harrison, Benjamin: cabinet

U.S. Pres. Benjamin Harrison with his cabinet.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-pga-09650)

Oklahoma land rush

Guthrie, Oklahoma Territory, days after the land rush of April 22, 1889.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Weaver, James B.

James B. Weaver

Brady-Handy photograph collection, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

Cleveland, Grover

Grover Cleveland; undated portrait.

Mark Hanna

Mark Hanna, 1903.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

McKinley campaign ribbon

Presidential campaign ribbon for William McKinley, c. 1896.

Americana/Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

McKinley inauguration ceremony

U.S. President Grover Cleveland (centre left) and President-elect William McKinley...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Klondike Gold Rush

Miner panning for gold in a stream during the Klondike Gold Rush in Canada.

George G. Murdoch/Library and Archives Canada, Accession No. c005389

Rough Riders

Rough Riders, including Theodore Roosevelt (center), at San Juan Hill, Santiago de...

National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Alfred Thayer Mahan

Alfred Thayer Mahan, c. 1904.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (cph 3a11341)

Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders

Theodore Roosevelt leading the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War, 1898;...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (reproduction no. LC-DIG-pga-01946)

Liliuokalani

Liliuokalani, the last Hawaiian monarch.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

John Hay

John Hay.

National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Russo-Japanese War

An American cartoon (“Let Us Have Peace”) hailing the peacemaking efforts of President...

The Granger Collection, New York

William Howard Taft: inspection of Panama Canal

William Howard Taft (centre) at an inspection during construction of the Panama Canal.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Woodrow Wilson: first inauguration

Pres. Woodrow Wilson speaking at his first inauguration on the east portico of the...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (cph 3a16546)

Granger movement

The Granger movement; lithograph published in 1873.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Tammany Hall politics

Tammany Hall politics; political cartoon by Thomas Nast.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Robert M. La Follette

Robert M. La Follette, 1906.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

William McKinley: assassination

Leon Czolgosz assassinating U.S. Pres. William McKinley, 1901.

Union Stock Yards: beef processing

Beef processing as conducted at the Union Stock Yards, Chicago, c. 1900.

Geo. R. Lawrence Co./Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-USZ62-52728-9)

Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir, Glacier Point, Yosemite Valley

U.S. Pres. Theodore Roosevelt and naturalist John Muir at Glacier Point, Yosemite...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Woodrow Wilson and Edith Wilson

U.S. Pres. Woodrow Wilson and first lady Edith Wilson, 1919.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (digital photo no. 3b12597u)

Louis Brandeis

Louis Brandeis.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Victoriano Huerta

Mexican Pres. Victoriano Huerta (seated centre) with his cabinet, c. 1913–14.

Bain Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-ggbain-14712)

Venustiano Carranza

Venustiano Carranza, c. 1910.

Archivo Casasola

John J. Pershing

Brig. Gen. John J. Pershing (centre) inspecting a camp during the U.S. Army expedition...

Underwood & Underwood/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-USZ62-89220)

sinking of the Lusitania

The New York Herald reporting the sinking of the Lusitania, a British...

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

ration card

Sugar ration card used during World War I, 1917.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

World War I: “Wake Up” parade

Marchers in a “Wake Up” parade, 1917, during World War I.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

U.S. 27th Infantry Division after the end of World War I

The U.S. 27th Infantry Division passing through the Victory Arch in New York City...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

“Big Four”

The “Big Four” (left to right): David Lloyd George of Britain, Vittorio Orlando of...

National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Henry Cabot Lodge

Henry Cabot Lodge, c. 1898.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (Digital File Number: cph.3b25369)

Woodrow Wilson

Former U.S. president Woodrow Wilson leaving his home in 1921, his health broken.

Warren G. Harding

Warren G. Harding.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg no. LC-USZ62-91485)

Andrew W. Mellon

Andrew W. Mellon, c. 1921.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-USZ62-56407)

Charles Evans Hughes

Charles Evans Hughes, 1916.

Genthe photograph collection—Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-agc-7a15120)

Calvin Coolidge

Calvin Coolidge taking the oath of office as U.S. president, 1925.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band

King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band performing in Chicago, 1923.

Pictorial Press/Alamy

Ku Klux Klan

A Ku Klux Klan initiation ceremony, 1920s.

Jack Benton—Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Scopes Trial

William Jennings Bryan (lower left, with fan) and Clarence Darrow (centre right,...

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Prohibition

New York City Deputy Police Commissioner John A. Leach (right) watching agents pour...

New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper Photograph Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC-USZ62-123257)

Al Smith

Al Smith in an undated photograph.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Black Thursday stock market crash

People gathering on the steps of the building across from the New York Stock Exchange...

Keystone—Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Great Depression: apple seller

Man selling apples during the Great Depression.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Great Depression: breadline

Detail of a sculpture by George Segal depicting unemployed men in a breadline during...

New Deal pin

Franklin D. Roosevelt New Deal pin, 1932.

Collection of David J. and Janice L. Frent

Franklin D. Roosevelt signing the Agricultural Adjustment Act

U.S. Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt signing the Agricultural Adjustment Act, a farm...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Civilian Conservation Corps

New members of the Civilian Conservation Corps waiting to be fitted for shoes at...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Huey Long

Huey Long, 1935.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-DIG-hec-38172)

Works Progress Administration

A poster by Vera Bock for the Works Progress Administration, c. 1936–41.

Work Projects Administration Poster Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (Digital file no. cph 3b48737)

Alf Landon

Alf Landon, c. 1936.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (cph 3c27381)

Cordell Hull

Cordell Hull.

U.S. Department of State

Franklin D. Roosevelt and the military draft

U.S. Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt watching while the blindfolded secretary of war,...

AP/Shutterstock.com

draft protest

Demonstrators in New York City protesting against peacetime conscription prior to...

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Ford Island in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as seen from a Japanese aircraft during the...

National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Douglas Aircraft factory

Two women working at a Douglas Aircraft Company factory in El Segundo, California,...

Farm Security Administration-Office of War Information photograph collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (fsa 8e01286)

United States: manufacturing during World War II

Men working on bombers at an aircraft plant in Baltimore, Maryland, 1942.

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library (1211919)

barracks at the Minidoka Relocation Center

A row of barracks at the Minidoka Relocation Center, an internment camp for Japanese...

Records of the War Relocation Authority, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Thomas E. Dewey

Thomas E. Dewey, c. 1948.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Yalta Conference

Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Premier Joseph...

U.S. Army Photo

Harry S. Truman, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin at the Potsdam Conference

Potsdam Conference, with U.S. President Harry S. Truman (centre), flanked by Soviet...

U.S. Army Photo

North Atlantic Treaty

U.S. Secretary of State Dean Acheson signing the North Atlantic Treaty on April 4,...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Harry S. Truman campaign button

Button from Harry S. Truman's 1948 U.S. presidential campaign.

Americana/Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Julius Rosenberg and Ethel Rosenberg

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg during their 1951 trial for espionage.

AP Images

Korean War

U.S. troops preparing for the assault on Inch'ŏn during the Korean War, September...

Bert Harey—© Hulton Deutsch/PNI

Richard Nixon and Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight D. Eisenhower (centre), the Republican Party nominee for U.S. president, with...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Adlai E. Stevenson

Adlai E. Stevenson waving to supporters before speaking at Madison Square Garden,...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

United States Army in Lebanon

American soldiers patrolling streets of a village in Lebanon, July 1958.

U.S. Army Photo

Little Rock Nine

African American students walking onto the campus of Central High School in Little...

AP Images

Explorer I

(From left) William H. Pickering, James Van Allen, and Wernher von Braun raising...

NASA/JPL

John F. Kennedy campaign button

Button from John F. Kennedy's 1960 U.S. presidential campaign.

Americana/Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Lyndon B. Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Lady Bird Johnson

Jacqueline Kennedy and Lady Bird Johnson standing by U.S. Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson...

Lyndon B. Johnson Library Photo

Civil Rights Act and Lyndon B. Johnson

U.S. Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson preparing to sign the Civil Rights Act during a ceremony...

Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon B. Johnson.

Freedom Riders

Freedom Riders preparing to board a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, May 24, 1961.

Perry Aycock/AP Images

A brief history of the Selma March

This infographic provides maps and a timeline of events associated with the Selma...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Kenny Chmielewski

Cesar Chavez

Cesar Chavez, 1972.

National Archives, Washington, D.C. (544069)

Russell Means

Russell Means.

Bettmann/Getty Images

Vietnam War

U.S. paratroopers carrying a wounded soldier to an ambulance helicopter during the...

AP Images

1968 Democratic National Convention, Chicago

A Chicago police officer squirting mace at demonstrators during a protest outside...

Everett Collection/age fotostock

Richard M. Nixon and Gerald Ford

Richard M. Nixon (right) accepting the Republican Party's U.S. presidential nomination...

AP Images

Kent State shooting

Ohio National Guardsmen moving across the Commons toward Taylor Hall at Kent (Ohio)...

May 4 Collection, Kent State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives

Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho

Henry Kissinger (right) shaking hands with Le Duc Tho in Paris after their agreement...

AP/REX/Shutterstock.com

Watergate scandal

White House reporters watching the televised Watergate address by U.S. Pres. Richard...

Gerald Ford

Gerald Ford being sworn in as U.S. president, August 9, 1974.

Robert L. Knudsen —White House Photo/Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Library

Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford

Jimmy Carter (left) and U.S. Pres. Gerald Ford in the first of three televised debates...

AP Images

Israel-Egypt peace treaty: Jimmy Carter, Menachem Begin, and Anwar Sadat

U.S. Pres. Jimmy Carter (second from left), Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin...

Iran hostage crisis

Blindfolded American hostage surrounded by captors outside the U.S. embassy in Tehrān,...

MPI—Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush

U.S. Pres. Ronald Reagan (left) and Vice Pres. George H.W. Bush.

White House photo

Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan

U.S. Pres. Ronald Reagan (left) and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev shaking hands...

Ron Edmonds/AP Images

Persian Gulf War

U.S. Marines entering Kuwait during the Persian Gulf War, February 1991.

Oklahoma City bombing

The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S., in the wake...

David Glass/AP Images

United States: 2000 presidential election

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

September 11 attacks

Smoke and flames erupting from the twin towers of New York City's World Trade Center...

Chao Soi Cheong/AP

Iraq War

Explosions illuminating the skies of Baghdad during the U.S.-led air bombardment...

Ali Heider/AP Images

economic recession

Store closings, one of the consequences of an economic recession, 2009.

Stanley McChrystal: resignation

U.S. Pres. Barack Obama announcing the resignation of Gen. Stanley McChrystal while...

Official White House Video

Julian Assange

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at a news conference, 2010.

Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images News

Barack Obama: repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell”

U.S. Pres. Barack Obama signing the repeal of “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” December 22,...

Chuck Kennedy—Official White House Photo

U.S. government officials during the Osama bin Laden mission

U.S. Pres. Barack Obama (seated second from left) and various other government officials—including...

Pete Souza—Official White House Photo

Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney, 2010.

Barack Obama voting

U.S. Pres. Barack Obama voting in the 2012 general election.

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza

migrant children

U.S. Border Patrol agents processing a group of Central American migrants who entered...

Jennifer Whitney—The New York Times/Redux

Mitch McConnell celebrating his reelection in 2014

Mitch McConnell celebrating with his wife, Elaine Chao, after he was reelected to...

J. Scott Applewhite/AP Images

Raúl Castro and Barack Obama

U.S. Pres. Barack Obama (right) and Cuban Pres. Raúl Castro making televised addresses...

AP Images

data breach

Red unlock symbol, indicating a data breach or hack.

Baltimore riots

A man throwing a brick at police in Baltimore on April 27, 2015, following the funeral...

Patrick Semansky/AP Images

White House

People gathering in Lafayette Park to see the White House illuminated with rainbow...

Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Images

European Union, P5+1, and Iranian officials

European Union, P5+1, and Iranian officials in Geneva, July 2015.

U.S Department of State

abortion rights activists celebrating the Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt decision

Abortion rights activists celebrating in front of the Supreme Court after the Court...

J. Scott Applewhite/AP Images

Donald Trump

Donald Trump.

Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders.

Gage Skidmore

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton at a campaign rally, 2016.

Donald Trump and Mike Pence

Donald Trump and Mike Pence on election night in 2016. Their relationship grew strained...

John Locher/AP Images

United States presidential election of 2016

Results of the U.S. presidential election, 2016.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Women's March, Washington, D.C.

A crowd filling Independence Avenue during the Women's March in Washington, D.C.,...

Alex Brandon/AP Images

Neil Gorsuch

Neil Gorsuch.

10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals

#MeToo

Young woman extending a card reading “#MeToo.”

Kim Jong-Un

Kim Jong-Un, 2017.

KCNA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock.com

House Democratic women members

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (centre, front row, white jacket) posing for photographs...

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Robert Mueller

Robert Mueller testifying before the U.S. Congress, 2019.

United States presidential election of 2020

Results of the U.S. presidential election, 2020.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters

Supporters of Pres. Donald Trump during an attack on the U.S. Capitol, Washington,...

Jon Cherry/Getty Images News

COVID-19 vaccine

A nurse administering a dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in Tampa, Florida, in...

Octavio Jones/Getty Images

Joe Manchin

Joe Manchin, 2011.

Office of U.S. Senator Joe Manchin III

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris

U.S. Pres. Joe Biden speaking alongside Vice Pres. Kamala Harris during a press conference on...

Samuel Corum/Getty Images

Afghanistan airlift

Families boarding a U.S. Air Force military transport aircraft at Hamid Karzai International...

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Samuel Ruiz/U.S. Department of Defense

Afghanistan airlift

More than 800 Afghan citizens crowding a U.S. Air Force military transport aircraft...

U.S. Air Force/U.S. Department of Defense

Russia-Ukraine War

People, mainly women and children, making their way through a railway station in...

Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images News

Gilbert Stuart: portrait of George Washington

George Washington, oil painting by Gilbert Stuart, c. 1803; in the White House. The...

Scala/Art Resource, New York

John Adams

John Adams, oil on canvas by Gilbert Stuart, c. 1800–15; in the National Gallery...

Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; gift of Mrs. Robert Homans, 1954.7.1

John Quincy Adams.

Martin Van Buren.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Harrison, William Henry

William Henry Harrison, detail of an oil painting by Abel Nichols; in the Peabody...

Courtesy, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts/Essex Institute Collections

John Tyler, oil painting by Hart, c. 1841–45; in the Library of Virginia, Richmond,...

The Library of Virginia

James K. Polk

James K. Polk, daguerreotype by Mathew Brady, 1849.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Zachary Taylor

Zachary Taylor, daguerreotype by Mathew B. Brady.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC-USZ62-13012)

Millard Fillmore

Millard Fillmore.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Pierce, Franklin

Franklin Pierce.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Buchanan, James

James Buchanan, photograph by Mathew Brady.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln, photograph by Mathew Brady.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Andrew Johnson

Andrew Johnson.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

James A. Garfield

James A. Garfield, 1880.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Chester A. Arthur

Chester A. Arthur.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Grover Cleveland

Grover Cleveland.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Benjamin Harrison

Benjamin Harrison, photograph by George Prince, 1888.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

William McKinley

William McKinley.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (reproduction no. LC-USZ62-96358)

Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

William Howard Taft

William Howard Taft, 1909.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Warren G. Harding

Warren G. Harding.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Coolidge, Calvin

Calvin Coolidge.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Herbert Hoover

Herbert Hoover.

Library of Congress, Washington D.C. (neg. no. LC-USZ62-24155)

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1937.

UPI/Bettmann Archive

Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman, 1945.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (LC-USZ62-13033)

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1952.

Fabian Bachrach

John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy.

Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon B. Johnson, c. 1963.

White House Collection

Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon.

Gerald Ford

Gerald Ford.

The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum

Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter.

Courtesy: Jimmy Carter Library

Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan.

Courtesy, The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

George Bush.

Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton.

U.S. Department of Defense

George W. Bush

George W. Bush.

Eric Draper/White House Photo

Barack Obama

Barack Obama.

Courtesy of the Office of U.S. Senator Barack Obama

Donald Trump

Donald Trump, 2015.

Andrew Harnik/AP Images

Joe Biden

Joe Biden, 2012.

David Lienemann—Official White House Photo

Burr, Aaron

Aaron Burr, oil painting by John Vanderlyn, 1809; in the collection of the New-York...

Collection of The New-York Historical Society

George Clinton, detail of an oil painting by Ezra Ames, 1814; in the collection of...

Collection of The New-York Historical Society

Elbridge Gerry, detail of an oil painting by James Bogle, 1861, after a portrait...

Courtesy of the Independence National Historical Park Collection, Philadelphia

Tompkins, Daniel D.

Daniel D. Tompkins.

The New York Public Library Digital Collection; The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs (b13512824)

John Calhoun

John Calhoun, detail of a daguerreotype by Mathew Brady, c. 1849.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Johnson, Richard

Richard Johnson, lithograph portrait by Charles Fenderich, 1840.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Dallas, George

George Dallas, engraving by T.B. Welch.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

William Rufus de Vane King.

Breckinridge, John C.

John C. Breckinridge.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Hamlin, Hannibal

Hannibal Hamlin.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Colfax, Schuyler

Schuyler Colfax.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Wilson, Henry

Henry Wilson.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Wheeler, William

William Wheeler.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Hendricks, Thomas

Thomas Hendricks.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Morton, Levi

Levi Morton.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Adlai Stevenson

Adlai Stevenson.

Hobart, Garret

Garret Hobart, 1896.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Fairbanks, Charles

Charles Fairbanks.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

James Sherman

James Sherman.

Pach/Corbis-Bettmann

Thomas Marshall.

Culver Pictures

Dawes, Charles G.

Charles G. Dawes, 1925.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Curtis, Charles

Charles Curtis.

Ewing Galloway

Garner, John Nance

John Nance Garner.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Wallace, Henry A.

Henry A. Wallace.

UPI/Bettmann Archive

Alben Barkley.

Hubert Humphrey

Hubert Humphrey.

Spiro Agnew

Spiro Agnew.

Nelson Rockefeller

Nelson Rockefeller.

Walter Mondale

Walter Mondale.

Dan Quayle.

Al Gore

U.S. vice president Al Gore.

Cheney, Dick

Dick Cheney

The White House; photograph, David Bohrer

Joe Biden

Joe Biden.

U.S. Senator Joe Biden

Mike Pence

Mike Pence.

State of Indiana

Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris.

Courtesy of Kamala Harris for Senate

Abigail Adams

Abigail Adams, oil on canvas by Gilbert Stuart, 1800–15; in the National Gallery...

Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Gift of Mrs. Robert Homans, 1954.7.2

Adams, Louisa

Louisa Adams, oil on canvas by Charles Bird King, 1821–25.

ART Collection/Alamy

Arthur, Ellen

Ellen Arthur.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. lc-usz62-25794)

Jill Biden

Jill Biden.

Ralph Alswang courtesy of The White House

Barbara Bush

Barbara Bush, 1989.

George Bush Presidential Library

Bush, Laura

Laura Bush, 2002.

Susan Sterner/White House photo

Rosalynn Carter

Rosalynn Carter, 1977

White House photo/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC-USZCN4-117)

Frances Cleveland.

MPI/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton, 2003.

Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Coolidge, Grace

Grace Coolidge, c. 1924.

Harris & Ewing Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Mamie Eisenhower.

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Fillmore, Abigail

Abigail Fillmore; engraving by H.B. Hall

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Betty Ford.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC-USZC4-2019)

Lucretia Garfield

Lucretia Garfield, who married James A. Garfield in 1858.

Brady-Handy Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Grant, Julia

Julia Grant

Brady-Handy Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Harding, Florence

Florence Harding

Underwood & Underwood Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Harrison, Anna

Anna Harrison, oil painting by Cornelia Stuart Cassady, 1843.

Harrison, Caroline

Caroline Harrison.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC USZ 62 25798)

Hayes, Lucy

Lucy Hayes, c. 1877; photograph by C.M. Bell.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Hoover, Lou

Lou Hoover

Underwood & Underwood Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC-USZ62- 25811)

Jackson, Rachel

Rachel Jackson.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (digital file no. 3a53325)

Silhouette of Martha Jefferson, the only known image of her.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Eliza Johnson

Eliza Johnson.

Lady Bird Johnson

Lady Bird Johnson, 1967.

Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum; photograph, Robert Knudsen

Jacqueline Kennedy

Jacqueline Kennedy, 1961.

White House photo/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Lane, Harriet

Harriet Lane.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (reproduction no. LC-USZ62-25788)

Mary Todd Lincoln

Mary Todd Lincoln.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC USZ 62 15325)

Dolley Madison

Dolley Madison, painting by Rembrandt Peale.

The Picture Art Collection/Alamy

McKinley, Ida

Ida McKinley.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Elizabeth Monroe

Elizabeth Monroe.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC-USZ61-1239)

Pat Nixon.

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Michelle Obama

First Lady Michelle Obama posing for her official portrait, the first-ever first...

Joyce N. Boghosian/The White House

Pierce, Jane

Jane Pierce.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (digital file no. LC-USZ62-25787 DLC)

Polk, Sarah

Sarah Polk.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (reproduction no. LC-USZ62-25782)

Nancy Reagan

Nancy Reagan, 1983.

Everett Collection

Roosevelt, Edith

Edith Roosevelt

Brady-Handy Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt, 1950.

Brown Brothers

Taft, Helen

Helen Taft.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (neg. no. LC USZ 62 25804)

Truman, Bess

Bess Truman

Harris & Ewing Collection/Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (reproduction no. LC-USZ62-25813)

Melania Trump

Melania Trump, 2016.

Anthony Behar—Sipa USA/AP Images

Tyler, Julia

Julia Tyler.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (file no. LC-DIG-hec-03116)

Tyler, Letitia

Letitia Tyler.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (reproduction no. LC-USZ62-25779C)

Van Buren, Hannah

Hannah Van Buren.

Washington, Martha

Martha Washington, coloured lithograph, c. 1876.

Wilson, Edith

Edith Wilson

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Wilson, Ellen

Ellen Wilson, c. 1912.

Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Alabama

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Alabama: flag

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Alabama: seal

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Alaska

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Alaska: flag

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seal of Alaska

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Arizona

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Arizona: flag

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State seal of Arizona

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map of Arkansas

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Arkansas: flag

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state seal of Arkansas

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California. Political map: boundaries, cities. Includes locator. CORE MAP ONLY. CONTAINS IMAGEMAP TO CORE ARTICLES.

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California: flag

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seal of California

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map of Colorado

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Colorado

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state seal of Colorado

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Connecticut

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Connecticut: flag

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Connecticut: seal

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map of Delaware, U.S.

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Delaware: flag

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state seal of Delaware

Delaware Public Archives

map of Florida, U.S.

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Florida: flag

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state seal of Florida

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map of Georgia

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Georgia: flag

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state seal of Georgia

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Hawaii

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Hawaii: flag

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Hawaii: state seal

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map of Idaho

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Idaho: flag

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state seal of Idaho

Illinois state map

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Illinois: first flag

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Illinois state seal

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map of Indiana

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Indiana: flag

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state seal of Indiana

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Iowa

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Iowa: flag

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seal of Iowa

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map of Kansas

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Kansas: flag

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state seal of Kansas

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Kentucky

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Kentucky: flag

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Kentucky; seal

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map of Louisiana

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Louisiana: flag

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state seal of Louisiana

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map of Maine

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Maine: flag

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state seal of Maine

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Maryland

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Maryland: flag

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Maryland: seal

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Map of Massachusetts

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Massachusetts: flag

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The state seal of Massachusetts has remained in essentially the same form since 1780, though details changed and were standardized in 1898. The arms, as on the state flag, include a crest (an arm holding a sword) and a ribbon with the motto "EnsePetit Pl

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map of Michigan

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Michigan: flag

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state seal of Michigan

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Minnesota

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Minnesota: flag

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seal of Minnesota

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map of Mississippi

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Mississippi: flag

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state seal of Mississippi

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map of Missouri

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Missouri: flag

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state seal of Missouri

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map of Montana

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Montana: flag

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state seal of Montana

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map of Nebraska

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Nebraska: flag

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state seal of Nebraska

The Nebraska state seal may only be used with the express written permission of the Nebraska Secretary of State

map of Nevada

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Nevada

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state seal of Nevada

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map of New Hampshire

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New Hampshire: flag

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state seal of New Hampshire

map of New Jersey

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New Jersey: flag

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state seal of New Jersey

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New Mexico. Political map: boundaries, cities. Includes locator. CORE MAP ONLY. CONTAINS IMAGEMAP TO CORE ARTICLES.

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New Mexico flag

New Mexico's first flag, adopted on March 19, 1915, was one of the few state flags...

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state seal of New Mexico

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map of New York

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New York: flag

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state seal of New York

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map of North Carolina

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North Carolina: flag

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state seal of North Carolina

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map of North Dakota

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North Dakota: flag

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state seal of North Dakota

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Ohio. Political map: boundaries, cities. Includes locator. CORE MAP ONLY. CONTAINS IMAGEMAP TO CORE ARTICLES.

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Ohio: flag

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seal of Ohio

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map of Oklahoma

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Oklahoma: flag

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state seal of Oklahoma

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map of Oregon

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Oregon: flag

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state seal of Oregon

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Pennsylvania

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Pennsylvania: flag

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seal of Pennsylvania

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Rhode Island

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Rhode Island: flag

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Rhode Island: seal

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South Carolina

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South Carolina: flag

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seal of South Carolina

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South Dakota. Political map: boundaries, cities. Includes locator.

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South Dakota: flag

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state seal of South Dakota

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Map of Tennessee

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Tennessee: flag

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Tennessee State Seal

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Texas

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Texas state flag

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Texas: seal

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Utah

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Utah state flag

For more than a century the flag of Utah featured the state seal at its center. In...

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seal of Utah

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map of Vermont

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Vermont: flag

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state seal of Vermont

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Virginia

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Virginia state flag

Virginia's flag, formally adopted in 1930, actually dates from the American Civil...

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Virginia: seal

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map of Washington

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Washington

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state seal of Washington

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West Virginia

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West Virginia: flag

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seal of West Virginia

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map of Wisconsin

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Wisconsin: flag

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state seal of Wisconsin

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Wyoming. Political map: boundaries, cities. Includes locator. CORE MAP ONLY. CONTAINS IMAGEMAP TO CORE ARTICLES.

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Wyoming

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state seal of wyoming

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United States of America

United States of America.

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average July relative humidity values: continental United States

Average July relative humidity values for the continental United States.

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Tornado Alley

Map of the average annual frequency of tornadoes in the United States, showing the...

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geothermal energy resources in the United States

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The Alaskan mountain ranges and the Mackenzie and Yukon river basins and their drainage...

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Appalachian Mountains

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U.S. coal deposits

Coal-bearing areas of the conterminous United States.

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The Great Lakes and their drainage basin

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Mississippi River basin and its drainage network

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The Rio Grande basin and its drainage network.

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U.S. soil regions

Soil regions of the United States, showing areas covered by soil orders of the U.S....

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map of western North America

Physical features of western North America.

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Alaska

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Hawaii. U.S. state map: physical features, cities.

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Reynolds's Political Map of the United States

Political map of the United States by William C. Reynolds and J.C. Jones, c. 1856....

Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C. (digital ID g3701e ct000604)

marijuana legality in the United States

The legality of marijuana in the United States.

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U.S. Military Bases in and Around Afghanistan (as of December 2001). The Taliban's Shrinking Control. Thematic map.

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American presidential election, 2004

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(Top) Indigenous communities in Canada and (bottom) reservations in the United States.

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Hispanic population by state in the United States, 2000.

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U.S. Hispanic population by state, 2010

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Percent increase in U.S. Hispanic population by county, 1990–2000.

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U.S. Hispanic population percent change by county, 2000–10

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Native American population density

Native American population density in the United States and Canada.

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exploration of the United States

Knowledge of the Mississippi River and the vast region to the west came from the...

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Plant Hardiness Zone Map

The 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Soil regions of the United States, showing areas covered by soil orders of the U.S....

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Indian gaming

U.S. states that allow Indian gaming.

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flight paths on September 11, 2001

The routes of the four U.S. planes hijacked during the terrorist attacks of September...

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Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010: path of the oil

Map depicting the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, caused by the explosion...

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number and intensity of tornadoes in the U.S. per month

Graph of the number and intensity of tornadoes...

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government powers under U.S. federalism

A Venn diagram showing government powers under U.S. federalism.

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How much a woman earns for every dollar a man does in the United States

This chart presents what American women make at work compared with men, by state....

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U.S cigarette consumption 1900–2000

Adult per capita cigarette consumption and major smoking and health events in the...

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United States, 1795–1818

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United States, 1818

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United States, 1912

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United States

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Audio

National anthem of the United States

The instrumental version of the national anthem of the United States.

Interactives

United States: Urban-rural

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United States: Age breakdown

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United States: Population by race and Hispanic origin

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United States: Countries of origin of permanent immigrants

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United States: 17.1% renewable energy breakdown (2017)

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United States: Major export destinations

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United States: Major import sources

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U.S. government

A diagram of the branches of the U.S. government.

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Untied States: states and capitals

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Click on the banner for an interactive map of U.S. governors

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United States: Active duty personnel

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mass shooting

Graph depicting the number of mass shootings in the United States by year.

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woman suffrage: In the United States, 1776–1959

*The phrase partial suffrage indicates a variety of limitations imposed...

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