The first settlers in the region were Native Americans, but there were no known records as to when they first came. Then, the region was rediscovered, first by Christopher Columbus in 1492 and then by Giovanni Caboto in 1497. The region was named America, which is based on the name of the Italian mapmaker Amerigo Vespucci. These events precipitated the British colonization of the region.
For more than two centuries, the American colonies followed the rule of Britain, the mother country. Then, in the latter part of the 18th century, the American colonies rebelled against the British monarchy. The rebellion transformed into a revolution that resulted in the complete independence of the American colonies from the British rule. Independence day was declared on July 4, 1776. The young nation was named the United States of America, a name suggested by the writer Thomas Paine. At first, there were only 13 states, but before the close of the 20th century, the nation grew to have 50 states.
Then the US suffered a devastating Civil War that was waged between the Union states of the north and the Confederacy states of the south. It was a traumatic war because it was considered as a war between brothers. The end of the Civil War started the concept of national citizenship, and it dismantled slavery. Then, almost right after the Civil War, the economy of the country suffered through the Great Depression. Fortunately, the economy bounced back after the victories in the two World Wars.
Today, the United States remains a democratic country that recognizes the Constitution as the highest law of the land. There are three branches of government: the executive, the legislative and the judiciary. The President, who is also considered as the chief of state and the commander-in-chief of the US Armed Forces, leads the executive branch. The legislative branch is composed of two bodies, the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Supreme Court, which is composed of 9 justices, leads the judicial branch. Any US citizen can vote after they have reached the age of 18.
