Miranda

The history of the United States as covered in American schools and universities typically begins with either Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyage to the Americas or with the prehistory ofthe Native peoples, with the latter approach having become increasingly common in recent decades.[1]

Indigenous populations lived in what is now the United States before European colonistsbegan to arrive, mostly from England, after 1600. By the 1770s, thirteen British colonies contained two and a half million people. They were prosperous and growing rapidly, and had developedtheir own autonomous political and legal systems. The British Parliament asserted its authority over these colonies by imposing new taxes, which the Americans insisted were unconstitutionalbecause they were not represented in Parliament. Growing conflicts turned into full-fledged war beginning in April 1775. On July 4, 1776, the colonies declared independence from the Kingdomof Great Britain and became the United States of America.

With major military and financial support from France and military leadership by General George Washington, the Patriots won theRevolutionary War and peace came in 1783. During and after the war, the 13 states were united under a weak federal government established by the Articles of Confederation. When these provedunworkable, a new Constitution was adopted in 1789; it remains the basis of the United States federal government, and later included a Bill of Rights. With Washington as the nation's firstpresident and Alexander Hamilton his chief advisor, a strong national government was created. When Thomas Jefferson became president he purchased the Louisiana Territory from France,expanding American territorial holdings. A second and last war with Britain was fought in 1812. The main result of that war was the end of European support for Indian attacks on western settlers.