数千年来，多样化的美洲原住民部落生活在北美大陆上。在16和17世纪，欧洲探险家和殖民者开始乘船抵达，永远改变了历史的进程。
早期的英国殖民地从1607年的詹姆斯敦开始建立。1620年，清教徒在普利茅斯登陆。随后，十三个殖民地沿着大西洋海岸逐步建立，每个都有独特的经济和社会特征。
1760年代，英国开始对殖民地征收新税，引发强烈抗议。1773年的波士顿茶党事件中，殖民者将英国茶叶倒入海中。紧张局势升级，1775年爆发了莱克星顿和康科德战役，独立战争正式开始。
独立战争从1775年持续到1783年。乔治·华盛顿被任命为大陆军总司令。1777年萨拉托加战役的胜利说服法国加入战争支持美国。1781年约克镇围攻战中英军投降，战争实质结束。1783年《巴黎条约》正式确认美国独立。
1787年，制宪会议在费城召开，制定了新的联邦宪法。1788年宪法获得足够州的批准。1789年，乔治·华盛顿成为美国第一任总统。美利坚合众国正式诞生，从13个分散的殖民地发展成为统一的联邦共和国，为世界提供了民主共和制的典范。
British colonization began with Jamestown in 1607, followed by Plymouth in 1620. Over the next 150 years, thirteen distinct colonies developed along the Atlantic coast. Each colony had its own economy, from tobacco in Virginia to fishing in New England, but all remained under British rule.
After the French and Indian War, Britain imposed new taxes on the colonies. The Stamp Act of 1765 sparked widespread protests with the rallying cry 'No Taxation Without Representation.' Tensions escalated with the Boston Massacre in 1770 and the Boston Tea Party in 1773, where colonists dumped British tea into the harbor.
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, it proclaimed that all men are created equal with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This document formally severed ties with Britain and established the philosophical foundation of American democracy.
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 created a new framework for government. The Constitution was ratified in 1788, establishing a federal republic with separation of powers. George Washington became the first President in 1789. The United States emerged as a unified nation, transforming from thirteen separate colonies into a model of democratic government that would inspire the world.