United States of America

Feel the sun on the golden plains of my heartland, the cool mist from my giant waterfalls, and see my jagged, snow-capped mountains touching the clouds. I have forests so tall they seem to whisper secrets to the sky and deserts painted in shades of red and orange. In my cities, lights sparkle like fallen stars, and you can hear the music of a hundred different languages and smell foods from every corner of the world. I am a patchwork quilt of people and places, all stitched together with a thread of hope and courage. I am the United States of America.

My story begins long, long before my current name. For thousands of years, my lands were home to the first people, the Native Americans. They built incredible cities, understood the rhythms of the seasons, and filled my plains, forests, and coasts with their cultures and stories. Their footprints are the oldest ones I hold. Then, ships with tall sails began to cross the vast Atlantic Ocean. An explorer named Christopher Columbus arrived on October 12th, 1492, and many others followed from countries like England, Spain, and France. They started building small towns and farms, creating thirteen colonies along my eastern shore. This was a time of great change and sometimes great difficulty, as these new arrivals and the people who were already here learned to live side-by-side, which was not always easy.

As the colonies grew, a new feeling started to bubble up—an idea of freedom. The people living here felt they were ready to make their own rules and build a new kind of country, one where everyone had a voice. They were led by thoughtful people like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. On a warm summer day, July 4th, 1776, they made a brave announcement to the world with a special document called the Declaration of Independence. It said that everyone deserves to be free and to chase their own happiness. This started a war for independence, the American Revolution. After years of struggle and bravery, a new nation was finally born, built on the powerful dream of liberty and justice for all.

After I became a country, I began to grow. Brave pioneers traveled west in covered wagons, crossing my wide rivers and tall mountains, stretching my borders all the way to the Pacific Ocean. But growing wasn't always simple. I faced a very sad time, a fight with myself called the Civil War, from 1861 to 1865. It was a time of deep disagreement, especially over the terrible practice of slavery. A wise and kind president, Abraham Lincoln, guided me through this darkness, helping me stay together as one nation and making sure that freedom truly was for everyone. After this, I welcomed millions of people from all over the world who sailed past my Statue of Liberty, looking for a new beginning. They brought their hopes, their traditions, and their hard work, weaving their own threads into my story.

Today, my story is still being written every single day by all the people who call me home. I am a place of amazing inventions, from the first airplane that soared through my skies to the internet that connects the whole world. I am the birthplace of jazz music that makes you want to dance and movies that tell incredible stories. My greatest strength is my people—scientists and farmers, artists and teachers, all from different backgrounds, sharing their dreams. My journey has had its challenges, but the idea that started it all—the dream of a place where anyone can build a better life—is what keeps me looking toward a bright and hopeful future.