American History
The documents, breakthroughs, turning points, and hard tests that explain the country Americans inherited and continue to shape.
Why It Still Matters
History matters here because the country did not appear fully formed. It was argued into existence, defended at great cost, expanded through invention and labor, and tested again and again by contradiction, conflict, and ambition.
- Founding texts and institutions that still set the terms of public life.
- Achievements and breakthroughs that belong in clear national memory, not vague treatment.
- Turning points that give current arguments about freedom, equality, and progress their real context.
Read the Milestones
These are the chapters that belong in clear national memory.
The Declaration of Independence
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence, severing ties with Great Britain and announcing the creation of a new nation b…
The Constitutional Convention
In the summer of 1787, fifty-five delegates from twelve states gathered in Philadelphia ostensibly to revise the Articles of Confederation – the young nation's first gove…
The Homestead Act
Signed by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862, the Homestead Act offered 160 acres of public land to any American citizen – or any immigrant intending to become one…
The Wright Brothers' First Flight
On the morning of December 17, 1903, on the windswept dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville Wright piloted a small biplane called the Flyer for twelve seconds and…
The GI Bill
Signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 22, 1944 – just weeks after D-Day – the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, known universally as the GI Bill, offered returni…
The Apollo 11 Moon Landing
On July 20, 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong descended the ladder of the Eagle lunar module and became the first human being to set foot on the Moon, speaking words that wo…