History of the United States: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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{{redirect|American history|the history of the continents|History of the Americas}}

The [[United States|United States of America]] is located in the middle of the North American continent, with [[Canada]] to the north and the [[Mexico|United Mexican States]] to the south. The United States ranges from the [[Atlantic Ocean]] on the nation's east coast to the [[Pacific Ocean]] bordering the west, and also includes the state of [[Hawaii]], a series of islands located in the Pacific Ocean, the state of [[Alaska]] located in the northwestern part of the continent above the [[Yukon]], and numerous other holdings and territories.<ref name="columbia">{{cite encyclopedia|title=United States|url=http://www.bartleby.com/65/us/US.html|encyclopedia=The Columbia Encyclopedia|edition=6th|date=2007}}</ref>

The first known inhabitants of the area now known as the United States are believed to have arrived over a period of several thousand years beginning sometime prior to 15,000 years ago by crossing the [[Bering land bridge]] into [[Alaska]]. Solid evidence of these cultures settling in what would become the US is dated to at least 14,000 years ago.<ref>{{cite news|last=Wilford|first=John Noble|title=Evidence Supports Earlier Date for People in North America|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/04/science/04fossil.html Evidence|work=The SupportsNew Earlier Date for People in North America, NYT, April 4,York Times|date=2008-04-04}}</ref>.

Relatively little is known of these early settlers compared to the Europeans who colonized the area after the first voyage of navigator [[Christopher Columbus]] in 1492 for [[Spain]].<ref name="columbia"/> Columbus' men were also the first documented [[Old World]]ers to land in the territory of the United States when they arrived in [[Puerto Rico]] during their second voyage in 1493.<ref<{{cite encyclopedia|title=Columbus, Christopher|url=http://www.bartleby.com/65/co/ColumbusC.html|encyclopedia=The Columbia Encyclopedia|edition=6th|date=2007}}</ref> The first European known to set foot in the [[continental United States|continental U.S.]] was [[Juan Ponce de León]], who arrived in [[Florida]] in 1513<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|title=Ponce de Leon, Juan|url=http://www.bartleby.com/65/po/PoncedeL.html|encyclopedia=The Columbia Encyclopedia|edition=6th|date=2007}}</ref>, though there is some evidence suggesting that he may have been preceded by [[John Cabot]] in 1497.

==Colonial America==

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[[Category:History of the United States| ]]