If I ask the question, how old are you? You will, of course, have an answer, and you will say it instantly. But how about I ask you, do you know how old the USA is?
What will be your answer? Do you even know the answer at the top of your tongue?
Don’t feel bad; most people don’t know the answer to that question. So have some patience and scroll down to find amazing facts about the USA’s age.
Simple Question: How Old Is The USA?
Well, if you ask me, there cannot be a simpler question than wanting to know the age of a country. But is it, though? Is it really that simple? Yes, it is!
The United States turned 248 years old this year, which is the answer to the question of how old the USA is.
The United States of America was born on July 4th, 1776, the day the Declaration of Independence was signed. Also, find out how old the USA is today.
So, considering other older countries, America still looks young. If you still want to know how old the USA is, keep on scrolling to find all kinds of fun facts.
So you know how old the USA is, but is that it? Is it that simple? There are other potential birth dates in the United States of America. Do you know what they are? Keep on scrolling to find out.
The Emergence Of The Native Americans (15,000-40,000 Years Old)
If we go a few years back, take, for example, about 15,000 to 40,000 years back when the Native Americans came to the North American continent.
So, if you want to know how old the USA is, it can easily be 13,000 BCE to 38,000 BCE when they first came to this continent.
The Arrival Of Christopher Columbus (529 Years Old)
This is another possibility of how old the USA is and when it was born when adventurer Christopher Columbus first “allegedly discovered an uninhabited land,” choosing to ignore the millions of Native Americans already living there for thousands of years.
The European colonization of Christopher Columbus had a controversial and barbaric impact on the existing indigenous population, which is why most US states don’t celebrate Columbus Day.
The First Settlement(435 Years Old)
Well, who doesn’t know about the Roanoke Island settlement in 1587? It was the first-ever settlement in America, but it didn’t go as planned. In 1590, due to a lack of food and other supplies, the settlement was totally abandoned overnight. There were no signs of the first settlers anywhere.
There are many conspiracy and horror stories about what might have happened to them, but it is possible that it was abandoned due to a lack of supplies.
The Successful Settlement (413 Years Old)
So it is yet another possibility that the answer to the question of how old the USA is is when the first successful settlement happened here. The Roanoke Island failure wasn’t enough for the British to back down.
They tried a settlement again in Jamestown in 1609, but it started out rough and even went towards cannibalism due to lack of supplies, but eventually, it was a success.
Ending Of The Civil War(157 Years Old)
The United States was truly born when the Civil War ended in June of 1865. The number of years in the USA should start from then. After the end of the Civil War, America was truly United.
First McDonald’s Store (67 Years Old)
When a baby is born, it gets a life and soul, an identity. So, what is the identity of the United States? Its soul is its culture and food. So it is safe to say that to answer the question of how old the USA is, the answer is when the first McDonald’s store was opened.
Significance Of 4th Of July
We all know that the Declaration of Independence was signed on the 4th of July, which is why it is known as Independence Day of the United States of America. When we think of how old the USA is, we usually count from 1776.
But is that the only significant event that happened on the 4th of July? No, there were more significant events.
- In 1802, the first US Military Academy was opened at the West Point of New York.
- Born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1804, renowned American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne is best known for his brilliant works, including The Scarlet Letter(1850).
- In 1826, two of the founding fathers and later American Presidents, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, died within five hours of each other on the 4th of July, 1826.
- In 1855, Famed American author Walt Whitman published his groundbreaking American Literature, Leaves of Grass, which is considered a landmark in literature.
- In 1865, Famous author Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland was first published on the 4th of July.
- In 1884, the French people gifted America the Statue of Liberty, which was originally made of copper.
- In 1910, The “Fight of the Century” happened this day between Jack Johnson, an African American boxer who defeated James Jackson Jeffries, known as the “Great White Hope.” The victory led to a nationwide celebration among African Americans and violent retaliation from Whites, killing over 20 African Americans all over the country.
- In 1939, Famous baseball player Lou Gehrig was forced to step down and retire after he was diagnosed with ALS. On the 4th of July, he gave his famous speech, calling himself” the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” He was known as the “Iron Horse” of baseball.
Wrapping Up!
As one of the first-world countries, America had a long history before it received independence in 1776. Thus, many historical events signify the birth of America.
But answering how old the USA is is not a simple question. There are many historical moments when America could have been born. So, it is up to you to decide the actual birth year of the United States.
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