05 June 2008

Introduction: USA History in Brief

George Washington addressing the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, 1787. (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond)

(The following introduction is taken from the U.S. Department of State publication, USA History in Brief.)

The history of the United States has been an experiment in democracy for more than 200 years. Issues that were addressed in the early years continue to be addressed and resolved today: big government versus small government, individual rights versus group rights, unfettered capitalism versus regulated commerce and labor, engagement with the world versus isolationism. The expectations for American democracy have always been high, and the reality has sometimes been disappointing. Yet the nation has grown and prospered, through a continual process of adaptation and compromise.