Episode 7: A brief American History!

🇺🇸 America Is Great – Episode 7 Show Notes

How Well Do You Actually Know America? From 13 Colonies to 50 States

Think you know American history? Put yourself to the test!

In this episode of America Is Great, we're taking a fun, fast-paced road trip through the beginnings of the United States. From the original 13 colonies to the 50 states we know today, we'll uncover how America grew, changed, and evolved into the nation it is today.

Along the way, you'll discover surprising facts, learn why America celebrates Independence Day on July 4th, explore when our government officially began, and hear how nearly two centuries of growth shaped our country's map.

Whether you're a lifelong history buff or just curious about America's story, this episode is packed with interesting facts, lighthearted moments, and a fresh perspective on the nation's journey.

In This Episode

• 🇺🇸 Can you name all 13 original colonies?
• 📜 The difference between America's birth in 1776 and the government established in 1789.
• 🏛️ How the Constitution changed the nation's future.
• 🗺️ How America expanded from 13 colonies to 50 states over nearly 183 years.
• 🌄 The Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clark, westward expansion, and the addition of Alaska and Hawaii.
• ⭐ Why Delaware is called "The First State."
• 🤔 Why Rhode Island was the last of the original colonies to ratify the Constitution.
• 🎉 Fun and surprising facts about the United States, including:
  • Why there isn't an official national language.
  • The hidden meaning behind the number 13 on the one-dollar bill.
  • Why Washington, D.C. isn't part of a state.
  • America's six Moon landings.
  • The American bison as our national mammal.
  • How the U.S. Postal Service is actually older than the country itself.
  • Why today's 50-star flag has lasted longer than any previous version.

Quote of the Episode

"America isn't one story. It's 13 colonies, 50 states, thousands of communities, and generations of people who believed tomorrow could be better than today."

Question of the Week

What's your favorite random fact about America?

I'd love to hear your answer! Share it with me through Voices and Stories Studio.

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• ⭐ Telling someone about the stories that make America unique

Thank you for listening! Until next time, remember to be the reason someone smiles today.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Quick question. How well do you know American history? How many colonies did America start with? Can you name them? Today there are no grades, no surprise history exam. This is just a fun challenge to see how well do you actually know America? Welcome back to America is great. My name is Heather and I'm your host. Last episode we celebrated the 4th of July. Today, we're zooming out and taking a road trip through American history. For listeners outside the US, this episode is your first pass through how America became America. Before there were 50 states. America officially traces its foundation to July 4th, 1776. But before America was America, there were 13 colonies along the East Coast. Here's your challenge. See how many you can name. Ready? Go. How'd you do? I bring in this quick interesting test because while celebrating July 4th, Independence Day, it opens up a moment to really think about what that means. What does Independence Day mean? When thinking about starting something, you need a foundation to build on, to continue growing and thriving. And that is exactly what these 13 colonies did to help create the America we know today. The thirteen colonies that made up our original lands were broken into three different territories. New England, those colonies or states, were New Hampshire founded june twenty first, seventeen eighty eight, Massachusetts, february sixth, seventeen eighty eight, Rhode Island, may twenty ninth, seventeen ninety, and Connecticut, january ninth, seventeen eighty eight. Then we have Middle. Those states encompassed New York, july twenty sixth, seventeen eighty eight, New Jersey, december eighteenth, seventeen eighty seven, Pennsylvania, december twelfth, seventeen eighty seven, and Delaware, december seventh, seventeen eighty seven. And then lastly our southern states. Those states Maryland, founded april twenty eighth, seventeen eighty eight, Virginia, june twenty fifth, seventeen eighty eight, North Carolina, november twenty first, seventeen eighty nine, then you have South Carolina, may twenty third, seventeen eighty-eight, and Georgia, January second, seventeen eighty-eight. Together, these thirteen colonies sparked a revolution and built a nation. Fun facts if you were paying attention, you would have noticed that all the original 13 colonies were established after Independence Day. The colonies didn't all jump into statehood at once. Rhode Island held out the longest because people worried the new federal government would become too powerful, so they waited almost three years after Delaware to finally join. And another fun one, Delaware proudly calls itself the first state because it ratified the Constitution first. That means America's original lineup wasn't a dramatic group photo. It was more like people slowly showing up to the party over about two and a half years. So when did the America we know today officially start? Well, as we know by now, America's birthday is July 4th, 1776, but the government we use today started later. Think of it like this. The birth announcement is 1776, the first government 1781, then you have the Constitution signed in 1787, and then the Constitution goes live in 1789. That means America was born in 1776, but moved into its forever home in 1789. America didn't wake up one morning and suddenly become 50 states, automatically knowing what to do next. America didn't wake up one morning and suddenly become 50 states. It didn't wake up automatically knowing what to do next. It was a lot of learning, trial and error, resiliency on everybody's part. It expanded over time. Quick history spill, how America grew. So picture this. America starts out in 1776 as a brand new country with just 13 colonies along the East Coast. That's it. No West Coast, no Midwest, just a strip of coastline trying to figure out how to govern itself without a king. And then it starts stretching. Over the next nearly two centuries in the US goes on what is basically a very ambitious real estate expansion project. Sometimes it's buying land, like the massive Louisiana Purchase, which we will go over more in future episodes, which basically doubled the country overnight. Sometimes it's exploration, like Lewis and Clark, heading west into what even is out there territory, and sometimes it's through treaties, negotiations, and honestly some very complicated and messy history. One by one, territories turn into states, frontiers become towns, trails become highways, and the map keeps filling in like a puzzle that nobody had the picture for at the start. Fast forward through wars, gold rushes, migrations, and manifest destiny debates, and suddenly you've got coast to coast America. And finally, in 1959, Alaska and Hawaii join the lineup, locking in all 50 states. So in total, about 183 years of expansion from 13 colonies to the full map we know today. And here's the fun part. That story isn't one straight line. It's 50 different origin stories, each with its own personality, conflict, and identity, which is exactly what we're going to start breaking down next. Because America didn't just grow, it spread, shifted, argued, adapted, and kept going anyway. Few fun facts about the United States. America also has territories. Think of the US like a nation with 50 full main characters, those characters being the states. And then a few supporting but important side locations scattered across the Caribbean and Pacific. Some strategic, some cultural, all connected to the US in different ways. America doesn't have an official language. English is the most commonly used language, but the United States has no federally designated official language. The dollar bill has hidden symbolism. The back of the US dollar bill includes a pyramid with 13 layers for the original colonies, 13 stars above the eagle, 13 arrows, and 13 leaves and olives. Apparently somebody really loved the number 13. The U.S. has landed people on the moon six times. From 69 to 1972, astronauts walked on the moon during multiple missions, not just once. Washington, D.C. isn't in a state. The Capitol was created as a federal district, so no single state would control the national government. The U.S. Postal Service is older than the country itself. A postal system was established in 1775 before independence was officially declared. The national mammal isn't the bald eagle. Surprise! The bald eagle is the national bird. The American bison became the national mammal in 2016. America spans more than one hemisphere. Because of territories and islands, parts of the United States stretch across both the northern and western hemispheres. The flag used to keep changing. Every time a state joined, a star was added. The current 50-star flag has been used since 1960, making it the longest used version. The original flag had 13 stars, which represented the 13 colonies. Those stars were in a circle. I think the original flag looked pretty cool, but I like the one that we have today. It definitely shows how far we've come. The U.S. owns some of the world's most remote island. Tiny islands and atolls scattered across the Pacific and Caribbean are part of U.S. territories. And in closing, America isn't one story. It's 13 colonies, 50 states, thousands of communities, people who continue to believe that our tomorrow can be better than today, and that is what we continuously do today, but it all started with the 13 colonies that wanted to give fate a chance in becoming our own location. Thanks for hanging out with me on America is great. And before you go, tell me, what's your favorite random fact about America? Do you have one you would like to share? Drop me a note. Go to my website www.voicesandstories studio.squarespace.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please share with your family and friends. If you're listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, leave me a review and be sure to rate me. The more people who leave a review and rating, the better I can improve in the standings. All I want with this show is to share positivity and a little bit of what makes America great. And lastly, be the reason someone smiles today. I'll see you next time.