| | ---------- introduction ---------- quick facts ---------- brief timeline ---------- clothing ---------- citations & credits ----------
About America
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish (CIA)
Religion: Varied. Protestant majority. (CIA)
Currency: US Dollar ($)
Capital: Washington D.C.
Area: 3,618,787 mi2 (9,631,418 km2) (CIA)
Government: Constitutional republic with democratic ties (CIA)
Suffrage: Universal at the age of 18 |  "Red White and Blue"
the 13 colonial stripes and 50 state stars | |
History in Brief: The first Americans came across from Asia and Russia via the Bering Strait, a former landmass between Siberia and Alaska. They lived here for thousands of years and firmly established themselves before America was discovered by the Western World in 1492. From there on, it was a territory war between Spain, France, and Great Britain. Britain founded the thirteen colonies on the eastern seaboard, while France claimed much of the territory to the direct west of the Mississippi. Spain claimed parts of Florida, but mostly stayed in Central America. In 1776, the founding fathers of the United States signed the Declaration of Independence, and a new nation was born. The revolutionary war lasted until 1783, where the British ceded all lands east of the Mississippi River. The 1800s included the War of 1812 and the Civil War. In the 1900s, American style began to develop. The 1920s brought about the "flapper" style. The 60s gave us the hippie culture, the 70s disco. In the 80s, punk and urban styles developed. In the 90s, grunge and other brief styles developed. (World Factbook) |
American Clothing
The American culture is the compilation of many different cultures from around the globe and over time coming together. The United States' geography varies across the country and because of this, the American culture divides into subcultures. Many ideas and customs from other nations influence the culture. Some of the major influences include Britain, France, Asia, and Latin American countries.
American clothing dramatically changed in the span of 400 years. In the 1600s, when the first colonists arrived, women's clothing covered every area of the body except the hands, neck, and face. It was considered shameful for a woman to show her ankle. With the arrival of the 20th century, women began to break free from the old constraints, and in just a century, America saw a drastic shift in its view of women and appropriate clothing. This is only one of many examples of the style changes America has gone through in its four centuries.
The American culture is very complex and consists of many subcultures that can be broken down into decades and regions. For example, the Roaring 1920s, the Hippie 1960s, and the Pop Culture 1990s can all classify as subcultures of America each with their own style. In this particular decade, many Americans wear styles associated with urban, punk, gothic, Californian, Latin, and many others. Furthermore, clothing can be broken down by region.
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