Portal:United States

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Introduction

Flag of the United States of America
Great Seal of the United States of America
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The United States of America is a federal republic of 50 states, a capital district, and a number of other territories. It is located mostly in central North America. The U.S. has three land borders, two with Canada and one with Mexico, and is otherwise bounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea, the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. Of the 50 states, only Alaska and Hawaii are not contiguous with any other state. The U.S. also has a collection of districts, territories, and possessions around the world. Each state has a high level of local autonomy according to the system of federalism. The U.S. traces its national origin to the declaration by 13 British colonies in 1776 that they were free and independent states. They were recognized as such by the Treaty of Paris in 1783. Since then, the nation has grown to become a global superpower and exerts a high level of economic, political, military, and cultural influence.
Libertybell alone small.jpg More about… the United States, its history and diversity

Selected article

The bottom of page 53 of Olney Hymns shows the first stanza of what became "Amazing Grace".
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn written by English poet and clergyman John Newton (1725–1807), published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God, "Amazing Grace" is one of the most recognizable songs in the English-speaking world.

Newton wrote the words from personal experience. He grew up without any particular religious conviction but his life's path was formed by a variety of twists and coincidences that were often put into motion by his recalcitrant insubordination. He was pressed into the Royal Navy and became a sailor, eventually participating in the slave trade. One night a terrible storm battered his vessel so severely that he became frightened enough to call out to God for mercy, a moment that marked the beginning of his spiritual conversion. His career in slave trading lasted a few years more until he quit going to sea altogether and began studying theology.

Author Gilbert Chase writes that "Amazing Grace" is "without a doubt the most famous of all the folk hymns", and Jonathan Aitken, a Newton biographer, estimates that it is performed about 10 million times annually. It has had particular influence in folk music, and become an emblematic African American spiritual. Its universal message has been a significant factor in its crossover into secular music. "Amazing Grace" saw a resurgence in popularity in the U.S. during the 1960s and has been recorded thousands of times during and since the 20th century, sometimes appearing on popular music charts.

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A brown bird with speckled eyes sits on the grass.


Selected society biography

Smedley Butler
Smedley Darlington Butler (July 30, 1881 – June 21, 1940), nicknamed "The Fighting Quaker" and "Old Gimlet Eye", was a Major General in the U.S. Marine Corps, and at the time of his death the most decorated Marine in U.S. history. During his 34-year career as a Marine, he participated in military actions in the Philippines, China, in Central America and the Caribbean during the Banana Wars, and France in World War I. By the end of his career he had received 16 medals, five of which were for heroism. He is one of 19 people to twice receive the Medal of Honor, one of three to be awarded both the Marine Corps Brevet Medal and the Medal of Honor, and the only person to be awarded the Brevet Medal and two Medals of Honor, all for separate actions.

Butler continued his speaking engagements in an extended tour but in June 1940 checked himself into a naval hospital, dying a few weeks later from what was believed to be cancer. He was buried at Oaklands Cemetery in West Chester, Pennsylvania; his home has been maintained as a memorial and contains memorabilia collected during his various careers.

Selected quote

Franklin D. Roosevelt
This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

Anniversaries for June 8

A commemorative cover for the U.S.S Barbero Missile Mail launch.

Selected cuisine

Dark red states considered Southern; medium red usually considered Southern; striped states occasionally considered Southern.

The cuisine of the Southern United States developed in the traditionally defined American South. Tidewater, Appalachian, Cajun, Creole, Lowcountry, and Floribbean are examples of types of Southern cuisine. In recent history, elements of Southern cuisine have spread north, having an effect on the development of other types of American cuisine. Read more...

Selected image

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin walks on the surface of the Moon, July 20 1969.
Credit: Neil Armstrong
Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, lunar module pilot, walks on the surface of the Moon near the leg of the Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity (EVA) in 1969. Astronaut Neil Armstrong, commander, took this photograph with a 70mm lunar surface camera.

Selected location

I-68 passing through the Sideling Hill road cut
Interstate 68 (I-68) is a 112.6-mile (181.2 km) Interstate highway in the U.S. states of West Virginia and Maryland, connecting Interstate 79 in Morgantown to Interstate 70 in Hancock. I-68 is also Corridor E of the Appalachian Development Highway System. From 1965 until the freeway's construction was completed in 1991, it was designated as U.S. Route 48 (US 48). In Maryland, the highway is known as the National Freeway', an homage to the historic National Road, which I-68 parallels between Keysers Ridge and Hancock. The freeway mainly spans rural areas, and crosses numerous mountain ridges along its route. A road cut constructed for it through Sideling Hill exposed geological features of the mountain and has become a tourist attraction.

There have been several major planned road projects that would affect the freeway's corridor, including a plan to extend I-68 to Moundsville, West Virginia (which, due to major funding issues, is unlikely to be completed As of  2010) and the plan to construct the Mon-Fayette Expressway, a toll highway which, when completed, will meet I-68 east of Morgantown.

Selected culture biography

Judy Garland (June 10, 1922 – June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years, Garland attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage. Respected for her versatility, she received a Juvenile Academy Award, won a Golden Globe Award, received the Cecil B. DeMille Award for her work in films, as well as Grammy Awards and a Special Tony Award.

Despite her professional triumphs, Garland battled personal problems throughout her life. Insecure about her appearance, her feelings were compounded by film executives who told her she was unattractive and manipulated her on-screen physical appearance. Garland was plagued by financial instability, often owing hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes. She married five times, with her first four marriages ending in divorce. Garland died of an accidental drug overdose at the age of 47, leaving children Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft and Joey Luft.

In 1997, Garland was posthumously awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Several of her recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 1999, the American Film Institute placed her among the ten greatest female stars in the history of American cinema.

In the news

Wikinews United States portal
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As of 8 June 2020, there are 1,246 featured and 3,426 good articles within WikiProject United States scope. This makes up 5.52% of the articles on Wikipedia, 13.34% of all featured articles and lists, and 10.74% of all good articles. Including non-article pages, such as talk pages, redirects, categories, etcetera, there are 1,064,110 pages in the project.
Featured culture biographies: Actors and filmmakersJames Thomas Aubrey, Jr.Kroger BabbEric BanaJoseph BarberaBette DavisKirsten DunstJudy GarlandJake GyllenhaalMaggie GyllenhaalAnthony Michael HallWilliam HannaPhil HartmanEthan HawkeKatie HolmesJanet JacksonMichael JacksonAngelina JolieDiane KeatonMadonna (entertainer)Austin NicholsBrad PittNancy ReaganRonald ReaganAaron SorkinKaDee StricklandSharon TateReese WitherspoonAnna May Wong; Arts and entertainmentJames Robert BakerWilliam D. BoyceStephen CraneH.D.Emily DickinsonGeorge Washington DixonZelda FitzgeraldMargaret FullerWilliam GibsonRufus Wilmot GriswoldErnest HemingwayOliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.Jenna JamesonJames Russell LowellMaster JubaI. M. PeiEdgar Allan PoeRoman VishniacNathaniel Parker Willis; MusiciansAaliyahAlice in ChainsAudioslaveBix BeiderbeckeBig StarMariah CareyDamageplanBob DylanFlea (musician)Black FrancisJohn FruscianteGodsmackThe GreencardsInsane Clown PosseJanet JacksonMichael JacksonBradley JosephMaynard James KeenanFrank KlepackiDavid LoveringMadonna (entertainer)John MayerMetallicaNine Inch NailsNirvana (band)The Notorious B.I.G.Leo OrnsteinEllis PaulPearl JamPixiesElvis PresleySelenaSlayerThe Smashing PumpkinsElliott SmithGwen StefaniThe SupremesTool (band)Uncle TupeloWilcoFrank Zappa; Sports and gamesNick AdenhartShelton BenjaminMoe BergTim DuncanBobby EatonOrval GroveArt HouttemanMagic JohnsonMichael JordanBart KingSandy KoufaxJimmy McAleerBob MeuselStan MusialBen PaschalCM PunkJ. R. RichardJackie RobinsonBill RussellSigi SchmidLee Smith (baseball)Ozzie SmithPaul StastnyJim ThorpeTyrone Wheatley

Featured society biographies: MilitaryDaniel BooneJames BowieSimon Bolivar BucknerHenry Cornelius BurnettFrederick Russell BurnhamWesley ClarkBrian EatonGerald FordWinfield Scott HancockBenjamin HarrisonWilliam Henry HarrisonRutherford B. HayesThomas C. HindmanThomas C. KinkaidEli LillyJohn McCainGeorge B. McClellanFred MoosallySylvanus MorleyEdwin Taylor PollockRonald ReaganUriel SebreeLawrence Sullivan RossIsaac ShelbyWilliam Tecumseh ShermanMyles StandishEdward TellerBenjamin Franklin TilleyStephen TriggHarriet Tubman; Politics and governmentSamuel AdamsJ. C. W. BeckhamDaniel BooneWilliam O'Connell BradleySimon Bolivar BucknerHenry Cornelius BurnettCharles Carroll the SettlerMurray ChotinerWesley ClarkGrover ClevelandCalvin CoolidgeRichard CordrayJohn J. CrittendenGerald FordWendell FordWilliam GoebelEmma GoldmanJohn W. JohnstonFranklin Knight LaneJohn McCainGeorge B. McClellanBob McEwenThomas R. MarshallHarvey MilkEdwin P. MorrowPat NixonBarack ObamaRosa ParksPaul E. PattonEdwin Taylor PollockNancy ReaganRonald ReaganTheodore RooseveltLawrence Sullivan RossTerry SanfordAntonin ScaliaSolomon P. SharpIsaac ShelbyAugustus Owsley StanleyStephen TriggJerry VoorhisDaniel WebsterFranklin D. RooseveltHarry S. Truman; Science and academiaEdward Drinker CopeOliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.David A. JohnstonEli LillyGlynn LunneyBarbara McClintockSylvanus MorleyGerard K. O'NeillHilary PutnamEdward TellerRoman VishniacOtto Julius Zobel

Featured lists: There are over 230 Featured lists in the scope of United States including: 109th United States CongressCommandant of the Marine CorpsKorean War Medal of Honor recipientsMost populous counties in the United StatesNational Parks of the United StatesTallest buildings in Washington, D.C.U.S. state name etymologiesU.S. states by populationUnited States Secretary of EnergyVolcanoes in the Hawaiian – Emperor seamount chain
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History (book A, book B) TimelinePre-ColumbianColonial United StatesThirteen ColoniesDeclaration of IndependenceAmerican RevolutionWestward ExpansionCivil WarReconstruction EraWorld War IGreat DepressionWorld War IIKorean WarCold WarVietnam WarCivil Rights MovementWar on TerrorismForeign relationsMilitaryDemographicIndustrialInventions and DiscoveriesPostal

Government (book) Law (ConstitutionBill of RightsSeparation of powers) • Legislative branch (HouseSenate) • Executive Branch (CabinetFederal agencies) • Judicial Branch (Supreme CourtAppeals) • Law enforcement (DoJFBI) • Intelligence (CIADIANSA) • Military (ArmyNavyMarinesAir ForceCoast Guard) • Flag

Politics (outline) Political parties (DemocratsRepublicans) • Elections (Electoral College) • Political ideologyPolitical scandalsRed states and blue statesUncle SamPuerto Rican independence movement

Geography (book) Political divisionsTerritoryStatesCitiesCountiesRegions (New EnglandMid-AtlanticThe SouthMidwestGreat PlainsNorthwestSouthwest) • Mountains (AppalachianRocky) • Rivers (MississippiColorado) • IslandsExtreme pointsNational Park SystemWater supply and sanitation

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Economy (book) U.S. Dollar • Companies • Wall StreetFederal ReserveBankingStandard of living (Personal & Household incomeIncome inequalityHomeownership) • CommunicationsTransportation (CarsTrucksHighwaysAirportsRailroads) • Tourism

Society Demographics (book A, B) • Languages (American EnglishSpanish) • ReligionSocial class (American DreamAffluenceMiddle classPovertyEducational attainmentProfessional and working class conflict) • MediaEducationHolidaysCrimePrisonsHealth care

Culture (book) Music (ClassicalFolkPopularJazz) • Film & TV (Hollywood) • Literature (American FolklorePoetryTranscendentalismHarlem RenaissanceBeat generation) • PhilosophyVisual arts • (Abstract expressionism) • CuisineDanceArchitectureFashion

Issues Affirmative actionAmerican exceptionalismAnti-AmericanismCapital punishmentDrug policy & ProhibitionEnvironmentalismHuman rightsImmigrationMexico–United States barrierObesityPornographyRacial profilingSame-sex marriageAbortionAdolescent sexuality

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  • Portal:United States - Needs to be updated and expanded
  • 2010 Census - Update articles using 2000 census data to use the 2010 data

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