From George Washington, President No. 1, to Donald Trump, 45th and 47th President of the USA. Image: Shutterstock/Keystone/Watson
The most powerful country in the world celebrates its birthday on July 4, 2026. We show the history of the USA in fast forward.
Jul 4, 2026, 6:07 amJul 4, 2026, 6:07 am
When the 13 British colonies on North America’s east coast proclaimed their independence from Great Britain in 1776, they had an estimated population of 2.5 million, around a fifth of whom were enslaved Africans. Today, the United States is a colossus that stretches from ocean to ocean and is home to 340 million people.
This huge immigrant country, the leading economic power since the First World War at the latest and the strongest military power since the Second World War at the latest, also has enormous resources Soft poweri.e. the ability to achieve one’s goals through cultural attractiveness and diplomacy instead of coercion. The one propagated worldwide by American pop culture American way of life often enough shapes even those who are hostile to the USA.
This long-unchallenged hegemonic position is now being challenged: externally by the seemingly unstoppable rise of China, internally by the progressive polarization of society and politics, the symptom of which is Donald Trump’s presidency. But American democracy is also being challenged by the autocratic ambitions of this president, who is changing the tried-and-tested system of… Checks and balances would like to override.
Trump’s government style, which sometimes seems monarchical and wants to create a monument to himself with an oversized triumphal arch, contrasts sharply with the democratic and sober attitude of the American founding fathers. Here we cover the arc from the Declaration of Independence to the 250th anniversary: 50 stations from the eventful history of the USA.