Central Intelligence Agency symbol in the entry hall of a CIA building. (Credit: Larry Downing/Sygma/Getty Images)

Daniel Boone leading a group of settlers, 1773. (Credit: MPI/Getty Images)

USA-1 vs. Bigfoot at the Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan, 1985

A.J. Baime

A.J. Baime Archives - History.com

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America’s Founding Fathers decided that one elected civilian - the U.S. president - would lead the executive branch of the federal government, a governmental structure that has remained in place for more than 200 years.

U.S. Presidents

World War II Pacific Theater

America: Our Defining Hours

Labor Day

Hiroshima

The U.S. government, with its three branches of government and a system of checks and balances, is responsible for governing the 50 states and all districts and territories of the United States.

U.S. Government and Politics

Nuclear Weapons

The Revolutionary War waged by the American colonies against Britain influenced political ideas and revolutions around the globe, as a small fledgling nation won its freedom from the greatest military force of its time.

American Revolution

<a href="https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/world-war-ii-history">World War II</a> was the biggest and deadliest war in history, involving more than 30 countries. Sparked by the 1939 Nazi invasion of Poland, the war dragged on for six bloody years until the Allies defeated the Axis powers of Nazi Germany, Japan and Italy in 1945. Explore the battles, leaders and atrocities from the war and its impact on geopolitics and humankind.

World War II

Though the 19th century saw the rise of populism, the labor movement and Jacksonian democracy, it also ushered in the Gilded Age, when men like Cornelius Vanderbilt and J. P. Morgan wielded control over politics and business.

19th Century

Women’s History Month is an annual celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture and society. Women’s history in the United States has been full of trailblazers and pioneers: Women who fought for their rights, worked hard to be treated equally and made great strides in fields like science, politics, sports, literature and art.

A.J. Baime ‑ Stories

How Detroit Factories Retooled During WWII to Defeat Hitler

How George Washington Used Spies to Win the American Revolution

The History of Female Spies in the CIA

7 Frontier Survival Hacks Worthy of Daniel Boone

Bigfoot vs. USA‑1: The Birth of Monster Truck Madness

Harry Truman and Hiroshima: Inside His Tense A‑Bomb Vigil