(
Liberty Enlightening the World) on
Liberty Island in
New York Harbor was an 1886 gift from France that has become an iconic symbol of the
American Dream.|alt=The Statue of Liberty, a large teal bronze sculpture on a stone pedestal The United States is home to
a wide variety of ethnic groups, traditions, and customs. The country has been described as having
the values of
individualism and
personal autonomy, as well as a strong
work ethic and
competitiveness. Voluntary
altruism toward others also plays a major role; according to a 2016 study by the
Charities Aid Foundation, Americans donated 1.44% of total GDP to charity—the
highest rate in the world by a large margin. Americans have traditionally
been characterized by a unifying political belief in an "
American Creed" emphasizing
consent of the governed,
liberty,
equality under the law,
democracy,
social equality,
property rights, and a preference for
limited government. The U.S. has acquired significant
hard and
soft power through
its diplomatic influence,
economic power,
military alliances, and
cultural exports such as
American movies,
music,
video games,
sports, and
food. The influence that the United States exerts on other countries through soft power is referred to as
Americanization. Nearly all present Americans or their ancestors came from
Europe, Africa, or Asia (the "
Old World") within the past five centuries.
Mainstream American culture is a
Western culture largely derived from the
traditions of European immigrants with influences from many other sources, such as
traditions brought by slaves from Africa.
Flag desecration,
hate speech,
blasphemy, and
lese majesty are all forms of protected expression. A 2016
Pew Research Center poll found that Americans were the most supportive of free expression of any polity measured. Additionally, they are the "most supportive of
freedom of the press and the
right to use the Internet without government censorship". The U.S. is a
socially progressive country with
permissive attitudes surrounding
human sexuality.
LGBTQ rights in the United States are among the most advanced by global standards. The
American Dream, or the perception that Americans enjoy high levels of
social mobility, plays a key role in attracting immigrants. Whether this perception is accurate has been a topic of debate. While mainstream culture holds that the United States is a
classless society, scholars identify significant differences between
the country's social classes, affecting
socialization, language, and values. Americans tend to greatly value
socioeconomic achievement, but
being ordinary or average is promoted by some as a noble condition as well. The
National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities is an agency of the United States federal government that was established in 1965 with the purpose to "develop and promote a broadly conceived national policy of support for the humanities and the arts in the United States, and for institutions which preserve the cultural heritage of the United States." It is composed of four sub-agencies: •
National Endowment for the Arts •
National Endowment for the Humanities •
Institute of Museum and Library Services •
Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities Literature , whom
William Faulkner called "the father of American literature"|alt=Photograph of Mark Twain Colonial American authors were influenced by
John Locke and other
Enlightenment philosophers. The
American Revolutionary Period (1765–1783) is notable for the political writings of
Benjamin Franklin,
Alexander Hamilton,
Thomas Paine, and
Thomas Jefferson. Shortly before and after the
Revolutionary War, the newspaper rose to prominence, filling a demand for anti-British national literature. An early novel is
William Hill Brown's
The Power of Sympathy, published in 1791. Writer and critic
John Neal in the early- to mid-19th century helped advance America toward a unique literature and culture by criticizing predecessors such as
Washington Irving for imitating their British counterparts, and by influencing writers such as
Edgar Allan Poe, who took American poetry and short fiction in new directions.
Ralph Waldo Emerson and
Margaret Fuller pioneered the influential
Transcendentalism movement;
Henry David Thoreau, author of
Walden, was influenced by this movement. The conflict surrounding
abolitionism inspired writers, like
Harriet Beecher Stowe, and authors of slave narratives, such as
Frederick Douglass.
Nathaniel Hawthorne's
The Scarlet Letter (1850) explored the dark side of American history, as did
Herman Melville's
Moby-Dick (1851). Major American poets of the 19th century
American Renaissance include
Walt Whitman, Melville, and
Emily Dickinson.
Mark Twain was the first major American writer to be born in the West.
Henry James achieved international recognition with novels like
The Portrait of a Lady (1881). As literacy rates rose, periodicals published more stories centered around industrial workers, women, and the rural poor.
Naturalism,
regionalism, and
realism were the major literary movements of the period. While
modernism generally took on an international character, modernist authors working within the United States more often rooted their work in specific regions, peoples, and cultures. Following the Great Migration to northern cities, African-American and black
West Indian authors of the
Harlem Renaissance developed an independent tradition of literature that rebuked a history of inequality and celebrated black culture. An important cultural export during the
Jazz Age, these writings were a key influence on
Négritude, a philosophy emerging in the 1930s among francophone writers of the
African diaspora. In the 1950s, an ideal of homogeneity led many authors to attempt to write the
Great American Novel, while the
Beat Generation rejected this conformity, using styles that elevated the impact of the
spoken word over mechanics to describe drug use, sexuality, and the failings of society. Contemporary literature is more pluralistic than in previous eras, with the closest thing to a unifying feature being a trend toward self-conscious
experiments with language. Twelve American laureates have won the
Nobel Prize in Literature.
Mass media in
Philadelphia, headquarters of
Comcast, one of the world's
largest telecommunications companies and media conglomerates Media in the United States is
broadly uncensored, with the
First Amendment providing significant protections, as reiterated in
New York Times Co. v. United States. it also provides
educational programming through local PBS stations. The
U.S. cable television system offers hundreds of channels catering to a variety of niches. In 2021, about 83% of Americans over age 12 listened to
broadcast radio, while about 40% listened to
podcasts. In the prior year, there were 15,460 licensed full-power radio stations in the U.S. according to the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Public radio broadcasting is largely supplied by
National Public Radio (NPR), incorporated in February 1970 under the
Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. U.S. newspapers with a global reach and reputation include
The Wall Street Journal,
The New York Times,
The Washington Post, and
USA Today.
About 800 publications are produced in Spanish. With few exceptions, newspapers are privately owned, either by large chains such as
Gannett or
McClatchy, which own dozens or even hundreds of newspapers; by small chains that own a handful of papers; or, in an increasingly rare situation, by individuals or families. Major cities often have
alternative newspapers to complement the mainstream daily papers, such as
The Village Voice in New York City and
LA Weekly in Los Angeles. The five
most-visited websites in the world are
Google,
YouTube,
Facebook,
Instagram, and
ChatGPT—all of them American-owned. Other popular platforms used include
X (formerly Twitter) and
Amazon. In 2025, the U.S. was the world's
second-largest video game market by revenue (after China). In 2015, the U.S. video game industry consisted of 2,457 companies that employed around 220,000 jobs and generated $30.4 billion in revenue. There are 444 game publishers, developers, and hardware companies in California alone. According to the
Game Developers Conference (GDC), the U.S. is the top location for
video game development, with 58% of the world's
game developers based there in 2025.
Theater s in
Theater District, Manhattan The United States is well known for its theater. Mainstream theater in the United States derives from the old European theatrical tradition and has been heavily influenced by the
British theater. By the middle of the 19th century, America had created new distinct dramatic forms in the
Tom Shows, the
showboat theater and the
minstrel show. The central hub of the American theater scene is the
Theater District in Manhattan, with its divisions of
Broadway,
off-Broadway, and
off-off-Broadway. Many movie and television
celebrities have gotten their big break working in New York productions. Outside New York City, many cities have professional
regional or resident theater companies that produce their own seasons. The biggest-budget theatrical productions are musicals. U.S. theater has an active
community theater culture. The
Tony Awards recognize excellence in live Broadway theater and are presented at an annual ceremony in
Manhattan. The awards are given for Broadway productions and performances. One is also given for
regional theater.
Visual arts '' (1930) by
Grant Wood is one of the most famous
American paintings and is widely
parodied.
Folk art in
colonial America grew out of artisanal
craftsmanship in communities that allowed commonly trained people to individually express themselves. It was distinct from Europe's tradition of
high art, which was less accessible and generally less relevant to early American settlers. Cultural movements in art and craftsmanship in colonial America generally lagged behind those of Western Europe. For example, the prevailing medieval style of
woodworking and primitive
sculpture became integral to early American folk art, despite the emergence of
Renaissance styles in England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. The new English styles would have been early enough to make a considerable impact on American folk art, but American styles and forms had already been firmly adopted. Not only did styles change slowly in early America, but there was a tendency for rural artisans there to continue their traditional forms longer than their urban counterparts did—and far longer than those in Western Europe.
American Realism and
American Regionalism sought to reflect and give America new ways of looking at itself.
Georgia O'Keeffe,
Marsden Hartley, and others experimented with new and individualistic styles, which would become known as
American modernism. Major artistic movements such as the
abstract expressionism of
Jackson Pollock and
Willem de Kooning and the
pop art of
Andy Warhol and
Roy Lichtenstein developed largely in the United States. Major photographers include
Alfred Stieglitz,
Edward Steichen,
Dorothea Lange,
Edward Weston,
James Van Der Zee,
Ansel Adams, and
Gordon Parks. The tide of
modernism and then
postmodernism has brought global fame to American architects, including
Frank Lloyd Wright,
Philip Johnson, and
Frank Gehry. The
Metropolitan Museum of Art in
Manhattan is the largest
art museum in the United States and the
fourth-largest in the world.
Music in
Nashville, Tennessee American folk music encompasses numerous music genres, variously known as traditional music, traditional
folk music, contemporary folk music, or roots music. Many traditional songs have been sung within the same family or folk group for generations, and sometimes trace back to such origins as the
British Isles,
mainland Europe, or
Africa. The rhythmic and lyrical styles of African-American music in particular have influenced American music.
Banjos were brought to America through the slave trade.
Minstrel shows incorporating the instrument into their acts led to its increased popularity and widespread production in the 19th century. The
electric guitar, first invented in the 1930s, and mass-produced by the 1940s, had an enormous influence on popular music, in particular due to the development of
rock and roll. The
synthesizer,
turntablism, and
electronic music were also largely developed in the U.S. Elements from folk idioms such as the
blues and
old-time music were adopted and transformed into
popular genres with global audiences.
Jazz grew from blues and
ragtime in the early 20th century, developing from the innovations and recordings of composers such as
W.C. Handy and
Jelly Roll Morton.
Louis Armstrong and
Duke Ellington increased its popularity early in the 20th century.
Country music developed in the 1920s,
bluegrass and
rhythm and blues in the 1940s, and rock and roll in the 1950s. The musical forms of
punk and
hip hop both originated in the United States in the 1970s. The United States has the world's
largest music market, with a total retail value of $15.9 billion in 2022. Most of the world's
major record companies are based in the U.S.; they are represented by the
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Mid-20th-century American pop stars, such as
Frank Sinatra and
Elvis Presley, became
global celebrities and
best-selling music artists,
Madonna,
Whitney Houston, and
Mariah Carey, and of the early 21st century, such as
Eminem,
Britney Spears,
Lady Gaga,
Katy Perry,
Taylor Swift and
Beyoncé.
Fashion ''
fashion models on the
catwalk during
New York Fashion Week The United States has the world's largest
apparel market by revenue. Apart from professional
business attire, American fashion is eclectic and predominantly informal. Americans' diverse cultural roots are reflected in their clothing; however,
sneakers,
jeans,
T-shirts, and
baseball caps are emblematic of American styles. New York, with
its Fashion Week, is considered to be one of the "Big Four" global
fashion capitals, along with
Paris,
Milan, and
London. A study demonstrated that general proximity to
Manhattan's Garment District has been synonymous with American fashion since its inception in the early 20th century. A number of well-known
designer labels, among them
Tommy Hilfiger,
Ralph Lauren,
Tom Ford and
Calvin Klein, are headquartered in
Manhattan. Labels cater to
niche markets, such as preteens.
New York Fashion Week is one of the most influential fashion shows in the world, and is held twice each year in Manhattan; the annual
Met Gala, also in Manhattan, has been called the fashion world's "biggest night".
Cinema in the
Hollywood Hills, often regarded as the symbol of the
American film industry The U.S. film industry has
a worldwide influence and following.
Hollywood, a district in central Los Angeles, the nation's second-most populous city, is also
metonymous for the American filmmaking industry. The
major film studios of the United States are the primary source of the
most commercially successful movies selling the most tickets in the world. Largely centered in the New York City region from its beginnings in the late 19th century through the first decades of the 20th century, the U.S. film industry has since been primarily based in and around Hollywood. Nonetheless, American film companies have been subject to the forces of
globalization in the 21st century, and an increasing number of films are made elsewhere. The
Academy Awards, popularly known as "the Oscars", have been held annually by the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1929, and the
Golden Globe Awards have been held annually since January 1944. The industry peaked in what is commonly referred to as the "
Golden Age of Hollywood", from the early sound period until the early 1960s, with screen actors such as
John Wayne and
Marilyn Monroe becoming iconic figures. In the 1970s, "
New Hollywood", or the "Hollywood Renaissance", was defined by grittier films influenced by French and Italian realist pictures of the
post-war period. The 21st century has been marked by the rise of American
streaming platforms, which came to rival traditional cinema.
Cuisine with
roast turkey,
mashed potatoes,
pickles,
corn,
candied yams,
cranberry jelly,
shrimps,
stuffing,
green peas,
deviled eggs,
green salad, and
apple sauce Early settlers were introduced by Native Americans to foods such as
turkey,
sweet potatoes,
corn,
squash, and
maple syrup. Of the most enduring and pervasive examples are variations of the native dish called
succotash. Early settlers and later immigrants combined these with foods they were familiar with, such as
wheat flour, beef, and milk, to create a distinctive American cuisine.
New World crops, especially
pumpkin, corn,
potatoes, and turkey as the main course are part of a shared national menu on
Thanksgiving, when many Americans prepare or purchase traditional dishes to celebrate the occasion. Characteristic American dishes such as
apple pie,
fried chicken,
doughnuts,
french fries,
macaroni and cheese,
ice cream,
hamburgers,
hot dogs, and
American pizza derive from the recipes of various immigrant groups.
Mexican dishes such as
burritos and
tacos preexisted the United States in areas later annexed from Mexico, and
adaptations of Chinese cuisine as well as
pasta dishes freely adapted from Italian sources are all widely consumed. American
chefs have had a significant impact on society both domestically and internationally. In 1946, the
Culinary Institute of America was founded by
Katharine Angell and
Frances Roth. This would become the United States' most prestigious culinary school, where many of the most talented American chefs would study prior to successful careers. The
United States restaurant industry was projected at $899 billion in sales for 2020, and employed more than 15 million people, representing 10% of the nation's workforce directly. The United States is home to over 220
Michelin-starred restaurants,
14 of which were awarded three stars.
Wine has been produced in what is now the United States since the 1500s, with the
first widespread production beginning in what is now New Mexico in 1628. In the modern U.S., wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with
California producing 84 percent of all U.S. wine. With more than under vine, the United States is the
fourth-largest wine-producing country in the world, after
Italy,
Spain, and
France. The
classic American diner, a casual restaurant type originally intended for the working class, emerged during the 19th century from converted railroad
dining cars made stationary. The diner soon evolved into purpose-built structures whose number expanded greatly in the 20th century. The American
fast-food industry developed alongside the nation's
car culture. American restaurants developed the
drive-in format in the 1920s, which they began to replace with the
drive-through format by the 1940s. American
fast-food restaurant chains, such as
McDonald's,
Burger King,
Chick-fil-A,
Kentucky Fried Chicken,
Dunkin' Donuts and
many others, have numerous outlets around the world.
Sports is the most popular sport in the United States; in this 2009
National Football League game,
Carolina Panthers quarterback
Jake Delhomme (number 17) throws a forward pass against the
Dallas Cowboys. The most popular spectator sports in the U.S. are
American football,
basketball,
baseball,
soccer, and
ice hockey. Their premier leagues are, respectively, the
National Football League, the
National Basketball Association,
Major League Baseball,
Major League Soccer, and the
National Hockey League, All these leagues enjoy wide-ranging domestic media coverage and, except for the MLS, all are considered the preeminent leagues in their respective sports in the world. While most major U.S. sports such as baseball and American football have evolved out of European practices, basketball,
volleyball,
skateboarding, and
snowboarding are American inventions, many of which have become popular worldwide.
Lacrosse and
surfing arose from Native American and Native Hawaiian activities that predate European contact. The
market for professional sports in the United States was approximately $69 billion in July 2013, roughly 50% larger than that of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa combined.
Professional wrestling was widely popularized in the country, with the United States serving as the home country for
World Wrestling Entertainment and
All Elite Wrestling, the two largest wrestling promotions in the world. American football is by several measures the most popular spectator sport in the United States. Although American football does not have a substantial following in other nations, the NFL does have the highest average attendance (67,254) of any professional sports league in the world. In the year 2024, the NFL generated over $23 billion, making them the most valued professional sports league in the United States and the world. Baseball has been regarded as the U.S. "
national sport" since the late 19th century. The most-watched
individual sports in the U.S. are
golf and
auto racing, particularly
NASCAR and
IndyCar. On the
collegiate level, earnings for the member institutions exceed $1 billion annually, and
college football and
basketball attract large audiences, as the
NCAA March Madness tournament and the
College Football Playoff are some of the most watched national sporting events. In the U.S., the intercollegiate sports level serves as the main feeder system for professional and Olympic sports, with significant exceptions such as
Minor League Baseball. This differs greatly from practices in nearly all other countries, where publicly and privately funded sports organizations serve this function. Eight
Olympic Games have taken place in the United States. The
1904 Summer Olympics in
St. Louis, Missouri, were the first-ever Olympic Games held outside of Europe. The Olympic Games will be held in the U.S. for a ninth time when Los Angeles hosts the
2028 Summer Olympics.
U.S. athletes have won a total of 2,968 medals (1,179 gold) at the Olympic Games, the most of any country. In other international competition, the United States is the home of a number of prestigious events, including the
America's Cup,
World Baseball Classic, the
U.S. Open, and the
Masters Tournament. The
U.S. men's national soccer team has qualified for
eleven World Cups, while the
women's national team has
won the
FIFA Women's World Cup and
Olympic soccer tournament four and five times, respectively. The
1999 FIFA Women's World Cup was hosted by the United States.
Its final match was attended by 90,185, setting the world record for largest women's sporting event crowd at the time. The United States hosted the
1994 FIFA World Cup and will co-host, along with Canada and Mexico, the
2026 FIFA World Cup. == See also ==