How the United States became a country - BBC World Service

The United States of America is 250 years old - but how did it become a country in the first place? Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 https://bbc.in/3VyyriM It’s a story which begins with Spain sending Christopher Columbus to find a new route to Asia in 1492, and ends with a war between Britain and its own colonies in North America, who declare independence in 1776. This is America’s origin story. 00:00 How did the United States become a country? 00:31 How Columbus initiated a wave of European colonisation 01:12 Why Britain colonised North America 01:41 How the English settled in Jamestown, Britain’s first American colony, in 1607 02:16 The impact of colonisation on Native Americans 02:45 The role of the African slave trade in the American colonies 03:33 How British colonies expanded in America 04:23 The impact of Britain’s war against France 05:12 How tensions grew between Britain and the colonies 05:53 The origin of the American Revolution: The role of Boston’s protests and the Tea Party 06:30 George Washington and the start of the war against Britain 07:12 The first call for Independence: Thomas Paine’s pamphlet “Common Sense” 07:52 What happened on 4 July: the Declaration of Independence 08:13 Why the Declaration of Independence didn’t end the war with Britain 09:02 How George Washington led the American army to victory against Britain 09:58 How the Americans wrote the first Constitution and elected George Washington as President. 10:21 How the events of the revolution still shape the United States of America Watch more of our explainers here 👉🏽    • Explaining the world   Watch more documentaries from across BBC World Service here 👉🏽    • All BBC World Service Documentaries   ---------------- This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel. If you like what we do, you can also find us here: Instagram 👉🏽   / bbcworldservice   Twitter 👉🏽   / bbcworldservice   Facebook 👉🏽   / bbcworldservice   BBC World Service website 👉🏽 https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio Thanks for watching and subscribing! #BBCWorldService #WorldService #usa #americanhistory #history