The United States of America celebrates its’ birthday on Independence Day or Fourth of July. So, how old is America this year — 2025?
The Declaration of Independence was adopted by Congress on July 4, 1776, which would make the United States 249 years old, but the answer to ‘how old is America?’ has different answers depending on your perspective.
Here’s what to know about the Fourth of July and America’s birthdate.
How old is America in 2025?
The United States of America will be 249 years old on July 4, 2025, marking when it was founded, according to the date when the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776. However, there are other dates of age that are also correct.
The ratification of the constitution, the document that established the framework of the U.S. government and outlined the fundamental rights of citizens, took place on June 21, 1788, making it 237 years old.
The first English settlement that took place in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607, the Mayflower came over in 1620 and Christopher Columbus’ voyage to “discover” America took place in 1492.
The arrival of Native Americans in the Americas dates back over 30,000 years ago with evidence of human presence in North America dating back at least 15,000 years. The formation of the North American Content took place over 200 million years ago, which marks the foundation of the physical terrain upon which the country was built, according to LiveScience.
What is Independence Day?
Independence Day, also known as Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the U.S. that commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It marks the day that the original 13 American colonies declared their separation and freedom from British rule with self-proclaimed rights to liberty and equality.
The 13 original states were New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
The preamble to the declaration states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
