United States
Flags of the United States line both side of a road.
“The diversity of America is a strength of the country, and I don’t think that we use that. We don’t talk about our strengths. I mean, having so many diverse people in this country from all aspects of all over the world, and we don’t use that. I think we should talk about who we are – that melting pot that we’ve become.”
–Steve Stoute
The lyrics in the anthem America the Beautiful expresses it best–the United States of America really is beautiful.
O beautiful for spacious skies…For amber waves of grain…For purple mountain majesties…Above the fruited plain!…America! America!…God shed His grace on thee…And crown thy good with brotherhood…From sea to shining sea!
The United States really is a beautiful and wonderfully diverse country. When you travel to each of the 50 States and even within each State you will feel as if you’re traveling to another country.
The United States is a country built by immigrants and each corner of this country is influenced by a variety of cultural diasporas including former enslaved people from Africa and the West Indies. Even traces of Native American culture can be found despite earlier efforts to erase them from the narratives of American history.
The United States has not always been the land of the free but it has always been the home of the brave.
As Paul Tsongas said, “America is hope. It is compassion. It is excellence. It is valor.”
More than two decades after September 11, the memorials in New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia preserve the individual stories, sacrifice and courage behind a day that changed America and the world.
Survivors of the World Trade Center and Pentagon, military responders, journalists and others recall where they were, what they experienced and how September 11, 2001 changed their lives.
Martin Shore and Ian Neville explore the music, history and living cultural legacy behind Take Me to the River: New Orleans—and the Grammy-winning recording that followed their World Footprints conversation.
New Windsor, Maryland, may not be a trendy tourist destination. But that’s the entire point for travelers like me who seek solace and quiet connection.
The 24th annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival returns to Oak Bluffs August 7–15, 2026, with an exclusive look at Children of Blood and Bone, major documentaries, independent films, cultural conversations and additional surprises still to be announced.
If walls could talk, some very famous voices would be echoing throughout the Newberry Opera House, where legendary entertainers like Tex Ritter, Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Wynonna Judd, and Jefferson Airplane performed.
Barberville Pioneer Settlement feels like stepping straight into Florida’s frontier days. On my most recent visit, Associate Director Gudrun Benson walked me through the village’s history.
Beverly Hills needs no introduction. The small but swanky city in the greater Los Angeles area boasts one of the country’s most recognizable zip codes, with equally identifiable landmarks in Rodeo Drive and the Hollywood Sign — often visible from the 90210’s sleekest, chicest rooftop bars.
Stepping foot onto Horn Island, we pulled the pirogue onto the sand and squinted into the horizon. Behind us gently rocked THE LILY FAITH, our transportation from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, now anchored in deeper water.
By the time the morning fog begins lifting over Port Frederick, the outline of a massive cruise ship is already visible beyond the trees. It moves slowly through the gray water, dwarfing the fishing boats and wooden houses along the shoreline of Hoonah, a small Alaska Native community on Chichagof Island with fewer than 900 residents.
In Southern Louisiana, French Canadian migrants settled and intermingled with the existing community to create a unique ethnic group, the Cajuns, whose culture continues to thrive today. Visitors can learn more about the Cajuns through a visit to Lafayette Parish, where they can explore their history, customs, music and food.
Hear about the initiative Franklin has launched to preserve and share a fuller and accurate truth about its place in American history.
