In celebration of America's birthday, the U.S. Census Bureau releases some fun facts every year. E.g., in 1776, there were 2.5 million people in the 13 colonies (map below), including ~500,000 enslaved Africans (or 20% of the population). In 2026, we have 300+ million Americans (no enslaved) across 50 states. Virginia was the most populous colony (~500,000) in 1776, today California (32.3M) is the biggest state. Philadelphia (30K), New York (25K), Boston (16K), and Charleston (15K) were the biggest cities then, New York (8.3M), L.A. (3.8M), Chicago (2.7M), and Houston (2.3M) are the biggest cities today.
The 13 Colonies in 1776*
*Area that would become Maine (in 1820) was under Massachusetts.
These United States of Americas have certainly come a long way but its essential idea as a land of opportunity for all has, and continues to, attract a remarkable number of people from all over the world. And who better to explain the allure of America than an immigrant themself: Zohran Mamdani, mayor of a city of immigrants in a country of immigrants, delivered a speech marking America's 250th at City Hall sitting behind the desk once used by George Washington...Happy Birthday America!
