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This article covers the cultural history of the United States since its founding in the late 18th century. The region has had patterns of original settlement by different peoples, and later settler colonial states and societal setups. Various immigrant groups have been at play in the formation of the nation's culture. While different ethnic groups may display their own insular cultural aspects, throughout time a broad American culture has developed that encompasses the entire country. Developments in the culture of the United States in modern history have often been followed by similar changes in the rest of the world (American cultural imperialism).

This includes knowledge, customs, and arts of Americans, as well as events in the social, cultural, and political spheres.

The Americas before European colonization were home to a variety of societies, economies, and cultures.^[1]

The Columbian exchange was a series of biological and cultural transfers between Europe, Africa, and Asia, on the one hand, and North and South America, on the other.^[2] Among these were concepts of liberty, private property, and labor.^[3]

Prior to the early 19th century, people were infrequently jailed. Jails were considered too expensive and could not competently secure a criminal for a lengthy period. Those convicted were either flogged, placed in stocks for a time, or hanged. In 1829, an attempt was made to reform (induce repentance in) convicts by incarcerating them in a penitentiary. Strict silence was enforced. This model was widely copied and persisted for nearly a century. Authorities conceded failure when those incarcerated often went insane through lack of social contact.^[4]

Individualism in the United States has its beginnings dating back as far as the Revolutionary period. The ideas of the Enlightenment influenced many of the Founding Fathers when it came to philosophy on government and its relationship with individual rights. The founding documents of the United States, particularly the Bill or Rights, sought to protect individual rights and promote free expression of its citizens.^[5]

As the United States expanded westward, individualism became synonymous with the frontier character. Coined by President Herbert Hoover as "rugged individualism in 1928, many Americans developed a strong oppositional stance to the government in their lives. The brand of western individualism was defined by self-reliance as a result of living in remote areas. Today, attitudes of individualism are still prevalent in many areas that made up the western frontier. This is especially the case when it comes to counties with lower population densities.^[6]

• Architecture of the United States
• Christianity in the United States
• Counterculture of the 1960s
• Cuisine of the United States
• History of education in the United States
• History of women in the United States
• United States religious history
• Entertainment:
  • Cinema of the United States
  • Television in the United States
  • Sports in the United States
  • Theater of the United States
  • Video gaming in the United States
• Fine arts:
  • Dance of the United States
  • Literature of the United States
  • Music history of the United States
  • Music of the United States
  • Poetry of the United States
  • Sculpture of the United States
  • Visual arts of the United States