What’s the story behind it?
The original United States of America was made up of a collection of East Coast states known as the Thirteen Colonies. These mainly agricultural colonies were run by the British since 1587 - who exploited them for their resources, in particular tobacco. From 1765, some settlers began to demand "no taxation without representation", calling for their voices to be heard in the British parliament. This often led to fighting. Eventually, in 1775, a war of independence against Britain was declared.