TIME 100 American Originals

What defines America? - The land of the free, the home of the brave, the land of opportunity? Since its founding in 1776, America has grown from the 13 original colonies to the 50 United States, all while nourishing a progressive and entrepreneurial spirit. On a mission to achieve “The American Dream,” many people over the years have built, tinkered, invented, sung, danced, wrote, played, worked, imagined and reimagined, thus fostering a nation of seekers and creators. In order to identify what really defines America, the Editors of TIME looked at artifacts, entities, and ideas through the years; from California to the New York Island, we collected, compiled, and curated what we consider to be essential in understanding what makes this land our land.

TIME 100 American Originals: The Things That Shaped Our Culture includes our top list of not only what we believe to be iconic in American history, but what has been revolutionary – what has changed the way Americans think, act, see and behave. Featuring monuments and buildings, vehicles and explorations, inventions, food and living, art and culture, leisure, and iconic objects, Time 100 American Originals chronicles the American authenticity of the Declaration of Independence, the Wright Brothers’ plane, The Wizard of Oz, Facebook, and more in both engaging text and beautiful graphics. Our list aims to capture what lies at the heart of America and what has defined American culture, society, and identity over the years.