Modern America (1991–present)

After the end of the Cold War, the USA seemed invulnerable as the only superpower — until September 11, 2001. The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon (2,977 dead) fundamentally changed the country: The "War on Terror" led to the wars in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and Iraq (2003–2011), tightened security laws (Patriot Act, TSA at airports), and altered the nation's self-perception.

In 2008, Barack Obama became the first African American president — a historic moment that seemed to fulfill the promise of the Declaration of Independence for many. The 2008 financial crisis (triggered by the collapse of the mortgage market) plunged the world economy into the worst recession since 1929.

The 2010s and 2020s brought a deep political polarization: The presidency of Donald Trump (2017–2021), the Black Lives Matter movement, the COVID-19 pandemic (over 1 million deaths in the USA), and the storming of the Capitol (January 6, 2021) showed a country wrestling with itself. The cultural divides between urban and rural America, between Democrats and Republicans, are deeper than since the Civil War.

Despite all conflicts, the USA remains the largest economy in the world, the center of global pop culture, tech innovation, and military power. The question of whether the country can live up to its founding promise remains as relevant as in 1776.