English Americans (also referred to as Anglo-Americans) are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England. In the 2017 American Community Survey, English Americans are (7.1%) of the total population.[1][2]
However, demographers regard this as a serious undercount, as the index of inconsistency is high and many if not most Americans from English stock have a tendency to identify simply as "Americans"[6][7][8][9] or if of mixed European ancestry, identify with a more recent and differentiated ethnic group.[10] In the 1980 Census, over 49 million (49,598,035) Americans claimed English ancestry, at the time around 26.34% of the total population and largest reported group which, even today, would make them the largest ethnic group in the United States.[11] Scotch-Irish Americans are for the most part descendants of Lowland Scots and Northern English (specifically - County Durham, Cumberland, Northumberland and Yorkshire) settlers who colonized Ireland during the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century.
In 1982, an opinion poll showed respondents a card listing a number of ethnic groups and asked, "Thinking both of what they have contributed to this country and have gotten from this country, for each one tell me whether you think, on balance, they've been a good or a bad thing for this country." The English were the top ethnic group, with 66% saying they were a good thing for the United States, followed by the Irish at 62%. Ben J. Wattenberg argues that this poll demonstrates a general American bias against Hispanics and other recent immigrant populations.[12]
The majority—57%--of the Founding Fathers of the United States were of English extraction. English immigrants in the 19th century, as with other groups, sought economic prosperity. They began migrating in large numbers without state support, 1840s to 1890s.[13]
English Americans | |
---|---|
Total population | |
23,074,947![]() American Community Survey 7.1% of the total U.S. population[3] | |
Regions with significant populations | |
Throughout the entire United States New England, the Delaware Valley, the Mormon Corridor and the South Plurality in New York, the Pacific Northwest, Utah, Maine, Vermont, Idaho and New Hampshire | |
California | 4,946,554[4] |
Texas | 3,083,323[4] |
Ohio | 2,371,236[4] |
New York | 2,320,503[4] |
Florida | 2,232,514[4] |
Michigan | 2,036,021[4] |
Illinois | 1,808,333[4] |
North Carolina | 1,778,008[4] |
Georgia | 1,584,303[4] |
Tennessee | 1,435,147[4] |
Pennsylvania | 1,058,737[5] |
Languages | |
English (American and British English dialects) | |
Religion | |
Americans of English heritage are often seen, and identify, as simply "American" due to the many historic cultural ties between England and the U.S. and their influence on the country's population. Relative to ethnic groups of other European origins, this may be due to the early establishment of English settlements; as well as to non-English groups having emigrated in order to establish significant communities.[14]
Since 1776, English-Americans have been less likely to proclaim their heritage in the face of the upsurge of cultural and ethnic pride by African Americans, Irish Americans, Scottish Americans, Italian Americans or other ethnic groups. A leading specialist, Charlotte Erickson, found them to be ethnically "invisible," dismissing the occasional St. George Societies as ephemeral elite clubs that were not in touch with the larger ethnic community.[15] In Canada, by contrast, the English organized far more ethnic activism, as the English competed sharply with the well-organized French and Irish elements.[16] In the United States the Scottish immigrants were much better organized than the English in the 19th century, as are their descendants in the late 20th century.[17]
Self-identification per U.S. census | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Population | % of the United States population | Ref(s) | |
1980 | 49,598,035 | 26.34 | [18][19] | |
1990 | 32,651,788 | 13.1 | [20] | |
2000 | 24,515,138 | 8.7 | [21] | |
2010 | 25,927,345 | 8.4 | [22] |
The original 17th century settlers were overwhelmingly English. From the time of the first permanent English presence in the New World until 1900, these immigrants and their descendants outnumbered all others firmly establishing the English cultural pattern as predominant for the American version.[23]
According to the United States Historical Census, the ethnic populations in the British American Colonies of 1700, 1755 and 1775 were:
Ethnic composition of the British American Colonies 1700 - 1775 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1700 | % | 1755 | % | 1775 | % |
English / Welsh | 80.0% | English / Welsh | 52.0% | English | 48.7% |
African | 11.0% | African | 20.0% | African | 20.0% |
Dutch | 4.0% | German | 7.0% | Scots-Irish | 7.8 % |
Scottish | 3.0% | Scots-Irish | 7.0% | German | 6.9% |
Other European | 2.0% | Irish | 5.0% | Scottish | 6.6 % |
- | - | Scottish | 4.0% | Dutch | 2.7% |
- | - | Dutch | 3.0% | French | 1.4% |
- | - | Other European | 2.0% | Swedish | 0.6% |
- | - | - | - | Other | 5.3% |
![]() |
100.0% | ![]() |
100.0% | ![]() |
100.0% |
Source:[24][25][26] (*Province of Georgia not included) |
Colonial English Ancestry 1776 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Colonies | % of approximate population | ||||
New England | 70.5% | ||||
Middle | 40.6% | ||||
Southern | 37.4% | ||||
Source:[27] |
The category 'Irish' represents immigrants from Ireland outside the Province of Ulster, the overwhelming majority of whom were Protestant and not ethnically Irish, though from Ireland. The distinction between Scots-Irish (Protestant) and Irish (Catholic) came about in the mid-19th century: prior to this time all Irish persons whatever religion were identified as 'Irish.'
In 1790 the U.S. conducted its first national population census. The ancestries of the population in 1790 has been estimated by various sources, first in 1932 then again in 1980 and 1984 by sampling distinctive surnames in the census and assigning them a country of origin. There is debate over the accuracy between the studies with individual scholars and the Federal Government using different techniques and conclusion for the ethnic composition.[28][29] A study published in 1909 titled A Century of Population Growth by the Government Census Bureau estimated the English were 83.5% of the white population.[30][31] The states with the highest percentage by the same Census Bureau data in 1909 (% of the total European population) of English ancestry were Connecticut 96.2%, Rhode Island 96.0%, Vermont 95.4%, Massachusetts 95.0%, New Hampshire 94.1%, Maine 93.1%, Virginia 85.0%, Maryland 84.0%, North Carolina 83.1%, South Carolina 82.4%, New York 78.2%, Pennsylvania 59.0%.[32][33]
Another source by Thomas L. Purvis in 1984[34] estimated that people of English ancestry made up about 47.5% of the total population or 60.9% of the white or European American population (his figures can also be found, and as divided by region, in Colin Bonwick, The American Revolution, 1991 p. 2540-839-1346-2).[34][35] Some 80.7% of the total United States population was of European origin.[36] Around 757,208 were of African descent with 697,624 being slaves.[37]
In 1980, 23,748,772 Americans claimed only English ancestry and another 25,849,263 claimed English along with another ethnic ancestry.[38] It must be noted that 13.3 million or 5.9% of the total U.S. population chose to identify as "American" (counted under "not specified") as also seen in censuses that followed.[39] Below shows the persons who reported at least one specific ancestry are as follows.[40][41]
Response | Number | Percent | Northeast | North Central |
South | West | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Single ancestry | 23,748,772 | 47.9% | 2,984,931 | 4,438,223 | 12,382,681 | 3,942,937 | |
Multiple ancestry | 25,849,263 | 52.1% | 5,190,045 | 7,099,961 | 7,235,689 | 6,323,568 | |
Total reported | 49,598,035 | 8,174,976 | 11,538,184 | 19,618,370 | 10,266,505 |
At a national level the ancestry response rate was high with 90.4% of the total United States population choosing at least one specific ancestry and 9.6% ignored the question completely. Of those who chose English, 66.9% of people chose it as their first response. Totals for the English showed a considerable decrease from the previous census.[42]
Response | Number | Percent | |
---|---|---|---|
First ancestry | 21,834,160 | 66.9% | |
Second ancestry | 10,817,628 | 33.1% | |
Total reported | 32,651,788 |
Responses for "American" slightly decreased both numerically and as a percentage from 5.9% to 5.2% in 1990 with most being from the South.[43]
In the 2000 census, 24.5 million or 8.7% of Americans reported English ancestry, a decline of some eight million people. At the national level, the response rate for the ancestry question fell to 80.1% of the total U.S. population, while 19.9% were unclassified or ignored the question completely.[44] Some Cornish Americans may not identify as English American, even though Cornwall had been part of England since long before their ancestors arrived in North America. Responses were:[45]
Response | Number | change, 1990-2000 | |
---|---|---|---|
First ancestry | 16,623,938 | -24.9% | |
Second ancestry | 7,885,754 | ||
Total reported | 24,509,692 |
Comparison between 1790 and 2000 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1790 estimates | 2000 | ||||
Ancestry | Number | % of total |
Ancestry | Number | % of total |
English | 1,900,000 | 47.5 | German | 42,885,162 | 15.2 |
Other Race | 756,770 | 19.0 | African | 36,419,434 | 12.9 |
Scotch-Irish | 320,000 | 8.0 | Irish | 30,594,130 | 10.9 |
German | 280,000 | 7.0 | English | 24,515,138 | 8.7 |
Irish | 200,000 | 5.0 | Mexican | 20,640,711 | 7.3 |
Scottish | 160,000 | 4.0 | Italian | 15,723,555 | 5.6 |
Welsh | 120,000 | 3.0 | French | 10,846,018 | 3.9 |
Dutch | 100,000 | 2.5 | Hispanic | 10,017,244 | 3.6 |
French | 80,000 | 2.0 | Polish | 8,977,444 | 3.2 |
Native American | 50,000 | 1.0 | Scottish | 4,890,581 | 1.7 |
Spanish | 20,000 | 0.5 | Dutch | 4,542,494 | 1.6 |
Swedish and Other | 20,000 | 0.5 | Norwegian | 4,477,725 | 1.6 |
- | - | - | Scotch-Irish | 4,319,232 | 1.5 |
United States | 4,000,000 | 100.0 | United States | 281,421,906 | N/A |
Source:[46][35][47][48] |
In 1900, an estimated 28,375,000 or 37.8% of the population of the United States was wholly or primarily of English ancestry from colonial stock.[47] As with any ethnicity, Americans of English descent may choose to identify themselves as just American ethnicity if their ancestry has been in the United States for many generations or if, for the same reason, they are unaware of their lineages.
In total, there are estimated to be around 678,000 British born expatriates in the United States with the majority of these born in England.[49] There are around 540,000 of any race in the United States, 40,000 Asian British, 20,000 Black British people and approximately 10,000 people of a mixed background.[50]
English Americans are found in large numbers throughout America, particularly in the Northeast, South and West. According to the 2000 US census, the 10 states with the largest populations of self-reported English Americans are:
The ten states with the most English Americans | States with the highest percentages: | ||||
1 | California | (3,521,355 - 7.4% of state population) | 1 | Utah | (29.0%) |
2 | Florida | (1,468,576 - 9.2%) | 2 | Maine | (21.5%) |
3 | Texas | (1,462,984 - 7%) | 3 | Vermont | (18.4%) |
4 | New York | (1,140,036 - 6%) | 4 | Idaho | (18.1%) |
5 | Ohio | (1,046,671 - 9.2%) | 5 | New Hampshire | (18.0%) |
6 | Pennsylvania | (966,253 - 7.9%) | 6 | Wyoming | (15.9%) |
7 | Michigan | (988,625 - 9.9%) | 7 | Oregon | (13.2%) |
8 | Illinois | (831,820 - 6.7%) | 8 | Montana | (12.7%) |
9 | Virginia | (788,849 - 11.1%) | 9 | Delaware | (12.1%) |
10 | North Carolina | (767,749 - 9.5%) | 10 | Colorado, Rhode Island, Washington | (12.0% each) |
English was the highest reported European ancestry in the states of Maine, Vermont and Utah; joint highest along with German in the Carolinas.
Following are the top 20 highest percentages of people of English ancestry, in U.S. communities with 500 or more total inhabitants (for the total list of the 101 communities, see the reference):[51]
Rank | City | State | Persentage |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Hildale | Utah | 66.9 |
2 | Colorado City | Arizona | 52.7 |
3 | Milbridge | Maine | 41.1 |
4 | Panguitch | Utah | 40 |
5 | Beaver | Utah | 39.8 |
6 | Enterprise | Utah | 39.4 |
7 | 39.1 | ||
8 | 38.2 | ||
9 | 37.9 | ||
10 | 37.2 | ||
11 | 36.9 | ||
12 | 36.9 | ||
13 | 36.7 | ||
14 | 36.4 | ||
15 | 35.9 | ||
16 | 35.6 | ||
17 | 35.4 | ||
18 | 35 | ||
19 | 35 | ||
20 | 34.7 |
On the left, a map showing percentages by county of Americans who declared English ancestry in the 2000 Census. Dark blue and purple colours indicate a higher percentage: highest in the east and west (see also Maps of American ancestries). Center, a map showing the population of English Americans by state. On the right, a map showing the percentages of English Americans by state.
English settlement in America began with Jamestown in the Virginia Colony in 1607. With the permission of James I, three ships (the Susan Constant, The Discovery, and The God Speed) sailed from England and landed at Cape Henry in April, under the captainship of Christopher Newport,[13] who had been hired by the London Company to lead expeditions to what is now America.[52]
The second successful colony was Plymouth Colony, founded in 1620 by people who later became known as the Pilgrims. Fleeing religious persecution in the East Midlands in England, they first went to Holland, but feared losing their English identity.[53] Because of this, they chose to relocate to the New World, with their voyage being financed by English investors. In September 1620, 102 passengers set sail aboard the Mayflower, eventually settling at Plymouth Colony in November.[54] Of the passengers on the Mayflower, 41 men signed the "Mayflower Compact" aboard ship on November 11, 1620, while anchored in Provincetown Harbor. Signers included Carver, Alden, Standish, Howland, Bradford, Allerton, and Fuller.[55][56] This story has become a central theme in the United States cultural identity.
A number of English colonies were established under a system of proprietary governors, who were appointed under mercantile charters to English joint stock companies to found and run settlements.
England also took over the Dutch colony of New Netherland (including the New Amsterdam settlement), renaming it the Province of New York in 1664.[57] With New Netherland, the English came to control the former New Sweden (in what is now Delaware), which the Dutch had conquered from Sweden earlier.[58] This became part of Pennsylvania.
Cultural similarities and a common language allowed English immigrants to integrate rapidly and gave rise to a unique Anglo-American culture. An estimated 3.5 million English immigrated to the U.S. after 1776.[59] English settlers provided a steady and substantial influx throughout the 19th century.
English immigration to the U.S. 1820-1970 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Period | Arrivals | Period | Arrivals |
1820-1830 | 15,837 | 1901-1910 | 388,017 |
1831-1840 | 7,611 | 1911-1920 | 249,944 |
1841-1850 | 32,092 | 1921-1930 | 157,420 |
1851-1860 | 247,125 | 1931-1940 | 21,756 |
1861-1870 | 222,277 | 1941-1950 | 112,252 |
1871-1880 | 437,706 | 1951-1960 | 156,171 |
1881-1890 | 644,680 | 1961-1970 | 174,452 |
1891-1900 | 216,726 | 1971-1980 | - |
Total arrivals: 3,084,066[60][61][62] |
The first wave of growing English immigration began in the late 1820s and was sustained by unrest in the United Kingdom until it peaked in 1842 and declined slightly for nearly a decade. Most of these were small farmers and tenant farmers from depressed areas in rural counties in southern and western England and urban laborers who fled from the depressions and from the social and industrial changes of the late 1820s-1840s. While some English immigrants were drawn by dreams of creating model utopian societies in America, most others were attracted by the lure of new lands, textile factories, railroads, and the expansion of mining.
A number of English settlers moved to the United States from Australia in the 1850s (then a British political territory), when the California Gold Rush boomed; these included the so-called "Sydney Ducks" (see Australian Americans).
During the last years of the 1860s, annual English immigration grew to over 60,000 and continued to rise to over 75,000 per year in 1872, before experiencing a decline. The final and most sustained wave of immigration began in 1879 and lasted until the depression of 1893. During this period English annual immigration averaged more than 82,000, with peaks in 1882 and 1888 and did not drop significantly until the financial panic of 1893.[63] The building of America's transcontinental railroads, the settlement of the great plains, and industrialization attracted skilled and professional emigrants from England.
English-born in the U.S. 1850–2010 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Population | % of foreign-born | |
1850 | 278,675 | 12.4 | |
1860 | 431,692 | - | |
1870 | 550,924 | 10.0 | |
1880 | 662,676 | - | |
1890 | 908,141 | 9.8 | |
1900 | 840,513 | - | |
1910 | 877,719 | 6.5 | |
1920 | 813,853 | - | |
1930 | 809,563 | 5.7 | |
1940 | - | - | |
1950 | 809,563 | - | |
1960 | 528,205 | 5.4 | |
1970 | 458,114 | 4.8 | |
1980 | 442,499 | - | |
1990 | 405,588 | - | |
2000 | 423,609 | - | |
2010 | 356,489 | 0.9 | |
Source:[63][64][65] |
Also, cheaper steamship fares enabled unskilled urban workers to come to America, and unskilled and semiskilled laborers, miners, and building trades workers made up the majority of these new English immigrants. While most settled in America, a number of skilled craftsmen remained itinerant, returning to England after a season or two of work. Groups of English immigrants came to America as missionaries for the Salvation Army and to work with the activities of the Evangelical and LDS Churches.
The depression of 1893 sharply decreased English emigration to the United States, and it stayed low for much of the twentieth century. This decline reversed itself in the decade of World War II when over 100,000 English (18 percent of all European immigrants) came from England. In this group was a large contingent of war brides who came between 1945 and 1948. In these years four women emigrated from England for every man.[63] In the 1950s, English immigration increased to over 150,000.and rose to 170,000 in the 1960s.[66] While differences developed, it is not surprising that English immigrants had little difficulty in assimilating to American life. The American resentment against the policies of the British government[67] was rarely transferred to English settlers who came to America in the first decades of the nineteenth century.
As the earliest colonists of the United States, settlers from England and their descendants often held positions of power and made and enforced laws,[68] often because many had been involved in government back in England.[69] In the original 13 colonies, most laws contained elements found in the English common law system.[70]
The majority—57%-- of the Founding Fathers of the United States were of English extraction. Scottish extraction characterized 16%, 19% were Irish or Scots-Irish, and 5% were Welsh. A minority were of high social status and can be classified as White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP). Many of the prewar WASP elite were Loyalists who left the new nation.[71]
While WASPs (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants usually of English origins) have been major players in every major American political party, an exceptionally strong association has existed between WASPs and the Republican Party, before the 1980s. A few top Democrats qualified, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt. Northeastern Republican leaders such as Leverett Saltonstall of Massachusetts, Prescott Bush of Connecticut and especially Nelson Rockefeller of New York exemplified the pro-business liberal Republicanism of their social stratum, espousing internationalist views on foreign policy, supporting social programs, and holding liberal views on issues like racial integration. A famous confrontation was the 1952 Senate election in Massachusetts where John F. Kennedy, a Catholic of Irish descent, defeated WASP Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.. However the challenge by Barry Goldwater in 1964 to the Eastern Republican establishment helped undermine the WASP dominance.[72] Goldwater himself had solid WASP credentials through his mother, of a prominent old Yankee family, but was instead mistakenly seen as part of the Jewish community (which he had never associated with). By the 1980s, the liberal Rockefeller Republican wing of the party was marginalized, overwhelmed by the dominance of the Southern and Western conservative Republicans.[73]
Asking "Is the WASP leader a dying breed?" journalist Nina Strochlic in 2012 pointed to eleven WASP top politicians—typically scions of upper class English families. She ending with Republicans G.H.W. Bush elected in 1988, his son George W. Bush elected in 2000 and 2004, and John McCain, who was nominated but defeated in 2008.[74]
English is the most commonly spoken language in the U.S, where it is estimated that two thirds of all native speakers of English live.[75] The American English dialect developed from English colonization. It serves as the de facto official language, the language in which government business is carried out. According to the 1990 census, 94% of the U.S. population speak only English.[76] Adding those who speak English "well" or "very well" brings this figure to 96%.[76] Only 0.8% speak no English at all as compared with 3.6% in 1890. American English differs from British English in a number of ways, the most striking being in terms of pronunciation (for example, American English retains voicing of the letter "R" after vowels, unlike standard British English) and spelling (one example is the "u" in words such as color, favor (US) vs colour, favour (UK)). Less obvious differences are present in grammar and vocabulary. The differences are rarely a barrier to effective communication between American English and British English speakers, but there are certainly enough differences to cause occasional misunderstandings, usually surrounding slang or dialect differences.
Some states, like California, have amended their constitutions to make English the only official language, but in practice, this only means that official government documents must at least be in English, and does not mean that they should be exclusively available only in English. For example, the standard California Class C driver's license examination is available in 32 different languages.
"In for a penny, in for a pound" is an expression to mean, ("if you're going to take a risk at all, you might as well make it a big risk"), is used in the United States which dates back to the colonial period, when cash in the colonies was denominated in Pounds, shillings and Pence.[77] Today, the one-cent coin is commonly known as a penny. A modern alternative expression is "In for a dime, in for a dollar".
Much of American culture shows influences from English culture.
The American legal system also has its roots in English law.[89] For example, elements of the Magna Carta were incorporated into the United States constitution.[90] English law prior to the revolution is still part of the law of the United States, and provides the basis for many American legal traditions and policies. After the revolution, English law was again adopted by the now independent American States.[91]
Another area of cultural influence are American Patriotic songs:
Before 1931, other songs served as the hymns of American officialdom.
English ballads had a large influence on American folk music, eventually spawning such genres as old time, country, and bluegrass.
Of the top ten family names in the United States, seven have English origins or having possible mixed British Isles heritage, the other three being of Spanish origin.[100] Many African Americans have their origins in slavery (i.e. slave name). Many of them came to bear the surnames of their former owners. Many freed slaves either created family names themselves or adopted the name of their former master. According to 2000 U.S. Census data, eight of the top ten surnames in the United States are of British Isles origin, while two are the most common surnames among Hispanics.[101] In the last UK Census in 2001, surnames in England can be compared to the United States with 6 of the family names in England being in both their top ten.[102] Many English surnames are also found in Ireland. This is attributable to a number of factors, including the Protestant Plantation of Ireland, the imposition of the Penal Laws in the 1700s which forced many Irish people to Anglicize their surnames, and English ancestry in the Irish population itself, especially in the area around Dublin. Also, in the 9th century, Viking invaders brought many Norse names to Ireland that they had already brought to England when they established and settled the Danelaw. Scandinavian names may have been brought to England in pre-Viking times, especially in the North and East, due to Anglo-Saxons from Denmark. and the Anglo-Normans who invaded Ireland in the 1170s brought many Norman French names which had already spread to England.
Name | Rank - 2010 | Number | Country of Origin | England - 2001 [102][103] |
Smith | 1 | 2,442,977 | England,[104] Scotland,[105] Ireland[106] (Common however also among German Americans who are likely originally held the surname "Schmidt") | Smith |
Johnson | 2 | 1,932,812 | England, Scotland [107][108] | Jones |
Williams | 3 | 1,625,252 | England, Wales[109] | Taylor |
Brown | 4 | 1,437,026 | England, Ireland, Scotland[110] | Brown |
Jones | 5 | 1,425,470 | England, Wales[111] | Williams |
García | 6 | 1,166,120 | Spain[112], Mexico and other Hispanic nations | Wilson |
Miller | 7 | 1,161,437 | England, Ireland, or Scotland (Miller can be the anglicized version of Mueller/Müller - a surname from Germany)[113] | Johnson |
Davis | 8 | 1,116,357 | England, Wales[114] | Davies |
Rodríguez | 9 | 1,094,924 | Spain[115] | Robinson, Roderick |
Martinez | 10 | 1,060,159 | Spain, Mexico and other Hispanic nations | Wright |
It should be pointed out, however, that a significant number of non-English immigrants anglicized their surnames. For example, "Smith" may come from German Schmidt, or Dutch Smit; "Johnson" from Norwegian or Danish Johansen, Dutch Jansen, or Swedish Johansson, "Brown" from German Braun, "Miller" from German Müller, and so forth. On the other hand, "Williams",[116] "Jones",[117] and "Davis",[118] which are often associated with Welsh ancestry due to their common occurrence in Wales, are actually mostly English, as Wales has a much smaller population (and diaspora) than England.
There are many places in the United States named after places in Great Britain as a result of the many British settlers and explorers; in addition, some places were named after the English royal family. These include the region of New England and some of the following:
American Architecture, particularly in the nation's earlier years, has long been strongly influenced by English styles. The United States Capitol building, for example, was first designed by English-educated American Architect William Thornton, and bears a resemblance to St Paul's Cathedral in London. Also, many American college campuses, such as Harvard, Penn, Yale, Brown, Williams, Princeton University, and the University of Delaware, have English Georgian or English gothic architecture.
Most of the Presidents of the United States have had English ancestry.[140] The extent of English heritage varies in the presidents with earlier presidents being predominantly of colonial English Yankee stock. Later US Presidents' ancestry can often be traced to ancestors from multiple nations in Europe, including England.
The U.S. Presidents which lacked recent English ancestry were James Monroe, Martin Van Buren, James K. Polk, James Buchanan, Woodrow Wilson, Dwight Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy. Also, President Donald Trump does not have recent English ancestry, with all of his recent ancestry coming from Germany and Scotland.[170]
many of the Indians coming amongst us, and amongst the rest their greatest king Massasoyt, with some ninetie men, whom for three dayes we entertained and feasted
The 53 Pilgrims at the First Thanksgiving
Smith is the fifth most common surname in Ireland.
African Americans in Alabama are residents of the state of Alabama who are of African American ancestry. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, African Americans were 26.5% of the state's population.
African Americans in FloridaAfrican Americans in Florida are residents of the state of Florida who are of African American ancestry. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, African Americans were 16.6% of the state's population. The African-American presence in the peninsula extends as far back as the early 18th century, when African-American slaves escaped from slavery in Georgia into the swamps of the peninsula.
African Americans in Georgia (U.S. state)African-American Georgians are residents of the U.S. state of Georgia who are of African American ancestry. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, African Americans were 31.2% of the state's population.
African Americans in LouisianaAfrican Americans in Louisiana are residents of the state of Louisiana who are of African-American ancestry.
African Americans in MississippiAfrican Americans in Mississippi are residents of the state of Mississippi who are of African-American ancestry. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, African Americans were 37.4% of the state's population.
African Americans in North CarolinaAfrican-American North Carolinians are residents of the state of North Carolina who are of African ancestry. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, African Americans were 22% of the state's population.
American ancestryAmerican ancestry refers to people in the United States who self-identify their ancestoral origin or descent as "American", rather than the more common officially recognized racial and ethnic groups that make up the bulk of the American people. The majority of these respondents are White Americans, who however no longer self-identify with their original ethnic ancestral origins or simply use this response as a political statement. This response is attributed to a multitude of or generational distance from ancestral lineages. Although U.S. Census data indicates "American ancestry" is commonly self-reported in the Deep South and Upland South, the vast majority of Americans and expatriates do not equate their nationality with ancestry, race or ethnicity, but with citizenship and allegiance.
AmericansAmericans are nationals and citizens of the United States of America. Although nationals and citizens make up the majority of Americans, some dual citizens, expatriates, and permanent residents, may also claim American nationality. The United States is home to people of many different ethnic origins. As a result, American culture and law does not equate nationality with race or ethnicity, but with citizenship and permanent allegiance.English-speakers, and even speakers of many other languages, typically use the term "American" to exclusively mean people of the United States; this developed from its original use to differentiate English people of the American colonies from English people of England. The word "American" can also refer to people from the Americas in general (see names for United States citizens).
Australian AmericansAustralian Americans are Americans who have Australian ancestry.
Belizean AmericansBelizean Americans are Americans who are of Belizean ancestry. These ancestors might be from Belize or of its diaspora.
Breton AmericansBreton Americans are Americans of Breton descent from Brittany.
European AmericansEuropean Americans (also referred to as Euro-Americans) are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes people who are descended from the first European settlers in America and as well as people who are descended from more recent European arrivals. Euro-Americans are the largest panethnic group (or, variously considered an ethnic group in its own right) in the United States, both historically and at present.
The Spaniards are thought to be the first Europeans to establish a continuous presence in what is now the contiguous United States, with Martín de Argüelles (b. 1566) in St. Augustine, then a part of Spanish Florida. Virginia Dare, born August 18, 1587, was the first English child to be born in the Americas. She was born in Roanoke Colony, located in present-day North Carolina, which was the first attempt, made by Queen Elizabeth I, to establish a permanent English settlement in North America.
In the 2016 American Community Survey, German Americans (13.9%), Irish Americans (10.0%), English Americans (7.4%), Italian Americans (5.2%), and Polish Americans (3%) were the five largest self-reported European ancestry groups in the United States forming over a third of the total population.
However, the English Americans and British Americans demography is considered by some to be under-counted, as the people in that demographic tend to identify themselves simply as Americans (20,151,829 or 7.2%). In the 2000 census over 56 million or 19.9% of the United States population ignored the ancestry question completely and classified as "unspecified" and "not reported".
Hildale, UtahHildale is a city in Washington County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,726 at the 2010 census.
Hildale is a twin city to the better-known Colorado City, Arizona, which together straddle the border between Utah and Arizona. Hildale is the headquarters of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS). Many adults in the community practice plural marriage. The United Effort Plan, the financial arm of the FLDS, owns most of the property in the city. Since most government officials – including the police force – are FLDS members, some critics have likened the community's atmosphere to that of a prison. At 66.9% English Americans, Hildale is the most ethnically English city in the United States.
List of Americans of English descentThis is a list of notable Americans of English descent, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants.
To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are English American or must have references showing they are English American and are notable.
Lists of AmericansThis is a collection of lists of Americans, lists of people from the United States, grouped by various criteria, including ethnicity, religion, state, city, occupation and educational affiliation.
Manx AmericansManx Americans are Americans of full or partial Manx ancestral origin or Manx people who reside in the United States of America.
Oceanian AmericansOceanian Americans or Oceanic Americans are Americans whose ancestors came from Oceania, a region which is compose of the Australian continent and the Pacific Islands.
There are basically two Oceanian American groups, that well represent the racial and cultural population of Oceania: Euro Oceanic Americans (Australian Americans and New Zealand Americans) and the indigenous peoples of Oceania in the United States or Pacific Islands Americans (Chamorro Americans, Samoan Americans, etc.) Most of the Euro-Oceanians are descended from the European settlers in Oceania; while Pacific Islanders are of indigenous Oceanic descent.
Tongan AmericansTongan Americans are Americans who can trace their ancestry to Tonga, officially known as the Kingdom of Tonga. There are approximately 57,000 Tongans and Tongan Americans living in the United States, as of 2012. Tongans are considered to be Pacific Islanders in the United States Census, and are the fourth largest Pacific Islander American group in terms of population, after Native Hawaiians, Samoan Americans, and Guamanian/Chamorro Americans.
White AmericansWhite Americans are Americans who are descendants from any of the white racial groups of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa or in census statistics, those who self-report as white based on having majority-white ancestry. White Americans (including White Hispanics) constitute the historical and current majority of the people living in the United States, with 72% of the population in the 2010 United States Census. Non-Hispanic whites totaled about 197,285,202 or 61% of the U.S. population. European Americans are the largest ethnic group of White Americans and constitute the historical population of the United States since the nation's founding.
The United States Census Bureau defines white people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East or North Africa." Like all official U.S. racial categories, "White" has a "not Hispanic or Latino" and a "Hispanic or Latino" component, the latter consisting mostly of White Mexican Americans and White Cuban Americans. The term "Caucasian" is synonymous with "white", although the latter is sometimes used to denote skin tone instead of race. The inclusion of non-Europeans in the definition of white is controversial. Many of the non-European ethnic groups classified as white by the U.S. Census, such as Arab Americans, Jewish Americans, and Hispanics or Latinos, may not identify as or may not be perceived to be, white.
The largest ancestries of American whites are: German Americans (17%), Irish Americans (12%), English Americans (9%), Italian Americans (6%), French Americans (4%), Polish Americans (3%), Scottish Americans (3%), Scotch-Irish Americans (2%), Dutch Americans (2%), Norwegian Americans (2%) and Swedish Americans (1%). However, the English Americans and British Americans demography is considered a serious under-count as the stock tend to self-report and identify as simply "Americans" (7%), due to the length of time they have inhabited the United States, particularly if their family arrived prior to the American Revolution. The vast majority of white Americans also have ancestry from multiple countries.
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