An Italian sailor/explorer/trader, Christopher Columbus accidentally discovered the Americas when he was on a spree to find a westward route to India, as he wanted to indulge in the profitable spice trade. He crossed the Atlantic Ocean and reached the Americas in 1492. The discovery of a new habitation led to subsequent colonization, the aftermath of which was the famous American Revolution or the American War of Independence, as it is popularly termed. There is an ongoing debate on when the United States was founded. Many historians opine that the United States of America was founded when Thomas Jefferson drafted and proclaimed the Declaration of Independence. All the delegates who signed the draft of the declaration are known as the Founding Fathers of the United States, the term which includes those who signed the declaration as well as those who framed the constitution. One should not confuse between the founding of the United States and the discovery of the Americas. The United States of America was formed or founded on March 1, 1781 under The Articles of Confederation. John Hanson became the first President of the United States under the Articles of Confederation. However, George Washington became the first President of the United States after the formation of the Constitution of America, in the year 1789. In the 19th century, the US expanded its territory westwards by acquiring land from France, Spain, Russia, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. Some modernizers, however, wanted to strengthen the economy rather than expanding the geographical boundaries of the country. At the time of annexation of the states to the Union, the American Civil War broke out in the 1860s between the southern agricultural states and the northern industrial states. The result of this was the end of slavery, especially in the northern states, which is credited to Abraham Lincoln, a slaveholder himself, who later went on to become the 16th President of the United states. Today, fifty states, along with one federal district, form the United States of America. The formation of the United States witnessed many twists and turns over a long period of time. No particular date can be assigned to the day when the United States was actually founded. The founding of the United States is the collective result of a series of events that took place over a period of time - those events which were responsible for shaping one of the most powerful economies of all time - The United States of America.