Culture of the United States
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This article is about the high culture and popular culture of the United States. For customs and way of life, see Society of the United States.

Culture of theUnited States
ArchitectureCinemaComic booksCuisineDanceLiteratureMusicPoetryRadioSculptureTelevisionTheaterVisual arts
The development of the culture of the United States of America — music, cinema, dance, architecture, literature, poetry, cuisine and the visual arts — has been marked by a tension between two strong sources of inspiration: European sophistication and domestic originality.[citation needed]
American music can be heard all over the world, such as through Channel V, VH1 and by singers such as Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Charlie Parker, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, BB King, The Doors and The Ramones; American films and television shows are also very popular[citation needed], including icons like Star Wars, The Godfather, Schindler's List, Titanic and The Matrix; American sports figures are widely known, such as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Venus Williams, Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali and Michael Johnson; and American movie actors and actresses are widely recognized such as Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Marilyn Monroe, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Cruise.[citation needed]This is in very stark contrast to the early days of the American republic, when the country was generally seen as an agricultural backwater with little to offer the culturally advanced world centers of Europe and Asia.[citation needed] At the beginning of her third century, nearly every major American city offers classical and popular music; historical, scientific and art research centers and museums; dance performances, musicals and plays; outdoor art projects and internationally significant architecture.[citation needed] This development is a result of both contributions by private philanthropists and government funding.[citation needed]