Stan Freberg Presents The United States of America Volume One: The Early Years is an American comedy album with music and dialogue written by
Stan Freberg, released as Capitol W/SW-1573 in 1961. Freberg satirizes episodes of the history of the
United States from 1492 until the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783. The album combined dialogue and song in a musical theater format.
Billy May orchestrated the music. In addition to Freberg, the cast included the following performers:
Freberg used anachronistic and self-referential humour in these sketches, such as referring to the
Fourth of July weekend in the "Declaration of Independence" sketch, the Thanksgiving Day in the skit on "Take an Indian to Lunch," as well as the "Thanksgiving Turkey" portion, and
Columbus Day in the "Columbus Discovers America". Freberg also referred to
McCarthyism in the "Declaration of Independence" sketch, where Benjamin Franklin says, "You...sign a harmless petition, and forget all about it. Ten years later, you get hauled up before a committee."