The US has gone through its fair share of trials and tribulations. But through pride and perseverance, we've proved time and time again that we are a strong people who will always pull through with our heads held high.
Here are some of many moments in US history that we've shown just how strong Americans truly are.
Nineteenth-century immigrants passed through Ellis Island on their incredible journey toward US citizenship.
And the immigrants today who remind us that the US is as diverse as it is beautiful.
When it was against the law for women to vote...
Men read literature posted in the window of the NYC headquarters of the National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage during the 1910s.
...a movement of steadfast and determined suffragists made sure that a woman's ballot would always be counted.
When the stock market crash of 1929 sent the US economy into complete disarray...
...the spirit of kindness and giving offered a hot plate and a helping hand to those affected by the crash.
"Big Al's Kitchen for the Needy" provided three free meals consisting of soup with meat, bread, coffee, and doughnuts daily to about 3,500 people at a cost of $300 per day (left). Thanksgiving dinner is served to homeless people in New York City, circa 1935 (right).
When “a date which will live in infamy” left 2,403 dead at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941...
...countless Americans answered the call of freedom to ensure that such events would never take place again...
Marching selflessly into battle to liberate those oppressed by tyranny...
...they secured their place as the Greatest Generation.
And when back home during WWII, many Japanese-American families were unjustly relocated to internment camps...
....they carried on in the face of stark injustice to leave their mark on American culture and history.
When nine black teenagers from Little Rock, Arkansas, bravely passed through crowds of bigotry and hate to attend a desegregated school in 1957...
...and hate flared up across the South during the 1960s push for civil liberties...
Black children are attacked by dogs and water cannons during a protest against segregation organized by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth in Birmingham, Alabama (left). Confederate flag-waving students demonstrate in Birmingham to protest the desegregation at West End High School.
...it was met with courageous words of peace...
...and powerful actions that continue to inspire and motivate to this very day.
And when the unimaginable occurred on Nov. 22, 1963...
...the US mourned with a sorrow like no other, then picked itself up and carried on with democracy.
In an era of war, civil injustice, and political strife...
...we proved to the world that we are still capable of accomplishing things that were once thought impossible.
When on Sept. 11, 2001, the US experienced a tragedy that forever changed our nation...
...and despite the clear and present danger, these uniformed men and women ran toward the horror to save the injured...
...we then rebuilt and made sure that we would never forget what happened.
When America's finest once again answered the call of freedom, leaving their friends and families behind for months at a time...
...they returned home to open arms and deep appreciation for their service.
When Hurricane Katrina brought out the best in many hoping to lend a helping hand...
When runners who experienced the horrors of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing returned the next year to cross the finish line...
And when hundreds gathered in solidarity after the Orlando shootings, we were once again reminded of what every American knows in their heart...
...that the US always pulls through the tough times stronger than it was before.
See more powerful pictures of US history at Getty Images.