The work consists of three movements, covering the history of the United States and entitled '1620', '1861-1865' and '1926'.
[2] According to Bloch, the idea for America first came to him as he arrived in the United States in 1916.
[1] This idea reoccurred to him as he studied some works of Walt Whitman in 1925, and the following year he composed the rhapsody's anthem while in San Francisco.
[1] In a 1927 contest sponsored by Musical America, the rhapsody won the $3000 prize for the best symphonic work on an American theme by an American composer, beating ninety-one other entries to gain the unanimous vote of the judges.
[1][2] On 21 December 1928, following this success, America was performed simultaneously in five American cities: Chicago, New York, Boston, Philadelphia and San Francisco.