The American Wizarding Community

The American wizarding community is the society of witches and wizards residing within the United States of America. While mentioned only briefly in the original seven novels, this community has been extensively detailed in supplementary materials, particularly the Fantastic Beasts film series and writings on Pottermore. It is characterized by its own distinct government, the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA), its own premier school of magic, Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and a unique culture and terminology shaped by its history, including a stricter separation from its non-magical population.

Direct references to American magical society in the original seven Harry Potter novels are minimal. The most significant mention comes in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, where the existence of the Salem Witches' Institute is noted. A delegation from the institute attended the 1994 Quidditch World Cup, indicating it is a prominent magical organization. The supplementary book Quidditch Through the Ages, written by J.K. Rowling, provides further canon-adjacent details, mentioning two American Quidditch teams:

• The Sweetwater All-Stars from Texas.
• The Fitchburg Finches from Massachusetts.

These mentions confirm an organized magical presence and participation in the international wizarding world, but provide little detail about the community's structure or day-to-day life.

The American wizarding community is governed by the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA), which was established in 1693 following the infamous Salem Witch Trials (Pottermore). It serves as the equivalent to the British Ministry of Magic.

• Headquarters: During the 1920s, MACUSA was headquartered inside the Woolworth Building in New York City (Fantastic Beasts film).
• Leadership: The head of MACUSA holds the title of President. In the 1920s, the President was Seraphina Picquery (Fantastic Beasts film).
• Rappaport's Law: A key piece of American magical legislation enacted in 1790. It enforced strict segregation between the magical and non-magical communities to protect the International Statute of Secrecy. Inter-marriage and even friendship between wizards and No-Majs were forbidden under this law for centuries (Pottermore).

The primary magical school for North America is Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

• Location: It is located on the highest peak of Mount Greylock in Massachusetts (Pottermore).
• Founding: The school was founded in the seventeenth century by an Irish witch named Isolt Sayre and her No-Maj husband, James Steward (Pottermore).
• Houses: Like Hogwarts, Ilvermorny is divided into four houses, each named after a magical creature: Horned Serpent, Wampus, Thunderbird, and Pukwudgie (Pottermore).

American magical culture developed with a greater sense of secrecy and suspicion towards the non-magical world, largely due to the trauma of the Salem Witch Trials.

• No-Maj: The unique American term for a non-magical person is No-Maj, an abbreviation of “No Magic.” This contrasts with the British term “Muggle” (Fantastic Beasts film).
• Wandmaking: The community has its own celebrated wand makers who utilize cores from native American magical creatures, such as Thunderbird tail feathers and Wampus cat hair (Pottermore).
• Identity: Due to Rappaport's Law, the American community was historically more isolated from its non-magical counterparts than its European equivalents, fostering a more insular society (Pottermore).

• The vast majority of detailed information about the American wizarding community was created by J.K. Rowling after the publication of the original series, primarily for the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film series and her writings on the Pottermore (now Wizarding World) website.
• The term “No-Maj” was one of the first major pieces of new terminology introduced for the American setting and highlighted the cultural differences between the British and American wizarding worlds.