America

• Type: Country
• Location: North America
• Key Institutions: Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA), Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Pottermore)
• Key Terminology: No-Maj (for Muggle) (Fantastic Beasts)

The American wizarding community is not mentioned in the original seven Harry Potter novels. All known information about its governance, history, and culture comes from supplementary materials created by J.K. Rowling, primarily for the Pottermore website and the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film series. The American magical 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. The trials exposed a number of witches and wizards to the non-magical community and created a deep-seated mistrust, leading to a far stricter policy of segregation in America compared to Great Britain. (Pottermore) This segregation was codified in Rappaport's Law, enacted in 1790 after a major breach of the International Statute of Secrecy. The law strictly forbade marriage or even friendship between wizards and No-Majs (the American term for Muggles) and remained in effect until it was repealed in 1965. (Pottermore) Magical education in North America is centered at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, located on Mount Greylock in Massachusetts. It was founded in the seventeenth century by the Irish witch Isolt Sayre and her No-Maj husband James Steward. Like Hogwarts, Ilvermorny has four houses, each named for a magical creature: Horned Serpent, Wampus, Thunderbird, and Pukwudgie. (Pottermore)

America plays no role in the narrative of the original seven-book *Harry Potter* series, which focuses almost exclusively on the wizarding world in Great Britain and Europe. Its significance was established later within the larger wizarding world franchise. It serves as the primary setting for the 2016 film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which depicts Newt Scamander's visit to New York City in 1926. This story arc highlights the capture of the Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald by MACUSA's aurors, including Porpentina Goldstein, with Newt Scamander's help. (Fantastic Beasts)

• Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: The premier magical school in North America, located in Massachusetts. (Pottermore)
• New York City: A major metropolitan area with a hidden wizarding community, and the headquarters of MACUSA during the 1920s. (Fantastic Beasts)

The vast majority of information regarding wizarding America was developed by J.K. Rowling years after the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. These details were published through a series of essays on Pottermore titled “History of Magic in North America” and were created to build the world for the Fantastic Beasts prequel film series. This expansion marked a significant shift in the franchise, moving the narrative focus beyond the United Kingdom for the first time.