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The United States and the Metric System (LC 1136) nist.gov Archive.org; The Metric System in the United States Archived June 11, 2017, at the Wayback Machine; A Metric America: A Decision Whose Time Has Come on nist.gov Archive.org; Metric Conversion Act of 1975 on nist.gov Archive.org; www.us-metric.org—U.S. Metric Association (mirror link)
The imperial and US customary measurement systems are both derived from an earlier English system of measurement which in turn can be traced back to Ancient Roman units of measurement, and Carolingian and Saxon units of measure. The US Customary system of units was developed and used in the United States after the American Revolution, based on ...
Countries using the metric (), imperial, and US customary systems as of 2019. United States customary units form a system of measurement units commonly used in the United States and most U.S. territories [1] since being standardized and adopted in 1832. [2]
However, apothecaries' weight has now been superseded by the metric system. One important difference is the widespread use in Britain of the stone of 14 pounds (6.350 293 18 kg) for body weight; this unit is not used in the United States, although flour was sold by a barrel of 196 pounds (14 stone) until World War II.
The most common units in modern use are the metric units, used in every country globally. In the United States the U.S. customary units are also in use. British Imperial units are still used for some purposes in the United Kingdom and some other countries. The metric system is sub-divided into SI and non-SI units. [1] [2] [3]
A notable outlier is the United States (US). Although used in some contexts, the US has resisted full adoption; continuing to use "a conglomeration of basically incoherent measurement systems". [2] Adopting the metric system is known as metrication.
The Metric Conversion Act of 1975 is an Act of Congress that was signed into law by U.S. President Gerald Ford on December 23, 1975. [1] It declared the metric system "the preferred system of weights and measures for United States trade and commerce", but permitted the use of United States customary units in all activities.
The use of the metric system was made legal as a system of measurement in 1866 [165] and the United States was a founding member of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in 1875. [166] The system was officially adopted by the federal government in 1975 for use in the military and government agencies, and as preferred system for trade ...