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America Declares Independece
The Declaration of Independence is adopted by the Second Continental Congress. Following a decade of agitation over taxes and a year of war, representatives make the break with Britain. King George III isn't willing to let his subjects go without a fight, and loyalist sentiment remains strong in many areas while nationalism grows. -
Yorktown: Large British Army Surrenders
A joint French and American force traps a large British army on Virginia's Yorktown peninsula. Unable to evacuate or receive reinforcements, General Cornwallis is forced to surrender. -
Treaty of Paris Officially Ends the War
The Treaty of Paris ratifies the independence of the 13 North American states. Canada remains a British province, beginning its separate development as a U.S. neighbor. Another war with England (1812 - 1815) will be necessary to truly secure the American nation. -
U.S. Constitution Replaces Articles of Confederation
A convention of states in Philadelphia proposes the Constitution to replace the much looser central government operating under the Articles of Confederation (adopted in 1777). With amendments, the Constitution remains the framework of government in the U.S. -
The Second Great Awakening
The Second Great Awakening was a major Protestant religious revival in the early 19th century United States, characterized by emotional preaching, camp meetings, and a strong emphasis on personal conversion. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase encompassed 530,000,000 acres of territory in North America that the United States purchased from France in 1803 for $15 million. -
War of 1812
As an important neutral trading nation, the United States became caught in the European conflict that pitted Napoleonic France against Great Britain and her continental allies. -
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was the idea that white Americans were divinely ordained to settle the entire continent of North America. It inspired a variety of measures designed to remove or destroy the native population. -
The Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American War was a conflict between the United States and Mexico that lasted from 1846 to 1848 over the annexation of Texas and territory lines. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act, repealed the Missouri Compromise, created two new territories, and allowed for popular sovereignty. It also produced a violent uprising known as “Bleeding Kansas,” as pro-slavery and antislavery activists flooded into the territories to sway the vote.