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Declaration Of Independence
The American colonies declared independence from Great Britain in 1776. The 13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain -
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Important Events
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Constitution Ratified
The Founding Fathers come together to create and release the U.S. Constitution. This established the ground work for the federal government. -
Louisiana Purchase
The U.S. buys territory from France, thus making people significantly expand the nation westward. The deal granted the United States the sole authority to obtain the land from its indigenous inhabitants, either by contract or by conquest. -
War of 1812
A conflict with Great Britain, primarily due to trade restrictions, resulting in the burning of Washington D.C. Thus starting the War of 1812 that lasted until 1815. -
Missouri Compromise
A deal made to maintain the balance between free and slave states by stating that Missouri is a slave state and Maine is a free state. This led to the agreement that is a slave state was colonized/added, then a free state would need to be as well to match it. -
Indian Removal Act
The U.S. government forces Native American tribes to relocate from their ancestral lands in the Southeast to Indian Territory. The Seminole Tribe declared the Indian Removal Act unlawful and refused to move west. -
Texas Annexation
Texas joins the United States, adding new territory and contributing to tensions with Mexico. This was a negative affect since the early settlers in Texas brought slaves. -
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush was one of the largest migrations in American history. It was a conflict between the U.S. and Mexico, resulting in the U.S. gaining significant territory. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
A law that repealed the Missouri Compromise, allowing slavery to be decided by popular sovereignty in new territories, further escalating tensions between North and South. The Kansas-Nebraska act made it possible for the Kansas and Nebraska territories to open to slavery. -
Election of Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln became the United States' 16th President in 1861, issuing the Emancipation Proclamation that declared forever free those slaves within the Confederacy in 1863. He was then assassinated in a theater in 1865.