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Declaration of Independence
A document that declared the independence of the thirteen British colonies in North America was signed. -
Articles Of Confederation
This served as a rough draft of the U.S. Constitution, but there were some flaws in it. The Articles of Confederation created a weak central government which led to many problems. -
Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia, and the goal of this meeting was to fix the issues the Articles of Confederation had created. The United States Constitution was written and accepted, and it created a stronger government using a system of check and balances to keep the balance of power. -
Bill of Rights Ratification
The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution to clearly define the rights of citizens. It was composed of the first ten amendments, guaranteeing freedoms such as freedom of speech and the right to bear arms. -
Louisiana Purchase
The United States purchased the Louisiana territory from France for $15 million. This led to a lot of westward expansion, and planted seeds of the belief in Manifest Destiny. -
War of 1812
This was a war between the United States and Great Britain, and it was fueled by naval disputes and issues of sovereignty. It ended in a stalemate, but it created a lot of nationalism from the United States, and began the decline of the Federalist party. -
Missouri Compromise
This was an agreement passed that admitted Missouri into the U.S. as a slave state and Maine as a free state. This kept the balance of free and slave states, and created a boundary along the 36°30' parallel to prevent the expansion of slavery. -
Trail of Tears
This was a forced movement of Cherokee native Americans from their homeland. This event led to the death of thousands of native people due to the harsh conditions. -
Seneca Falls Convention
This was the first women's rights convention held in the United States, and was a significant point in the push for women's equality. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott organized this convention and created the "Declaration of Sentiments" which addressed the issues they had and demanded equality for women. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This was a law that allowed the settlers in each territory to vote upon whether they were a free or slave state, which ignored the Missouri Compromise. This led to violence, and Kansas earned the nickname "Bleeding Kansas" which strengthened divisions that would lead up to the Civil War.