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Date |
Event(s) |
| 1 | 1845 | - 29 Dec 1845: Texas annexed by U.S.
The Republic of Texas was annexed by the United States, becoming the 28th state.
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| 2 | 1846 | - 13 May 1846: Mexican-American War begins
The United States declared war on Mexico over a border dispute in Texas.
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| 3 | 1848 | - 24 Jan 1848: California Gold Rush begins
Gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill, California, triggering a massive migration of "forty-niners."
- 24 Jan 1848: Gold discovered in California
James W. Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California, beginning the California Gold Rush.
- 2 Feb 1848: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The treaty was signed, ending the Mexican-American War and ceding significant territory to the United States.
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| 4 | 1850 | - 9 Sep 1850: Compromise of 1850
A series of five bills passed to address the issue of slavery, including admitting California as a free state and enacting the Fugitive Slave Act.
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| 5 | 1852 | - 20 Mar 1852: Uncle Tom's Cabin published
Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery novel was published, becoming a bestseller and fueling the abolitionist movement.
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| 6 | 1854 | - 30 May 1854: Kansas-Nebraska Act
The act created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska and allowed settlers to decide on the issue of slavery through "popular sovereignty."
- 15 Oct 1854: Republican Party founded
Anti-slavery activists and Whig Party members formed the Republican Party in Ripon, Wisconsin.
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| 7 | 1856 | - 21 May 1856: Sack of Lawrence
Pro-slavery forces attacked and looted the anti-slavery town of Lawrence, Kansas, during "Bleeding Kansas."
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| 8 | 1857 | - 6 Mar 1857: Dred Scott decision
The Supreme Court ruled that African Americans were not citizens and that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional.
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| 9 | 1858 | - 15 Oct 1858: Lincoln-Douglas Debates
Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas held a series of seven debates on the issue of slavery in Illinois.
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| 10 | 1859 | - 16 Oct 1859: John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry
Abolitionist John Brown led a raid on a federal armory in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, hoping to start a slave revolt.
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| 11 | 1860 | - 6 Nov 1860: Abraham Lincoln elected
Abraham Lincoln was elected as the 16th President of the United States.
- 20 Dec 1860: South Carolina secedes
South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union following Lincoln's election.
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| 12 | 1861 | - 8 Feb 1861: Confederate States of America formed
Seven Southern states formed the Confederate States of America.
- 4 Mar 1861: Lincoln inaugurated
Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as President of the United States.
- 12 Apr 1861: Attack on Fort Sumter
Confederate forces attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina, marking the start of the American Civil War.
- 21 Jul 1861: First Battle of Bull Run
The first major land battle of the Civil War resulted in a Confederate victory.
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| 13 | 1862 | - 8 Mar 1862: Monitor vs. Merrimack
The first battle between two ironclad warships took place in Hampton Roads, Virginia.
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| 14 | 1863 | - 1 Jan 1863: Emancipation Proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in Confederate-held territory.
- 1 Jul 1863—3 Jul 1863: Battle of Gettysburg
A major Union victory in Pennsylvania that is considered a turning point of the war.
- 4 Jul 1863: Siege of Vicksburg ends
Union forces captured Vicksburg, Mississippi, giving them control of the Mississippi River.
- 19 Nov 1863: Gettysburg Address
Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous address at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg.
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| 15 | 1864 | - 8 Nov 1864: Lincoln reelected
Abraham Lincoln was reelected as President of the United States.
- 15 Nov 1864—21 Dec 1864: Sherman's March to the Sea
Union General William Tecumseh Sherman led his troops on a destructive march through Georgia.
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| 16 | 1865 | - 9 Apr 1865: Lee surrenders at Appomattox
Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the Civil War.
- 14 Apr 1865: Lincoln assassinated
President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre.
- 18 Dec 1865: 13th Amendment ratified
The 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery, was ratified.
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| 17 | 1867 | - 1 Jan 1867: Reconstruction Acts
Congress passed acts that divided the South into five military districts and set conditions for readmission to the Union.
- 30 Mar 1867: Alaska Purchase
The United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million, a deal widely known as "Seward's Folly."
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| 18 | 1868 | - 1 Jan 1868: 14th Amendment ratified
The 14th Amendment was ratified, granting citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States.
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| 19 | 1869 | - 1 May 1869: Transcontinental Railroad completed
The first transcontinental railroad was completed at Promontory Summit, Utah.
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| 20 | 1870 | - 1 Jan 1870: 15th Amendment ratified
The 15th Amendment was ratified, guaranteeing the right to vote regardless of race.
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| 21 | 1876 | - 25 Jun 1876: Battle of the Little Bighorn
Lakota and Cheyenne warriors defeated U.S. Army forces led by General George Custer in Montana.
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| 22 | 1877 | - 2 Mar 1877: Compromise of 1877
A political deal that ended the disputed 1876 presidential election and resulted in the withdrawal of federal troops from the South, ending Reconstruction.
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| 23 | 1881 | - 1 Jan 1881: American Federation of Labor founded
The AFL was founded by Samuel Gompers as a national federation of labor unions.
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| 24 | 1882 | - 4 Sep 1882: Edison's Pearl Street Station
Thomas Edison's electric power plant began operation in New York City, providing power for the first time.
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| 25 | 1886 | - 1 May 1886: Haymarket Affair
A labor protest rally in Chicago turned into a riot after a bomb was thrown, killing police officers and civilians.
- 28 Oct 1886: Statue of Liberty dedicated
The Statue of Liberty was dedicated in New York Harbor.
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| 26 | 1890 | - 1 Dec 1890: Wounded Knee Massacre
U.S. soldiers killed over 150 Lakota people in what is considered the final major conflict of the Indian Wars.
- 29 Dec 1890: Sherman Antitrust Act
Congress passed the first federal law prohibiting trusts and monopolies to promote competition.
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| 27 | 1893 | - 1 Jan 1893: Panic of 1893
A severe economic depression began, marked by bank failures and high unemployment.
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| 28 | 1896 | - 1 Jan 1896: Plessy v. Ferguson decision
The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine.
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| 29 | 1898 | - 15 Feb 1898: USS Maine explodes
The USS Maine battleship exploded in Havana Harbor, leading to the Spanish-American War.
- 21 Apr 1898: Spanish-American War begins
The United States declared war on Spain.
- 13 Aug 1898: Spanish-American War ends
The Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the war and ceding territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States.
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| 30 | 1900 | - 14 Dec 1900: Hawaii annexed
The United States officially annexed Hawaii.
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| 31 | 1901 | - 14 Sep 1901: Theodore Roosevelt becomes President
Theodore Roosevelt became president after the assassination of President William McKinley.
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| 32 | 1903 | - 1 Jan 1903: Wright brothers' first flight
Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first powered, controlled, and sustained flight of an aircraft at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
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| 33 | 1906 | - 1 Jan 1906: San Francisco Earthquake
A major earthquake and subsequent fires devastated San Francisco, California.
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| 34 | 1908 | - 1 Jan 1908: Ford Model T introduced
Henry Ford introduced the Model T, making the automobile affordable for the average American.
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| 35 | 1912 | - 15 Apr 1912: Titanic sinks
The "unsinkable" passenger liner Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg, resulting in over 1,500 deaths.
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| 36 | 1913 | - 1 Jan 1913: 16th Amendment ratified
The 16th Amendment was ratified, allowing the federal government to collect an income tax.
- 1 Jan 1913: 17th Amendment ratified
The 17th Amendment was ratified, providing for the direct election of U.S. Senators.
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| 37 | 1914 | - 1 Jan 1914: Panama Canal opens
The Panama Canal officially opened, allowing ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
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| 38 | 1915 | - 1 Jan 1915: Lusitania sinks
A German U-boat sank the British passenger liner Lusitania, killing 128 Americans and turning public opinion against Germany.
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| 39 | 1917 | - 6 Apr 1917: U.S. enters World War I
The United States declared war on Germany, officially entering World War I.
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| 40 | 1918 | - 1 Jan 1918: Spanish Flu pandemic
The first cases of the devastating influenza pandemic were reported in the U.S.
- 11 Nov 1918: Armistice Day
An armistice was signed, ending World War I.
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| 41 | 1919 | - 1 Jan 1919: 18th Amendment ratified
The 18th Amendment, which prohibited the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcoholic beverages, was ratified.
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| 42 | 1920 | - 19 Jan 1920: Prohibition begins
The Volstead Act went into effect, implementing the 18th Amendment.
- 18 Aug 1920: 19th Amendment ratified
The 19th Amendment was ratified, granting American women the right to vote.
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| 43 | 1921 | - 1 Jan 1921: Emergency Quota Act
Congress passed a law limiting the number of immigrants from any country to 3% of the people from that country already living in the U.S.
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| 44 | 1924 | - 1 Jan 1924: Immigration Act of 1924
A law that further restricted immigration, establishing a national origins quota.
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| 45 | 1925 | - 21 Jan 1925: Scopes "Monkey" Trial
A high school teacher, John Scopes, was tried for teaching evolution in a highly publicized trial.
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| 46 | 1927 | - 1 Jan 1927: Charles Lindbergh's solo flight
Charles Lindbergh completed the first solo, nonstop transatlantic flight from New York to Paris.
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| 47 | 1929 | - 29 Oct 1929: Stock Market Crash
Known as "Black Tuesday," the stock market crashed, beginning the Great Depression.
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| 48 | 1931 | - 1 Jan 1931: Empire State Building opens
The Empire State Building officially opened in New York City.
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| 49 | 1932 | - 1 Jan 1932: Bonus Army march
Thousands of World War I veterans marched on Washington, D.C., to demand early payment of a bonus owed to them.
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1844 - 1932 (87 years)
