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On July fourth, the United States issued the Declaration of Independence, officially cutting ties with Britain, and marking the beginning of America.
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The Articles were adopted as the first U.S. constitution, outlining the functions of the national government, but containing many flaws.
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The Treaty of Paris was ratified, officially ending the Revolutionary War.
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The U.S. Constitution replaces the Articles of Confederation, and is still used to outline the government over two hundred years later.
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The first ten amendments to the Constitution (The Bill of Rights) were put in place, restricting some government control.
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Invented by Eli Whitney, the cotton gin revolutionized cotton production.
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John Adams is sworn in as the United States's second President.
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Thomas Jefferson is sworn in as the United States's third President.
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America buys 800,000 square miles of land from the French, doubling their current size.
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The Act to Prohibit the Importation of Slaves was passed and did just that, it allowed no more slaves to be imported to the U.S.
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The U.S. started the war of 1812 against the UK and its allies.
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The U.S. Congress creates the Alabama Territory, which would later become an important state in the Confederacy.
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James Monroe states that any act from Europe to interfere with the U.S. will be viewed as an act of aggression.
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Andrew Jackson is sworn in as the 7th President of the U.S., being the first democrat President.
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Arkansas becomes a state after being bought over 30 years ago in the Louisiana Purchase.
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Three years after gold is discovered in California, it becomes the 31st state.
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The Civil War between the Union and Confederacy begins, marking one of the bloodiest battles fought in America.
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Almost three years into the Civil War, Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation, setting all slaves free. This was a major milestone in African American rights.
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Lincoln is shot in the head and killed by John Wilkes Booth two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was passed.
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Signed by Andrew Johnson, the Civil Rights Act of 1866 declared that anyone born in the U.S. is a U.S. citizen, regardless of race.
