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Battle of the Little Bighorn
A coalition of Native American tribes annihilated the 7th Calvary Regiment of the U.S. Army, under Lt. Colonel George Custer. -
1876 Presidential Election
Republican Rutherford B. Hayes was elected president in one of the most controversial elections in American history, despite losing the popular vote and doubts about the validity of several electoral votes. In the end, the election was settled by negotiation and a compromise which required the end of Reconstruction in exchange for Tilden ceding the election. -
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Presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes
Rutherford B. Hayes continued the streak of Republican presidents elected since the end of the Civil War. He served only one term. -
Invention of the Lightbulb
Thomas Edison successfully tests an incandescent light bulb, which soon became a massive commerical success that transformed the American way of life. -
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Presidency of James A. Garfield
James A. Garfield won the fourth post-war presidential election in a row for the Republican Party, but his presidency was cut short due to assassination. -
Death of James A. Garfield
President James A. Garfield died on September 19, 1881, over two months after being shot by assassin Charles Guiteau, who sought revenge against Garfield for not giving him a post in the administration. -
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Presidency of Chester A. Arthur
Chester A. Arthur served out the remainder of James A. Garfield's term, but was not nominated to seek election in his own right. -
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First Presidency of Grover Cleveland
In 1884, Democrat Grover Cleveland was elected president, breaking the post-war streak of Republican presidents. However, he was defeated for re-election. -
Haymarket Square Riot
In a public relations disaster for the labor movement, anarchists bombed and killed several police officers during a strike and protest in Chicago. The incident effectively destroyed the Knights of Labor organization. -
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Presidency of Benjamin Harrison
Republican Benjamin Harrison defeated Grover Cleveland for reelection in 1888, despite losing the popular vote, but Harrison was defeated for re-election himself at the hands of Cleveland four years later. -
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Panic of 1893
An economic depression ravaged the country for about four years, causing severe damage to the stock market, the financial system, American business, and agriculture. -
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Second Presidency of Grover Cleveland
Democrat Grover Cleveland became the first president to serve two non-consecutive terms, after defeating his own successor, Benjamin Harrison, in 1892. However, Cleveland's second term was marred by economic difficulties. -
Supreme Court Upholds Racial Segregation
In the landmark case Plessy v. Ferguson, the U.S. Supreme Court established the doctrine of "separate but equal," which laid the foundation for decades of racial segregation in the South. -
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Presidency of William McKinley
Republican William McKinley defeated William Jennings Bryan in the 1896 election, restoring Republican rule. His presidency saw the rapid rise of American power on the world stage, due to the Spanish-American War. Despite winning reelection, his presidency was cut short by assassination. -
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Spanish-American War
Triggered by the explosion of the battleship USS Maine in Havana Harbor, Cuba, which Americans widely blamed on Spain, the Spanish-American War was a short four-month conflict that resulted in a decisive victory for the United States. The United States annexed several Spanish territories as a result of the war, elevating America to the status of world power.