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Christopher Columbus sails to an island off of America, arriving at what is now the "New World". This brings the first Europeans to this side of the world, and will create an influx of European exploration to come in later centuries that will shape America.
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Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in America. This would become the initial settlement that would initiate the beginning of the 13 colonies.
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The Mayflower Compact was the first document to introduce self government. This would later to become whtat the "nation' would be founded on.
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The Boston Tea Party was an event that displayed America's definance against their mother country. America would not cooperate with the laws and acts placed upon the colonists. This event was the first major display of American individuality.
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The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first battles of the American Revolution, a war fought for American independence. These battles marked the beginning of the struggle America woudl endure to earn its own identity from the mother country.
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The Declaration of Independence was the document adopted by the Continental Congress that declared American indepence. This changed the name for America, as they were now their own country, breaking free of the mother country of Great Britain, and beginning to obtain heir own identity and independence.
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The Constitution of the United States was adopted by the Continental Congress after the success of the American Revolution. This document would be the foundation of American government, creating a political identity for America to refer too and claim as her own.
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George Washington was the first official President of the United States and the first ruler on the newly claimed American independence. He established possibly the most talented cabinet in US history that would prove to make copious actions that would contribute to creating American identity. He also set the precedent for all other presidents sworn in after him.
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The Louisiana Purchase was the firstt expansion of land acquired by the new United States. This helped create American identity by proving that America was not just a land of ex-colonies ruled by their old authority, Great Britatin.
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The Lewis and Clark Expeditions were journies that traveled the wilderness of the new frontier. This showed the courage of the Americans and their ability to explore and make something of their land.
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The idea of manifest destiny swept the nation in the 1840's. This was the idea that God had destined Americans to stretch from coast to coast. Not only did this expansionism illustrate the courage and determination of the American people, this also largely increased American identity by creating an "entire" nation, influencing other nation's citizens to migrate to the United States, and a nation where the people would risk anything for new opportunity--which was the American ideal.
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The Civil War shaped American identity through bloodshed and battles. The battle over slavery was finally fought in the civil war, and was ended (though this took a very long time in the Reconstruction era). America was now able to be identified as the last globally dominant country to abolish slavery. The new face of American identity would now proclaim freedom for all of its citizens.
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The Gilded Age was a time of American prosperity for its people. American identity was now shaped to the face of prosperity and industrialization.
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The Wright Brothers successfully attempted and completed the first manned flight in America. America was beginning to be recognized as the ingenuitive and bold nation of the world.
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World War 1 begins. The US remains uninvolved until the last half of the war. America feels it is nesessary to enter the war to keep the world "safe for democracy". The US will be shaped by this worldly disaster and will emerge as a global economic, political, and military powerhouse.
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The Roaring Twenties was perhaps the most glamorous time in American history. Similar to the Gilded Age, the 1920's included Americn ingenuity, prosperity, scandolous events, and a time of fast paced and excitement that swept the nation.
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The 19th Amendment of the Constituition brought about new opportunites for women. Women were granted the right to vote, limiting the gender barrier that may have been associated with American independence.
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Babe Ruth changed the face of baseball--a sport that would become known as America's Pastime. American identity now included athleticism and leisure to its hardworking and opportunistic label.
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The Stock Market crash aided in changing the face of American econmonics and politics. The country would be able to regain itself after instituting new policies both politically and economically. American identity sadly was reformed to show that prosperity does not always last but more importantly, the idea that Americans can rebuild even after devastation still remained.
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The bombing of Pearl Harbor was an unexpected attack on a US military base that took out the entire Pacific fleet. This sparked the US counter attack of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan. American identity was severly damaged from the destruction done on Pearl Harbor, but this made Americans more determined to seek revenge and lead to an increased patriotic attitude that continued past World War 2.
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Brown V Board of Education was a case that over turned the 13th amendment of "separate but equal". This Supreme Court case granted equal opportunites in education for all races instead of segregating the students. This created an equal and opportunistic image of America during the post WW2 era.
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The Cold War was a dangerous global struggle between the US and the Soviet Union over the dispute between democracy and communism. Though an actual war was never fought, the mass destruction that could have evolved from this war would have been beyond deadly. American identity was strongly identifiable by pro-democracy and anti-communistic ideals.
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The Civil Rights Movement was a movement that swept the nation rioting for equal opportunites regardless of race. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the peak of the movement, established by LBJ, and would prevent all further discrimination in the work place or society. An anti-discriminative and balanced racial palette would emerge from this movement.
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American Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took the first steps for man (and giant step for mankind) on the trip to the moon. American identity became showered with ingenuity, courage, advancements in technology and education, confidence, and pure patriotism because America was the first to do any such accomplishment.
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The September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centers was the largest terrorist attack on American soil in US history. This shattered the face of the nation with the pain and remorse of such an attack. Americans reused to back down and reemerged more prepared than ever to fight for those that were lost. American identity swept the nation with nationalistic pride, teamwork and determination to avenge the tragedy on American soil that would never be forgotten.
