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Politics: Our founding fathers signed a letter stating our independence from Great Britain. The United States of America was now an independant nation.
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Politics: General Cornwallis surrendered at yorktown. This signified the last major battle in the revolutionary war.
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Innovation: Eli Whitney is granted a pattent for the Cottin Gin, which drastically increased cotton production.. Whitney believed that this would diminish slavery, causing the slaves to do less work. However it increased the need for slaves, as increased cotton production requires more manual labor to pick cotton.
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Expansion:The United States bought the Louisiana Puchase from France for less than $0.03 an acre. This almost doubled the size of the US.
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Politics: Congress declares war on Great Britain. This is the first time the United Sates declared war, and was the closest vote to declare war in American History.
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Society: Francis Scott Key writes the Star-Spangled Banner during the Battle of Fort McHenry. In 1931, 117 years later, it would officially become our national anthem.
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Politics: The Treaty of Ghent is signed, ending th War of 1812. Word did not reach Jackson in time to prevent the Battle of New Orlean two weeks later. The Battle of New Orleans was the United States's greatest victory in the war.
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James Marshall discovers gold at Sutter's Mill. Over 300,000 prospectors would come to California in search of gold over the next seven years.
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Slavery: South Carolina becomes the first state to secede from the Union. 10 states would follow over the next five months.
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Slavery: President Abraham Lincoln issues the emancipation proclamation. This abolished slavery in all rebel states. This did not apply to, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, or Missouri.
