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1607 – The first English settlement in North America is established by the Virginia Company at Jamestown which is now the state of Virginia.
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1693 - John Locke's Thoughts Concerning Education is published, describing views on educating upper class boys to be moral, rationally-thinking, and "young gentlemen." His ideas regarding educating the masses are conveyed in On Working Schools, which focused on the importance of developing a work ethic.
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1788 - The U. S. Constitution is ratified by required number of states.
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1791 - The Bill of Rights is passed by the first Congress of the new United States.
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1875 - The Civil Rights Act is passed, banning segregation in all public places.
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1881 - Booker T. Washington becomes the first principal of a school in Tuskegee, Alabama, which is now Tuskegee University.
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1964 - The Civil Rights Act becomes law.
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1968 - Dr. Martin Luther King, leader of the American Civil Rights Movement, is assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4th.
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1974 - The Equal Educational Opportunities Act is passed. It prohibits discrimination and requires schools to take action to overcome barriers.
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2008 - Barack Obama defeats John McCain and is elected the 44th President of the United States.