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In 1776, Thomas Paine published Common sense. He used plain language to challenge the idea of the British Monarchy to the common people. It was the first work to ask for separation from the British Government
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On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed by America's founding fathers. The 13 American colonies severed their political connections to England. This gave colonist the freedom from their motherland and opened doors to a long process of forming a country.
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On March 1, 1781,The Articles of Confederation is ratified. The reason was to make the Constitution as a replacement. It was written for the people and not the presidents and delegates.
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In 1783, Great Britain, America, and Spain signed the Treaty of Paris to end the American Revolution.
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Shays Rebellion was a series of protests from 1786 to 1787. American farmers were rebelling against local enforcement of tax collection.
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In 1794, Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin. The cotton gin was a revolutionary machine that made the process of removing seeds from cotton much easier.
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The Alien and Sedition Acts were a group of acts passed by a Federalist Congress and signed by President John Adams. These acts gave new power to deport foreigners and make voting for immigrants very challenging.
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New Jersey abolishes slavery in 1804, creating a new movement that would soon tear the country apart during the American Civil War.