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People from the British Empire decided to leave their land to settle in the New World. Among them were :
Merchants (who wanted to start a new life and make a good living).
Protestants separatists (who wanted freedom of religion).
They put ahore on the east cost, in a land they named Virginia, more precisely in Jamestown. -
Arrival of the Pilgrims and foundation of the first colony : Virginia
Expansion on the east coast until 1732 with the last colony : Georgia -
It was lead by the Pilgrims in the 13 colonies.
They fought for independance from the British Empire.
US Declaration of Independence : 4th, July 1777 -
It's a text adopted by the members of the Continental Congress that made the northern america British colonies a unified country : the USA. There are four parts to the DI : the Preamble, A Declaration of Rights, A Bill of Indictment, and A Statement of Independence. The main ideas of the DI include that "all men are created equal" and that everyone has the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." The DI says that the purpose of government is to protect these rights and values.
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The settlers had developped the idea that their way of life was good and of a divine inspiration. Thus, they wanted to expand this lifestyle based on liberty and equality to a great territory, a whole continent. So, they annexed territories for instance belonging to Mexico as California or bought to France Louisiana. Yet, Natives also lived on these lands and couldn't and didn't want to adopt an other culture. In consequence, most of the Natives were slaughtered for a divine purpose.
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The Constitution explains the structure of the new government.The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments to the Constitution. The BR guarantees freedoms. The BR is the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution. These amendments guarantee essential rights and civil liberties, such as the right to free speech and the right to bear arms, as well as reserving rights to the people and the states. Preamble of the US constitution : "We the People of the United States...".
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The Civil War was a war between the Confederates and the Yankees. This one was the deadliest war in all the history of the US. Even if the causes are diverse, the issue of slavery was in the center of the conflict.
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The armistice left a climate of violence at west. It ended with settlings of scores and unremitting attacks againts banks and trains. This war is responsible of 620000 dead people and hundred of thousands wounded people. It was the first modern war in history.
Followed the reconstruction era that deeply changed the USA in a politcal, judicial and social way. -
After Civil War, the US became an industrial giant. Old industries and many new ones (petroleum refining, steel manufacturing, electrical power) emerged. Railroads expanded, bringing remote parts of the country into the national economy. Industrial growth transformed the US society. It produced a new class of wealthy industrialists, prosperous middle class and a blue collar working classe. Industrialization was made by millions of immigrants. The US society got more diverse than ever before.
