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Columbus's voyage led to European colonization of the Americas, fundamentally reshaping the world. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Christopher-Columbus/The-first-voyage
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His expedition marked the first European exploration of what is now the southeastern U.S. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Juan-Ponce-de-Leon
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This event established Spanish dominance in Mexico and the Americas. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Tenochtitlan
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His expedition provided valuable information about Native American societies. https://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/desoto.htm
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The first permanent European settlement in what would become the U.S. https://dos.fl.gov/florida-facts/florida-history/a-brief-history/european-exploration-and-colonization/#:~:text=Pedro%20Men%C3%A9ndez%20de%20Avil%C3%A9s%20hastened,is%20now%20the%20United%20States.
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The first permanent English colony, marking the beginning of British America. https://www.nps.gov/jame/learn/historyculture/a-short-history-of-jamestown.htm
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His journey led to Dutch claims in North America, including New Amsterdam (New York). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Hudson#:~:text=Looking%20for%20a%20Northwest%20Passage,World%20were%20significant%20and%20lasting.
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Their marriage temporarily eased tensions between English settlers and Native Americans. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/first-anglo-powhatan-war-1609-1614/
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Marked the beginning of institutionalized slavery in British North America. https://www.hampton.gov/3580/The-1619-Landing-Report-FAQs#:~:text=In%20late%20August%2C%201619%2C%2020,traded%20in%20exchange%20for%20supplies.
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The Pilgrims land at Plymouth Rock - Their settlement laid the foundation for self-governance in the colonies. https://plimoth.org/for-students/homework-help/mayflower-and-mayflower-compact
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Established as a refuge for Catholics facing persecution in England. https://billofrightsinstitute.org/essays/the-founding-of-maryland
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The first institution of higher education in the American colonies. https://www.harvard.edu/about/history/
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Expanded British influence in North America. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Amsterdam#:~:text=In%201664%2C%20the%20English%20took,later%20James%20II%20%26%20VII).
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Exposed tensions between settlers and colonial leadership over Native American policies. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/bacons-rebellion-1676-1677/#:~:text=Bacon's%20Rebellion%2C%20fought%20from%201676,began%20raiding%20the%20Virginia%20frontier.
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William Penn founded Pennsylvania in 1681 as a Quaker colony promoting religious freedom and tolerance. https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/pennsylvania-founding/#:~:text=English%20Quaker%20William%20Penn%20founded,to%20expand%20his%20Quaker%20colony.
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Demonstrated early colonial engagement in political discourse. https://www.masshist.org/database/186#:~:text=The%20Boston%20News%2DLetter%20was%20not%2C%20however%2C%20the%20first,issue%20on%2025%20September%201690.
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Showed the dangers of mass hysteria and theocratic rule. https://www.britannica.com/event/Salem-witch-trials
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Became a key center for the fur trade in North America. https://apps.detroithistorical.org/buildingdetroit/curriculum_french.php
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Became a major port city and cultural hub in the future U.S. https://www.neworleans.com/things-to-do/multicultural/cultures/french/#:~:text=New%20Orleans%20has%20always%20been,to%2C%20other%20New%20World%20settlements.
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The last of the original 13 colonies, created as a buffer against Spanish Florida. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/georgia-history-overview/#:~:text=Established%20in%201732%2C%20with%20settlement,Carolina's%20founding%20(in%201663).
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One of the first major slave revolts in the colonies, leading to harsher laws. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stono_Rebellion#:~:text=The%20Stono%20Rebellion%20(also%20known,to%2050%20African%20slaves%20killed.
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The first American hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital, was founded in Philadelphia in 1751 by Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond. https://www.uphs.upenn.edu/paharc/timeline/#:~:text=Pennsylvania%20Hospital%20%2D%2D%20the%20nation's,teaching%20and%20clinical%20research%20institution.
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Britain’s victory secured control of North America but led to heavy debts and colonial taxation. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/french-indian-war
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Limited colonial expansion westward, angering settlers and escalating tensions with Britain. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/proclamation-line-of-1763#:~:text=K5%20The%20Proclamation%20Line%20of,the%20French%20and%20Indian%20War.
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Sparked widespread colonial protest against British taxation. https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-seeds-of-revolution-stamp-act-protests-in-boston#:~:text=On%20March%2022%2C%201765%2C%20British,colonies%20was%20immediate%20and%20intense.
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Heightened tensions that would contribute to the Revolution. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/adams-boston-massacre/#:~:text=By%20October%201768%20Boston%20was,quarter%20of%20the%20city's%20population.&text=Hostility%20toward%20the%20soldiers%20escalated,taking%20jobs%20from%20Boston's%20workers.
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British soldiers kill five colonists, fueling anti-British sentiment. https://revolutionaryspaces.org/explore/exhibits/reflecting-attucks/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-5a9BhCBARIsACwMkJ6spj6maZ-p62OoDuDaRGJ0t5WSMMlQIB9-H9JgVvlOEzOYslRs7-4aAniEEALw_wcB
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A direct protest against British taxation, leading to punitive laws. https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/boston-tea-party-cause
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Organized colonial resistance to British policies. https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/road-to-revolution/the-american-revolution/a/the-intolerable-acts-and-the-first-continental-congress
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Marked the start of the American Revolution. https://spiritof76livinghistoryassociation.org/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-5a9BhCBARIsACwMkJ6zw49yVME7EXfEBxtIPNqSzddbES6w8cdddn838IMcWTaMUIzHWI0aAhiyEALw_wcB
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Officially declared the American colonies’ break from Britain. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/declaration-of-independence#:~:text=The%20Continental%20Congress%20adopted%20the,1776%2C%20delegates%20began%20signing%20it.
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A major American victory that secured French military support. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/saratoga#:~:text=The%20Battle%20of%20Saratoga%20was,needed%20to%20win%20the%20war.
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Effectively ended the American Revolution. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Yorktown#:~:text=The%20siege%20of%20Yorktown%20was,an%20end%20to%20the%20conflict.
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Officially recognized American independence. https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/ar/14313.htm#:~:text=The%20Treaty%20of%20Paris%20was,War%20of%20the%20American%20Revolution.
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Created the framework for the American government. https://www.acslaw.org/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-5a9BhCBARIsACwMkJ4OEB7brSf1BINmQB8jk7P_OQX87r3Q-jUvpEHe3lio9IUhgyv9tKcaAsYcEALw_wcB
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Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin revolutionized the Southern economy by making cotton processing faster and more profitable. https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/cotton-gin-and-eli-whitney
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Established fundamental liberties for American citizens. https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights-transcript#:~:text=Amendments%2011%2D27-,The%20U.S.%20Bill%20of%20Rights,the%20%22Bill%20of%20Rights.%22
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Strengthened the federal government’s presence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C.#:~:text=The%20Residence%20Act%2C%20adopted%20on,the%20capital%20moved%20from%20Philadelphia.
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Refined the electoral process for selecting presidents. https://archive.fairvote.org/essex/index.php?page=981&mode=showallbig&offset=135&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-5a9BhCBARIsACwMkJ5-mZeVwr_tkKS0xDpDKx1BIBTP895smPdOD67jTwrwVnWOukyC61UaAskCEALw_wcB
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Allowed westward expansion and economic growth. https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/american_originals/loupurch.html#:~:text=Thirteen%20states%20were%20carved%20from,preserved%20at%20the%20National%20Archives.
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Weakened Native American resistance to U.S. expansion. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/war-1812/battles/tippecanoe
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Confirmed U.S. sovereignty against Britain and inspired national pride. https://princetonhistory.org/collections/overview/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-5a9BhCBARIsACwMkJ6jaMNVb5bIGQPFn9oOYSWeBxYhsKoxjdVTEpKi4vH4ZCd26J__TFYaArHCEALw_wcB
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Temporarily eased tensions over slavery’s expansion. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/missouri-compromise
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Led to political tensions between John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. https://millercenter.org/contested-presidential-elections/corrupt-bargain
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Asserted U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/monroe-doctrine#:~:text=The%20Monroe%20Doctrine%20is%20the,further%20colonization%20or%20puppet%20monarchs.
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One of the most significant slave revolts, increasing fear and repression. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/turners-revolt-nat-1831/
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Forced Native Americans from their lands, leading to the Trail of Tears. https://guides.loc.gov/indian-removal-act
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Forced removal of Native Americans resulted in thousands of deaths. https://www.oregonhumanities.org/rll/beyond-the-margins/indian-enough/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-5a9BhCBARIsACwMkJ66jTIdE9YVmm6VQrHzk1zY3ODD4jZQysIL2BjoNXifpsO0KSV8A3AaApedEALw_wcB
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Became a symbol of Texan resistance against Mexico. https://www.thealamo.org/remember/battle-and-revolution
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Sparked tensions leading to the Mexican-American War. https://www.thealamo.org/remember/military-occupation/independence-and-annexation#:~:text=On%20December%2027%2C%201845%2C%20U.S.,28th%20state%20of%20the%20Union.
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Gained vast western territories for the U.S. https://www.nps.gov/places/the-mexican-american-war.htm
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Was the first women's rights convention in the U.S., advocating for gender equality and suffrage. https://www.usaforunfpa.org/unfpas-work/ending-violence-against-women/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA-5a9BhCBARIsACwMkJ6DwNnuqmMp6688nlUaNziJzJvstTZHIiEbFBOIsQKg0khoajLCAnYaAlh4EALw_wcB
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Temporarily resolved sectional conflicts over slavery. https://guides.loc.gov/compromise-1850#:~:text=The%20Compromise%20of%201850%20consists,states%20in%20the%20U.S.%20Senate.
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Increased Northern opposition to slavery. https://www.vassar.edu/specialcollections/exhibit-highlights/2001-2005/stowe/essay2.html#:~:text=Begun%20as%20a%20serial%20in,Tom's%20Cabin%20was%20officially%20published.
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Led to violent conflict over slavery in the territories. https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Kansas_Nebraska_Act.htm#:~:text=It%20became%20law%20on%20May,territories%20to%20sway%20the%20vote.
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Ruled that Black Americans had no citizenship rights. https://www.britannica.com/event/Dred-Scott-decision
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South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union, setting the stage for the Civil War. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/south-carolina-secession.htm#:~:text=South%20Carolina%20became%20the%20first,disunion%20across%20the%20slaveholding%20South.
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Intensified sectional tensions before the Civil War. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/topics/john-browns-harpers-ferry-raid
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Marked the start of the deadliest conflict in U.S. history. https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Civil_War_Begins.htm#:~:text=At%204%3A30%20a.m.%20on,beginning%20of%20the%20Civil%20War.
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Declared freedom for slaves in Confederate states. https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/emancipation-proclamation#:~:text=President%20Abraham%20Lincoln%20issued%20the,and%20henceforward%20shall%20be%20free.%22
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A major turning point in the Civil War. https://www.gettysburgpa.gov/history/slideshows/battle-history#:~:text=T%20he%20Battle%20of%20Gettysburg,Gen.
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Devastated the South, as Union troops burned crops, destroyed infrastructure, and crippled the Confederacy’s war effort. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/shermans-march-sea
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Began a campaign of racial terror in the South. https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/ku-klux-klan
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Shifted the course of Reconstruction. https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/abraham-lincoln-assassination
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Guaranteed citizenship and equal protection under the law. https://www.senate.gov/about/origins-foundations/senate-and-constitution/14th-amendment.htm#:~:text=Passed%20by%20the%20Senate%20on,laws%2C%E2%80%9D%20extending%20the%20provisions%20of
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Destroyed much of the city but led to rebuilding efforts. https://www.architecture.org/online-resources/architecture-encyclopedia/the-great-chicago-fire-of-1871
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Attempted to enforce equal access to public places. https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/CivilRightsAct1875.htm
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Federal troops leave the South, ending protections for Black Americans. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compromise_of_1877#:~:text=The%20subsequent%20withdrawal%20of%20the,South%20Carolina%2C%20Florida%20and%20Louisiana.