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Pilgrims establish Plymouth Colony, marking the beginning of European settlement in New England. -
Salem Witch Trials highlight issues of religious intolerance and social hysteria. -
French and Indian War sets the stage for increased tensions between the American colonies and Britain. -
Declaration of Independence is adopted, signaling the start of the American Revolutionary War. -
U.S. Constitution is drafted, establishing the framework for the federal government. -
Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin, revolutionizing cotton production and slavery. -
Louisiana Purchase doubles the size of the United States. -
American Civil War over issues of slavery and states' rights. -
Emancipation Proclamation declares slaves in Confederate states to be free. -
First Transcontinental Railroad completed, connecting the East and West coasts. -
Spanish-American War leads to the acquisition of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. -
United States enters World War I. -
19th Amendment grants women the right to vote. -
Stock market crash triggers the Great Depression. -
United States enters World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor. -
Civil Rights Movement challenges racial segregation and inequality. -
Apollo 11 successfully lands astronauts on the moon. -
Terrorist attacks on September 11 prompt the War on Terror and homeland security changes. -
Financial crisis leads to the Great Recession. -
Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is signed into law, aiming to reform the healthcare system.