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The Colonies Declare Their Independence
July 4, 1776 marks the day the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence and officially declared their independence from Britain. -
The Constitution is Ratified
Although the Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, nine states had to first give their approval in order for it to be ratified. -
The Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Territory was purchased from Napoleon Bonaparte for $15 million and it expanded the size of the U.S. by more than double. -
The Market Revolution
The Market Revolution, which lasted until the 1840's, changed the economy and industry of the U.S. because people were buying and selling goods rather than producing them for themselves. -
The California Gold Rush
Gold was first discovered in 1848 in Sacramento, California, but the gold fever did not fully spread until 1849, when the miners were nicknamed "forty-niners". -
The Civil War
The Civil War, which lasted four long years, was caused by a disagreement between pro-slavery beliefs in the South and anti-slavery beliefs in the North. -
Lincoln is Assassinated and Reconstruction Begins
The assassination of Abraham Lincoln led to the presidency of his successor, Andrew Johnson, and the period known as Reconstruction, in which the U.S. attempted to rebuild and the Southern states were urged to rejoin the Union.
