Presidents
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George Washington (1732 - 1799): Topic Page
1st President of the United States (1789–97)
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John Adams (1735 - 1826): Topic Page
2nd President of the United States (1797–1801).
Notable Figures
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Eli Whitney (1765 - 1825): Topic PageAmerican inventor of the cotton gin.
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Paul Revere (1735 - 1818): Topic PageAmerican silversmith and political leader in the American Revolution.
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Alexander Hamilton (1755 - 1804): Topic PageAmerican statesman.
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Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790): Topic Page
US scientist and statesman.
Events
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Declaration of Independence: Topic PageFull and formal declaration adopted July 4, 1776, by representatives of the Thirteen Colonies in North America announcing the separation of those colonies from Great Britain and making them into the United States.
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American Revolution: Topic Page
Struggle by which the Thirteen Colonies on the Atlantic seaboard of North America won independence from Great Britain and became the United States.
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Constitutional Convention: Topic Pagethe 1787 meeting in which the Constitution of the United States was drawn up.
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Articles of Confederation: Topic PageRatified in 1781 and superseded by the Constitution of the United States in 1789.
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United States Bill of Rights: Topic PageFirst 10 amendments to the Constitution of the United States, adopted as a group in 1791.
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Ordinance of 1787: Topic PageAdopted by the Congress of Confederation for the government of the Western territories ceded to the United States by the states.
Movements, Issues, and Systems
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Abolitionism: Topic PageA movement culminating in the late 18th and early 19th centuries that aimed first to end the slave trade, and then to abolish the institution of slavery and emancipate slaves.
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Slavery: Topic PageSlavery has been found among many groups of low material culture, as in the Malay Peninsula and among some Native Americans; it also has occurred in more highly developed societies, such as the southern United States.
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Underground Railroad: Topic PageLoosely organized system for helping fugitive slaves escape to Canada or to areas of safety in free states. It was run by local groups of Northern abolitionists, both white and free blacks.