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Battles of Lexington and Concord
In this first battle of the American Revolution on April 19, 1775, Massachusetts colonists defied British authority, outnumbered and outfought the Redcoats -
The Winter at Valley Forge
regular freezing and thawing, plus intermittent snowfall and rain, coupled with shortages of provisions, clothing, and shoes, made living conditions extremely difficult -
Benedict Arnold turns traitor
Revolutionary War hero Benedict Arnold turned his back on his country in a secret meeting with a top British official -
The Battle of Cowpens
A stunning example of military prowess and skilled leadership, the Battle of Cowpens near Chesnee, South Carolina, was a critical American victory -
The USS Constitution defeats the HMS Guerriere
After two weeks of daily gun drills in preparation for combat, Hull and his crew sighted the British frigate HMS Guerriere, under the command of Captain James -
The Battle of Baltimore
The Battle of Baltimore (September 12–15, 1814) occurred between British and American forces in the War of 1812. American forces repulsed sea and land. -
The Battle of New Orleans
On January 8, 1815, Maj. Gen. Andrew Jackson's hastily assembled army won the day against a battle-hardened and numerically superior British force -
The Election of Andrew Jackson
Jackson decisively won the election, with 55.5% of the popular vote and 178 electoral votes to Adams' 83. The election marked the rise of Jacksonian Democracy and the transition from the First-Party System to the Second-Party System. -
The Battle of the Alamo
The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event and military engagement in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, -
Mexico loses California, New Mexico, and Arizona
Mexico ceded nearly all the territory now included in the U.S. states of New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California, Texas, and western Colorado for $15 million -
Abraham Lincoln Elected President
he was elected president. Lincoln's steadfast refusal to allow for the expansion of slavery and his unwavering belief in democracy and freedom of opportunity for all propelled him to the White House and sustained him through four long years of civil war -
South Carolina secedes from the United States
on November 3, 1860. South Carolina became the first state to secede from the federal Union on December 20, 1860. The victory of Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 presidential election triggered cries for disunion across the slaveholding South -
The First Battle of Bull Run
The first land battle of the Civil War was fought on July 21, 1861, just 30 miles from Washington—close enough for U.S. senators to witness the battle in person. Southerners called it the Battle of Manassas, after the closest town. Northerners called it Bull Run, after a stream running through the battlefield -
The Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg marked the turning point of the Civil War. With more than 50,000 estimated casualties, the three-day engagement was the bloodiest -
The Treaty at Appomattox Courthouse
How it ended. Union victory. Lee's formal surrender to Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, brought the war in Virginia to an end -
The sinking of the USS Maine
USS Maine, a second-class battleship built between 1888 and 1895, was sent to Havana in January 1898 to protect American interests during the long-standing revolt of the Cubans against the Spanish government. On the evening of 15 February 1898, Maine sank when her forward gunpowder magazines exploded. -
Battle of the Philippines (Spanish American War, not World War II)
The U.S. Navy defeated the Spanish fleet guarding the Philippines under the command of Commodore George Dewey on May 1, 1898. -
The Adoption of the Star Spangled Banner as the National Anthem
The Senate passed the bill on March 3, 1931. President Herbert Hoover signed the bill on March 4, 1931, officially adopting "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the national anthem of the United States of America.