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Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was the body of delegates that governed the Thirteen Colonies and, later, the United States during the American Revolutionary War. Between its first session in May 1775 and its disbandment in March 1781, the...
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French Involvement in the American Revolution
The involvement of France in the American War of Independence (1775-1783) was not only significant in the progress of the war itself but also as a critical moment for France. Whereas French intervention in the war would help turn the tide...
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Treaty of Paris, Unfinished Portrait
An unfinished oil sketch depicting the Treaty of Paris of 1783, by Benjamin West, c. 1783. The American commissioners depicted from left to right are John Jay, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Laurens, and William Temple Franklin...
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Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is the foundational document of the United States of America. Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, it explains why the Thirteen Colonies decided to separate from Great Britain during the American Revolution...
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Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity From the Sky
Oil on slate painting by Benjamin West, c.1816. From the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
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USAAF Bombing Berlin, 1944
A photograph taken in May 1944 of a United States Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress bomber over Berlin. The bomber has been damaged by bombs dropped from another plane in the formation. (Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum)
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Writing the Declaration of Independence
A painting by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris showing Thomas Jefferson (right), Benjamin Franklin (left), and John Adams drafting the U.S. Declaration of Independence in 1776. (Virginia Historical Society, Library of Congress)
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Ptolemy XV
This larger than life 1st Century BCE granite head was found in the submerged sections of ancient Alexandria, Egypt. It is believed to have been a part of a statue depicting Ptolemy XV, commonly known as "Caesarion" (Greek for "Little Caesar"...
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Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
One of the most famous images of the Second World War, Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, by Joe Rosenthal of the Associated Press, was taken 23 February 1945 on the Japanese Island of Iwo Jima in the late stages of the Pacific War. The image...
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Silver Continental Dollar, 1776
A silver Continental dollar minted in 1776. This currency is thought to have been designed by Benjamin Franklin and minted by Elisha Gallaudet at a private mint in Freehold, New Jersey. This early run of coins was produced for approval by...