Columbus discovers America in 1492, and groups of English settlers establish colonies in the following centuries. Slavery becomes widespread by 1750, with 25% of the population enslaved. The American Revolutionary War begins in 1776 and ends in 1783, establishing the United States as an independent nation. However, tensions over slavery erupt into the Civil War from 1861-1865, which concludes with the Union's victory and the abolition of slavery. Key events and figures that follow include both World Wars, the Civil Rights Movement led by Martin Luther King Jr., and symbols of American ideals like the Statue of Liberty.