War, Strife and Struggle in American History

The American Revolutionary war lasted for eight years. Many people incorrectly believe that it ended in 1776 since that was when the Declaration of Independence was signed, but the war actually started in 1775 and ended in 1783.

Why did France side with the US in the American Revolutionary war?

Nowadays, it seems that France and the US have a love-hate relationship, but during the revolutionary war France had the United States' back against the British Army. France wanted to fight with the colonists againt Britain because they wanted to chase the British from the West Indies and gain a competitive edge against Britain in other ways. France had a better relationship with the colonists, being that Ben Franklin spent a good amount of time in France during the war as an ambassador of sorts.

Was the crack in the Liberty Bell related to warring?

There were actually two cracks in the Liberty Bell. Many people believe that these cracks developed due to some type of battle in the Revolutionary war or another American war.

But not so. Actually, the first crack in the Liberty Bell occurred while it was being tested, shortly after its purchase from a Foundry in London. The bell was recast twice by John Dock Pass and John Stow, whose names are inscribed on the bell. No one is sure when the second crack appeared, but it grew even after a stop drilling repair was completed. The large crevice that people see when they look at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is actually the attempted repair, not the crack itself.

How did Native American reservations come about and where are they located?

The establishment of Native American reservations started with the Indian Appropriations Act from the U.S. government. The purpose of this act was to create some level of peace between the Native Americans and settlers by granting a certain chunk of land to Native Americans that could not be touched by American settlers. The government relocated large groups of Native Americans from their homes to these reservations and attempted to "civilize" them into Christianity. Needless to say this policy was very unpopular and a huge failure. The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 gave Native Americans new rights and the ability to self-govern their reservations.

There are currently 310 Native American reservations in the United States. Most of them are located in the Western United States (West of the Mississippi River). About 2.3% of the United States is reservation land. Unless you live in the Midwest and Western states, you probably have never encountered a Native American reservation. They are usually located in remote locations, far-off from major United States cities.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolutionary_War

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Bell

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_reservation