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Clue #1

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A nationwide ban on alcohol gave rise to speakeasies and bootlegging . Dance halls were alive with new rhythms, and women in shorter skirts shocked traditional society. Cities buzzed with fresh art, literature, and music. Affordable cars began filling the streets, changing how people lived and traveled.

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Clue #2

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The sound of distorted guitars and flannel shirts became the uniform of youth culture. At the same time, toy shops were filled with collectible plush animals and tiny digital pets. Computers were shrinking, and the world was just learning what "online" really meant. Sitcoms about groups of friends or quirky families topped the TV charts, while early cell phones were starting to appear in everyday life.

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Clue #3

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This period glittered with light-up dance floors and pulsing rhythms. Movie theaters drew crowds to see epic space battles and summer blockbusters . Fads like mood rings and quirky pet rocks had their moment in the spotlight. On the flip side, fuel shortages tested patience, and quick-service burger joints began appearing on more street corners.

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Clue #4

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Families grew larger, and shiny new suburbs began to sprawl outside cities. Teenagers tuned in to a fresh sound that worried parents but captivated youth. Cars rolled into drive-ins for movies or burgers, while living rooms glowed with the latest entertainment gadget: the television set.

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Clue #5

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Television expanded with channels devoted to sports and 24-hour news. Music fans were glued to screens watching flashy new music videos . Young professionals embraced big paychecks, bold fashion, and an appetite for luxury. Arcades buzzed with electronic sounds, and living rooms welcomed the first home gaming systems.

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Answer #1: The 1920s

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Known as the Roaring Twenties, this decade was defined by Prohibition, flappers, and the Harlem Renaissance . Jazz poured out of clubs, while the Model T made road trips possible for everyday families. It was a time of innovation, rebellion, and cultural change.

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Answer #2: The 1990s

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The internet emerged, fueling the dot-com boom. Grunge bands from Seattle reshaped the music scene, while sitcoms like Friends and Seinfeld ruled TV. Kids collected Beanie Babies and fed Tamagotchis, while cell phones gradually became a part of daily life.

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Answer #3: The 1970s

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Disco fever ruled the nightclubs, and blockbusters like Star Wars rewrote movie history. Quirky fads, such as Pet Rocks, had short but memorable lifespans. Rising gas prices caused long lines at fuel stations, while fast food giants spread across the country.

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Answer #4: The 1950s

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Suburbs such as Levittown expanded rapidly as families grew during the Baby Boom. Rock ‘n’ roll stars like Elvis lit up radios . TV ownership soared, transforming family routines, while drive-ins and diners became favorite hangouts for teenagers.

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Answer #5: The 1980s

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The launch of MTV sparked the music video explosion , while arcades buzzed with hits like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong . Yuppies pursued ambitious careers and embraced neon fashion. Cable television expanded viewing options, and home consoles like the Nintendo Entertainment System brought gaming into millions of households.

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New Hampshire: Constitution and potatoes

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New Hampshire was a pioneer in colonial America: They were the first colony to establish its own constitutional government. But its tastiest contribution? Potatoes!

In 1719, Scotch-Irish immigrants near Londonderry planted the first permanent potato crops. The tubers quickly became a staple and spread across the colonies only to become the most consumed vegetable in the country. Plus, New Hampshire even declared the potato its official state vegetable in 2013. Who knew potatoes had such historical roots?

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Massachusetts: Named after the original inhabitants

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When English settlers arrived on the Mayflower in 1620, they weren’t stepping onto empty land. Indigenous peoples had called the area home for thousands of years.

The colony’s name, Massachusetts, honors the Massachusett tribe. Derived from the Algonquian word Massa-adchu-es-et , it translates to "great hill-small place." Even as history tells a more complicated story about their interactions with the settlers, it’s a nice tribute to the land's original inhabitants.

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Connecticut’s secret tree

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Connecticut’s colonial history has a touch of mystery and rebellion . In 1662, the colony was granted a royal charter ensuring its right to self-govern by King Charles II. After his death, in 1686, King James II tried to revoke it.

Legend has it that, during a heated debate, the charter was spirited away during a momentary blackout and hidden in the hollow trunk of a white oak tree. The "Charter Oak" became a symbol of freedom and self-determination, and it’s now honored as Connecticut’s official state tree.

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Rhode Island: Refuge for the rejected

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The colonies were revolutionary, but some views were too progressive for the era. That is why Roger Williams, Rhode Island’s founder, was banished from Massachusetts . He had progressive views on religious freedom and so he found sanctuary in what later became Rhode Island.

In 1636, he purchased land from the Narragansett people and founded a colony based on the separation of church and state. It became a haven for minority religious groups like Baptists, Quakers, and Jews.

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New York: From New Netherland to a global capital

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Before it was New York, it was New Netherland, a bustling Dutch colony founded in 1624. The Dutch established New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island, but in 1664, the English seized the territory and renamed it after the Duke of York.

New York grew rapidly, eventually becoming the first capital of the United States after the Revolutionary War. It’s amazing to think this vibrant city started as a modest Dutch trading post.

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New Jersey’s devilish legend

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The Pine Barrens of New Jersey are home to one of America’s oldest and creepiest legends : the Jersey Devil. Do you know how it goes?

According to folklore, a woman named Mother Leeds cursed her 13th child, who was born as a monstrous creature, and fled into the forest. The tale, rooted in both colonial superstition and Indigenous folklore, has been passed down for centuries, keeping imaginations alive, and visitors on edge, in the Garden State.

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Pennsylvania: The King’s debt becomes a colony

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Pennsylvania owes its existence to a royal, and quite big, IOU. King Charles II granted William Penn the land in 1681 as payment for a debt owed to Penn’s father.

Penn established the colony as a safe haven for Quakers, emphasizing religious tolerance and fair dealings with Indigenous peoples. Pennsylvania, clearly named after the family’s name, became a model of diversity and coexistence, attracting settlers of all faiths and backgrounds.

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Delaware: The First to Declare Independence

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Independence from Britain? They all did that, but Delaware took it a step further! Though initially governed as part of Pennsylvania, Delaware established its own legislature in 1704.

On June 15, 1776, this colony declared independence not just from Britain but also from Pennsylvania, making it the first colony to break away formally . Known as the "First State" for ratifying the US Constitution in 1787, Delaware’s pioneering spirit is woven into its history.

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Maryland: A pirate colony?

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Maryland’s early days weren’t all peaceful. William Claiborne , a man of the Virginian council, refused to accept that his settlement on Kent Island was part of Maryland after the colony’s charter was granted in 1632.

Claiborne launched pirate raids on Maryland’s trading posts, leading to charges of piracy and murder. While he eventually lost his claim, Claiborne’s defiance adds a plot twist to Maryland’s story.

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Virginia: Witch trials in the South

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Did you think witch trials only happened in Salem? Think again. Virginia held about two dozen trials between 1626 and 1730, including the infamous case of Grace Sherwood. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, maybe "The Witch of Pungo" does.

While we’re not going to get into the details of how they proved she "was a witch," she was convicted of witchcraft and spent several years in jail before she was released.

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North Carolina: The Mystery of Roanoke

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North Carolina’s Roanoke Colony remains one of America’s greatest mysteries. In 1587, over 100 settlers vanished without a trace , leaving behind only the word "Croatoan" carved into a tree.

As you can imagine, there are plenty of theories surrounding this event: Did they join local Indigenous tribes, or succumb to the harsh environment? While we may never know, the "Lost Colony" keeps historians and treasure hunters quite captivated.

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South Carolina’s "Blue Gold" boom

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South Carolina’s indigo trade, led by Eliza Lucas Pinckney in the 1730s, turned the colony into an economic powerhouse. This vibrant blue dye, vital for textiles, was so lucrative it earned the nickname "blue gold."

Despite the challenges, which included sabotage by rivals, the crop’s success transformed South Carolina’s economy. However, its growth came at the cost of enslaved labor, a sobering reality of the colony’s prosperity.

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Georgia: A colony for a cause

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Founded in 1732 by James Oglethorpe, a prison reformer, Georgia was established as a social experiment . It was designed to provide a fresh start for England’s "worthy poor," and to that end, the colony outlawed slavery and large landholdings.

However, settlers soon pushed back, and by 1751, many of the original restrictions were lifted. Despite its challenges, Georgia’s idealistic beginnings make it a unique addition to the 13 colonies.

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"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" - Muhammad Ali

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Much like his innate and groundbreaking boxing technique, legendary boxer Muhammad Ali had a way with words: He was able to craft sharp and insightful commentary in interviews and press conferences. In that sense, Ali was able to perfectly summarize his incredible fighting style with a short and simple phrase, in what’s probably his most famous quote: In 1964, before his iconic fight with Sonny Liston, a 22-year-old Ali stated that he would "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee".

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"America is another name for opportunity" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Ralph Waldo Emerson was one of the most influential and groundbreaking American poets in history. It is no small praise for Walt Whitman to refer to Emerson as "his master", nor for Friedrich Nietzsche to call him "the most gifted of the Americans". Emerson’s collection of essays and writings gives us a glimpse into the quick wit and way of words this American had, so it stands to reason that the Emerson quote we chose for this article showcases his brevity and resourcefulness: "America is another name for opportunity".

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"I have a dream" - Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Not many know this, but Martin Luther King’s most famous quote came from a sudden moment of inspiration: Standing in front of over 250,000 supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. King departed from his prepared text and spoke from the heart, delivering a speech that had his now-iconic "I have a dream" phrase as its main theme. Most historians consider this speech to be a turning point in the history of the civil rights movement and a proud testament to Dr. King’s resolve and determination.

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"Ask not what your country…" - John F. Kennedy

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Civil service is definitely a big responsibility: The men and women in the government are naturally held to a high standard of scrutiny. In that sense, President Kennedy’s words during his inauguration speech truly cemented something that citizens often overlook: When our 35th President said "Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country" , he asked the American public to always keep the welfare of their country and fellow Americans in mind.

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"Four score and seven years ago" - Abraham Lincoln

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Granted, we couldn’t include the entire Gettysburg Address in this article, but we have instead decided to choose a phrase that’s as famous as this iconic speech. While we can’t be sure that President Lincoln knew the effect these words would have on American history, we do know that he was an exceptional writer, so it is no wonder that we still remember the opening lines of this famous speech: "Four score and seven years ago".

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America, to me, is freedom - Willie Nelson

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Country music is synonymous with American culture, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that one of the most patriotic quotes in this article comes from country music legend Willie Nelson. This beloved musician once stated, "America, to me, is freedom". What’s perhaps most moving about this simple yet powerful phrase is that it effortlessly describes what many of us feel whenever we think about America.

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"To be good, and to do good, is all we have to do" - John Adams

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Leave it to a Founding Father to perfectly describe what patriotism is all about. John Adams once stated this powerful phrase: "To be good, and to do good, is all we have to do". Much like the JFK quote we previously mentioned, our second President encouraged us to love our country and always strive to keep it a wonderful place to live.

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"We must be free not because we claim freedom but because we practice it" —William Faulkner

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There’s no denying that William Faulkner was one of the most influential writers of the 20th century: A Nobel laureate, Faulkner has written such American classics like "As I Lay Dying" and "The Sound and the Fury". Much of his work centers around the American South, and on what he felt were the values that America holds most dear. In that sense, the following quote is as insightful as what can be found in Faulkner’s many books: "We must be free not because we claim freedom but because we practice it".

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"In the face of impossible odds, people who love this country can change it." —Barack Obama

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Standing in the very same spot in which Martin Luther King had made his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, President Obama spoke in front of a gathered crowd of hundreds and delivered one of his most famous quotes: "In the face of impossible odds, people who love this country can change it." Besides being a great quote by our 44th President, this phrase is also a living testament to the influence that Dr. King had on all Americans.

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"Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth" -George Washington

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We’ll end this article with a phrase that comes straight from the mind of the Father of our country. In a letter to fellow Founding Father James Madison, George Washington wrote: "Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth". When you think about it, this phrase is an almost perfect summary of the ideas and beliefs that fueled the American Revolution, and that would eventually help build this great country of ours.