<span>In the New England Colonies the Pilgrims drew up and signed the Mayflower Compact.</span>
Imperialism would probably be the most significant factor, but nationalism and militarism were also important.
It hit an Iceberg and sank.
The United States was attacked by Japan, which was part of the Axis powers.
President Obama's first inauguration was held during the depths of the Great Recession. The situation was dire; the economy had lost nearly 3.6 million jobs in 2008 and was shedding jobs at a nearly 800,000 per month rate when he took office.