The United States has a proud history that is rooted in the notion that it is exceptional and on higher moral standing than many of its global peers. While this is true in many respects, it is also undeniable that America, just like any nation, has also erred greatly at times throughout its history, occasionally with deadly consequences. Americans have plenty to be proud of, but they must also be keen students of their own history and learn from their mistakes, or else they will be doomed to repeat them.
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Check out our slideshow to learn more about the most shameful moments in American history.
18. Burr-Hamilton Duel
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In 1804, bitter rivals, Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers, and Aaron Burr, the then-vice president, engaged in a duel where Hamilton was shot and killed. Dueling had recently been outlawed, and Vice President Burr was brought up on murder charges, ending his political, and forcing him to go on the run. Could you even imagine something like this happening today? Joe Biden murdering a Republican?
17. The Atomic Bomb
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In 1945, the United States decided that it needed to end the war with Japan dramatically, emphatically, and immediately. Nuclear bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing 200,000 people. The atomic age had begun.