-
Arrival of American Colonists
In the year 1620, the notorious Mayflower ship made its way to land with 102 Puritan men, women and children. This also included enslaved individuals. Between the years 1629 to 1642 roughly 20,000 Puritans made their way to the United States and established their colonial presence on the Eastern coast of the United States. -
Thomas Jefferson's Presidency
Thomas Jefferson was president from March 4, 1801 to March 4, 1809. During his presidency he firmly believed in the idea of "Manifest Destiny." Meaning that he believed that it was the United States' destiny to expand westward with their religious practices and spread it to the rest of the country. He also firmly believed that a republic was unable to survive if only SOME of the citizens owned land. This led to an increase in land purchases, leading to expansion westward. -
Louisiana Purchase
Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803. This gave way to 530,000,000 acres of land across the United States. This land was purchased to expand trade routes within the U.S. and bring the product westward. During this migration west, gold was discovered in California (California Gold Rush). Which increased the amount of people heading west. This purchased land DOUBLED the size of the United States. -
The Market Revolution (1820s-1830s)
The Market Revolution was the creation of creating, selling, and buying goods. Essentially creating an economy. Several technological advancements were made during this time such as railroads, steamboats, better roads, etc. This gave way to expanding the United States. Using this technology, colonists traveled west and discovered natural resources. This led to the colonists being motivated to find more and more resources throughout the United States. -
Indian Removal Act
During the presidency of Andrew Jackson, he posed for the Indian Removal Act. This gave the government permission to go onto Native American land, take Native Americans from their homes, and relocate them across the country. The purpose for this was because there were natural resources found on Native land, and the colonists wanted access to it. The Native Americans signed treaty, after treaty, and ultimately their trust was broken by the government. -
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears was the 5,043 mile long march that Native Americans were forced to walk. These Native Americans were put on the worst possible pieces of land, where it was almost inhabitable. All because the American Colonists wanted access to Native American land. If there were any resources found in these new locations, the Native Americans were moved again. They tried to resist the government time after time again, but they were left helpless. -
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
After the Mexican-American War the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed into place. This gave colonists way to California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado. The American Colonists took this as an opportunity to expand the country westward. Although this came at the expense of Native Americans. Many unfinished promises were made between colonists and the Native Americans.