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Thomas Jefferson's Presidency Began
Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated on March 4, 1801. Jefferson's greatest accomplishment as president was doubling the size of the United States by purchasing the Louisiana Territory. Jefferson succeeded John Adams in the presidency. -
Louisiana Purchase
Napoleon was in desperate need of money so he offered to sell the Louisiana Territory to the United States for $15 million. The territory was 827,000 square miles which meant that the cost was less than 3 cents per acre. Thomas Jefferson accepted the offer and signed the Louisiana Purchase Treaty on April 30, 1803, which doubled the size of the United States. -
The War of 1812
The War of 1812 was caused by Britain´s Navy impressing US sailors, Britain restricting US trade, British support of Native American raids, and the US wanting to expand its territory. People in Congress were getting angry and kept putting more pressure on Madison. On June 18, 1812, Madison signed a declaration of war against Great Britain. -
Missouri Compromise
On May 30, 1820, Congress passed a bill saying that Missouri would join the United States as a free state. To balance out the pro-free and pro-slavery representatives in Congress Maine also joined the United States as a free state. Missouri would keep their statehood under the condition that slavery was prohibited North of the 36 parallel for the rest of the Louisiana Purchase. -
The Monroe Doctrine
On December 2, 1823, President James Monroe including the Monroe Doctrine in his seventh annual message to Congress. The doctrine stated that European nations should not mess with the Western Hemisphere. John Quincy Adams was the author of the doctrine. -
John Quincy Adams's Presidency Began
John Quincy Adams was inaugurated on March 4, 1825. People said that the election was controversial because Adams only won because he made a deal with Henry Clay. Adams greatest accomplishment was modernizing the United States by improving infrastructure. He succeeded James Monroe for the presidency. -
Andrew Jackson's Presidency Began
Andrew Jackson was inaugurated on March 4, 1829. His greatest accomplishment as president was eradicating the Second National Bank of the United States because he believed it was corrupting the government. He succeeded John Quincy Adams for the presidency. -
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was signed into law on May 28, 1830. This act allowed the president to remove Native Americans from their land to unsettled lands in the west. Some Native people went peacefully but others were resistant and put up a fight. The Trail of Tears was created when the Cherokee were forced to march west from this act. -
William Henry Harrison's Presidency Began
William Henry Harrison was inaugurated on March 4, 1841. He had only been president for 31 days when he died from a fever. He was the shortest serving president and the first president to die in office. He succeeded Martin Van Buren for the presidency. -
John Tyler's Presidency Began
On April 4, 1841 William Henry Harrison died so his vice president, John Tyler, was inaugurated. Tyler was the first vice president to become president because his predecessor. During his presidency he became party-less after the Whigs disavowed him.
