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Monroe buys New Orleans
James Monroe buys New Orleans. He bought it for 7.5 million dollars. After he sent it, Napolean changed his plans. He didn't need it anymore. President Thomas Jefferson wanted it done, to get the farmers more land. -
William Clark's Carving on a Tree
The Lewis and Clark expidition traveled across the U.S. in 1804 and 1805. Clark took 11 men across a few oceans and beaches on the way. Clark followed a long "highway" East. Lewis and Clark inscribed their names many places along their journey. The tree Clark carved his initials into, was removed from the ground in 2000. -
Jackson Invades Florida
Andrew Jackson had the responsibility of setting up Florida's government, and he had a government up and running within weeks. He quickly divided Florida into two parts called counties. The Seminole indians were given four million acres of land. This area was called a reservation. -
Spain Yeilds Florida to the U.S.
Spain yielded Florida to the U.S. In exchange, the U.S. paid off $5 million. That was for the settlers' claims against Spain. The U.S. agreed to honor Spain's long time clain to Texas. Not all Americans were happy that the U.S. aquired Spain, but most were happy they got new lands. -
Oregon Claimed by 4 Countries
Spain was the first to drop out of the scramble trying to get Oregon. A few years later, Russia dropped out of the race. Russia claimed from Oregon up to the Southern tip of Alaska. Britain and the U.S. claimed Oregon. They had a temporary "joint occupation" of Oregon. -
U.S. granted a huge piece of land
In 1821, Spainish officials grant Moses Austina huge piece of Texas. He didn't have to pay anything for it. The only thing Austin had to agree to, was to protect the settlers already living there. After a while, Austin attracted 300 families to Texas. -
Jedidiah Smith finds the better way through the Rockies
Smith discovered a passage through the Rocky Mountains called South Pass. That was different than the steep passes used by Lewis and Clark. South Pass was low and flat enough for wagons to use in crossing the Rockies. It was the way open for settlers to seek their fortunes in Oregon. -
Austin Meets Santa Anna
The general was a power hungry dictator. Rather than bargain with Austin about buying Texas, Santa Anna tossed him in jail for promoting rebellion. After Austin was released in 1835, Texans rose up in revolt. Determined to crush the rebels, Santa Anna marched north with some 6,000 troops. -
Tejanos Defend Texas
By 1830, there were about 25,000 Americans in Texas, compared to 4,000 Tejanos. Soon after tensions between the two groups began to rise. Americans were used to governing themselves. They also hated taking orders from Mexican officials. The battle raged for 90 minutes. All survivors were executed on the spot. -
Oregon Bound
In 1843, about 1,000 pioneers packed their belongings into covered wagons and headed for Oregon. A year later, nearly 2000 people made the long journey across the plains and mountains. People went quickly to seek their fortunes in Oregon. -
Annexation of Texas
Southerners were eager to add another slave state. Northerners who opposed slavery wanted to keep Texas out of the union. Other people feared that annexation would lead to war with Mexico. But most Texans were Americans that just wanted Texas to become part of the United States. -
Mexican soldiers fired on U.S. troops
The U.S. troops were patrolling along the Rio Grande river. Sixteen Americans were either killed or wounded. "Mexico has invaded our territory and shed American blood upon American soil." That was Polk's excuse for war. -
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Wool Production Soars
Between 1862 and 1880, wool production soared. It went from 5 million to 22 million. Large scale sheep raising quickly sread across the U.S. The churro was crossed with the merino to produce a sheep with far more and better wool.
