-
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was a document signed in 1783 to signify America's independence from Britain. This allowed America to actually own its original 13 colonies. It was ratified by the Continental Congress in 1784. -
The Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 allowed Americans to occupy the western territories owned by France. This space came out to be 828,000,000 square miles worth of land for expansion. The property stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. -
The Lewis and Clark Expedition
In 1804, two American explorers named Lewis and Clarke led an expedition across the Louisiana Property to scout out the new land bought. This led to a 2 year adventure across the great plains of America and had them meet many native tribes along the way. -
The War of 1812
The War of 1812 or the 2nd War of Independence held America in a great war with the greatest naval power in the world, Britain. The war was fought extensively for 2 years and 8 months in the Atlantic Ocean and American Eastern Seaboard. -
The American System
The American System was an economic plan proposed by Henry Clay. This system allowed for tariffs on foreign goods and allowed for more construction of roads and canals. The proposition was ratified to allow high tariffs from 1816 until 1832. -
Land Act of 1820
The 1820 Land Act insured that people could no longer buy land with credit or any installment over 4 years. To keep people invested, congress lowered the price of land to about $1.50 per acre. This act also made it easier for Americans to confiscate Native American land as their own. -
Railroads
The railroads in America were just starting up commercially in 1829 to follow westward expansion with the first train to be commercially used, the Stourbridge Lion. The train made its first voyage off from Pennsylvania and carried people around the country as public transportation. -
The Telegraph
The telegraph was an astonishing and necessary invention of the early 1840's by Samuel Morse. Morse created a whole language in the form of different lengths of tones and used that language to communicate through his telegraph. The telegraph allowed Americans to expand further whilst still holding communication with others without the need of letters. -
The Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was perhaps one of the best recorded events that portrayed manifest destiny. The trail was a system of routes across America from Independence to Oregon. This mass expansion led Americans to occupy a ton of territory in the West and midwest United States. -
The California Gold Rush
In 1848 one of the biggest reasons for American's to travel west struck. The California Gold Rush had people all over the United States scramble to Sacramento in search of gold to become prosperous. The rush began at Sutter's Mill when a foreman named James W. Marshall struck gold.
