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Louisiana Purchase
The United States purchased approximately 828,000 square miles of territory from France, effectively doubling the country's size. This acquisition provided large tracts of land for American settlers and was a key step in the country's westward expansion. It reflected the country's growing ambitions and anticipated destiny of westward expansion and laid the foundation for future territorial growth. -
Lewis and Clark Expedition
President Thomas Jefferson commissioned Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Territory and find a route to the Pacific Ocean. Their journey provided valuable information about the geography, biology, and settlement potential of the West. The expedition demonstrated the federal government's commitment to exploring and settling the West, signaling broader national expansion intentions. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was passed to maintain the balance of power between slave and free states. Missouri entered the Union as a slave state, and Maine entered the Union as a free state. The compromise addressed the expansion of slavery into new territories, a contentious issue associated with westward expansion and underscored the relentless push for westward expansion even as it raised divisive issues. -
The Indian Removal Act
The act authorized the removal of Native American tribes from their ancestral homelands to lands west of the Mississippi River. This act also demonstrated the U.S. government's efforts to promote westward expansion, emphasizing the inevitability of acquiring and settling new lands. -
Texas Annexation
The Republic of Texas was annexed to the United States as the 28th state. This annexation added a large, resource-rich area to the United States and served as a stepping stone for further expansion into the Southwest. -
Mexican - American War
The United States went to war with Mexico and signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ceded large tracts of territory to the United States, including California and New Mexico. The war and subsequent treaties added nearly one-third of Mexico to the United States, greatly expanding the country's influence in the west. The war was driven by a belief in Manifest Destiny, a belief that American expansion on the continent was legitimate and inevitable. -
Homestead Act
The Homestead Act provided 160 acres of public land to settlers for a small fee if they improved the land. The act encouraged thousands of Americans to move westward, leading to rapid settlement of the Great Plains and beyond, embodying the federal government's active role in promoting westward expansion and reinforcing westward growth as a fundamental aspect of the American ethos concept.