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Louisiana Purchase
The US purchased about 827,000,000 square miles of land from France for $15 million, including the port of New Orleans. It reached from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains, and from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian Border. This was one of President Thomas Jefferson’s biggest accomplishments. -
Corps of Discovery (Lewis and Clark Expedition)
Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark explored the area of land obtained in the Louisiana Purchase (Pacific Northwest United States). They were sent to create maps and illustrate flora & fauna, and to establish trade and find natural resources. -
War of 1812
Great Britain was impressing US ships, causing restrictions on the country’s trade, and helping Natives fight the Americans. On top of that, the US had strong desire to expand and gain the land that Britain still owned for agriculture. For two years, the countries fought until the Treaty of Ghent was signed. The US didn’t necessarily win the war, but their final victory led to national pride for years to come. -
Acquisition of Florida
After Florida was finally returned to Spain from the British, the United States declared its desire for the land. Both the Seminole Indians and US commander Andrew Jackson were continuously attacking the territory, so Florida finally agreed to a treaty. In 1819, the Adams-Onis Treaty was signed and the US agreed to pay $5 million to Spain for the damages. -
Missouri Compromise
As sectionalism grew, the United States was debating over whether the new state of Missouri should be allowed to have slaves. Either way, the amount of slaves and free states would no longer split. The solution was that Missouri would become a slave state and Maine (previously belonging to Massachusetts) would be free. In addition, slavery was excluded from lands gained in the Louisiana Purchase north of Latitude 36, 30. -
Monroe Doctrine
Written by James Monroe, the document declared America’s neutrality within European relations and forbid any and all colonization from foreign countries in American lands. -
Trail of Tears
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Annexation of Texas
After America rebelled against Mexico and and took over the Texas territory, Presidents Jackson and Van Buren refused to declare Texas a state. Finally, James K Polk promised to annex Texas, if he were to win his election. Current President Jon Tyler realized this, and wanted to leave a legacy. He officially annexed the state, making it a part of America at last. -
Acquisition of Oregon
Prior to 1846, the Oregon territory was occupied by both the US and Great Britain. The US came to realize that they wanted the territory to themselves, and the British knew that they were outnumbered and the fur trade they were there for was diminishing. In 1845, the British agreed to negotiate. It wasn’t until 1846 that they finally reached an agreement in order to avoid war. The countries agreed to divide the territory at the 49th parallel. -
Donner Party
In the spring of 1846, bout 90 immigrants departed Illinois on a supposedly shorter route to California. Brothers Jacob and George Donner led the way. Soon after leaving, they encountered harsh weather conditions that trapped them in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. They were eventually forced to resort to cannibalism in order to survive the winter. The story spread across the country quickly, and became known as the Donner Party. -
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
In 1847, the Americans defeated the Mexican army in a battle for more land. Mexico finally surrendered and declared peace. The official end to the war was the signing of the Guadalupe-Hidalgo Treaty. This gave the US 525,000 additional miles of territory. Mexico also gave up its claims to Texas and declared the Rio Grande River the border between the countries. As a result, the US paid Mexico $15 million for the damages caused. -
Discovery of Gold in California
In January of 1848, a carpenter named James Wilson Marshall discovered flakes of gold in the American River, located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. This was directly after the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo was signed, so California was all America’s. News of gold quickly spread among the country, leading to one of the most important events in the 19th century-the California Gold Rush. -
Compromise of 1850
America was facing another dispute between the north and south regarding slavery. There was a debate over the allowance of slaves in the new land. One proposal was to extend the line of division in the east, but that northerners dismissed it. The final solution came in many parts. California was made a free state. Texas was made a slave state. All of the states between were decided by popular sovereignty. The final declaration was that Washington, D.C. became a free territory as well. -
Gadsden Purchase
Finalized in 1854, the Gadsden Purchase was an agreement between the US and Mexico. The US decided to pay Mexico $10 million for 29,670 square miles. This gave America the land that would become New Mexico and Arizona, and it allowed for the south transcontinental railroad to be constructed. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
The Kansas Nebraska Act was a bill that allowed the two states to vote on whether they would be slave or free states. This angered northerners, because it violated the terms of the Missouri Compromise, since these states were in the northern territory. Soon after it was passed, under President Abraham Lincoln, northerners and southerners rushed to settle the states in hopes to beat the other party in the vote.