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Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition of the Louisiana territory by the United states from France in 1803. The US payed fifteen million dollars to acquired a total of 828,000 sq mi. Thomas Jefferson ordered the purchase negotiations fearing that the French who were led by Napoleon wanted to establish an empire in North America. -
Acquisition of Florida
Many Americans believed that Florida was meant to be part of the United States. Spani removed troop from Florida due to revolution in the South American colonies and Andrew Jackson took that as an opportunity to seize Florida from Spain. Jackson got permission to capture slaves and punish the seminole Indians who were using Florida as a refuge, and was told to respect all settlements.Jackson captured native leaders, seized Spanish posts, St.Marks and Pensacola, deposed the Spanish governor. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was an effort by Congress to get rid of the sectional and political rivalries caused by the request of Missouri for admission as a slave state, the United States was evenly divided between slave and free, adding Missouri as a slave state would upset the balance of power and the North (Free states) were not supportive of this. As a result Maine was made a free state and Missouri was accepted admission of a slave state giving equal power to slave and free states. -
Annexation of Texas
Texas gained independence from Mexico which leads to our adoption of the land as a state.This caused controversy between the North and South, Northerners feared it would be admitted as a slave state and would upset the balance of power. Southerners supported it because it would increase agricultural profits and Texas came with slaves. -
Acquisition of Oregon
The US and Britain made a treaty to settle a boundary dispute. The British gained the land including the Vancouver Island and the United States received the southern land -
Donner Party
Eight families from Illinois made a plan to travel to California in wagons. This became one of the greatest tragedies to occur during westward expansion.On April 16, 1846, nine wagons left Springfield, Illinois on the 2500 mile journey to California -
Discovery of Gold in California
gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. -
Mexican American War and Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
James k. Polk who was president at the time had the belief of "manifest destiny" meaning expansion of the US settlers were destined to spread across North America. The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo was the treaty that ended the Mexican War, granting the U.S. control of Texas, New Mexico, and California in exchange for $15 million -
Compromise of 1850
the Fugitive Slave Act was amended and the slave trade in Washington, D.C., was abolished. California entered the US as a free state and a territorial government was created in Utah. An act was passed settling a boundary dispute between Texas and New Mexico that established a territorial government in New Mexico. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
This 1854 act repealed the Missouri Compromise, split the Louisiana Purchase into 2 territories, and allowed it settlers to accept or reject slavery based on popular sovereignty. THis act enflamed the slavery issue and led to opponents to form the Republican party. -
Gadsen Purchase
The purchase of land from Mexico that included the southern parts of Arizona and New Mexico that set the current borders of the United States and provided the land needed to build the transcontinental railroad.
