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The Antebellum Period
From the very beginning of the United States of America, the idea of expansion was seen as necessary for the future of the nation. During the Antebellum period, this idea became even more prominent. As more people came to the United States, Americans moved further west. -
The Great Emigration
The journey of a huge wagon train (consisting of 120 wagons, about 1,000 people and thousands of livestock) destined for Oregon opened the floodgates of pioneer migration along the Oregon Trail and became known as the Great Emigration of 1843. -
Manifest Destiny
The term manifest destiny was coined by newspaper editor John O'Sullivan. It meant that it was the United States’ destiny to expand because they thought their culture was superior to those out west. -
James K. Polk's Election
The annexation of Texas and other Mexican territories did not become a political priority until James K. Polk was elected president. During Polk's presidency, the United States expanded significantly with the annexation of the Republic of Texas, the Oregon Territory, and the Mexican Cession. -
Texas Annexation
The Republic of Texas declared independence from the Republic of Mexico on March 2, 1836 and later became the 28th state of the United States of America in 1845. -
Oregon Treaty
The Oregon Treaty settled the dispute between the United States and Great Britain over the area in Oregon located between the Columbia River and the 49th parallel. The treaty set the boundary between the United States and Canada at the 49th parallel west of the Rocky Mountains. -
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California from the rest of the United States and abroad. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican–American War. From the treaty, the United States gained 525,000 square miles of territory, including the land that makes up all or parts of present-day Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. -
Formation of the Minnesota Territory
Parts of the Minnesota Territory were obtained in the Louisiana Purchase, but the Minnesota Territory itself wasn't formed until 1849. The Minnesota Territory extended far into what is now North Dakota and South Dakota. -
Gadsden Purchase
In the Gadsden Purchase, the United States bought 29,670 square miles of Mexican territory. The Gadsden Purchase provided the land necessary for a southern transcontinental railroad. The land obtained makes up parts of present-day Arizona and New Mexico. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas and Nebraska territories were obtained through the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which allowed people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery within their borders (popular sovereignty). The Act served to repeal the Missouri Compromise of 1820 which prohibited slavery north of latitude 36°30´.
