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Louisiana Purchase
This was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. -
Lewis & Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark expedition was also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition. It was the United States' expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The primary objective was to survey the Missouri and Columbia rivers. -
Manifest Destiny
The phrase "manifest destiny" refers to the belief that the expansion of the United States throughout the American continents was justified. It lasted from 1812-1867. This was used to justify the forced removal of the Native Americans from their land. -
War of 1812
This war was fought between the United States and Great Britain. It Lasted from 1812-1815. This war was fought because of the impressment of American sailors by the British Navy, disagreements over trade, the western expansion, and Native American policy. This war was fought in North America, The Gulf Coast of the United States, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean. -
Missouri Compromise of 1820
This was a law that tried to address the growing sectional tensions over the issue of slavery. By passing this law, the U.S. Congress admitted Missouri to the Union as a state that allowed slavery, and Maine as a free state. -
Monroe Doctrine
This was a principle of the US policy. It was created by President James Monroe in 1823. It stated that any intervention by external powers in the politics of the Americas is a potentially hostile act against the United States. -
Indian Removal Act
This act was signed by President Andrew Jackson. The Congress explained this act to be "for an exchange of lands with the Native Americans residing in any of the states or territories, and for their removal west of the river Mississippi." -
Oregon Trail & Territory
The Oregon Trail was a wagon road stretching 2170 miles from Missouri to Oregon's Willamette Valley. The Oregon Territory was important because many Europeans saw its economic potential. -
Mexican-American War
This was an invasion of Mexico by the United States Army from 1846 to 1848. It was after the 1845 American annexation of Texas, which Mexico still considered its territory. After, they passed the Guadalupe-Hidalgo Treaty, which extended the United States to the Pacific Ocean, and provided a bounty of ports, minerals, and natural resources for a growing country. -
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush brought a flood of workers to California and played an important role in integrating California's economy into that of the eastern United States. -
The Compromise of 1850
This compromise called for the admission of California as a "free state". It also provided for a territorial government for Utah and New Mexico, while establishing a boundary between Texas and the United States. It also caused the abolition of slave trade in Washington, DC, and amended the Fugitive Slave Act. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This was the act that created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. It was drafted by Democratic Senator Stephen A. Douglas, passed by the 33rd United States Congress, and signed into law by President Franklin Pierce -
Homestead Act
The Homestead Act of 1862 gave citizens up to 160 acres of public land provided they live on it, improve it, and pay a small registration fee, on western territory. This helped spur economic growth. The 4 states that had the most claims were Montana, North Dakota, Colorado and Nebraska.