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1803; Louisiana Purchase
President Thomas Jefferson brought the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million which doubled the size of the United States and provides a large area to the west of the country for expansion. -
1809; The Cumberland Road
The construction of the Cumberland Road began in Maryland and stretched 600 miles into the Northwest Territory. -
1817; Erie Canal
Construction of the Erie Canal begins that stretched for 363 miles allowing the passage of boats inland carrying produce and passengers from the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Erie. -
1828; The Railroads
The 'Stourbridge Lion' was the first operational locomotive on an American railroad. -
1836; Battle of the Alamo
Mexican troops attacked the Alamo Mission killing all but two Texans. -
1841; Oregon Trail
People begin to travel west in wagon trains on the Oregon Trail. Around 300,000 people would take the trail over the next 20 years. -
1844; The Telegraph
The first telegraph line is established. Morse code is sent by Samuel Morse from Washington to Baltimore. -
1845; Manifest Density
A journalist, John O'Sullivan, first uses the term "Manifest Destiny" to describe the westward expansion of the United States. -
1845; Texas becomes a U.S. State
The United States officially claims Texas as a state, eventually leading to the Mexican-American War. -
1846-1848; The Mexican-American War
A war fought over the rights to Texas. After the war, the United States paid Mexico $15 million for land that would later become California, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and parts of several other states.
