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Northwest Ordinance of 1787
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 was passed by the Second Continental Congress on July 13, 1787. It gained more northwest territory, causing more westward expansion. -
Louisiana Purchase
Thomas Jefferson bought 828,000 square miles from the French, known as Louisiana. The land covers 15 states, and is nearly the size of Alaska. The purchase doubled the size of the U.S. at that time, and helped move westward. -
Lewis and Clark Expedition
This was the first expedition westward, and stretched from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. The expedition was commissioned by Thomas Jefferson in 1803. It happen because of the Louisiana Purchase. They discovered different routes that stretched from coast to coast -
War of 1812
The war of 1812 took place in 1812 but lasted until 1814 , and was against the british. It altamately accomplished nothing. The war secured the United States boundries and defeated the Native American tribes that lived in the Ohio and Upper Mississippi Vallies. -
Purchase of Florida from Spain
Also known as the Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819, the purchase of Spain or Florida is when a treaty was signed between the United States and Spain, where the United States gained Florida from Spain and set new bounderies between the U.S. and what is now Mexico. The negotiators were John Quincy Adams and Don Luis de Onís, who met in Washington. When the Spanish went against this treaty, it caused the Spanish colonies to revolt. -
Missouri Compromise
In 1820, Congress had reached a boiling point when Missouri asked to join the Union as a slave state. This action threatened to upset the union and the Missouri Compromise was established. This drew an imaginary line in the Louisiana Territory and made a boundary between slave and free states. This also made Maine a free state. Slaves and their owners moved west to the new state to populate it. -
Eerie Canal
The Eerie Canal streched from Albany to Lake Eerie, it began in 1817, and open on October 26, 1825. The goal was to make a water way from the Atlantic Ocean to New York to Lake Eerie. This was to transport more supplies past the appalachian mountians and to the territory past them. -
Indian Removal Act
This was made a law by president Andrew Jackson, and had all Native American to be moved west into what is currently Oklahoma. Some went peacfully while others put up a fight. This cause the Trail of Tears, where many native americans died on the trip during the winter. The indians made new settlements and formed new government systems, and found ways to survive in the "dessert" homes. -
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears took place during the winter and fall of 1838 and 1939. It was named Trail of Tears due to the amount of Native Americans that had died during the trip. This allowed the indian to form new government systems and new settlements. -
Annexation of Texas
This was when the United States included Texas into the country as the 28th state, at the time was further west than the Louisiana Territory. This angered the Mexicans and over time caused the Mexican-American war, which in turn, gained more land for the U.S. -
Mormon Movement
The mormons were a religious group in the area of Nauvoo, Ilinios. They were facing prosecution due to suspicion and their leader, Joseph Smith decided they should move west. On their way west, they established towns and settlements. They also mapped out the area. They reached a valley and winter was appoching, so they made a new settlement. The Mormon helped make Utah and founded Salt Lake City. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
A treaty of friendship, peace, limits, and settlement between the U.S. and Mexico. This treaty settled the boarder between Texas and Mexico, which is the Rio Grande, and gave the U.S. owner ship of the Mexican territories of Califorina, Arizonia, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. -
Oregon Territory
Many people had moved to the territory earlier that decade, but their was no centural government. When the U.S. bought the territory, many americans living in middle america moved there due to the promise of fertile lands. -
California Gold Rush
The gold rush began when gold was found at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California, by James W. Marshall. The gold drew in miners and others hoping to stike it rich in the west. -
Gadsden Purchase
James Gadsden purchased a 29,640-square-mile peice of land. That is now southern Arizonia. The purchase was made to build the Transcontinetal Railroad through it so more people and suplies could be transported from coast to coast. -
Kansas-Nebraska Act
This created the states of Kansas and Nebraska. This created more land to settle in and repeled the Missouri compromise. Its purpose was to make more farmland. -
Homestead Act
Signed by Abraham Lincoln, said that anyone could file for a land grant if you were 21 or head of a family. This was for the northerns that wanted their own farm, unlike the slave owners that had plantations. -
Transcontinental Railroad
This is railroad track that stretch from coast ot coast. It help the unpopulated interior of the U.S. be settled. It allowed transportation of people and supplies accross the country. It was completed on May 10, 1869. -
The Dawes Act
Was for the President to survey the Native American population. Those indians that lived seperated from the tribe gained american citizenship. -
Spanish-American War
As tentions grew between the Spanish and Cuba, the U.S. military ship, Maine, was mysteriously sunk in Havana, was was inevitable. The end of the war gained west pacific and Latin America territories for the U.S.
