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Period: to
Territorial Acquisition
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Lousiana Pruchase
Cause:
Thomas Jefferson wanted to expand American borders and Napoleon needed money to fund European wars and decided to give up on personal world conquering idea and focus more on French necessities.
Effect:
-Doubled size of U.S. territory (830,000 sq. miles)
-Secured New Orleans ports and Mississippi River
Importance:
It gave us a large amount of land to expand in to and gave us ports and river to trade.
Opposition:
Federalists and even Jeffersonians thought the purchase was unconstitutional. -
East and West Florida
Cause:
West Fl. settlers rebelled against Spanish rule so Madison used the opportunity to gain control of the region. John Q. Adams gave Spain an ultimatum and gained both territories through Treaty of Adams-Onis (1819) and Transcontinental Treaty (1821).
Effect:
-America recognized Spanish-Texas
-Tallahassee becomes capital after East and West Florida merge
Importance:
It was an important step in conquering more of other nations' land piece by piece.
Opposition:
Federalists opposed again. -
Texas Annexation
Cause:
American settlers living in Texas didn't like Mexican Santa Anna's rules so they wanted to annex and decided to fight (Battle of the Alamo) and U.S. accepted Texas as territory.
Effect:
-Mexican-American war for 2 years
-Texas territory added to Union
Importance:
Although it led to war, it gave America control of Southwest and slave production boomed as TX successfully cultivated cotton.
Opposition:
Martin Van Buren, Jackson's predecessor, viewed the annexation as a "political liability". -
Oregon Territory
Cause:
It was caused by the Oregon boundary dispute between Britain and America for territorial and commercial use (also Great Migration of 1843).
Effect:
-Britain gained land north of 49th parallel
-America received land south of parallel
Importance:
America established Methodist Mission and there were technological advancements due to new resources (saw and grist mill).
Opposition:
Candidates in 1844 election (Polk and Clay) contemplated over Oregon boundary. -
Mexican Cession
Cause:
The cession was caused by many things including Texas annexation and Polk's desire for Mexican gain.
Effect:
-intensified slavery debate
-Rio Grande became border
Importance:
U.S. gained a large amount of land in Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Although, the slavery debates made civil war seem inevitable.
Opposition:
It was opposed by southerners who wanted more crops but not in such a populous place as Mexico had been. -
Gadsden Purchase
Cause:
U.S. agreed to pay Mexico $10 million because they wanted to have a direct route for Transcontintal Railroad to come.
Effect:
-gave U.S. around 30,000 sq. miles of land later becoming parts of Arizona and New Mexico
-basically defined present-day boundaries
Importance:
It provided the necessary land for the railroad and tried to find peace with money between America and Mexico after dispersed wars.
Opposition:
Some were outraged at reduced size for the price (William Walker).
