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Louisiana Purchase
The United States and France made a deal to sell the US 827,000 square miles of land, west of the Mississippi River. It cost the US 15 million dollars, but allowed for important western expansion in the 1800's. -
Acquisition of Florida
Spain gives their old province, Florida, to the United States following the Florida Purchase Treaty which was signed by Luis de Oni and John Quincy Adams. -
Missouri Compromise
When Missouri was to become a state, it was politically debated on whether or not it would become a slave state or not. At the time the US had an even number of slave states to free states. The Missouri Compromise suggested that Missouri would be a slave state, and they would add Maine to be a free state, to keep the ratio even, -
Annexation of Texas
After Texas achieved independence from Mexico in 1836, it became the Republic of Texas for about ten years. In 1845, it became the 28th state of the United States. -
Acquisition of Oregon
Britain and the US settled boundary disputes by the United States taking Oregon land and Britain gaining Vancouver land. -
Donner Party
The Donner Party was a group of American pioneers who tried to get to California from Missouri by wagon train. They suffered many losses and had much difficulty, especially in the harsh winter of 1846-1847. -
Discovery of gold in California
In January of 1848, James W. Marshall discovered gold at a nearby river while overseeing work at a sawmill on the American River in California. -
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
In February of 1848, this treaty was signed which granted the United States with 525,000 square miles of territory, which make up some of each of the following states: Arizona, Colorado, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Utah. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was a series of resolutions made by Henry Clay to avoid turmoil between the North and South (slave and free state factions). -
Gadsden Purchase
Also known as Gadsden Treaty, this agreement was between the United States and Mexico. The United States paid Mexico $10 million for a 29,670 square mile piece of Mexico that became parts of Arizona and New Mexico. It was imperative to get this land so that the southern transcontinental railroad could continue to be developed. -
Kansas Nebraska Act
In May of 1854, the Kansas Nebraska Act was passed by the United States Congress to allow people into the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. People who moved to these areas were able to decide whether or not to allow slavery. The Kansas Nebraska Act was used to repeal the Missouri Compromise which outlawed slavery north of latitude 36 degrees 30'.
