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Louisiana Purchase
In 1803, under Thomas Jefferson, the US bought the Louisiana Purchase from France. At about $18 an acre, it cost the US $15 million, and essentially doubled the size of the US. Originally, the US had gone to France with $10 million, looking to just purchase New Orleans. It was an important port for trade, but under Spain's rule it was hard for Americans to pass. When France offered the whole chunk of land for $15 million, the US took the offer gladly. -
Acquisition of Florida
With the Adam-Onis Treaty, the US was able to take Florida from Spain. The treaty was put together by John Quincy Adams, the Secretary of State under James Monroe. Florida was a financial burden to Spain that they couldn't have anymore, so they ceded the state to Florida. Florida had long been wanted by the US, and was theirs at the price of settling border disputes with and $5,000,000. -
Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise allowed for the admission of Maine and Missouri to America, one as a free state and one as a slave state. Before Missouri was established as a state, there was an equal balance of free and slave states. Missouri being a slave state would have thrown off that balance, so Maine was introduced as a free state to keep the balance. Also, all slavery was banned north of 36, 30 except for Missouri. Henry Clay was at the front of the deal. -
Annexation of Texas
In 1845, Texas was annexed, becoming the 28th state in the United States, a slave state. Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821, and acquired Texas. The small population meant people were actively recruited into the state, and by 1830 7,000 settlers lived in Texas. In 1836, those settlers called for independence. Mexico's Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was deployed to stop the rising. In March, 5,000 Mexican troops killed 187 Texans at the Alamo, leading to the cry "Remember the Alamo." -
Donner Party
The Donner Party was a group of 81 pioneers that trekked the Oregon Trail. They left later in the season than most people did, and took "shortcuts" that lost them time. The terrain was rugged and difficult, and they lost many provisions. When they were crossing the Sierra-Nevada's, an early snowstorm dumped a few feet of snow on top of the party. They got caught in the snowstorm, and would be unable to leave until the next spring. The party members died slowly, with some resorting to cannibalism -
Discovery of Gold in California
On February 24th, 1848, James W. Marshall saw something shiny in the water of a creek. He was working on a sawmill, and happened to look over in the small creek. It wasn't until December of 1848 when President James Polk confirmed the claims that the gold rush started. More than 100,000 people came in 1949, becoming known as the 49'ers. Very few made fortunes, some left with nothing, and others started new lives. Once the rush was over, the towns people made were abandoned, becoming ghost towns -
Mexican American War, Treaty of Guadalope-Hidalgo
After Texas was annexed as a state in 1845, relations were still tense with Mexico. Then-president James Polk sent James Slidell to Mexico to discuss the borders rivers, and also possibility of purchasing California and New Mexico. But the meeting did not go accordingly, Polk deployed troops, Mexico deployed troops, and Congress declared war on Mexico. The war raged for a year and 4 months, when Mexico surrendered and signed the treaty. They gave up 525,000 square miles of territory for $15 mil. -
Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 was rather a bunch of 5 compromises. It admitted California to the nation as a free state, made Utah and New Mexico with the question of slavery to be voted upon, and settled yet another border dispute between Texas and Mexico. It also completely eradicated the slave trade in Washington, D.C., and made it easier for slave owners to recapture any fugitive slaves. The compromise was led by Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and John C. Calhoun. -
Gadsden Purchase
The Gadsden Purchase was an agreement between Mexico and the United States. In exchange for $10 million, Mexico ceded 29,670 square miles of Mexico that became Arizona and New Mexico. After the Mexican American War, things were still tense between the two countries. Americans would come into Mexico and try to incite violence, causing anger towards America. Franklin Pierce sent James Gadsden into Mexico to negotiate with the president, Santa Anna. Terms were disputed but it was eventually settled -
Kansas Nebraska Act
The Kansas Nebraska Act was a bill that allowed "popular sovereignty", so settlers in a new state could decide if slavery would be a part of the state. It was proposed by Stephen A. Douglas, an opposition to Lincoln. The bill also overturned the Missouri Compromise's line of slavery and anti slavery states. The Kansas Nebraska Act was also a building block in moving closer to the Civil War, and the splitting of North and South states of the country. -
Acquisition of Oregon
In the start of the 1800s, the Oregon territory belonged to Spain. Spain ceded that to America, and we allowed the Russians to use it as they pleased. The Oregon territory took up part of Washington
and a large chunk of British Columbia. But come 1843, when the Oregon Trail is at the peak of its use, people decided we needed Oregon as a state. James Polk, James Buchanan, and John C. Calhoun worked out a compromise with Canada. The treaty was ratified in 1846, and in 1859 Oregon was a state
