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Daniel Boone
He explored Kentucky. -
The Purchase
President Thomas Jefferson purchased Louisiana from France for $15 million -
Robert Fulton and Robert Livingston Demonstrate the Speed of the Clermont
Fulton and Livingston demonstrate the power of the steamboat by traveling from New York City up the Hudson River to Albany in 32 hours, a trip that would take a sailing sloop four days. -
Mexico Wins Independence from Spain
Mexico wins independence from Spain and takes control of the territories of New Mexico and California. -
The Erie Canal is Opened
Completing construction begun in 1817, the 363-mile canal connects Buffalo and Albany New York, which then connects to New York City via the Hudson River. -
The Indian Removal Act is Passed
The Indian Removal Act grants President Andrew Jackson the funding and authority to remove the Indians residing east of the Mississippi River, a goal he pursues with great zeal. -
The Alamo is Taken by Mexican Troops
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna's Mexican force of 4,000 troops lays siege to the town of San Antonio, where 200 Texans resist, retreating to an abandoned mission, the Alamo. -
Worcester v. Georgia
Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that the Cherokees comprised a "domestic dependent nation" within Georgia and deserved protection from harassment -
John Tyler's Treaty Proposing the Annexation of Texas is Defeated in the Senate
Congressmen wary of inciting further sectional conflict defeat the treaty for annexation. However, annexation becomes the major issue in the 1844 election. -
Congress Passes a Measure to Annex Texas
After James K. Polk becomes President of the United States in January, Congress passes a measure approving annexation, trusting Polk to oversee Texas' admission more effectively than John Tyler would have. -
Texas is Admitted to the Union
Texas is officially granted statehood and becomes the 28th state. -
Gold is Discovered in California
An American carpenter finds gold at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, sparking a gold rush which brings tens of thousands of new settlers to California, establishing towns and cities, and accelerating the drive toward statehood. -
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is Signed
At the close of the Mexican War, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo cedes Texas, New Mexico, and California to the United States, which now controls land stretching all the way across North America. -
California is Admitted to the Union
Under the Compromise of 1850, engineered by Henry Clay, California is admitted to the Union as a free state. -
The First Transcontinental Railroad is Completed
The first transcontinental railroad is completed when the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads join their tracks at Promontory Point, Utah. The railroad rapidly affects the ease of western settlement, shortening the journey from coast to coast, which took six to eight months by wagon, to a mere one week's trip.
