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Great Emigration
The Great Emigration, also known as the Oregon Trail, was an event where many American farmers traveled from places like Missouri, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, and other states to Oregon in hopes to live better lives. Although the hopes of this trip to new land were great, there were many things going against the emigrants, such as illnesses, death of mules or horses, and more. Many of those emigrants made it to Oregon, and that sparked more emigrants to take on the Oregon Trail. -
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Westward Expansion
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John Louis O’Sullivan/Manifest Destiny
John O’Sullivan was the creator of the term ‘Manifest Destiny’ but he didn't intend for it to be coined. He had written it in the middle of an article that was protesting European meddling in American Affairs. O’Sullivan had said, “our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions.” His words helped officials push for the Annexation of Texas. -
Annexation of Texas/ James K. Polk
On December 27th 1845, President James Polk signed the Annexation bill that would officially recognize Texas as the 28th State of the United States. James K. Polk was the 11th President of the United States, and he was commonly referred to as the first “dark horse”. He was the last Jacksonian to be a president and was, arguably, one of the most strong and impactful presidents to date. He was known for the major expansion of the U.S. from the Mexican American war during his presidency. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
After the Mexican-American war, a treaty was signed that would end the war between the two countries. The terms of the treaty required Mexico to give 55 percent of its territory to the United States. The territory that now belonged to the U.S. are the present-day states of California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and parts of other present day states. This treaty granted citizenship to some people of Mexican descent, making them “white by treaty” which protected them from legal segregation. -
California Gold Rush 1848-1855
Many people came to California in the hope of finding gold. By 1849, around 80,000 people made it to California. The American miners treated “alien whites” decently, but ruthlessly expelled Indians, Mexicans, and Chileans from the gold mines. Some of the hopeful people who went to California returned home after not finding much gold. Others were too stubborn to return empty handed. As a result people started to farm on the California land, and pushed Native Americans off their land to do so. -
Compromise of 1850/Fugitive Slave Act
The Compromise of 1850 was a combination of 5 different bills that were passed by the U.S. congress with the goal of defusing tensions between free and slave states. The compromise was designed by Henry Clay. It was focused on sorting out where slavery would be allowed in recently acquired territories. The compromise approved the request by California to be a free state, strengthened the fugitive slave laws, banned the slave trade to Washington D.C., and defined borders of Texas. -
Stephen A. Douglas/Popular Sovereignty/Kansas-Nebraska Act
Douglas believed that popular sovereignty should decide the issues of slavery in each state, and that served as the core of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. He wanted to organize the land that wasn't already organized. This act was a territorial act that created the territories of Kansas and Nebraska. This act repealed the Missouri Compromise and created two new territories and allowed for newly organized states to use popular sovereignty to decide whether or not they would be a slave state. -
Bleeding Kansas 1854-1861
Bleeding Kansas was a series of events related to a political debate over whether slavery could be legal in the new state of Kansas. The events took place in Kansas territory and parts of Missouri. The violent battles were between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces. Many deaths resulted from these violent confrontations, along with mayhem and destruction as well. Many pro-slavery people called border ruffians, travelled to Kansas to try and ensure the state would be a slave state. -
Homestead Act
The Homestead Act, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, was an act that would allow someone who had “never borne arms against the U.S. government” to claim 160 acres of land. This act distributed millions of acres of western land to individual farmers and settlers. This was a way to oppose the South’s ideas of slavery and allow individuals to own and operate their own farm. This act ultimately promoted the settlement of the western part of the U.S. -
Transcontinental Railroad 1863-1869
The United States first Transcontinental Railroad, also known as the Pacific Railroad was a 1,911 mile continuous railroad that took around 6 years to build. The goal of this railroad was to connect the already existing eastern railroad with the Pacific Ocean. The construction of this railroad was financed by states and the U.S. government. It connected the western states with the rest of the United States and made transporting goods and people cheaper, safer, and quicker.