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The Oregon Trail
- The Oregon trail was a route new western settlers would travel to get to their destination. It was 2170 miles long and very dangerous.
- It was created to help new settlers get to the west
- It did what was exactly intended by it, the trail helped settlers get to the west
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The Alamo
- The most famous battle between the Texans and the Mexicans took place at the Alamo. 150 Texans help out to fight Santa Anna's men, they held out for 13 days.
- It was a resistance from the Mexicans and a symbol of their struggle for independence
- They convinced Santa Anna to withdraw from Texas and sign a treaty that recognized their independence (Texas became a slave state but mexico still claimed Texas as apart of Mexico)
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Texas Declaration of Independence
- After Texas had defeated the Mexicans, they wanted to become their own country. The US was able to convince the people within Texas to become apart of the US and made them into a Slave state.
- It happened right after they defeated Mexico because they allowed them to stay on their land but still be ruled by them The people in Texas believed they should be independent from Mexico.
- Its lasting effect was that they were able to gain their own independence from Mexico but became apart of the US
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Battle of San Jacinto
- It was a battle led by Sam Houston, A chief of the Texas forces. They were waiting for a chance to fight Santa Anna.
- While Santa Anna's soldiers were napping in their camp, the Texans attacked.
- This battle basically ensured that the Texans had the power to become independent from Mexico.
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James K. Polk becomes President
- James K. Polk became president, his goal was to annex Texas and the Oregon territory and to purchase California from mexico.
- He was the president during manifest destiny. He was the one who was president during everyone migrating west.
- He got the boundary of the US and Canada to be at 54 40 latitude and claimed Texas, Oregon and California.
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Texas is annexed in the United States
- In 1845 congress passed a resolution to annex Texas and make it a slave state. It outraged the Mexican government and they disagreed on the boarder between Mexico and Texas.
- It happened because Texas was its own country but the US convinced Texas to become apart of the US.
- The lasting effects would be that Texas and Mexico agreed on making the boarder set at the Rio Grande River.
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Zachary Taylor crosses the Rio Grande River
- In January 1846 General Zachary Taylor led troops into the disputed territory. While they were there, they got attacked by Mexicans and started the war with Mexico.
- They had a strategy that involved crossing the Rio Grande, sending a force to capture Santa Fe, and then moving west to take California.
- The effect was that because of Zachary's troops getting attacked, the war started between US and Mexico. Also, that river is where they wanted to make the boarder between the US and Mexico.
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Mexican Cession
- the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo caused the Mexicans to ceded to the US giving them lots of territory in return Mexico received 15 million dollars
- It happened because Mexico had lost the Mexican American war and this was their pay back for the war loss.
- The lasting impact was that the Mexicans had given the US land so they could secure their boarders and also got land for railroads.
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California Gold Rush
- Thousands of Americans head west, lured by the thought of instantly becoming millionaires. Everyone moved to the west in hopes of finding the gold and having a better life because of it.
- It happened because people wanted to get rich fast and have a new life
- The gold rush screwed people over because they basically left everything behind to get rich. They wasted all their money and were basically stranded in California with no money or home.
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Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
- This treaty officially stated peace between the US and Mexico. This treaty also provided us with more land. They gave up land that was apart of the Mexican cession and accepted the new boarder to be at the Rio Grande River. (15 million)
- This treaty happened because Mexico had lost the Mexican American War
- The effects were that we gained land from mexico and now had finally agreed on the boarder with Mexico.
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Annexation of California
- California revolts from Mexican rule and made the California Republic but failed to become their own country. That being said, they were taken in by the US.
- after the war ended they separated from mexico -In the end, it became a free state after becoming apart of the US territory.
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Gadsden Purchase
- The Gadsden purchase is when the US bought a small portion of land from mexico to build a southern railroad
- They bought it so that they could create a railroad in the south and continue to expand the boarder of the US
- The lasting effects would be that the south was able to get railroads and helped the US finish the boarder
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Oregon becomes a free territory
- The British and the US agreed to have whats north of the 49th parallel which is in Canada and gave us the Oregon territory. When we took in Oregon, we made it a free state.
- Polk made a deal with the British called the Oregon treaty which allowed us to take all of Oregon and they have whats in Canada.
- The lasting effect was that the US gained territory and continued to finish the boarder of what the US has today. Oregon also became a free state unlike Texas.
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Homestead Act
- The Homestead Act was when millions of acres were given away in the west to anyone that would claim it and live on it for 5 years.
- The government was encouraging settlers to come to the west and used the Homestead Act to draw in more people
- The free land that was offered made people pack up everything they had and move out west for better opportunities
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Transcontinental Railroad is completed
- The Transcontinental Railroad is a railroad that runs from Sacramento California to Omaha Nebraska. This railroad was created by the Irish and the Chinese. The Golden spike was driven into the ground at Promontory Point, uniting Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroad.
- It was created to allow quicker travel to the west instead of having to take wagons and travel by foot.
- the effect is that everyone is able to trade and travel to the west faster. We also get time zones because of it.
