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The Oregon Trail is created
-1811
-This was the only way to the West on the Oregon Trail.
-This was the major route that people used to travel on foot to the west.
-This impacted the US by being able to travel west easier with a trail that goes a long way. notes -
Texas Declaration of Independence
-March 2, 1836
-They formally declared its independence from Mexico.
-They wanted independence because they did not like Santa Anna’s rules that he had for Mexico.
-This impacted the US because this state became to a slave state and apart of the US. notes -
The Alamo
-March 6th 1836
-This was an old Spanish mission, where about 150 Texans held out to fight Santa Anna’s men.
-These Texans held out for 13 days and when Santa Anna’s men attacked the only people that survived were women, children, and a few servants.
-The impact was that it became a battle cry. notes -
Battle of San Jacinto
-April 21, 1836
-This was a battle where Sam Houston waited to start a battle and he waited till Santa Anna’s men were napping to attack and they attacked them while they were sleeping.
-This was all during Texas’ declaration of Independence and the Texas militia was ready to go to battle so they did it while they were sleeping.
-This ensured Texas’ independence. This also Santa Anna signed a peace treaty for Texas’ independence. notes -
James K. Polk becomes President
-1844
-His goal was to annex Texas and the Oregon Territory and to purchase California from Mexico.
-Polk insisted that the US had rights to the entire Oregon Territory even though Britain had claimed the land for years.
-Him becoming president made the annexation of Texas and other places easier for the US. notes -
Texas is annexed in the United States
-December 29, 1845
-Congress passed a resolution to annex Texas and become a state.
-This was because the US wanted Texas apart of the US not Mexico. It was more beneficial to the US then Mexico.
-The impact was that the Mexican government was outraged and to make it worse, the two countries had disagreed over the border between Texas and Mexico. notes -
Zachary Taylor crosses the Rio Grande River
-January 1846
-Sent a force to capture Santa Fe, and then moved west to California.
-This happened because they started a war.
-After the war started it made the people in California led an uprising that had resulted in California declaring independence. notes -
Oregon becomes a free territory
-1846
-The Oregon boundary dispute between the US and Britain that was settles with the signing the Oregon Treaty.
-This territory was valuable for the US and Britain. He told the British that the Oregon Territory would not be shared and this ultimately led to the Pig War.
-The impact was that this led to the Pig War. notes -
Annexation of California
-January 1848
-The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed and this annexed California.
-The Americans were starting to settle there and the population was growing and this was all under President James K Polk
-The impact was that the american population was higher so it needed to become part of the US so we needed to annex it into the US. notes -
Mexican Cession
-February 1848
-The two countries signed the treaty of Guadalupe- Hidalgo. This meant that Texas was a US state and ceded a large chunk of land.
-This land was gained after the Mexican War had ended.
-The impact was that the US got to set the rules of Texas and gained more land from Texas. notes -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
-Signed in 1848
-This was a treaty that was signed and it gave the US over 500,000 square miles (including California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming) and set the border with Texas at the Rio Grande River.
-This happened because the US wanted more land and Mexico agreed to give the US this land.
-The impact was that the US formed California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. notes -
California Gold Rush
-January 24th, 1848
-James W. Marshall found gold in California
-They started to find gold so everyone moved to California to become richer.
-The rivers were damaged and became clogged because of the sediment. This also caused the population of California to boom. notes -
Gadsden Purchase
-December 30th, 1853
-Agreement between US and Mexico that the US agreed to pay Mexico $10 million for a 29,670 square mile portion of Mexico.
-The US had more land acquired to build a transcontinental railroad.
-Gave land to the US so they could build onto the transcontinental railroad. -
Homestead Act
-1862
-This act was that million of acres were given away for free in the west to anyone that would claim that land and live on it for 5 years.
-This gave people more land that needed somewhere to live.
-This impacted people in the west because it was more land that people and settlers could move to and build and live on. -
Transcontinental Railroad is completed
-Completed May 10th, 1869
-A golden spike was driven at Promontory, Utah, to signal the completion of the railroad.
-To have communication around the US
-Allowed for goods to be transported over long distances. notes
