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Louisiana Purchase
The Louisisana Purchase was bought by the United States for $11,250,000, plus cancellation of debts of $3,750,000. It affected the Westward Expansion by wanting people to go over and explore the land. -
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Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was the trail that travelers took to get to Oregon Country. The kind of people that would travel were mostly mountain men. People went to Oregon Country to get jobs and have land. During their travels, they ran into problems such as broken wagons, animals dying, thirst, etc. It impacted the Westward Expansion by leading them West. -
Erie Canal Being Finished
The Erie Canal opened up on October 26, 1825. New Yorkers wanted to link the Great Lakes together with the Mohawk and the Hudson Rivers. It affected the Westward Expansion by bringing businesses together and Western farmers could ship there goods. -
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was a law that was passed during the presidency of Andrew Jackson on May 28, 1830. The act gave permission to Andrew to negotiate with the Native Americans in the Southern United States for their removal to federal territory west of the Mississippi River in exchange for their homelands. It affected the Westward Expansion by pushing the Native Americans west. -
The Alamo
The Alamo is where the Texans had taken up positions in an old Spanish mission where they waited for the Mexicans attack. This affected the Westward Expansion because they killed a bunch of the Mexican Army and it helped them win the war even though they didn't win the battle. -
Texas Annexed by the United States
Sam Houston was given commands of the army. Volunteers from the United States and from other nations, along with African Americans and Tejanos, joined the fight for Texan Independence. It affected the Westward Expansion because it started conflict with Mexico and caused many deaths. -
Trail of Tears
The United States Army drove more than 15,000 Cherokees westward. The Cherokees trekked hundreds of miles over a long period of months. Thousands parished. It impacted the Westward Expansion by driving the Cherokees west toward the Mississippi River and started the Siminole War. -
Mormon Trail
15,000 men, women, children were to be moved from Illinois to Utah. They relied on religious faith and careful planning. For several years, Mormon wagon trains struggled over the plains nad across the Plains to Utah. It affected the Westward Expansion by helping start the Gold Rush. -
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California Gold Rush
The Californa Gold Rush was when James Marshall set out to inspect a ditch his crew was digging at Sutter's Mill and gold was found. John Sutter tried to keep it a secret but failed. More than 80,000 people made the long journey to California in 1849 and became known as forty-niners. The Gold Rush afected the Westward Expansion because the United States gained more population from all over the world. -
Mexican Cession
The Mexican Cession was when Mexico had to give up California and New Mexico to the United States. This affected the Westward Expansion by the United States receiving more land. -
Gadsden Purchase
The Gadsden Purchase was when the United States paid Mexico $10 million for a strip of land to complete a railroad in present day Arizona and New Mexico. This affected the Westward Expansion by the United States getting land that was important to them that would help complete the railroad that they had built.
