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Census in America
This was the second ever Census in America, and it concluded that the US population was 5,308,483 people. This is nearly 1.5 million more people than the first census of 1790, only 10 years before. Today, America has approximately 327.2 million and counting, so you can see how much America has grown since the 18th and 19th centuries. -
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was a land deal between the US and France, in which for 15 million dollars, the U.S. acquired nearly 827,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River. This was huge for the growth of the States, since the result was the U.S. territory nearly doubling in size. -
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Lewis and Clark Expedition
This expedition, led by Lewis and Clark, was the first American expedition across the western portion of the United States. -
War of 1812
The Unite States declared war on Britain over the British interference with the American maritime shipping and with westward expansion. This war ended with the agreements from the Treaty of Ghent. -
Treaty of Ghent
The treaty that officially ended the war of 1812 is signed by British and American officials. This ended any hope of Great Britain reclaiming the territory lost during the Revolutionary War. -
Monroe Doctrine
President Monroe, in his annual address to Congress, declares that the American continents are off-limits for further colonization by European powers. His bold, authoritative, protective word became what is now known as the Monroe Doctrine. -
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Mexican War
The Mexican War, a war cause from the westward expansion of the United States, was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico. Americans believed it was their right to expand westward and they believed they could conquer the people already living on this land. The biggest victory for American is that Mexico recognized the Rio Grande as a new boundary with Texas and, for $15 million, agreed to cede territory comprising all of the present-day mid-western America. -
California Gold Rush
Gold is discovered at Sutter's Mill in California. News of this discovery spreads and thousands of Americans drop everything to move to California in search of a breakthrough. This event greatly increased America's westward expansion. -
Confederate States are formed
11 states had seceded from the U.S. and the became known as the Confederate states. Jefferson Davis was elected as president of these newly formed states the next day. -
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Civil War
The uncompromising differences between the free and slave states over the power of the national government to prohibit slavery in the territories that had not yet become states led to a civil war in America.
