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The Lewis and Clark Expedition departs St. Louis, Missouri, on a mission to map a course to the Pacific Ocean.
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Construction on the Erie Canal is completed and the canal opens. This artificial waterway connects New York City with the Great Lakes. Canal construction in the North and Northwest booms and revolutionizes trade and travel.
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The Treaty of New Echota was signed giving the Cherokee nation 5.6 million and transportation west for all of their land. This led to the westward movement of the Cherokee nation on the Trail of Tears.
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Texas becomes the 28th state.
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The Donner Party became snowbound in the Sierra Nevada Mountains after taking a short cut through the mountains that added weeks to their travel time. Little more than half of the party made it to California and only after many had resorted to cannibalism.
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Gold is discovered in California. The following year more than 80,000 people move to California in search of gold sparking what would be called the "Gold Rush."
