-
Louisiana Purchase
In 1803, the nation of France sold 830,000 sq.miles of land as we commonly know today as the Louisiana Purchase. This was one of Thomas Jefferson's greatest accomplishments while serving his presidential term, for he more than doubled the size of United States at that time. At 5 cents per acre, equivalent to 15 million dollars for all the land, it was a great deal. The land was fertile, unexplored, and had many valuable resources. This was an incredible opportunity and undertaking for USA. -
Corps of Discovery Expedition
After buying 830,000 acres of land, President Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis, an American Explorer, and William Clark led an expedition down to the Ohio River, up the MO River, across the Continental Divide, and to the Pacific Ocean. Their goals were to find out and report new land, make friends with the Indians, and look for new passages of water to trade with other countries. By the time the Corps ended, they had maps, studies of plants, new languages aquired, and more. -
Florida Territory
With numerous boundary disputes, Spain's claim to Florida grew shaky. American settlers moved in and began to resist Spanish control. After years of border arguments, Spain finally agreed to sell the Florida Territory to the U.S. in 1819 by signing the Adams-Onis Treaty. For 5 million dollars the US aquired the Florida Territory. Andrew Jackson had also invaded the land, making it difficult for the Spain to defend against them. -
The Monroe Doctrine
President James Monroe created a doctrine which warned European powers not to interfere in the affairs of the Western Hemisphere. The United States intended to remain neutral to existing European colonies in America but strongly opposed the creation of new ones among the Hispanic American republics that recently gained independence. At this point in time, Monroe was feeling very confident in his country, which is another reason why he made this doctrine. -
Indian Removal Act and Trail of Tears
President Andrew Jackson, passed the Indian Removal Act which gave the federal government the power to relocate any Native Americans in the east to territory that was west of the Mississippi River. Nearly 125,000 Native Americans lived on millions of acres of land in GA, TN, AL, NC and FL. By the end of the decade, very few natives remained anywhere in the southeastern United States. This was very sad time in American history, as a result thousands of indians lost thiers lives being forced west. -
Texas
While Mexico did not follow through with its threat to declare war if the United States annexed Texas, relations between the two nations remained tense due to Mexico’s disputed border with Texas. Six months after the congress of the Republic of Texas accepts U.S. annexation of the territory, Texas is admitted into the United States as the 28th state. After gaining independence from Spain in the 1820s, Mexico welcomed foreign settlers to sparsely populated Texas. -
Mexican American War and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidago
On April 25, 1846, Mexican cavalry attacked a group of U.S. soldiers in the disputed territory. Two days later, on May 13, Congress declared war, despite opposition from some northern lawmakers. Santa Anna convinced Polk that, if allowed to return to Mexico, he would end the war on terms favorable to the United States. Finally, on Feb. 2, 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed. -
Oregon Territory
In 1844, James K. Polk was elected president with the slogan "54'40 or fight!" This slogan also showed the British that the United States was prepared for war if they did not turn over all of Oregon. Originally Spain, Great Britain, Russia, and the United States claimed the Oregon Territory. The Americans demanded compromise. Soon, they established a joint claim. As early as 1818 British and American Commissioners had fixed the border dispute between the US and Canada at the 49th latitude line. -
War of 1812
The War of 1812, also known as 'the forgotten war" or "the war of poor communication" was between the Great British and the United States. British restricted the American trade since they feared it was harmful for their war with France and they also wanted to set up an Indian state in the Midwest in order to maintain their influence in the region. Both sides suffered great losses. With Andrew Jackson leading the war, The Treaty of Ghent was finally signed on December 24, 1814.
