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Westward Expansion Resources I used the website, the Online Timeline of Westward Expansion as a reference for major events of the time period. I had to use Wikipedia to refine or correct errors with dates, and find images. I also researched and included other major events related to Native Americans not referenced on that sire.
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The English-speaking people of the United States only had a small amount of land in 1800. The French, on the other hand, had Louisiana, which was relatively much larger. Since the French needed to raise more money, President Jefferson struck a deal and bought Louisiana from them. This was known as the Louisiana Purchase.
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The Native Americans allied to the British lost their cause. The British proposal to create a "neutral" Indian zone in the American West was rejected at the Ghent peace conference and never resurfaced. After 1814 the natives, who lost most of their fur gathering territory, became an undesirable burden to British policymakers who now looked to the United States for markets and raw materials.
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Andrew Jackson invades Florida, burning and massacring Native Americans and Blacks (1814-1819)
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Pirates had long been known to use Florida, which was controlled by Spain, as a refuge and hideout from the United States authorities. Finally tired of the pirate raids, a General called Andrew Jackson invaded and captured a number of forts in the area. Since Spain did not want to go to war, they agreed to hand over Florida to the U.S. We call this transaction the Spanish Cession.
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In this year, work began on a long waterway, called the Erie Canal, that effectively linked the Great Lakes and Northwestern Territories to New York.
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In the area that lay to the eastern side of the Mississippi River, there lived many Native Americans. The 1830, the Indian Removal Act was passed so that the U.S. president could force the Natives to move, thus allowing U.S. citizens to settle there.
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The Trail of Tears was the process of relocating several Native American tribes from their homes. It was a very difficult journey for them and thousands of them died while battling natural elements that they were not prepared to cope with.
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For many years there had been much struggle between Mexicans and Americans in the Texas region. Finally, they erupted into a large battle called the Texas Rebellion, with the American army defeating a large part of the Mexican army in the Battle of San Jacinto.
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Native Americans killed and driven out of most of Northern Florida (1835-1842)
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Following the Texas Rebellion, the United States added Texas to their lands as a new state.
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The British and American people had several disagreements over who should have the Oregon County. Eventually they signed the Oregon Treaty that defined which areas of the land would officially belong to each party.
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With American settlers newly transplanted in California, a wave of gold fever hit when a man called John Sutter accidentally discovered nuggets of gold on his land.
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California becomes a state after Mexico cedes the territory following the capture of Mexico City during the Mexican-American War
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The next area of land to be bought by the United States was the region that we know as Arizona and a part of New Mexico. This was called the Gadsden Purchase.
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When Colonel Loomis declared an end to the Third Seminole War, the government believed that only about 100 Seminole were left in Florida. In December 1858, the US recruited two bands totaling 75 people, who agreed to removal to the West; they were shipped out on February 15, 1859.
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It was a momentous occasion with the first railroad to run across the width of the United States was completed! It provided transport for people from the east coast to the west coast and was certainly much faster than travelling by wagon or horseback. This was known as the Transcontinental Railroad.
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Congress passes a new version of the Indian Appropriation Act claiming that Native Americans would no longer be considered an independent nation, but subject to U.S. laws.
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A great battle between Native Americans and American settlers occurred in this year, known as the Battle of Little Bighorn. Led by the famous Indian chief, Sitting Bull, and several others, the Natives managed to defeat the Americans.
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The United States added additional areas as the four newest states, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington and Montana, after passing the Enabling Act.
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Arizona was finally admitted as the 48th state, marking the completion of the contiguous 48 states.
