Westward Expansion

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    Westward Expansion

    Westward Expansion refers to the 19th-century movement of settlers, primarily from the eastern United States, into the territory west of the Mississippi River. This movement was driven by the belief in "Manifest Destiny" and fueled by factors such as land availability, economic opportunities, and population growth.
  • The Louisiana Purchase

    The Louisiana Purchase
    On April 30th, 1803, the United States bought Louisiana from France for 11.25 million. The United States also agreed to take the French debts that cost around 3.75 million
  • Lewis and Clark

    Lewis and Clark
    President Jefferson appointed Meriweather Lewis and William Clark to lead the expition on the newly purchased Louisiana territory so they could find a way to the pacific ocean on the way they met a shoeshine women her name was sacajewea this journey had many good effects on the us as they found a path through the rocky mountains followed along the colombia river the the pacific ocean and in the end they were also able to claim oregon territory.
  • Population Rise

    When new land became available for settling, people moved westward. In 1800, the population west of the Appalachians was 387,000; by 1820, the west's population had exploded.
  • Missouri Compromise

    Missouri Compromise
    The Missouri Compromise was a law that addressed the sectional tension about slavery. President James Monroe signed the law, and the US Congress admitted Missouri to the union which allowed slavery and maine as a free state. This also ban slavery from the rest of the louisiana purchase.
  • Manifest Destiny

    Manifest Destiny
    John Louis O'Sullivan was a magazine editor. In 1845, he stated that it was the "Manifest Destiny" of Americans "to overspread the continent that was allotted by province." Many believed this concept was the idea that God bestowed the entire continent to the Americans and wanted them to settle on the western land.
  • Mexican American War

    Mexican American War
    On April 25, 1846, Mexican cavalry attacked a group of U.S. soldiers in the disputed zone under the command of General Zachary Taylor, killing around 12 soldiers. They then laid siege to Fort Texas along the Rio Grande. At that time, only about 75,000 Mexican citizens lived north of the Rio Grande. As a result, U.S. forces could conquer those lands with minimal resistance. Lastly, on Feb. 2, 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, establishing the Rio Grande as the U.S.-Mexican border.
  • Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

    Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
    The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed on February 2, 1848, ended the Mexican-American War in favor of the United States. The war had begun almost two years earlier, in 1846. The treaty added 525,000 square miles to United States territory. Mexico also gave up all claims to Texas and recognized the Rio Grande River as America’s southern boundary.
  • Kansas-Nebraska act

    Kansas-Nebraska act
    The Kansas-Nebraska Act was a bill proposed by the Illinois senator, Stephen Douglas. he wanted to organize the territory of Nebraska in the large area of land that would eventually become, Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, and the Dakotas
  • Bleeding Kansas

    Bleeding Kansas
    a period of time when there were repeated violent outbursts of violent guerrilla warfare between pro and and anti slavery after the creation of the new territory and kansas in 1854
  • Homestead Act

    Homestead Act
    This act was signed by Abraham Lincoln and granted 160 acres of land to citizens who agreed to live on the land and cultivate it for at least five years.