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President Thomas Jefferson buys the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million. This doubles the size of the United States and provides a large area to the west of the country for expansion.
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Explorers Lewis and Clark map out areas of the Louisiana Purchase and eventually reach the Pacific Ocean.
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Congress passes a law to move Native Americans from the Southeast to the west of the Mississippi River.
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Mexican troops attack the Alamo Mission killing all but two Texans. This spurs the Texans on in the Texas Revolution.
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The Cherokee Nation is forced to march from the east coast to Oklahoma. Many thousands die along the way.
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People begin to travel west in wagon trains on the Oregon Trail. Around 300,000 people would take the trail over the next 20 years.
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Journalist John O'Sullivan first uses the term "Manifest Destiny" to describe the westward expansion of the United States.
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The United States officially claims Texas as a state, eventually leading to the Mexican-American War.
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After experiencing religious persecution, the Mormons move to Salt Lake City, Utah.
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A war fought over the rights to Texas. After the war, the United States paid Mexico $15 million for land that would later become California, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and parts of several other states.
