Created by colehompe on Oct 27, 2009
Last updated: 11/10/09 at 06:23 AM
Manifest Destiny has no followers yet. Be the first one to follow.
In 1867 the Secretary of State, Seward, bought Alaska because of all the valuable resources located there (maybe even gold).
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 began when Stephan Douglas, a senator from Illinois, introduced a new idea; popular sovereignty, which stated that the people should decide whether the state they live in should be a free or slave state. This violated the Compromise of 1850 and split the Whig party into the government we have today, democrats and republicans. This act also led to Bleeding Kansas, where Lawrence, Kansas started its own government, John Brown led a mob that murdered 5 people, and a cane-fight started between senators.
The Gadsden Purchase was claimed from Mexico in 1853 for $10 million so that a railroad could run down there for better transportation and unity.
The Compromise of 1850 admitted California as the 16th U.S. (free) state, upset the equilibrium of slave and free states, put no restrictions on slavery in Utah and New Mexico, and passed the Fugitive Slave Law.
California and New Mexico was won by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 after we went to war with Mexico. The reason for claiming this territory was due to the gold rush and the hope of money.
Texas was the first independent country to be brought into the union. Spanish encouraged American settlement in Texas and we got the territory in 1848 by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
A big diagreement was argued between Great Britian about the boundary in 1846. The Americans believed the boundary should be 54 degrees 40 minutes north of 49 degrees. The British thought it should be 46 degrees, 200 miles south of 49 degrees. A compromise led to the boundary being set at 49 degrees and there to stay.
After Texas won its independence from Mexico in 1836 more Americans were moving to Texas for economic reasons. When Texas applied to become apart of the U.S., a dispute eruptured over the border of Texas. The result of this war between Mexico and America
Florida was considered part of the United States in 1821 via the Adams-Onis Treaty. A few years prior to that President Madison won a little part of West Florida and then General Jackson raided East Florida in 1817. President Monroe eventually lead the Spanish to surreneder Florida to us in 1821.
Sectionalism was a result of expansion and was a major issues when it came to passing bills. The three groups that were divided were the North, South, and the West. The North pushed strongly fora protective tariff law of at least 40 cents on the dollar. They also wanted to recharter the United States Bank for at least 20 years, exclude slavery from all federal territories, and pay for the construction of roads and canals with federal money. The South's major goals were to pass a law that prohibited the discussion of slavery for 10 years. have the states pay for the construction of roads and canals, and to pass a law which cancels tariff of amend it to be less than 8 cents. The West hoped for the removal os the Indians to lands West of the Mississippi River, lowering the tariff to 8 cents on hte dollar, exclude slavery from the new territories, and having the Federal government pay for the construction of roads and canals.
Misouri applied to become a state in 1819. Then only problem was that it wanted to become a slave state and by becoming one, there would be more slave states than free ones. The result of this conflict included Maine breaking off from New Hampshire and becoming a free state and the Northern boundary being set at 36' 30 min.
The War of 1812, self-explanitory, occured in 1812. The reasons for this war included the issues of impressment, sectionalism, freedom of the seas, migration to Canada, and the alliance between Britain and the Indians living in the U.S. During this time the Star Spangled Banner was written, the White House was burned, and a treaty was signed that ended the war.
In 1803, President Jefferson initiated an exploration of the newly purchased land west of the Mississippi River. Jefferson chose Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, both excellent navigators and explorers. Sacagawea accompanied them on their journey and played a major role in their success. Their mission was to find a water route linking the Columbia and Missouri rivers.They set out down the Ohio River in 1803 and eventually accomplished their goal and returned back to St. Louis in 1806. This expedition led to the knowledge of a waterway to the waters of the Pacific and marked an initial pathway for the new nation to spread westward from ocean to ocean.
In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson purchased all of the Louisiana Territory from the French. Jefferson went to the French in hope of buying the Port of New Orleans to obtain money, but they sold us the whole thing.
The 13 colonies declared freedom from Britian in 1783 via the American Revolution. The main idea of this war was freedom.
Along with the 13 colonies, the Northwest Territory was also aquired from the British after the Am. Revolution.
The Trans-Appalachian Southwest was also aquired, just like the 13 colonies and the Northwest Territory, from Britian in 1783 due to our success in the Am. Revolution.