American Expansion
The fulfillment of “manifest destiny”
From “city upon a hill” to transcontinental
nation
1. The Original United States
• 1776-Declaration of
Independence
• 1783-Treaty of ParisGreat Britain grants
American
independence and
brings an end to the
American Revolution
• With this treaty, the
British officially ceded
the land west to the
Mississippi River
• Territory west of the
original 13 colonies
was settled by
pioneers
• Next this land became
territories through
Congressional land
ordinances and
cessions by the
original states
• The land was really
won through wars with
American Indians
1. The Original United States
Territory
Date Acquired
Previous Owner
Circumstances of Acquisition
Original
United States
1776/1783
Great Britain
• Fought in American Revolution
•Treaty of Paris gave us this
2. Louisiana Purchase
• 1803-President Thomas
Jefferson purchased land
from France’s Napoleon for
$15 million
• The US really just wanted
to control the port of New
Orleans for trade
• Napoleon had gained the
land from Spain but due to
events in Europe, France
did not want to maintain
the territory
2. Louisiana Purchase
Territory
Date Acquired
Previous Owner
Circumstances of Acquisition
Louisiana
Purchase
1803
France
•Thomas Jefferson bought land
from Napoleon for $15 million
3. British Cession
• After the War of 1812, tension still
remained between the US &
Great Britain
• President Monroe encouraged
treaties to ease the tension
• In the Convention of 1818, the
US/Canada border was
established by the 49th parallel
from Minnesota to the Rocky
Mountains only
• Great Britain agreed to occupy
the Oregon Country with the US
for only the next 10 years
3. British Cession
Territory
Date Acquired
Previous Owner
Circumstances of Acquisition
British
Cession
1818
Great Britain
•Negotiated the Convention of
1818 to straighten out the
border in the North
4. Spanish Cession
• In 1812, the US incorporated West Florida,
saying it was a part of the Louisiana
Purchase
• General Andrew Jackson pursued Seminole
Indians into East Florida, claiming they were
harboring slaves and attacking American
settlements
• In 1819, the Spanish sold East Florida to the
US for $5 million & the US agreed to give up
claims on Texas in the Adams-Onis Treaty
4. Spanish Cession
Territory
Date Acquired
Previous Owner
Circumstances of Acquisition
Spanish
Cession
1819
Spain
•Andre Jackson fights the
Indians.
•U.S gave Spain $5 million to
have Florida
5. Texas Annexation
• By 1830, so many Americans had
settled in Texas that they outnumbered
Tejanos
• In 1835, settlers & Tejanos rebelled
against measures by Mexico to control
Texas
• From 1836 to 1845, Texas was an
independent Republic
• In 1845, President Polk pushed the
issue to war by claiming the Rio
Grande River as the Mexico/Texas
border in order to annex Texas
5. Texas Annexation
Territory
Date Acquired
Previous Owner
Circumstances of Acquisition
Texas
Annexation
1845
Mexico/Texas
•The U.S. claimed to won a
republic of Texas – starts the
Mexican War
6. Oregon Country
• In 1846, the US & Britain extended the border at the
49th parallel all the way to Puget Sound & the Pacific
Ocean
• Oregon which had already been explored by Lewis &
Clark & settled by American frontiersmen became
American
6. Oregon Country
Territory
Date Acquired
Previous Owner
Circumstances of Acquisition
Oregon
Country
1846
Great Britain
•We negotiated and extend the
border of Canada
7. Mexican Cession
• The Mexican War started by the US
annexation of Texas led to full-fledged war
which included the declaration of a
Republic of California
• The Mexican War was settled by the
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 in
which Mexico gave up Texas, California,
Nevada, Utah and parts of AZ, CO & NM
& the US paid $15 million
7. Mexican Cession
Territory
Date Acquired
Previous Owner
Circumstances of Acquisition
Mexican
Cession
1848
Mexico
•We won the Mexican war and
paid Mexico $15 Million
8. Gadsden Purchase
• In 1835, a US diplomat negotiated a deal
with Mexico to purchase this strip of land
for $10 million
• The US claimed that this land would
provide a route for a transcontinental
railroad across the country’s southern
border
8. Gadsden Purchase
Territory
Date Acquired
Previous Owner
Circumstances of Acquisition
Gadsden
Purchase
1853
Mexico
•Bought it for $10 Million
Check your Answers
Expansion of the U.S
Map Example #1
Map Example #2