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 Paris-Great 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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