Manifest Destiny = "from sea to shining sea" = how the United States became a continental empire

The Treaty of Paris

After the American Revolution, where Americans Declared Independence from Great Britain, the Treaty of Paris ended the conflict and ceded all it's colonies in the New World with the exception of Canada. The terms were that the United States would gain all of the area east of the Mississippi River, north of Florida, and south of Canada. The northern boundary would be almost the same as today. The United States would gain fishing rights off Canadian coasts, and agreed to allow British merchants and Loyalists to try to recover their property. It was a highly favorable treaty for the United States, and deliberately so from the British point of view. Prime Minister Shelburne foresaw highly profitable two-way trade between Britain and the rapidly growing United States, as indeed came to pass with the Jay Treaty.

Louisiana Purchase

The government under the 3rd President Thomas Jefferson negotiated a deal with a money-starved France in 1803 for the land west of the Mississippi River to the northern parts of the Rocky Mountains for $15 million, which averages out to less than 3 cents an acre. It was a steal and even though the Constitution only allowed Congress to purchase land, Jefferson seized the opportunity and more than doubled the size of the United States. Jefferson also authorized the exploration of the territory and hired men named Lewis and Clark to embark on the 2 year journey from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean...and back, to report their findings. Although Lewis and Clark probably would not have made it far without the help of their Native American guide: Sacagawea.  

Adams-Onis Treaty

The American government purchased modern-day Florida from Spain in 1819 after an invasion by Andrew Jackson.

“God Blessed Texas” - The Texas Revolution (review from 7th grade)

The Republic of Texas declared independence from the Republic of Mexico on March 2, 1836. At the time the vast majority of the Texian population favored the annexation of the Republic by the United States. The leadership of both major U.S. political parties, the Democrats and the Whigs, opposed the introduction of Texas, a vast slave-holding region, into the volatile political climate of the pro- and anti-slavery sectional controversies in Congress. Moreover, they wished to avoid a war with Mexico (for the moment), whose government refused to acknowledge the sovereignty of its rebellious northern province. With Texas's economic fortunes declining by the early 1840s, the President of the Texas Republic, Sam Houston, arranged talks with Mexico to explore the possibility of securing official recognition of independence, with the United Kingdom mediating. It wasn’t until 1845 that the United States finally annexed the state into the union.

Oregon Territory

Negotiated with Great Britain as part of a treaty to split disputed territory in 1846. Great Britain ceded the Oregon Territory and the United States relinquished land claims to what is now British Columbia. For the United States, Oregon was annexed in response to Texas being added to the Union in 1845, to maintain the balance of free and slave territories in the United States.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hildago - Mexican Cession

Mexico didn’t recognize it’s province of Texas as independent, therefore could not be annexed by the United States. The US government basically said “oh yeah?! You gonna stop us?” and posted federal troops on the southern border and started the US-Mexican War in 1846. The War ended in 1848 after the US captured Mexico City forcing then-president Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna to cede not only Texas to the United States, but almost the entire Pacific Southwestern United States.. In what is known as the Mexican Cession, Mexico lost a lot more than Texas. California, included in the cession, would see the discovery of gold in 1849, leading to a population and economic boom. California statehood restarted the debate over slavery, leading to the Compromise of 1850.

Gadsden Purchase

Purchased from Mexico in 1853. Originally a tract of land the US planned to build the Transcontinental Railroad through, when the railroad was diverted through the Rocky Mountains with the help of new technology, but the territory remained under US control.