-
Louisiana Purchase
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. -
Lewis and Clark reach the ocean
Explorers Lewis and Clark map out areas of the Louisiana Purchase and eventually reach the Pacific Ocean. -
Indian Removal Act
Congress passes a law to move Native Americans from the Southeast to the west of the Mississippi River. -
Battle of the Alamo
Mexican troops attack the Alamo Mission killing all but two Texans. This spurs the Texans on in the Texas Revolution. -
The trail of tears
The Cherokee Nation is forced to march from the east coast to Oklahoma. Many thousands die along the way. -
Oregon Trail
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. -
Manifest destiny
Journalist John O'Sullivan first uses the term "Manifest Destiny" to describe the westward expansion of the United States. -
Texas becomes US state
The United States officially claims Texas as a state, eventually leading to the Mexican-American War. -
Brigham young leads 5000 Mormons to Utah
After experiencing religious persecution, the Mormons move to Salt Lake City, Utah. -
The Mexican American war
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.
