Impact of Westward Expansion

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• The U.S. acquired approximately 828,000 square miles of territory from France for $15 million, effectively doubling the size of the nation!

Louisiana Purchase
1803

• Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark explored the newly acquired western territories, providing valuable information about the geography and native peoples.

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Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806)

• After gaining independence from Mexico in 1836, Texas was annexed, or added, by the United States in 1845, leading to tensions with Mexico.

​​Texas Annexation 1845

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• The U.S. war with Mexico resulted in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, through which the U.S. acquired California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Texas.

​​Mexican-American War 1846-1848

California Gold Rush 1848-1855

• All of this newly acquired land from The Treaty of Hildalgo, as a result of the Mexican-American War, is being discovered by European settlers for the first time!

• Settlements on this new land eventually led to the discovery of Gold in Coloma, CA in 1850.

• This discovery sent nearly 300,000 hopeful miners out west in hopes of getting rich!

• The influx of new settlers to the west accelerated California's statehood status, officially becoming a state in 1850.

Cultural Impacts of Westward Expansion and Manifest Destiny

1. Economic Growth - Expansion facilitated the growth of agriculture, mining, and industry. New resources and land contributed to the U.S. becoming a major economic power.

2. Population Growth and Migration - Millions of Americans and immigrants moved westward, leading to the rapid establishment of new states and cities.

3. Conflict with Native Americans - Westward expansion often led to violent conflicts with Native American tribes, who were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands. This included numerous wars and massacres, such as the Sand Creek Massacre (1864) and the Battle of Little Bighorn (1876).