The Westward Expansion of the Americans

Which territory:

- Was originally owned by Britain

- Became a part of the U.S when they declared independence + won the Revolutionary War against Britain

- Before their sovereignty could be recognized by other nations, they needed to first recognize it in themselves

• The Original 13 Colonies

• The Louisiana Purchase

• Adams-Onis Treaty

• Texas Annexation

Which Territory:

- When the U.S. won the Revolutionary War, Britain was obligated to cede (give up/out) their authority to the 13 colonies, as well as this/their territory

- This territory can be viewed as the spoils of the war

• Territory Gained by the Treaty of Paris

• The Louisiana Purchase

• The British Cession (Red river Basin)

• Gadsden Purchase

Which Territory:

- Purchased by President Thomas Jefferson from France (who needed the money from the purchase to finance the war in Europe) for an incredibly cheap price

- President Jefferson was unsure if this acquisition was illegal, however, he believed that it was too good a deal to pass

- In the authorizing of this purchase the U.S. doubles in size

• The Louisiana Purchase

• The British Cession (Red River Basin)

• Gadsden Purchase

• The Mexican Cession

Which Territory:

- The British and the Americans had ongoing land disputes, particularly along the Canadian border (modern-day North Dakota and Minnesota)

- This peaceful treaty settled this dispute by making a clear boundary distinction between the two territories

• The British Cession (Red River Basin)

• Adams-Onis Treaty

• Webster-Ashburton Treaty

• Texas Annexation

Which Treaty:

- Was a peaceful negotiation with Spain, as the ceded sovereignty of modern-day Florida

- Happened with a weakening presence of Spain on the global stage, as nations across Central and South America were declaring their independence from Spain

- This European power was ultimately removed from the Western Hemisphere

• Adams-Onis Treaty

• Texas Annexation

• The Louisiana Purchase

• Territory gained by the Treaty of Paris

Which Territory:

- Settled the border of disputes between the U.S. and Britain in Maine, in the Great Lakes region

- Set the precedent for future peaceful treaty negotiations between the U.S. and Britain, signaling strong ties for future diplomatic matters

• Webster-Ashburton Treaty

• British Cession (Red River Basin)

• Adams-Onis Treaty

• Texas Annexation

What is the definition of "sovereignty"?

• One's right to rule/govern

• One's right to sign a treaty

• One's slavery

• One's ability to protect themselves

Which Territory:

- Texas was previously a state within the country of Mexico

- After a while they fought their own war for independence (with weapons and money provided by the U.S.) against Mexico

- After winning this war for independence, Texas was its own country for 9 years, all the while asking the U.S. to acquire/add them

- This sparked a great debate in the U.S. about the potential expansion of slavery (Texas was a slave-supporting state at the time), representation of slave states in Congress, and reinvigorated the abolition movement within the country because some states were slave-free and others still supported slavery

- Ultimately, Texas was added to the U.S. as the 28th state, and Iowa was added as a free state the following year

• - This angered Mexico because it still considered Texas its territory, eventually leading to the Mexican-American War

• Texas Annexation

• The Oregon Territory

• The Mexican Cession

• Gadsden Purchase

Which Territory:

- Was originally a disputed territory that Britain largely ignored (because of the distance to Great Britain and the cost associated with the development)

- President Polk famously declared, “54-40 or Fights” as a representation of his promise to the American people to secure this territory within the U.S. borders all the way up to the latitude line of "54º40'"

- Great Britain, not looking to fight a war over this territory, agreed to a diplomatic resolution to the dispute

• Oregon Treaty

• Adams-Onis Treaty

• Gadsden Purchase

• Territory gained by the Treaty of Paris

Which Territory:

- At the end of the Mexican-American War, The U.S. was awarded land from Mexico, modern-day California, Nevada, Utah, and a part of Arizona due to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

- Mexican landowners in these areas became full American Citizens, but Americans took advantage of their unawareness of American Laws, leading to the loss of land of Mexicans residing in these areas

- The Massive new land that was acquired led to further tension over the expansion of slavery

• The Mexican Cession

• Webster-Ashburton Treaty

• The Louisiana Purchase

• The British Cession (Red River Basin)