Survey of Westward Expansion

Bullet Points in Bold are eligible for the Final Exam.

1787 Northwest Land Ordinance establishes process by which territories apply for statehood, governing of lands surrounding Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Slavery banned in Old NW Territory
1788 First lands surveyed by Land Ordinance act are sold

1803 Louisiana Purchase: doubles size of country, purchased by Jefferson from France for $15 million dollars.

1804 Lewis and Clark expedition throughout new purchase, searching for waterway connections throughout new land.
1815 increase in westward expansion after War of 1812. · Missouri applies for statehood as a slave state
1820 Missouri compromise: Missouri admitted as slave state, Maine admitted as free state

1823 Monroe Doctrine: European Exploration efforts warned against by US, actions will be taken. US Will respect existing colonies and avoid European Internal affairs

1836 Texas declares independence from Mexico. The Alamo.
1842 Elijah White leads first wagon train to Oregon Country (120 settlers. One year later, 1000 make journey)
1845 Manifest Destiny term coined.
1848 End of Mexican American War results in Mexico ceding California and New Mexico. Same year, 70,000 Mormons travel to Utah from Illinois
1848 Daniel Webster: “I cannot conceive of anything more ridiculous, absurd, and more affrontive to all sober judgment than the cry that we are profiting by the acquisition of New Mexico and California. I hold that they are not worth a dollar.”
1848 Gold is discovered at Sutter’s Mill. San Francisco grows from 1,000 to 35,000 in one year. California from 93,000 to 380,000 in 10 years. 50,000 “Forty Niners” travel west.
1850 Compromise of 1850, further definitions of slavery status in new territories and states

1857 Dred Scott decision: Congress has no authority to restrict slavery in territories.

1859 Telegraph replaces pony express
1867 Alaska purchased for $7.2 million from Russia.