Territorial Growth and Native American Policy

The Treaty of Paris (1783) granted the USA control over vast lands, including all of North America from Canada in the north to Florida in the south, and from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi River.

The area south of the Ohio River was called the Southwest Territory, while the area north of the Ohio River was called the Northwest Territory.

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 established a process for territories to become states. A territory with a population of 60,000 could apply for statehood, and newly formed states would have equal rights to the original thirteen states.

Native Americans, who had lived on the territories claimed by the USA, were forced to relocate to lands west of the Mississippi River. It involved forcibly removing thousands of Native Americans from their homes and ancestral lands.

The Cherokee Nation was forced from their ancestral lands in the Southeast to lands west of the Mississippi River. This forced relocation was a traumatic experience for the Cherokee people, often referred to as "The Trail of Tears."

Prior to their forced relocation, the Cherokee Nation had successfully adapted to European culture. They owned farms and lived in European-style homes, embraced Christianity, and sent their children to school.

The Indian Removal Act was a controversial government policy as it forcibly removed Native Americans from their lands and violated their rights.

The Indian Removal Act and the forced relocation of Native Americans, particularly the Cherokee Nation, represent a period of conflict and significant loss of indigenous culture.

The Republic of Texas, established after its declaration of independence from Mexico in 1836, later joined the United States in 1845.

The Mexican-American War (1846-1848) resulted from a dispute over the Texas border and President Polk's expansionist ambitions. The United States emerged victorious, acquiring vast territories from Mexico.

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo officially ended the Mexican-American War, ceding a significant portion of Mexican territory to the United States, including present-day California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado. It marked a major expansion of the United States.

The concept of Manifest Destiny, which fueled American expansionism in the 19th century, believed that the United States was destined to expand across the North American continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

In 1867, the United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million. This acquisition extended American territory into the Arctic and increased the country's presence in the Pacific Northwest.

The forced relocation of the Cherokee Nation from their ancestral lands in the Southeast to present-day Oklahoma, resulting in the deaths of thousands due to harsh conditions and disease.

The overland route used by American settlers to travel to the Oregon Territory in the 1830s and 1840s.

The Cherokee Nation established a written language, published a newspaper, and even drafted a constitution based on the US model.

The US Congress declared in the 1830s that Cherokee lands belonged to Georgia and were to be sold to white settlers.

American settlers, known as Texans, began to resent Mexican rule in Texas, eventually leading to conflict.

The British and the Americans had competing claims in Oregon, with Britain having more settlements initially. American political leaders feared British control over the region.