Unit 51790s – 1860s
Westward Expansion
Study the words
Vocabulary
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45 words still to learn. You choose what counts as mastered — you can always move a word back.
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Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard
Whiskey Rebellion
A 1794 protest by farmers in Pennsylvania against a tax on whiskey.
Cause
Farmers were angry about taxes hurting their income after the Constitution was passed.
Effect
The new government stopped the rebellion by sending in troops led by George Washington.
Why it matters
Showed the new government could enforce laws and keep peace in the country and had the power to tax citizens unlike during Shays’ Rebellion under the Articles of Confederation.
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
Impressment
Impressment is the act of Britain forcing American sailors into their navy. During the 1800s, the British navy was the strongest in the world and would stop American ships at sea, board them, search for sailors and kidnap them. The men were forced into service in the British Navy.
Cause
Britain needed more sailors for war.
Effect
Americans became angry.
Why it matters
Helped cause the War of 1812.
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
War of 1812
A war between the U.S. and Britain (1812–1815).
Cause
Britain was impressing American sailors, limiting trade, and supporting Native Americans on the frontier. The US was interested in expanding into British land in Canada.
Effect
War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent. Both sides agreed to go back to pre-conditions. No land or money changed hands, but U.S. confidence grew.
Why it matters
The U.S. proved it could stand up to a world power and gained confidence, a stronger national identity and national pride.
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
Nationalism
Pride and loyalty toward one’s country.
Why it matters
Encouraged unity and expansion.
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Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard
National Anthem
The official song of the United States, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” It was written by Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812 after seeing the American flag still flying during the Battle of Fort McHenry.
Why it matters
Became a symbol of American pride and identity.
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Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard
Era of Good Feelings
A period from 1817–1825 during the presidency of James Monroe when there was only one major political party (the Democratic-Republicans) and less political fighting in the United States.
Why it matters
It looked like a time of unity, but important conflicts were building that would later divide the country.
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Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard
Monroe Doctrine
A policy announced in 1823 by James Monroe that warned European countries not to create new colonies or interfere in the Americas.
Cause
Many Latin American countries had just gained independence, and the U.S. feared European nations might try to take control again.
Effect
The U.S. declared that the Western Hemisphere was off-limits to further European colonization, while also promising to stay out of European affairs.
Why it matters
Showed the U.S. was becoming more confident and wanted influence in the Americas, setting the stage for future expansion and foreign policy.
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Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard
Westward Expansion
The movement of Americans west from the early 1800s to the Pacific Ocean to gain land, resources, and opportunity.
Why it matters
Increased the size of the U.S. and changed its economy and population.
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Standard 7.6a — Motives for Territorial Expansion
Manifest Destiny
The belief that Americans were meant to expand west across North America in the 1800s.
Why it matters
Justified expansion, even when it harmed Native Americans and Mexicans who already lived on the lands.
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
Louisiana Purchase
In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson bought land from France west of the Mississippi River for $15 million.
Cause
The U.S. wanted control of New Orleans and the Mississippi River for trade routes and defense.
Effect
The country doubled in size.
Why it matters
Opened land for exploration and settlement.
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
Florida Cession
In 1819, the U.S. gained Florida from Spain through the Adams-Onís Treaty.
Cause
Runaway enslaved people fled to Florida, where Native American groups (like the Seminole) protected them, and Spain could not control the area. President Andrew Jackson was sent to the region and used military force to pressure Spain.
Effect
Spain gave Florida to the U.S., and the U.S. agreed to pay $5 million and set clear boundaries.
Why it matters
Showed how the U.S. used both military pressure and diplomacy to gain land.
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
Oregon Territory
Land in the Northwest claimed by both the U.S. and Britain until 1846.
Cause
Both nations wanted the land.
Effect
Divided at the 49th parallel (line of latitude) and led to increased migration by pioneers and settlers looking for new opportunities and farmland.
Why it matters
Prevented a third war with Britain.
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
Texas Annexation
In 1845, the United States added Texas, which had been an independent country after breaking away from Mexico in 1836.
Cause
American settlers in Texas wanted to join the U.S., and the U.S. wanted more land and slave states.
Effect
Mexico refused to recognize Texas as independent and tensions rose.
Why it matters
Directly led to war with Mexico.
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
Mexican Cession
Land in the Southwest (including California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of several other states) that Mexico gave to the United States in 1848 after losing the Mexican American War.
Details
The U.S. paid $15 million for the land in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo to make the land transfer official. This helped secure legal control of the territory, avoid future conflict, and convince Mexico to agree to peace.
Cause
Mexico was defeated in the war.
Effect
The U.S. gained about 500,000 square miles of land.
Why it matters
Greatly expanded the U.S. and raised major questions about whether slavery would be allowed in the new territories.
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
Gadsden Purchase
In 1853, the United States bought a strip of land from Mexico in present-day southern Arizona and New Mexico.
Details
The U.S. paid $10 million for about 30,000 square miles of land. It was named after James Gadsden, who negotiated the deal.
Cause
The U.S. wanted flat land for a southern transcontinental railroad route.
Effect
The southern border of the continental U.S. was finalized.
Why it matters
Marked the last major land acquisition in the lower 48 states and supported future transportation growth.
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Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard
Adams-Onís Treaty
An 1819 agreement where Spain gave Florida to the U.S. and set western boundaries.
Cause
Conflict in Florida, including Andrew Jackson’s military actions and Spain’s weak control.
Effect
Spain gave up Florida and borders were clearly defined.
Why it matters
Showed expansion through pressure and diplomacy.
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
54 40 or Fight
A campaign slogan used by James K. Polk, who ran for president in 1844 promising to take all of the Oregon Territory for the United States. The number 54°40′ refers to a line of latitude that marked the northern boundary of the territory claimed by the U.S.
Cause
Americans wanted control of Oregon for land, trade, and expansion.
Effect
After Polk was elected, the U.S. avoided war with Britain and instead agreed to divide the land at the 49th parallel.
Why it matters
Shows that while Americans strongly supported expansion, leaders sometimes chose compromise over war.
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Standard 7.6a — Motives for Territorial Expansion
Annex/ Annexation
The act of adding land to a country, often involving political or military pressure.
Why it matters
Explains how Texas became part of the U.S.
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
Mexican American War
A war between the U.S. and Mexico from 1846–1848 after the U.S. annexed Texas.
Cause
Disagreement over the Texas border (Rio Grande vs. Nueces River) and U.S. expansion.
Effect
The U.S. quickly defeated Mexico and occupied its capital.
Why it matters
Allowed the U.S. to take a large amount of land.
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Standard 7.6a — Motives for Territorial Expansion
Cession
The giving up of land by one country to another, usually after war or treaty.
Why it matters
Explains how Mexico lost land to the U.S.
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The 1848 treaty that ended the Mexican American War between the U.S. and Mexico.
Cause
The U.S. won the war and forced negotiations.
Effect
Mexico gave up land and the U.S. paid $15 million; Mexicans in the territory were promised rights.
Why it matters
Completed the Mexican Cession and expanded the U.S. significantly.
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
Indian Removal Act
A law passed in 1830 under President Andrew Jackson that forced Native American nations in the Southeast (especially the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole) to move west of the Mississippi River to land in present-day Oklahoma.
Cause
White settlers wanted fertile land for cotton farming, and gold was discovered on Cherokee land in Georgia.
Effect
Native Americans were removed from their homes and forced onto new land in the West at gunpoint.
Why it matters
Led to loss of land, rights, and culture, and directly caused events like the Trail of Tears.
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
Trail of Tears
The forced removal of about 15,000–16,000 Cherokee from their homes in the Southeast to present-day Oklahoma in 1838–1839. The name comes from the extreme suffering and deaths along the journey.
Cause
The Indian Removal Act and the U.S. government’s desire for land, including areas where gold was found.
Effect
About 4,000 Cherokee died from disease, hunger, and exhaustion during the journey.
Why it matters
Shows the human cost of expansion and how Native Americans were forced off their land despite resistance.
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
Reservation
Areas of land set aside by the government for Native Americans, often far from their original homes.
Why it matters
Native Americans lost control of their land and were forced into smaller, less valuable areas.
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Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard
Mountain Men
Fur trappers and explorers who lived in the western wilderness in the early 1800s.
Why it matters
Their knowledge of trails and geography helped guide settlers west and open major migration routes.
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Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard
Wagon Train
Groups of settlers traveling west together in covered wagons for safety.
Why it matters
Made long journeys possible but still dangerous.
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
Oregon Trail
A 2,000+ mile route from Missouri to Oregon used by settlers moving west in the 1800s.
Why it matters
One of the main paths of westward migration.
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
Mormon Trail
A route used by members of the Mormon religion to move west to Utah for religious freedom.
Why it matters
Shows that people moved west for reasons beyond land and money.
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
Santa Fe Trail
A trade route from Missouri to New Mexico used in the early–mid 1800s to transport goods between the United States and Mexico.
Why it matters
Increased trade and cultural exchange, connected different regions, and helped open the Southwest to American influence and expansion.
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
The Donner Party
A group of settlers traveling west who became trapped by snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains in 1846–1847.
Cause
Took an untested shortcut and were caught in early winter storms.
Effect
Many died, and survivors faced extreme conditions.
Why it matters
Shows the serious dangers of westward travel.
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
California Gold Rush
A large movement of people to California after gold was discovered by James Marshall in the American River at Sutter’s Mill in 1848.
Effect
Over 300,000 people, mostly men, rushed to California from the United States and around the world hoping to become rich.
Why it matters
Rapid population growth allowed California to quickly apply for statehood, and it entered the Union in 1850 as the 31st state and a free state, increasing tensions between the North and South.
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
Forty-Niners
People who traveled to California in 1849 during the California Gold Rush to search for gold.
Why it matters
Represent both the opportunity and risk of westward expansion.
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Standard 7.6c — The Movement of People Westward
National Road
The first federally funded highway in the United States, built from 1811 to the 1830s to connect the East (Maryland) to the western frontier (Ohio).
Why it matters
Made it easier and faster for settlers, goods, and mail to move west, helping connect the country. Led to development of more roads.
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Standard 7.6c — The Movement of People Westward
Erie Canal
A 363-mile man-made waterway built in New York from 1817–1825 that connected the Great Lakes to the Hudson River. It was strongly supported by the governor of NY at the time, DeWitt Clinton.
Why it matters
Made shipping goods much faster and cheaper, connecting the Midwest to eastern markets. It helped New York City grow into a major trade and economic center.
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Standard 7.6c — The Movement of People Westward
Transcontinental Railroad
Transcontinental Railroad
Why it matters
Greatly sped up travel, trade, and migration west, helping connect the country and support economic growth.
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Standard 7.6c — The Movement of People Westward
Telegraph
A communication system that sent messages over long distances using electrical signals and Morse code in the mid-1800s.
Why it matters
Allowed messages to travel almost instantly across the country, connecting regions and improving communication.
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Standard 7.6c — The Movement of People Westward
Cotton Gin
A machine invented in 1793 by Eli Whitney that quickly separated cotton fibers from seeds.
Cause
Cotton was hard and slow to clean (pull seeds out and separate from the pod) by hand.
Effect
Cotton production exploded, especially in the South.
Why it matters
Made cotton farming more profitable and increased the demand for enslaved labor, expanding slavery west.
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Standard 7.6c — The Movement of People Westward
Industrial Revolution
A period in the early–mid 1800s when goods began to be made by machines in factories instead of by hand, especially in the Northern states.
Why it matters
Created a strong industrial economy in the North, making it very different from the agricultural South.
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Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard
Factory System
A method of producing goods in large buildings using machines and workers, often located near rivers for power.
Why it matters
Increased production but also led to long hours, low wages, and the growth of urban areas.
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Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard
Missouri Compromise
An 1820 agreement in a very divided Congress that allowed Missouri to enter as a slave state and Maine as a free state. Main was divided from lands that were considered Massachusetts.
Cause
The U.S. wanted to keep balance between free and slave states.
Effect
Slavery was banned north of the 36°30′ line (except Missouri).
Why it matters
Temporarily kept peace but showed how divided the country was over slavery.
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Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard
Compromise of 1850
A set of laws passed in 1850 to deal with slavery in territories gained after the Mexican American War.
Cause
Expansion raised the question of whether new territories would allow slavery.
Effect
Temporarily reduced conflict but created anger, especially in the North.
Why it matters
Showed how divided the country was over slavery and that compromise was only a short-term solution.
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Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard
Kansas Nebraska Act
A law passed in 1854, led by Stephen A. Douglas, that created the Kansas and Nebraska territories and allowed settlers to vote on slavery using popular sovereignty.
Cause
Earlier compromises (like the Compromise of 1850) allowed voting on slavery, and Douglas wanted to organize western land for settlement and a railroad.
Effect
Pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups rushed into Kansas, leading to violent conflict known as “Bleeding Kansas.”
Why it matters
Showed that compromise was breaking down and that the country was moving closer to civil war.
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Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard
Popular Sovereignty
The idea that people in a territory can vote to decide whether to allow slavery, especially in the mid-1800s.
Why it matters
Instead of solving the slavery issue, it increased conflict and showed that compromise was breaking down.
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Standard 7.6c — The Movement of People Westward
Sectionalism
Strong loyalty to a region (North or South) rather than the whole country in the early–mid 1800s.
Why it matters
Made compromise harder, increased distrust between regions, and pushed the country closer to the Civil War.
Example
Conflicts like the Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850, and Kansas-Nebraska Act showed growing division.
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Standard 7.6c — The Movement of People Westward
Abolitionists/ Abolitionism
A movement to end slavery in the United States, especially strong in Northern states in the early–mid 1800s.
Why it matters
Increased sectional tension and helped push the country closer to the Civil War.
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Mastery by standard
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Standard 7.6a — Motives for Territorial Expansion
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Standard 7.6a — Motives for Territorial Expansion: 0 of 3 terms mastered.Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise
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Standard 7.6b — Conflict and Compromise: 0 of 21 terms mastered.Standard 7.6c — The Movement of People Westward
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Standard 7.6c — The Movement of People Westward: 0 of 8 terms mastered.Other Vocabulary — Not listed under a standard
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Other Vocabulary — not listed under a standard: 0 of 13 terms mastered.