Dates

A conflict between Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763.

French and Indian War

A law passed in 1787 that created a method for admitting new states to the Union.

Northwest Ordinance

A declaration made in 1793 by George Washington that the U.S. would remain neutral in conflicts between European nations.

Proclamation of Neutrality

A letter written by George Washington in 1796 advising against political parties and foreign alliances.

George Washington’s Farewell Address

The acquisition of the Louisiana territory from France in 1803, which doubled the size of the U.S.

Louisiana Purchase

A conflict fought between the United States and Great Britain from 1812 to 1815.

War of 1812

A U.S. policy established in 1823 that opposed European colonialism in the Americas.

Monroe Doctrine

A law passed in 1830 that allowed for the forced removal of Native American tribes from their ancestral lands.

Indian Removal Act

A conflict initiated in 1846 over territorial disputes between Mexico and the United States.

Start of Mexican-American War

The 1848 treaty that ended the Mexican-American War and ceded significant territory to the U.S.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

An 1851 act that created reservations for Native Americans, leading to their displacement from traditional lands.

Indian Appropriations Act (Reservations)

An 1887 law that aimed to assimilate Native Americans by allotting them individual plots of land.

Dawes Act

An 1898 conflict resulting in the U.S. victory over Spain and the subsequent annexation of Hawaii.

Spanish-American War; Annexation of Hawaii