Manifest Destiny

• Definition: America's belief in its "god-given" right to expand its territory from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

  • Embodies the concept that expansion was not only desirable but also justified and inevitable.

Land Acquisitions in U.S. History

• Key Event: Various significant land acquisitions that shaped U.S. territory.

Louisiana Purchase

• Description: A landmark land acquisition that doubled the size of the United States.

  • Included 828,000 square miles of territory purchased from France in 1803.

  • Key for access to the port of New Orleans, which was vital for trade.

Mexican Cession

• Description: Territory ceded to the U.S. by Mexico as a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848.

  • Included present-day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and parts of Colorado and New Mexico.

Gadsden Purchase

• Description: Acquired from Mexico in 1854 to facilitate a southern transcontinental railroad.

  • Included land that is now southern Arizona and New Mexico.

The Battle of the Alamo

• Key Figure: Santa Anna

  • Leader of the Mexican forces at the Battle of the Alamo.

  • Later served as President of Mexico, becoming a controversial figure in Mexican-American history.

• Key Outcomes: Significant as a rallying point for Texan independence.

American Texan Settlers

• Key Figure: Stephen Austin

  • Known for leading the first American settlers into Mexican-controlled Texas.

• Important Context: Austin's efforts are crucial in the lead-up to the Texas Revolution.