The Territorial Expansion of the USA, between 1500 and 2000, in pictures
74The North American Territorial Expansion
The North American territorial expansion of what is at present the United States of America is rather extraordinary !
A convenient way to visualize this expansion over 400 years, is with reference dates and historical maps .
√ Colonization
1000 : (probably ) exploration by the Vikings of Golf of St Laurent
1497 : (probably ) British exploration (John Cabot ) of east coast
1524 : French exploration (Giovanni da Verrazzano) of east coast
1542 : Spanish exploration of California
1570 : Spanish exploration of Virginia
1584 : British exploration (Sir Walter Raleigh)
1607 : the British build Fort James (later Jamestown)
1682 : French exploration - France claims La Louisiane
1750 : British, French, Spanish and uncharted territory
1754 - 1763 : the French and Indian War
1763 : French cession of all territories east of the Mississippi River
1775 : the Thirteen Original Colonies, Indian Territory, and Spanish Territory
French Louisiana was ceded to Spain
1775 - 1783 : the American Revolution
1783 : British cession of East and West Florida to Spain
√ United States of America
1800 : Organization of states and territories - French and Spanish territory
La Louisiane has been returned to France
1803 : the Louisiana Purchase from France
1818 : Treaty with Great Britain : acquisition of parts of North Dakota
and Minnesota,cession of part of Montana,
joint occupation of Oregon Country
1819 : Spanish Cession of East end West Florida, and part of Louisiana
1821 : Independence of Mexico
1845 : the Texas Annexation from Mexico
1846 : Acquisition of Oregon Country, by treaty with Great Britain
1848 : Mexican War : Acquisition of Texas, California, Nevada, Utah,
parts of Colorado,Arizona, New Mexico and Wyoming,
by Mexican cession
1853 : the Gadsden Purchase, from Mexico
Second Mexican Cession, parts of Arizona and New Mexico
1783 - 1853 : Overview period
1861 - 1865 : the Civil War - Free and Slave states
1867 : the Alaska Purchase, from Russia
1898 : the Hawaii Annexation
1898 : Spanish Cession, Acquisition of the Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guam
1917 : Virgin Islands Purchase, from Denmark
1918 : Overview
√ Graphic Progress of this Territorial Expansion
A magnificent and masterly graphic overview of the territorial expansion between 1750 and 2008, was made by Esemono !
Unfortunately, animated Gif files are not accepted, so click on the above link, or go to : http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Non-Native-American-Nations-Territorial-Claims-over-NAFTA-countries-1750-2008.gif
Enjoy !
Read more of the History of the USA on our website :
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You may have a point there. As an example, and if you want to discover the history of Belgium, that has been occupied by about everyone over the last 2,000 years (...), visit my website www.viewamerica.net/html.en-belgium.html. As to Europe, I think that the "old continent" nevertheless was very fortunate that the USA spent so much "blood, sweat and tears" to get rid of not one, but several aggressive dictators ! Afterwards and unfortunately, these have gradually been replaced by political "machines" and bloated parties, whose only goal is greed and power. I think that (most of) the individuals are to blame, and not necessarily the system ! Another consideration is that this happens in almost every country nowadays. But as a Belgian and a guest in your beautiful country, I carefully refrain from delving into recent history...
Old Empresario Level 2 Commenter 8 months ago
Pretty cool essay and timelines are the best way to understand history, I think. You've definitely touched on it. But you stopped too soon! Keep going! What about the occupation of Germany, Austria, Japan, Korea, and Italy?--later Vietnam, Panama, Turkey, Colombia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq? We now control the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the opposite sides of both oceans through vassalages and military bases. We're still growing, though we stopped making our vassals into territories, and subsequently into states. But who knows what may happen?