a descriptive timeline that shows how America expanded its various frontiers throughout history
Created by tlaughlin on Nov 17, 2009
Last updated: 03/04/10 at 01:43 AM
Tags: America United States History
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The American Apollo 11 landed on the moon, ending the space race with Russia. The space race was started in 1957 when Russia successfully launched Sputnik. The race was a battle to explore the "Final Frontier," outer space. The lunar landing expanded America's frontier beyond Earth and into the moon. Also, America became united and extremely patriotic during this time. The other frontier that was expanded was that of technology. America spent a lot of time and effort innovating new technology for missiles and rockets and space material. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/HistRC/
The Federal-Aid Highway Act was made under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. It formed over 40,000 miles of highway across the United States. It made traveling by automobile a better mode of transportation, and made it easier to travel long distances within America. It also took industrial expansion a step further by growing the automobile industry, which was one of the first industries to use assembly lines, and when the automobile industry grew it created thousands of jobs. Also, the growth of highways connects the entire country and creates suburbanization and the concept of commuting. Now that people can take a highway into the city every day, they don't have to live in the city. Many people move to the suburbs. "Federal-Aid Highway Act (1956)." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2009. Web. 8 Dec. 2009. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/HistRC/
Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully completed their first flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Their innovation in the field of aerodynamics and flight led to airplanes as we know them today. They started a movement that allowed Humans to travel farther and faster than they ever had before. Also, the concept of flight was part of America's expansion because people had never been able to travel into the sky before. "The Wright Brothers' First Flight." (The Library of Congress ).Student Resource Center - College Edition. Gale. MARY INSTITUTE & ST LOUIS DAY SCHOOL. 9 Dec. 2009 .
Alexander Graham Bell invented the first telephone. The telephone was used to communicate over long distances. This invention in the field of technology expanded the ability to communicate. Before the telephone people had to use telegraphs in order to communicate long distances or travel to wherever the person who they wanted to talk lived and talk to them directly. With the new telephone, they could have a conversation with someone who was miles and miles away. "Alexander Graham Bell." (Bell, Alexander Graham, photograph. U. S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. ).Student Resource Center - College Edition. Gale. MARY INSTITUTE & ST LOUIS DAY SCHOOL. 9 Dec. 2009 .
Alexander Graham Bell invented the first telephone. The telephone was used to communicate over long distances. This invention in the field of technology expanded the ability to communicate. Before the telephone people had to use telegraphs in order to communicate long distances or travel to wherever the person who they wanted to talk lived and talk to them directly. With the new telephone, they could have a conversation with someone who was miles and miles away. "Alexander Graham Bell." (Bell, Alexander Graham, photograph. U. S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. ).Student Resource Center - College Edition. Gale. MARY INSTITUTE & ST LOUIS DAY SCHOOL. 9 Dec. 2009 .
Congress had been opposed to acquiring Alaska before William Seward convinced them to purchase it for 7.2 million dollars. Critics of this deal felt that Alaska was worthless and that it was to inconvenient to reach. Although it is not contingent with the United States, Alaska was finally purchased from Russia because it provided natural resources and an easier route to trade with Asia. This acquisition expanded America's boundaries farther west and north and opened a new trade partnership with Asia. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/HistRC/
The Homestead Act was created in 1862 to entice people into moving to the Midwest. Under this act, anyone who was over 21 could purchase 160 acres of land for just $1.25. This outrageously cheap one time fee guaranteed you five years on that property. In order to keep that property after five years, it was required that you build a house, dig a well, cultivate farm land, and fence in your property. This act had a 40% success rate, so it did bring some settlers into the Midwest region. However, it mostly benefited people who were already wealthy. It did not take into account that poor farmers and immigrants would have trouble reaching the Midwest to start their future there. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/HistRC/
Mexico was angry that the U.S. approved Texas as a state. Mexico and the U.S. could not agree on a border between Texas and Mexico. These emotions boiled over and became the Mexican War when Congress declared war in 1846. After two years, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was made. As a result of this treaty, the U.S. gained territories that cover present day New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, California, and parts of other states. Any Mexicans in these territories had one year to leave or become Americans. This war also increased the sense of Manifest Destiny, superiority, and imperialism in America. "War with Mexico (Overview)." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2009. Web. 29 Nov. 2009. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/HistRC/
John L. O'Sullivan coined the phrase "Manifest Destiny" in an essay about the Texas controversy with Mexico. Manifest Destiny became a term that describes America's sense of ownership of the west. It is the concept that God has given Americans the right to the west. It is predestined that the United States encompass the entire continent, and that America toss other groups of people aside in their quest to expand. Americans are superior to the heathen that currently live in the west. This attitude made Americans want to expand their country and by doing so, improve the world around them. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/HistRC/
The Monroe Doctrine was issued by American President James Monroe as part of his state of the Union address in 1823. This statement was a response to European countries who were trying to stake a claim in the New World. The United States announced to the world that they are a world power and would not be pushed around by Europeans who had pretensions to New World territory. Any European colonization in the Americas would be viewed as a threat to the United States. The U.S. would not interfere with any other governments, but they would not accept other countries coming into the American Continents. Also, America's government is fundamentally different from those of Europe, and that is what has allowed America to prosper in the New World. This was very important to expansion because it kept other countries from venturing into territory that America would explore in the future. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/HistRC/
President Thomas Jefferson sent James Monroe to France to barter for territory. America bought 828,000 square miles of territory from France for only 15 million dollars. This led to western expansion and doubled the size of the United States. "Map of the area encompassing the Louisiana Purchase." (The Gale Group. ).Student Resource Center - College Edition. Gale. MARY INSTITUTE & ST LOUIS DAY SCHOOL. 24 Nov. 2009 . "Louisiana Purchase (Overview)." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2009. Web. 24 Nov. 2009. .
The Northwest Ordinance was made in 1787. It applied to territory east of the Mississippi river and north of the Ohio River. It set up governments in these territories so that they may be admitted as states later on. The states that gained admission were Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. This was significant because America expanded her frontier and expanded to the west and to the north. This is also one of the first moments of expansion and sets a precedent for pushing America's boundaries farther and farther. "Northwest Ordinance (1787)." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2009. Web. 29 Nov. 2009. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/HistRC/
The British made a Proclamation that created a line that separated the colonists from the Native Americans. They were tired of dealing with the Indians and decided to appease them for awhile. The British would not allow their colonists to expand westward of that line. This outraged the colonists. The colonists had just fought a war for seven years in order to move the Indians so that they could claim land and expand to the west. Now they were being denied that right by their own government! Their own government was giving their land back to the Indians. The colonists were very upset with their government and their anger over this issue is one of the first steps towards revolution. It also shows how badly colonists wanted to expand into the frontier. Reproduced in History Resource Center. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/HistRC/
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