Virginia and US History SOL map study: US expansion 1789-1959

Preparation for the state of Virginian SOL ("Standards of Learning") History test: US expansion 1789-1959

Early Republic, 1789-1820

1790s	US after becoming an independent nation acquired the lands between the Appalachian Mountains Mississippi River
	Organization of new territories between claims of existing states (former 13 colonies) federal territories created by Congress especially the Northwest Territory

Territorial growth & Mexican-American War, 1820-1860

1803: showing the Louisiana Purchase, territories West of the Mississippi and north of Mexican lands	Louisiana Purchase, 1803 bought from France (which took it a few years before from Spain) doubles the size the country expands US lands: west of the Mississippi north of Spanish territories (Mexico gains independence from Spain in 1821) the Louisiana Purchase leads to further western expansion by Americans including into Spanish territories (modern Texas)
1827 showing the Republic of Texas and reorganization of the Louisiana Purchase lands into US territories	Mexican Texas, 1827 US settlers pushed into Spanish / Mexican lands and gained independence from Mexico notes on Texas (not important for the Virginia SOL) American and Spanish settlers in Texas gained independence from Spain in 1821 creating, "Mexican Texas," a part of Mexico from 1821-1836 in 1836, Texas declared independence from Mexico and became an independent country, the Republic of Texas from 1836-1846 Texas was "annexed" (taken by) the US in 1845 and became a US state in 1846 these events were significant to the Mexican-American War, 1846-1848

Slavery maps, to 1865

Slavery in American colonies as of 1770	Slavery in the 13 American colonies prior to the American Revolution
Distribution of free and slave states, 1850	See this animated map timeline for expansion of slavery from colonial to Civil War period