In 1803‚ President Thomas Jefferson purchased the territory of Louisiana from the French government for $15 million. The Louisiana Purchase stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from Canada to New Orleans‚ and it doubled the size of the United States. To Jefferson‚ westward expansion was the key to the nation’s health: He believed that a republic depended on an independent‚ virtuous citizenry for its survival‚ and that independence and virtue went hand in hand with land
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Expansion There were two presidents that did a great deal for our country in the area of expansion. These two presidents are Thomas Jefferson and James K. Polk. Though they had completely different policies on expansion and foreign affairs‚ both of them vastly expanded the country. Jefferson was a believer in the Monroe Doctrine which basically said we will mind our own busi ness. He was also a very firm believer in a strict interpretation of the constitution. He did not look to vastly expand
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Expansionism under James K. Polk During the years surrounding James K. Polk’s presidency‚ the United States of America grew economically‚ socially‚ and most noticeably geographically. In this time period‚ the western boundaries of the Untied States would be expanded all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Many Americans in the 19th century believed that the acquisition of this territory to the west was their right and embraced the concept of "Manifest Destiny". This concept was the belief that
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Westward Expansion The westward expansion happened in the 1800`s. It was a period of time when the United States was trying to obtain more states in the Union from throughout North America; it was titled the Manifest Destiny. One of the reasons was because immigrants wanted to come to America to have freedom of religion‚ uninhabited land‚ and access to special metals. Martin Van Buren (1837 - 1841)‚ William Henry Harrison (1841‚ he died of pneumonia in office)‚ John Tyler (1841 - 1845)‚ and James
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(A+E)‚ James K. Polk moved to Columbia‚ Tennessee‚ at age 11 (Britannica). He graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina in 1818 (White House). He passed the bar exam in 1920 and opened a law practice in Columbia. Polk entered politics in 1823‚ when he served in the Tennessee State Legislature. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1825 (A+E). He was part of the House of Representatives for 14 years and was speaker for 4 of those years. James K. Polk was America’s best
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The westward expansion‚ which started in the 1820s‚ was one of the biggest steps forward our country has ever taken. It nearly tripled the size of our country and increased the population by monstrous amounts. It also improved the economy greatly though agricultural means‚ prompted political leaders to sent people to explore (Lewis and Clark)‚ started a civil war‚ motivated huge amounts of people to move west‚ and almost destroyed our country. The expansion was magnified greatly by the
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Synopsis Jefferson Davis was born in Christian County‚ Kentucky‚ on June 3‚ 1808. After a distinguished military career‚ Davis served as a U.S. senator and as Secretary of War under Franklin Pierce before his election as the president of the secessionist Confederate States of America. He was later indicted for treason‚ though never tried‚ and remained a symbol of Southern pride until his death in 1889. Quotes "I regarded the separation of the States as a great‚ though not the greater evil." –
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When mentioning southern expansion in the years prior to the American Civil War‚ what places come to mind? While most people think of the west as the closest and quickest place the southern states could have expanded the institution of slavery‚ one does not typically consider Cuba as a likely location. The island of Cuba served as a valid choice for many southern expansionists in the name of slavery‚ not only because its land was well suited and had been exposed to slavery‚ but also it was believed
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The life of James K. Polk Name: James Knox Polk Place of birth and date: Pineville‚ North Carolina November 2‚ 1795 Family Background: Mother- Jane Polk Father- Samuel Polk Had a younger brother and two younger sisters. His schooling had been minimal at a young age‚ in large part because of his poor health. In time‚ his chronic abdominal pains had been diagnosed as urinary stones. James’ father sent him to Philadelphia in the fall of 1812‚ to receive
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James Knox Polk was born on November 2‚ 1795 in a log cabin in Mecklenburg County‚ North Carolina‚ and went to become the 11th and youngest President of the United States. James Knox Polk was born in Pineville and graduated with honors in 1818 from the University of North Carolina. Leaving his law practice behind‚ he served in the Tennessee legislature‚ where he became friends with Andrew Jackson. Polk moved from the Tennessee legislature to the United States House of Representatives‚ serving from
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