Manifest Destiny

In 1845, John O'Sullivan coined in on the idea of manifest destiny. Manifest Destiny means "obvious fate." As Americans tried to fufill the meaning of manifest destiny, the United States grew through many treaties, through settlement, and through war.

The first chunk of land that the United States purchased was the Lousiana Territory. But since they didn't know what the land was like, so they sent Meriweather Lewis, Wiliam Clark, Zebulon Pike, and John C. Fremont to search the land. Lewis and Clark traveled with Sacagawea, and Clark's slave York. They met many Indian tribes inclucing the Nez Percé. The Lewis and Clark expedition opened many doors for western settlement. 

The United staes then aquired Florida through diplomacy. They Annexed Texas after Texas won its independence and became an individual state. They aquired the Oregon Counrty after long wait and debate and during the Mexican War, California, New Mexico and the Gadsen purchase became a part of the U.S.