Territorial_Expansion

Territorial Expansion Territorial Expansion of the United States The United States acquired its first piece of land in 1783; this being the 13 colonies that had fought so hard for their independence during the Revolutionary War. There was a twenty-year period where the country was far too busy establishing itself, becoming stable and putting a constitution into effect to be worried about acquiring new territory. But eventually, the need arose to expand. Under the idea of Manifest Destiny, which was the belief that the United States was divinely mandated to expand from coast to coast, the country began to use any means necessary to expand. Among these were unprovoked wars, purchases from other countries, and treaties. Before the United States had even considered annexing the Republic of Texas, tensions between Mexico and the U.S. had arisen and become increasingly problematic. When the annexation was approved by Congress in 1845, Mexico cut off all it’s ties with the United States. Beyond that, constant disputes over the southernmost border of the newly annexed territory were cause for more trouble in the works. The president of the time, President Polk, was far more ambitious than to just desire Texas; he in fact wanted to eventually acquire all united, states, mexico, territory, land, coast, war, treaty, under, million, means, texas, polk, new, mexican’s, border, acquired, while, purchase, expand, country, countries, congress, acquiring, wanted, troops, treaties, southern, rio, purchases, price, president, piece, one, now, necessary