Era Summary Characters Timeline Reading Assignments
By 1848, the United States had established state governments in the entire region east of the Mississippi, and had wrestled control of much of the American southwest from Mexico. Within fifty years the rest of the mainland was settled and all but five of the eventual 50 states were admitted to the union.
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At the time the Mexican-American War broke out in 1846, there were about 1500 Americans and non-Hispanic whites in California, and about five times that many Mexican Californios. As soon as rumors of hostilities reached the settlers a small group of Americans and other foreigners seized the garrison at Sonoma and declared California an Independent Republic. As soon as John C. Fremont arrived on the scene however, they turned over control of the government to the American army.
Scarcely a year after Mexico ceded California to the the United States, gold was discovered at John Sutter's Mill, and the immigrant population swelled. Speculators came from all over the world, including hundreds of immigrants from China. Within a year, California became the 31st state in the union. At first almost all settlers came by boat, so San Francisco became the largest and most important commercial center in the region. In 1869, only twenty years after gold was discovered, the first transcontinental railroad made travel easier and opened up a larger areas for settlement.
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In the early 19th century both Britain and the United States had fur-trading operations in the Pacific Northwest, but neither founded permanent settlements. Beginning slowly in the 1830's and much faster after 1846, a steady stream of pioneers began to settle the area. Marcus Whitman started one of the first missionary settlements in the region in 1836 and seven years later lead the first wagon train into southwest Washington (before they were massacred by Indians). Other early settlers, such as the Denny Party that settled Seattle in 1851, arrived by boat.
Once the boundary disputes between the United States and Canada were resolved, migration to the Northwest states began in earnest. Over 400,000 pioneers arrived by way of the Oregon Trail, and when the transcontinental railroad system became established, the population of all the Northwest states grew so quickly that all of the northwest States, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, were admitted to the union by 1890. Six years later, gold was discovered in the Klondike, and the economy boomed.
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Character/Date | Short Biography |
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American Explorers and Missionaries | |
1770–1838 |
Led an expedition up the Missouri River, map-making, gathering information, and looking for a passage to the Pacific Ocean. |
1774–1809 |
With William Clark, followed the Missouri river to its source, crossed the Rockies and followed the Columbia to the Pacific Ocean. |
1779–1813 |
Led and expedition to explore the source of the Arkansas river. Followed the river to Colorado. |
1809–1868 |
Famed Frontiersman who guided Fremont on his expedition to Colorado, and served during the Mexican-American war. |
1813–1890 |
American explorer who, along with Kit Carson, led an expedition to California by way of Wyoming and Nevada. |
1846–1917 |
Colorful character of the Old American West. Produced a wild-west show that toured eastern towns with western frontier heroes. |
1802–1847 |
Early missionary who founded the first settlement in Washington State near the columbia river. Massacred by Indians. |
1839–1876 |
Cavalry general whose force was ambushed and massacred by the Sioux at the Battle of Little Bighorn. |
1830–1909 |
Civil war General who later oversaw the Freedman's bureau, founded Howard University, and was involved in the Indian Wars. |
1801–1877 |
Leader of the Church of Latter Day Saints after the death of Smith. Led the Mormans to Utah. |
1803–1880 |
Founded a European settlement in the Sacramento Valley where gold was found in 1849. |
Spanish Explorers and Missionaries | |
1510–1554 |
Spanish explorer who was a governor in Mexico, and explored regions of the Southwest United States. |
1713–1784 |
Franciscan Friar who founded over a dozen missions along the coast of California. |
1736–1788 |
Spanish governor of New Mexico who explored California and established an overland route to the San Francisco. |
Native Chieftains and Leaders | |
1767–1838 |
Important Indian chief in the Illinois territory. Inspired the Sauks to resist the Americans during the Black Hawk War. |
1787–1812 |
Indian woman who accompanied Lewis and Clark during their explorations of the Louisiana Purchase. |
1805–1874 |
Apache Indian War Chief. |
1820–1882 |
Chief of a Piute tribe. First befriended the white settlers, but rebelled when his tribe was mistreated. |
1822–1909 |
Sioux Indian War Chief. |
1829–1909 |
Last Apache Warrior to hold out against the U.S. Army. Finally capitulated and became a celebrity. |
1831–1890 |
Medicine man who organized resistance to U.S. Army. His warriors defeated Custer at Little Bighorn. |
1837–1873 |
Led a tribe of Modocs off the Klamath reservation to their native home, where they held out caves for several months. |
1840–1877 |
Dakota Indian chief who fought against the American army at Rosebud and Little Big Horn. |
1840–1904 |
Led Nez Perces in a resistance against the encroachment of white settlers. Finally surrendered. |
1836–1891 |
Last King of the Hawaiian Islands. |
1838–1917 |
Last Queen of the Hawaiian Islands. |
AD Year | Event |
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California | |
1598 | Santa Fe established as the capital of the Spanish province of Mew Mexico |
1769-70 | Gasper de Portola leads first Spanish expedition to Alta California. |
1774-77 | Juan Bautista de Anza Juan Bautista de Anza leads second Spanish expedition to Alta California. |
1770-84 | Junipero Serra founds Missions in California |
1833 | California missions "disestablished". Property looted, sold to speculators. Native population plummets. |
1842-46 | Early John C. Fremont expeditons to California with Kit Carson. |
1846 | "Bear Flag" revolt in Sonoma—California settlers revolt from Mexico. |
1846-48 | Mexican American War ends as Mexico is forced to sell California to America. |
1849 | Gold found at John Sutter's Mill. Gold Rush brings thousands of settlers to California. |
1850 | California admitted to the Union. |
1906 | San Francisco Earthquake. |
Northwestern States | |
George Vancouver discovers the Columbia River and Puget Sound. Claims Oregon for Britain. | |
Merriwether Lewis and William Clark expedition. | |
Jesuit Pierre deSmet travels throughout Oregon Territory setting up Indian missions. | |
1846 | Boundary dispute between Britain and the United States resolved. Border established at 49th parallel. |
1843 | Marcus Whitman leads wagon trains to Oregon Territory. |
1847 | Whitman Massacre kills 14 early settlers in Washington State. |
1867 | William Seward arranges for the U.S. to purchase Alaska from Russia. |
1877 | Nez Perce War led by Chief Joseph |
1896 | Klondike Gold Rush attracts settlers to Seattle and Alaska. |
1899 | Hawaii becomes and American Territory. |
Great Plains and Mountains | |
1806-07 | Zebulon Pike expedition to Colorado |
1847 | First Mormons, under the direction of Brigham Young arrive in Utah Territory. |
Buffalo Bill takes a route on the the Pony Express at age 14. | |
Plains Indian Wars | |
1862 | Dakota War drives Santee Sioux out of Minnesota Territory |
1863-65 | Colorado War devastates Kiowa, Comanche, Arapaho, and Cheyenne tribes of the Rockies. |
1866-68 | Lakota and Cheyene fight for their tribal lands in Red Cloud's War in Montana/Wyoming. |
1876 | General Custer's army of six hundred wiped out at Battle of Little Bighorn in Sioux territory. |
1890 | 300 Lakotas killed at Wounded Knee Massacre, when army attempts to confiscate guns. |
1859 | Pike's Peak Gold Rush brings settlers to Colorado |
1869 | First Transcontinental Railroad |
Six Northwestern States admitted to the Union: North and South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Wy |
I: Introductory, II: Intermediate, C: College Prep