1. The Texas Question
In 1821, Stephen F. Austin began an American settlement in Texas, at that time belonging to the Mexican Government. The only catch was a 12.5 cent charge per acre, and that all the settlers were expected to convert to Roman Catholicism. After a while, Americans began to dislike the way of the Mexican Government. They felt as though they were not being adequately represented and they wanted to join the United States. This presented a problem for the United States. If Texas entered into the union it would be a slave state and would upset the balance of slave to free states. When Texas declared its freedom from Mexico in 1836, General Santa Anna led an army to put them back under control. Many battles occurred but the Alamo is probably the most famous. The saying of National pride for the on coming war with Mexico became "Remember the Alamo." When the war was over and Texas was free, the problem of allowing them into the union still existed. This problem was put to a holt when James K. Polk came into power as President of the United States in 1844. He

managed to win using the platform that Texas should be admitted into the United States as a slave state but Oregon should also be admitted as a free state in return. This made both the North and the South happy.

2. The 49th parallel
With the admittance of both states, Oregon s free and Texas as slave, the North and south were happy. When Oregon was admitted, Canada did not agree with the boundary that was set. The United States wanted the 54 40th parallel to be the boundary on Oregon, but Canada did not agree. If it had not been for the war that was about to start with Mexico over the boundary of Texas, they would have fought Canada. But since the war was coming, The United states settled on the 49th parallel for the boundary of the United States all the way across until it reached the area around Maine.

3. The Mexican War
The United States attempted to buy more of Texas from the Mexican government, but the Mexican government did not accept the offer. Mexico attacked the independent Texas then the U.S. declared War on Mexico. The U.S. army overpowered the Mexican army, and the United States chose the Rio Grande River as the border of Texas. They also got everything west of Texas from the Mexican government and paid the Mexican a little money in return.

4. Growth of the United States to 1853
Through the Gadsen Purchase, the border of Maine was defined, and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo filled out the rest of the current United States except Hawaii and Alaska by giving a small strip of land near Arizona to the U.S.