Nation Expands 1800-1860

A pivotal event in the Texas Revolution, after a 13-day siege Mexican troops reclaimed the Alamo Mission near San Antonio. The Alamo is an old mission in Texas famous for a key battle for independence from Mexico.

Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was a Mexican general and dictator who won the Battle of the Alamo. He played a key role in Mexico's history during the Texas Revolution.

The decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Battle of San Jacinto. The Battle of San Jacinto was a key conflict in 1836 where Texas forces won independence from Mexico.

A rebellion of American settlers against Mexican government in California. Bear Flag Revolt. It was a short-lived 1846 uprising by American settlers to declare California independent from Mexico.

A Hispanic people native to the U.S. state of California. Californios were the descendants of Spanish and Mexican settlers who lived in California before it became part of the United States.

A group of American pioneers who migrated to California. Donner party. The Donner Party was a group of settlers who became trapped by snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains during the winter of 1846-1847, leading to dire survival conditions.

An one who had been granted the right to settle on land at the eastern areas of Coahuila. Empresario. An empresario was a person who was given the right to settle on Mexican land in Texas in exchange for recruiting and taking responsibility for new settlers.

A people that took part in the 1849 California Gold Rush forty-niners. Forty-niners were prospectors who traveled to California in 1849 to search for gold.

A part of Arizona and New Mexico sold by Mexico to the U.S.. Gadsden Purchase. The Gadsden Purchase was a land deal in 1854 where the U.S. bought territory from Mexico to facilitate building a southern transcontinental railroad.

The 11th president of the United States 1845 - 1849. James K Polk. He is known for expanding the U.S. territory during his presidency through the annexation of Texas and the Oregon Trail.

A man who established Sutter's Fort in the area that would become Sacramento. John Sutter. John Sutter was a key figure in California's history as his fort became a central point during the Gold Rush.

A belief in the 19th century US that its settlers were destined to expand across North America. Manifest Destiny. It was the idea that American settlers were meant to spread their way of life and government across the continent.

People who mine stream bed deposits for minerals. Placer miners. In history, placer miners were individuals who extracted gold and other valuable minerals from river sediments, especially during 19th-century gold rushes.

A search for minerals, fossils, or precious metals. Prospect. In History, prospecting refers to exploring an area to find valuable natural resources.

The founder of Texas, he led the second and successful colonization of the region. Stephen F. Austin was a key figure in the early settlement of Texas, helping to establish it as a part of the United States.

A treaty that ended the MexicanAmerican War 1848. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. It is a historic agreement where Mexico ceded a large portion of its northern lands to the United States.

A Spanish or Mexican horse-mounted livestock herder. Vaqueros are the original cowboys who herded cattle in the Americas, influencing ranching culture and practices.