A government map, probably created in the mid-20th century, that depicts a simplified history of territorial acquistions within the continental United States.

This is a list of United States territorial acquisitions, beginning with American independence. Image File history File links United-states-territorial-acquistions-midcentury. ... Image File history File links United-states-territorial-acquistions-midcentury. ... Combatants American Revolutionaries, France, allies British Empire, allies Commanders George Washington Comte de Rochambeau Nathanael Greene William Howe Henry Clinton Charles Cornwallis Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties {{{casualties1}}} {{{casualties2}}} The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence was the military side of the American Revolution. ...

Notes and caveats

• There is a small section of central Colorado that lies between the Louisiana Purchase lands and the lands acquired in the Texas Annexation. It was either assumed by the U.S. without treaty, or, according to the National Atlas territorial acquisitions map from 2005, was granted to the U.S. under some provision of the 1819 treaty with Spain.
• Note that this list primarily concerns land acquired from other nation-states; the numerous territorial acquisitions from American Indians are not listed here. One perspective on this state of affairs is that the land was claimed as the territory of one European colonial power or the other, but it was owned by the Native peoples who resided there, creating a tiered system of possession. (For example, under this standard, Kansa Indians would be considered French nationals pre-1803, and American nationals post-1803.) For an in-depth exploration of Native American land cessions, researchers may refer to Eighteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1896-1897 by Charles C. Royce, which can be viewed online at the Library of Congress' American Memory Website.

State nickname: The Centennial State Official languages English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Governor Bill Owens (R) Senators Wayne Allard (R) Ken Salazar (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 8th 269,837 km² 0. ... The term nation-state, while often used interchangeably with the terms unitary state and independent state, refers properly to the parallel occurence of a state and a nation. ... Assiniboin Boy, an Atsina Native Americans in the United States (also Indians, American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Peoples, Aboriginal Peoples, Aboriginal Americans, Amerindians, Amerinds, or Original Americans) are those indigenous peoples within the territory that is now encompassed by the continental United States, and their descendants in modern times. ... The Official Seal of The Kaw Nation of Oklahoma The Kaw are an American Indian people of the central Midwest. ... Library of Congress, Jefferson building The Library of Congress is the unofficial national library of the United States. ... American Memory is an internet archive for public domain image resources, as well as audio, video, and archived Web content. ...

List of territorial acquisitions

• The 1783 Treaty of Paris with Great Britain defined the original borders of the United States. Due to ambiguities in the treaty, the ownership of Machias Seal Island and North Rock remain disputed between the U.S. and Canada; other original territorial ambiguities (including the Northeastern Boundary Dispute and the disputed Indian Stream territory) were resolved by the Webster-Ashburton Treaty in 1842.

• The Louisiana Purchase, completed 1803, was negotiated by Robert Livingston during the presidency of Thomas Jefferson; the territory was acquired from France. A small portion of this land was ceded to Great Britain in 1818 in exchange for the Red River Basin. More of this land was ceded to Spain in 1819 with the Florida Purchase, but was later reacquired through Texas annexation and Mexican Cession.

• West Florida was declared by President James Madison to be a U.S. possesion in 1810.

• Red River Basin, acquired in 1818 by treaty from Great Britain, i.e. Anglo-American Convention of 1818.

• The Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 with Spain resulted in the cession of East Florida and the Sabine Free State and the surrender of any claims to the Oregon Country.

• Texas Annexation of 1845: In 1836 the Republic of Texas voted to be annexed by the United States. Despite the fact that Mexican leader Antonio López de Santa Anna warned that this would be "equivalent to a declaration of war against the Mexican Republic," President John Tyler signed a treaty of annexation with Texas in April 1844, causing the Mexican-American War. After James Polk, a strong supporter of territorial expansion, won the presidency, but before he took office, Congress approved the annexation of Texas on February 28, 1845. On December 29, 1845, Texas became the 28th state.

Census Bureau map depicting territorial acquisitions and dates of statehood, probably created in the 1970s or thereabouts

• Oregon Country, the area of North America west of the Rockies to the Pacific, was jointly controlled by the U.S. and Great Britain following the Anglo-American Convention of 1818 until 1846 when the Oregon Treaty divided the territory at the 49th parallel. The San Juan Islands were claimed and jointly occupied by the U.S. and Great Britain from 1846-1872 due to ambiguities in the treaty (see Northwestern Boundary Dispute.) Arbitration led to the sole US possesion of the San Juan Islands since 1872.

• Mexican Cession lands were a product of the Mexican-American War and the subsequent Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed February 2, 1848. In this treaty, Mexico gave the U.S. parts of what is Texas, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Wyoming, and the whole of California, Nevada and Utah and recognized the Rio Grande as Texas' Southern border. The United States paid Mexico $15 million. In addition, the United States agreed to pay claims made by American citizens against Mexico, which amounted to more than $3 million.

• Gadsden Purchase of 1853, United States purchased a strip of land along the U.S.-Mexico border for $10 million, now in New Mexico and Arizona. This territory was later used for the southern transcontinental railroad.

• The Guano Islands Act of 1856 provided for U.S. claims to unoccupied islands. Baker Island, Howland Island, and Navassa Island were annexed in under its provisions in 1857. Today ownership of Navassa is disputed between the U.S. and Haiti. Johnston Atoll was claimed by the US and Hawaii in 1858; the US claim became undisputed in 1898 after the annexation of Hawaii. Midway Atoll was discovered and claimed in 1859 and formally annexed 1867. Kingman Reef was annexed in 1922.

• Alaska Purchase from Russia in 1867.

National Atlas map (circa 2005) depicting territorial acquisitions and dates of statehood.

• Chamizal from Mexico from 1852-1873 due to course change of the Rio Grande River. The territory was mostly retroceded to Mexico by treaty in 1963.

• Hawaii, annexed 1898 upon the request of a government made up mainly of American settlers who had overthrown the Kingdom of Hawaii. With Hawaii came the Palmyra Atoll which had been annexed by the U.S. in 1859 but later abandoned, then later claimed by Hawaii.

• Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines, annexed from Spain after the Spanish-American War in 1898 for $20 million under the Treaty of Paris. The Philippines became an independent nation in 1946.

• Wake Island, annexed in 1899 (Claim currently disputed by the Marshall Islands)

• American Samoa, occupied in 1899, made a formal territory in 1929.

• Tutuila Island and Aunuu Island ceded by their chiefs in 1900, then added to American Samoa.

• Manu'a Islands, annexed in 1904, then added to American Samoa.

• U.S. Virgin Islands, bought from the Danish Crown for $25 million on January 17, 1917 during the First World War. Virgin Islands inhabitants became American citizens in 1927.

• Swains Island, annexed in 1925 (occupied since 1856), then added to American Samoa.

• Jarvis Island, reclaimed in 1935, previously annexed in 1858, but abandoned in 1879.

• Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands and Palau, occupied by the United States during World War II, formalised under the UN trusteeship system in 1947. Micronesia and the Marshall Islands both achieved independence in 1986 and Palau in 1994, via Compacts of Free Association.

• The Boundary Treaty of 1970 transferred 2702.9 acres of Mexican territory to the U.S.. In exchange, the U.S. ceded 2087.87 acres to Mexico, including the town of Rio Rico, Texas.

Painting by Benjamin West depicting John Jay, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Laurens, and William Temple Franklin. ... Machias Seal Island is an island located at 44° 30′10″N, 67° 06′10″W. Sovereignty of the island is under dispute with ownership claimed by both Canada and the United States. ... The Aroostook War, also called the Pork and Beans War, or the Northeastern Boundary Dispute, was an undeclared, bloodless North American war that occurred in the winter of 1838 and early spring of 1839. ... The Republic of Indian Stream was a small, constitutional republic in North America that existed from July 9, 1832 to 1835. ... The Webster-Ashburton Treaty, signed August 9, 1842, settled the unofficial war over the location of the Maine-New Brunswick border between the United States and Canada, known as the Aroostook War as well as the location of the border in the westward frontier up to the Rocky Mountains. ... 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... From Frank Bond, Louisiana and the Louisiana Purchase. ... 1803 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Robert R. Livingston (November 27, 1746 – February 26, 1813), of New York, was a delegate to the New York state constitutional convention and a member of the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence, although he was recalled by his state before he could sign it. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Map of East and West Florida in the early 1800s. ... James Madison (March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836) was the fourth (1809–1817) President of the United States. ... See also Pembina Territory Red River Settlement External link RiverWatchOnline: Red River History Categories: Stub | U.S. historical regions and territories ... 1818 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Convention of 1818 between the United States and Great Britian, also known as the London Convention, Anglo-American Convention of 1818, or simply the Treaty of 1818, was a treaty signed in United States and the United Kingdom. ... The Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 (formally titled the Treaty of Amity, Settlement, and Limits Between the United States of America and His Catholic Majesty, and also known as the Transcontinental Treaty of 1819, and sometimes the Florida Purchase Treaty) was a historic agreement between the United States and... 1819 common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Map of East and West Florida in 1810. ... The Sabine Free State, also known as the Neutral Strip, Neutral Territory, Neutral Ground or No Mans Land of Louisiana, was a strip of land between Americas Louisiana Purchase and Spanish Texas. ... Oregon Country was a region of western North America that originally consisted of the land north of 42°N latitude, south of 54°40N latitude, and west of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. ... Republic of Texas The Texas Annexation of 1845 was the annexation of Texas by the United States of America as the 28th state. ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1836 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Official language English de facto nationwide also Spanish, French, German and Native American languages regionally Capital Washington-on-the-Brazos (1836) Harrisburg (1836) Galveston (1836) Velasco (1836) Houston (1837–1839) Austin (1839–1845) Largest city Houston, Texas Presidents David G. Burnet, Sam Houston, Mirabeau B. Lamar, Anson Jones Area 261... Antonio López de Santa Anna Antonio de Padua María Severino López de Santa Anna y Pérez de Lebrón (sometimes spelled de Santa Ana) (21 February 1794 – 21 June 1876) was a 19th century Mexican general and dictator. ... Alternate meaning: John Tyler, Sr. ... 1844 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Combatants United States Mexico Commanders Strength 60,000 40,000 Casualties KIA: 1,733 Total dead: 13,283 Wounded: 4,152 25,000 (Mexican government estimate) The Mexican-American War was fought between the United States and Mexico between 1846 and 1848. ... James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795–June 15, 1849) was the eleventh President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1845 to March 3, 1849. ... February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... December 29 is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 2 days remaining. ... 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Download high resolution version (1409x1117, 333 KB)perry-castenada: Admission of States and Territorial Acquistion U.S. Bureau of the Census (341K) http://www. ... Download high resolution version (1409x1117, 333 KB)perry-castenada: Admission of States and Territorial Acquistion U.S. Bureau of the Census (341K) http://www. ... For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ... The Convention of 1818 between the United States and Great Britian, also known as the London Convention, Anglo-American Convention of 1818, or simply the Treaty of 1818, was a treaty signed in United States and the United Kingdom. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The 1846 Oregon Treaty, formally titled Treaty with Great Britain, in Regard to Limits Westward of the Rocky Mountains, and also known as the Treaty of Washington, established the border between the British and American sections of the Oregon Country. ... The 49th parallel of north latitude forms part of the International Boundary between Canada and the United States from Manitoba to British Columbia on the Canadian side and from Minnesota to Washington on the U.S. side. ... The San Juan Islands are a part of the San Juan Archipelago in the northwest corner of the continental United States. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1872 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Pig War (also called the Pig Episode, the San Juan Boundary Dispute or the Northwestern Boundary Dispute) was a confrontation in 1859 between American and British authorities, resulting from a dispute over the boundary between the United States and Canada. ... The Mexican Cession (red) and the Gadsden Purchase (orange) The Mexican Cession is an historical name for the region of the present day southwestern United States that was ceded to the U.S. by Mexico in 1848 under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo following the Mexican-American War. ... Combatants United States Mexico Commanders Strength 60,000 40,000 Casualties KIA: 1,733 Total dead: 13,283 Wounded: 4,152 25,000 (Mexican government estimate) The Mexican-American War was fought between the United States and Mexico between 1846 and 1848. ... The Mexican Cession (red) and the Gadsden Purchase (orange) The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was the treaty that ended the Mexican-American War of 1846 to 1848. ... February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... ... State nickname: The Centennial State Official languages English Capital Denver Largest city Denver Governor Bill Owens (R) Senators Wayne Allard (R) Ken Salazar (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 8th 269,837 km² 0. ... State nickname: The Grand Canyon State, The Copper State Official languages English Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Governor Janet Napolitano (D) Senators John McCain (R) Jon Kyl (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 6th 295,254 km² 0. ... State nickname: Land of Enchantment Official languages English Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Governor Bill Richardson (D) Senators Pete Domenici (R) Jeff Bingaman (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 5th 315,194 km² 0. ... State nickname: Equality State Official languages English Capital Cheyenne Largest city Cheyenne Governor Dave Freudenthal (D) Senators Craig Thomas (R) Mike Enzi (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 10th 253,554 km² 0. ... State nickname: The Golden State Official languages English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Senators Dianne Feinstein (D) Barbara Boxer (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 3rd 410,000 km² 4. ... State nickname: Silver State, Battle Born State (official) Official languages None Capital Carson City Largest city Las Vegas Governor Kenny Guinn (R) Senators Harry Reid (D) John Ensign (R) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 7th 286,367 km² 0. ... Utah is one of the Four Corners states, and is bordered by: Idaho (at 42°N) and Wyoming (at 41°N and 111°W) in the north, by Colorado (at 109°W) in the east, at a single point by New Mexico to the southeast (at the Four Corners Monument... The Rio Grande flowing in Big Bend National Park Known as the Rio Grande in the United States and as the Río Bravo (or, more formally, the Río Bravo del Norte) in Mexico, the river, 3034 km long, rises in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, USA, flows... The Gadsden Purchase (shown with present-day state boundaries and cities) The Gadsden Purchase is a 29,640 mi² (77,700 km²) region of what is today southern Arizona and New Mexico that was purchased by the United States from Mexico in 1853. ... 1853 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The international border between Mexico and the United States runs a total of 3,141 km (1,951 miles) from San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Baja California, in the west to Matamoros, Tamaulipas, and Brownsville, Texas, in the east. ... A transcontinental railroad is a railway that crosses a continent, typically from sea to sea. Terminals are at or connected to different Oceans. ... The Guano Islands Act was federal legislation passed by the U.S. Congress on August 18, 1856 enabling citizens of the U.S. to take possession of islands containing guano deposits. ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. ... 1898 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The flag of the US is used on the Midway Islands Orthographic projection centred over midway Midway Atoll (also known as Midway Island or Midway Islands, Hawaiian: Pihemanu) is a 6. ... 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... 1867 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Alaska purchase from Russia by the United States occurred in 1867 at the behest of Secretary of State William Seward. ... 1867 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Image File history File links National-atlas-territorial-acquisitions. ... Image File history File links National-atlas-territorial-acquisitions. ... The Chamizal dispute was a border conflict over about 600 acres on the U.S.-Mexico border between El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calaber). ... This article is about the river that empties into the Gulf of Mexico. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... State nickname: The Aloha State Official languages Hawaiian and English Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Governor Linda Lingle (R) Senators Daniel Inouye (D) Daniel Akaka (D) Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 43rd 28,337 km² 41. ... 1898 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Princess KaÊ»iulani, a member of the Kalākaua Dynasty, was in line to become Queen of HawaiÊ»i when her kingdom was overthrown by a small group of Hawaiian citizens primarily of European descent and United States citizens with the aid of the United States Marine Corps. ... 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... Combatants United States and Cuban rebel forces Spain Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 2,446 combat dead or wounded (US only) Cubans not counted 5,500 combat dead or wounded The Spanish-American War took place in 1898, and resulted in the United States of America gaining control... 1898 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Treaty of Paris of 1898, signed on December 10, 1898, ended the Spanish-American War. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1899 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1899 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... -1... Tutuila is an island in the main island of American Samoa. ... 1900 (MCM) is a common year starting on Monday. ... 1904 (MCMIV) is a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... January 17 is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. ... Clockwise from top: Trenches in frontline, a British Mark I Tank crossing a trench, the Royal Navy battleship HMS Irresistible sinking after striking a mine at the battle of the Dardanelles, a Vickers machine gun crew with gas masks and a Sopwith Camel biplane. ... 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Swains Island or Olosenga Island, Olohega Island, Quiros Island, Gente Hermosa Island , and finally Jennings Island. ... 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. ... 1879 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is accepted as the largest and deadliest... 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... The Compact of Free Association (COFA) defines the relationship that three sovereign states—the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and the Republic of Palau—have entered into as Associated States with the United States. ... The 1970 Boundary Treaty between the United States and Mexico settled all then pending boundary disputes and uncertainties related to the Rio Grande (Río Bravo del Norte) border. ... Rio Rico was a city near the Rio Grande in the U.S. state of Texas (in Hidalgo County). ...

See also

• United States territory
• Political divisions of the United States
• Regions of the United States
• Historic regions of the United States
• U.S. colonization outside North America