Territorial acquisitions of the United States

This article counts the territorial acquisitions of the the United States , starting from the independence of the country.

Criteria

Only are included territorial acquisitions coming from other States: many acquisitions coming from the Amerindian are not listed here.

This list excludes protectorates (like the Nicaragua between 1912 and 1933) and territories American (like the Liberia between 1822 and 1847).

1783 : the treated of Paris with the Great Britain defines the original borders of the United States. Because of ambiguities in the treaty, sovereignty on the island Machias Seal and North Rock are always disputed between the United States and the Canada; other ambiguities (including the Conflict of Aroostook and the Territory of Indian Stream) were raised by the Traité of Webster-Ashburton in 1842.

1803 : purchase of Louisiana, negotiated by Robert Livingston during the presidency of Thomas Jefferson; the territory was bought with the France for 15 million dollars. A small portion was yielded to the the United Kingdom in 1818 in exchange of the Bassin of the Red River. The major part of this territory was yielded to Spain in 1819 at the time of the purchase of the Florida and was again acquired following the annexation of Texas and the Mexican transfer.

1810 : the Western Florida is declared possession American by the president James Madison.

1810 : Tristan da Cunha, first transitory possession of Overseas of the United States. This island of the southern Atlantic Ocean was asserted by Jonathan Lambert of Salem, which died in an accident of boat in 1812. During the War of 1812, the United States used it as bases naval against the British ships. After the war, it was given up and annexed in the following months by the United Kingdom with the island Ascension.

1818 : Treaty of 1818. Acquisition of the Basin of the Red River, yielded by the United Kingdom.

1819 : Treated of Adams-Onís. Transfer of the Eastern Florida and the free State of Sabine by Spain. Spain gives up moreover its claim on the Oregon Country .

1845 : Annexation of Texas. The République of Texas had voted for this annexation in 1836. In spite of the warning statement of the Head of Mexican State Antonio López de Santa Anna for which this annexation would be “the equivalent of a declaration of war against the Mexican Republic”, the president John Tyler sign the treaty of annexation in April 1844. The American Congress approved this annexation on February 28th, 1845. Texas became the 28e State of the United States on December 29th, 1845.

1846 : Treated of Oregon. The Oregon Country , zone of North America between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, was controlled jointly by the United Kingdom and the United States since the Traité of 1818. The treaty of Oregon divides this territory along the 49 {{E}} parallel. The islands San Juan will be asserted and occupied by the two parts between 1846 and 1872 because of ambiguities in the treaty. An arbitration will lead to an integral American sovereignty on the archipelago in 1872.

1848 : Mexican Transfer, following the américano-Mexican War and of the Treated of Guadeloupe Hidalgo, signed on February 2nd. In this treaty, Mexico gives to the United States part of what currently constitutes the Texas, the Colorado, the Arizona, the New Mexico and the Wyoming, as well as the entirety of the California, the Nevada and the Utah and recognizes the Rio Grande like southern border of Texas. N the other hand, the United States pours 15 million dollars in Mexico and agrees to pay the complaints of American citizens against Mexico, who rose with more than 3 million dollars.

1853 : Purchase Gadsden. The United States buys a strip of land along the border with Mexico (currently in New Mexico and in Arizona) for 10 million dollars. This territory will thereafter be used for the transcontinental Railroad southern.

1856 : Guano Islands Act . The United States asserts several unoccupied islands. The islands Baker, Howland and Navassa will be annexed in 1857 (Navassa is currently asserted by Haiti). The Atoll Hohnston will be asserted by the United States and Hawaii in 1858, situation regulated in 1898 with the annexation of Hawaii. Midway will be discovered and asserted in 1859 and formally annexed in 1867. The Récif Kingman will be annexed in 1922.

1873 : dissension with Mexico on the area of Chamizal, created between 1852 and 1873 following a modification of the court of the Rio Grande. The territory in major part will be reassigned in Mexico by treaty in 1963.

1898 : annexation of Hawaii at the request of the government of the Republic of Hawaii, mainly made up American and European businessmen having reversed the Kingdom of Hawaii four years before. With Hawaii, the United States annexes the Atoll Palmyra, previously annexed in 1859 then given up and asserted by Hawaii.

1898 : treaty of Paris. Puerto Rico, Guam, the Filipino and Cuba are yielded by Spain to the United States after the Guerre; the United States pours 20 million dollars in Spain in compensation. These four areas are placed under military government. Cuba will become an independent nation in 1902 and Philippines in 1946.

1899 : annexation of the island Wake (claim currently disputed by the Marshall Islands).

1899 : occupation of the American Samoa, which will be made up in territory in 1929.

1900 : transfer of the island Tutuila and the island Aunuu by their chiefs, added thereafter to American Samoa.

1925 : annexation of the island Swains (occupied since 1856), added thereafter to American Samoa (claim currently disputed by Tokelau).

1917 : purchase of the United States Virgin Islands to the Danish crown for 25 million dollars during the First World War. The inhabitants of Virgin Islands will become American citizens in 1927.

1935 : annexation of the island Jarvis. The island had been previously annexed in 1858 then abandoned in 1879.

1947 : the occupation of the Marshall Islands, of the Micronesia, the the Northern Marianna Islands of North and the Palaos during the Second world war is formalized par. Micronesia and the Marshall Islands will become independent in 1986, Palaos in 1994.

1970 : the frontier Traité of 1970 transfers 10,9 km ² from Mexican territory to the United States. In exchange, the United States yields 8,45 km ² to Mexico, of which the town of Rio Rico.

Random links: