Expanding America

In 1898, the United States went to war with Spain over the Spanish possessions in Latin America and the Pacific. Explore the circumstances and geopolitical effects of this conflict in Puerto Rico and the Spanish-American War.

Following Texan independence from Mexico, the United States led a campaign to re-annex the territory, as well as threaten Mexican holdings in the Southwest. Discover the circumstances to the war, including the Texan battle for independence, as well as the effects of war in Texas and the Mexican War.

On January 24, 1848, pioneer James W. Marshall discovered gold in central California. When word got out, gold fever set in, drawing hundreds of thousands of pioneers to the state hoping to strike it rich. Discover the circumstances and effects of this event in The California Gold Rush.

In 1867, United States Secretary of State William Seward purchased Alaska from Russia. It was called "Seward's Folly" because Alaska was thought to be a frozen wasteland. Discover the circumstances and geopolitical effects of the Alaska purchase in Seward's Folly and Alaska.