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In this unit, students learn how the United States began to grow as soon as it became a nation, and they examine the effect of this growth on societies already established in North America. Register for a free account to download teacher resources.

This is a full unit of study from iCivics, featuring multiple lesson plans with presentations, downloadable documents, and more. Being the new kid on the block wasn't enough for the United States. Early Americans wanted their nation to be bigger, too. (And probably badder.) They succeeded--but at a cost. In this unit, students learn how the United States began to grow as soon as it became a nation, and they examine the effect of this growth on societies already established in North America.

See a map of the land acquired by the United States as a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, called the Mexican Cession. From Annenberg Media.

U.S. History is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of most introductory courses. The text provides a balanced approach to U.S. history, considering the people, events, and ideas that have shaped the United States from both the top down (politics, economics, diplomacy) and bottom up (eyewitness accounts, lived experience). U.S. History covers key forces that form the American experience, with particular attention to issues of race, class, and gender.Senior Contributing AuthorsP. Scott Corbett, Ventura CollegeVolker Janssen, California State University, FullertonJohn M. Lund, Keene State CollegeTodd Pfannestiel, Clarion UniversityPaul Vickery, Oral Roberts UniversitySylvie Waskiewicz

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

Identify the causes of the Mexican-American War
Describe the outcomes of the war in 1848, especially the Mexican Cession
Describe the effect of the California Gold Rush on westward expansion

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

Explain the contested issues that led to the Compromise of 1850
Describe and analyze the reactions to the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act