EXPANDING INTO THE WEST
In 1850, California became the 31st state to join the United States, and it was the first state to join the United States that bordered the Pacific Ocean.
By 1860, there were 33 states in the United States. The Atlantic Ocean bordered the U.S. on the East Coast, and the Pacific Ocean bordered the U.S. on the West Coast. The U.S. also claimed all of the land between Canada and Mexico that today makes up the first 48 states to join the United States.
The growth of the country not only led to conflicts with Native Americans and Mexico, it also led to conflicts between people from the United States moving to the West. The biggest conflict was over slavery.
The conflicts over slavery in the South and the West were one problem that led to the Civil War.
CHAPTER 9: A NEW GOVERNMENT AND AN EXPANDING NATION