Canada gradually gained independence from Britain in the late 19th century through agreements that gave Canadians more autonomy. The War of 1812 helped foster a sense of Canadian national identity by uniting French and British Canadians against a common American enemy. Despite their small population and greater American resources, Canadian forces were able to repel multiple US invasions. The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 doubled the size of the US, acquiring territory containing 15 current states from France for $15 million. This expanded US control of the key Mississippi River trade route and prevented European powers from blocking access.

1. Ning Site Posting #1 Justin Baker History 141 Course 50587 How the Americas Changed: The Long 19th Century

2. Building American States: Canada Canada did not have to fight for their independence Canadian independence came gradually as Canadians and British agreed on general principles of autonomy By the late 19th century, Canada was a land in control of its own destiny, despite ties to the British and the United States from the South Until the late 18th century, French Canadians outnumbered British Canadians, so imperial officials made large concessions to their subjects of French descent in order to forestall unnecessary strife.

3. Building American States: Canada Ethnic divisions and political, differences could have easily splintered Canada, but the war of 1812 stimulated a sense of unity against an external threat The United States declared war on Britain for encroachment on U.S. rights during the Napoleonic war. So, the British Colony of Canada formed a frontline in case of a United States attack. United States military leaders thought it would be easy to break the wall of the Canadians, and break the will of the British Despite greater resources from the United States, the Canadian forces were able to repel the U.S. incursions The victory created a sense of pride for the Canadians, and anti-U.S. sentiments became common for French Canadians and British Canadians

4. The Little Ice Age If it weren’t for the Little Ice Age, there would be many things us Americans and other people could not enjoy, one of those being beer. There was mass starvations and malnutrition during this time because of how people grew crops. Many Europeans stuck to what they knew, which was growing cereal grains. But no one wanted to plant potatoes or actual crops that could survive winter From this, there has been increased techniques and knowledge of growing crops. Especially in cooler climate weather where crops can sometimes be hard to grow. More than 90% of Americans prefer to drink beer and liquor compared to wine Became a very important crop during the LIA because its ability to survive in cooler climates

5. The Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana purchase was the acquisition by the U.S. of 830k sq. miles of France’s claim to Louisiana in 1803. The United States purchased Louisiana for around 15 million (210 million in 2010) The Louisiana purchase included all or part of 15 U.S. states and two Canadian properties. The land purchased contains current day: Arkansas Missouri Iowa Oklahoma Kansas Nebraska Minnesota North and South Dakota northeastern New Mexico northern Texas Montana Wyoming Louisiana Colorado New Orleans

6. The Louisiana Purchase The purchase was a vital movement in the presidency of Thomas Jefferson. At the time, it may have been unconstitutional, but at the time the U.S. constitution did not contain provisions for acquiring territory. Thomas Jefferson bought Louisiana because he was afraid that France or Spain could possible block off all trade through the Mississippi. Louisiana port that Jefferson bought so Spain or France could not stop trade

7. Crossroads of Freedom An event called the Death in September was not on September 11, 2001, but 139 years before. This remains the single bloodiest day in American history. 6,300 Union and 6,500 Confederate soldiers killed and mortally wounded on September 17, 1862 This is not a photograph from the 1862 war, and does not nearly show enough bloodshed compared to the Death in September

8. Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic wars were a series of conflicts declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions from 1803-1815. French power rose quickly as Napoleon’s armies conquered much of Europe. Napoleon’s army collapsed rapidly after France’s decision to invade Russia in 1812, when they were in no means ready for the freezing winter ahead.

9. Haitian Revolution The Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) was a period of conflict in the French colony of Saint-Dominigue. This period ended slavery and resulted in the founding of the Haitian republic. Although there were hundreds of rebellions amongst the slaves, only in 1791 was it successful in achieving permanent independence under a new nation. The Haitian revolution is regarded as a defining moment in the history of Africans in the new world. Although an independent government was created in Haiti, its society was still affected by French rule.

10. Mexican-American War The Mexican-American war was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 over the annexation of Texas, which Mexico considered apart of their country. The major consequences of the war was the forced Mexican cession of the territories of Alta California and New Mexico to the United States in exchange for 18 million dollars. In addition, the United States forgave debt owed by the Mexican government to the U.S. In the end Mexico agreed to have the Rio Grande as the national border and the loss of Texas Battle of Veracruz 1846 – 1848

11. Sources http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican-American_War http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleonic_Wars http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Purchase