Territorial Expansion -

Tue. Oct 27th, 2026

A 19th-century American naval vessel anchored off a rugged, forested coastline with sailors rowing toward the shore.

National Sovereignty

Asserting the Pacific: The 1817 Executive Mission to the Columbia River

In 1817, President James Monroe exercised executive authority by dispatching the USS Ontario to the Pacific Coast to reclaim American territory at the mouth of the Columbia River. This mission…

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A sepia-toned depiction of 19th-century American legislators debating in a Federal-style hall.

The Courts

The Missouri Compromise: A Constitutional Crisis Over Territorial Expansion

January 18, 2026 Lila Hayes 0 Comments

The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was a pivotal legislative agreement in the United States that attempted to resolve sectional tensions over the expansion of slavery. By admitting Missouri as a…

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