KEY TERMS Key Terms and People to Know for the Regents Exam
Annexation of Texas / Mexican-American War
In the 1840s, President James K. Polk's belief in Manifest Destiny led to the annexation of Texas and the Mexican-American War. As a result of the war, the US gained Texas, California, and the rest of the Southwest.
California Gold Rush
In the mid-1800s, the growth of the populations of California and the western territories was mainly a result of the discovery of gold and silver. The rapid westward migration caused by the discovery of gold in California led to the Compromise of 1850.