Territorial Expansion
Updated August 5, 2020 |
Infoplease Staff
| Accession | Date | Area1 |
|---|---|---|
| United States | — | 3,717,796 |
| Territory in 1790 | — | 891,364 |
| Louisiana Purchase | 1803 | 831,321 |
| Florida | 1819 | 69,866 |
| Texas | 1845 | 384,958 |
| Oregon | 1846 | 283,439 |
| Mexican Cession | 1848 | 530,706 |
| Gadsden Purchase | 1853 | 29,640 |
| Alaska | 1867 | 591,004 |
| Hawaii | 1898 | 6,471 |
| Other territory | ||
| Philippines2 | 1898 | 115,600 |
| Puerto Rico | 1899 | 3,508 |
| Guam | 1899 | 217 |
| American Samoa | 1900 | 90 |
| Canal Zone3 | 1904 | 553 |
| Virgin Islands of U.S. | 1917 | 171 |
| Trust Territory of Pacific Islands4 | 1947 | 241 |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 1986 | 189 |
| All other | — | 16 |
| Total, 1990 | — | 3,722,228 |
1. Total area (land and water), in square miles.
2. Became independent in 1946.
3. Reverted to Panama in 1979.
4. Palau, the last remaining trust territory, became a sovereign state in 1994.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Web: www.census.gov.
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