|
Date
|
Territory
|
Area
(square
miles)
|
Comment
|
|
1783
|
Former colonies
|
892,135
|
Treaty of Paris
of 1783 following military victory
|
|
1803
|
Louisiana Purchase
|
827,987
|
Purchased from France
for $15 million, including assumed claims
|
|
1819
|
Florida
(East and West)
|
72,101
|
Purchased from Spain
for $5 million in assumed claims under Adams-Onís Treaty
|
|
1845
|
Texas
|
389,166
|
Annexation of independent republic
|
|
1846
|
Oregon Territory
|
286,541
|
The Oregon Treaty
with Great Britain
|
|
1848
|
Mexican Cession
|
529,189
|
Purchase from Mexico
following military victory; $15 million plus 3.25 million in assumed claims
|
|
1853
|
Gadsden Purchase
|
29,670
|
Purchased from Mexico
for $10 million
|
|
1857
|
Baker Island
Howland Island
Jarvis Island
|
.5
.6
1.7
|
Unincorporated territory claimed under Guano Act of 1856
|
|
1858
|
Johnston Atoll
|
1.1
|
Unincorporated territory annexed under Guano Act of 1856;
chemical weapon disposal site
|
|
1867
|
Alaska
|
591,000
|
Purchased from Russia
for $7.2 million; statehood 1959
|
|
1867
|
Midway Islands
|
2
|
Annexation of unoccupied area
|
|
1898
|
Hawaiian Islands
|
6,450
|
Annexation of independent republic; statehood 1959
|
|
1898
|
Philippine Islands
|
115,800
|
Purchased from Spain
following military victory; independent in 1946
|
|
1898
|
Puerto Rico
|
3,508
|
Annexed following military victory over Spain
|
|
1898
|
Guam
|
209
|
Annexed following military victory over Spain
|
|
1899
|
American Samoa
|
76
|
Annexed in settlement with Britain
and Germany
|
|
1899
|
Wake Island
|
3
|
Annexation of unoccupied area
|
|
1903
|
Panama Canal Zone
|
553
|
Leased from Panama
for $10 million, plus $250,000 annually; ceded to Panama
in 1999
|
|
1917
|
Virgin Islands
|
136
|
Purchased from Denmark
for $25 million; currently an organized, unincorporated U.S. territory under jurisdiction of Office of Insular Affairs of the Dept. of the Interior
|
|
1922
|
Kingman Reef
|
.4
|
Annexed 1922; later airline refueling; currently uninhabited;
National Wildlife Refuge
|
|
1938
|
Kanton and Enderbury islands
|
3.5
3.0
|
Joint occupation with Britain;
independent as Kiribati
in 1979
|
|
1947
|
Mariana Islands
|
179
|
United Nations Trust Territory; self-governing as Northern
Mariana Islands
|
|
1947
|
Caroline Islands
|
500
|
United Nations Trust Territory; 1986 most islands adopt
commonwealth status as Federated States of
Micronesia
|
|
1947
|
Marshall Islands
|
70
|
United Nations Trust Territory; 1979 self-governing; 1986
independent as Republic of the Marshall
Islands
|
