Territorial Expansion

Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster 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   
 Philippines21898 115,600
 Puerto Rico 1899 3,508
 Guam 1899 217
 American Samoa 1900 90
 Canal Zone31904 553
 Virgin Islands of U.S. 1917 171
 Trust Territory of Pacific Islands41947 241
 Northern Mariana Islands1986 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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