II. DISCOVERY OF A NORTHERN CONTINENT. TERIOR. Ferdinand I. EXPLORATION OF THE IN 1513. Ponce de Leon discovers Florida by sailing Charles I. 1517. Slavers reach the coast of Yucatan. 1519. Pineda discovers the mouth of the Mississippi. III. EXPEDITIONS INTO THE INTERIOR OF MEXICO. 1528. Narvaez leads an expedition to the southern coast 1539. Friar Marcos penetrates beyond the desert of the 1540-1542. Coronado's expedition reaches the boundary SPANISH DISCOVERY OF THE NORTHWEST. (a) By the Coast Line. 1533. The exploration of Southern California is started 1775. The expedition under Heceta reaches 49°, ex- (b) Inland Route. 1540-42. Expedition of Coronado, as already referred The coast region, however, and parts of the interior of California, Colorado, New Mexico and the Northern portion of Texas were explored and to some extent settled. 1776. The expedition of Escalante reaches Utah Lake above 40°. The whole coast region up to 37° is now occupied. Towns are founded, overland routes established. In 1773 the region of Upper California is parcelled out into government districts. No further advance by land until 1800. FRENCH DISCOVERY OF MISSISSIPPI REGION. 1519. Beginning with the Spanish, Pineda discovers the mouth of the Mississippi. 1539-43. De Soto's inland wanderings, contemporary Iwith those of Cartier. 1541-42. From not far from the mouth of the Arkansas, the Spaniards make a long tour to the West, return to Mississippi and reach the Gulf. De Soto's wanderings through the territory of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana well established. 1670. Hudson Bay Company is formed and posts are established in region adjoining the Bay. Also French Company formed and in ensuing contentions the forts change hands many times. 1673. Joliet and Père Marquette cross over from Lake Michigan to Wisconsin River down to the Mississippi and to the mouth of the Arkansas and the northern limits of De Soto's wanderings. It is decided that the Mississippi flows into the Gulf and not into the Pacific. 1680. Hennepin is sent by La Salle down the Illinois and from there up the Mississippi to 45° half way across the Continent from East to West. 1682. La Salle descends Mississippi to the Gulf and · erects a fort at the Mouth of the Ohio. Thus Mississippi valley is added to the domain of New France. 1685. La Salle comes with a colony from France and missing the mouth of the Mississippi is cast away on Texan shore, where a fort is built and formal possession is taken for France. 1699. Iberville and Bienville come and found permanent settlement in Louisiana. In the north French trappers range the country as far as and beyond the Upper Mississippi visited by Hennepin. 1712. Crozat is given exclusive commercial privileges in Louisiana. 1716. John Law's financial experiment. 1717. Crozat's monopoly fails. 1720. Bursting of the "Mississippi Bubble." 1727. The French explore to a point above the Kansas. 1731-43. Verendrye attempts to form a line of trading posts across the Continent. 1742. Upper Missouri River ascended to region above Yellowstone. 1743. The Verendryes reach base of the Rocky Mountains in what is now Montana. 1755. England and France at war over boundary. Seven Years' War results. 1762. Family compact between France and Spain. 1763. Transfer of territory after Seven Years' War gives Spain (from France) city of New Orleans and all territory between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains. France does not own an inland acre of land in North America. 1800. Treaty of San Ildefonso transfers entire province of Louisiana back to France. 1803. Louisiana Purchase for $15,000,000 includes all of Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, North and South Dakota, Nebraska and parts of Montana, of Minnesota, Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, Oklahoma and Indian Territory. THE OREGON COUNTRY. AMERICAN DOMAIN. 1792. Columbia River discovered by United States explorer Robert Gray from Boston. 1805. Explorers Lewis and Clark travel up the Missouri to its source. Go down Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean. 1811. John Jacob Astor settlements on southern bank of Columbia River. 1819. By the Florida Treaty Spain cedes to the United States all claims she might have by earlier explorers to land embraced in Oregon, Idaho and parts of Montana and Wyoming and lays no claim north of 42° because of no definite historic evidence of actual explorations or settlements. 1818. Contract between England and the United States to reorganize this territory as neutral ground. United States and Britain both claim the land between California on the south to 42°, which was owned by Mexico, and Alaska on the north, which was owned by Russia, to 54° 40'. 1819. By terms of treaty United States claims land to 54° 40'. 1842. Boundary War agitation. "Fifty-four forty or Fight" cry. 1846. Compromise under President Tyler's administration agrees on 49° parallel as the north boundary of England. Had we forced our claim for 54° 40' we would have had complete mastery of the Pacific Ocean and the settlement in 1903 of the Canadian line would have been avoided. MEXICO. 1824. United States of Mexico organized into a republic, separating itself from Spain; President Victoria; contains besides Mexico all of California, Nevada, Utah and Texas, Arizona, and parts of New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. 1833. Trouble between the United States and Mexico over Texas, which Mexico refuses to sell. 1836. Texas severs its connection with Mexico. 1848. Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo gives all of the territory north of Mexico to the United States. President Herrera in command. (Contains all the original Republic of 1824 now in the United |