History of U.S. Land Acquisitions

Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

Map highlighting major U.S. land acquisitions, with regions colored in orange to show areas gained through the Louisiana Purchase, Alaska Purchase, Gadsden Purchase, Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Florida Purchase, Danish Virgin Islands, and the Philippines. Inset labels provide each acquisition's year, seller, acreage, and cost at the time and in 2024 dollars.

History of U.S. Land Acquisitions: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

Kenny Chmielewski
Mindy Johnston
Mindy Spitzer Johnston is Managing Editor at Encyclopædia Britannica.

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

J.E. Luebering

Article History

Type	Description	Contributor	Date
	Cross-references added.	J.E. Luebering	Apr 13, 2026
	New article added.	Mindy Johnston	Jan 30, 2026