HOW THE USA GOT GREAT

 The USA would not have amounted to much if we had not acquired all those territories to the west, north and south.  Maybe President Donald Trump's manifest destiny for Greenland, Panama Canal and Canada might well be visionary.  Make American Even Greater!

• Original size of U.S. in 1789 = 864,746 square miles.
• We then grew to 3,531,905 square miles through territorial acquisitions.
• 1803 Louisiana Purchase from France, 828,000 (almost the same size as originally) square miles (sm) for $15 million, now worth $389 billion.
• 1818, British Cession, 45,417 sm.
• 1819, Florida, $5 million, Spain, 72,101 sm.
• 1845, Texas cession, 389,166 sm.
• 1846, Oregon territory, UK, by contested occupation, 286,541.
• 1848, Mexican Cession from Mexico, $15 million, 529,189.
• 1853, Gadsdend Purchase from Mexico, $10 million, 29,670.
• 1857-1858, Islands in the Pacific, 16 sm.

• 1867, Alaska, $7.2 million from Russia, 591,000.
• 1967-1947, islands mostly in the Pacific, like Hawaii, small sums, about 120,000 sm, mostly because the Philippines has 115,800 sm.

• 
  Greenland is 25% larger than Alaska, 836,300 square miles to 586,412 square miles.
• Canada is 5.8 times larger than Alaska, 3,855,081 square miles to 666,384 square miles.
• Did you know Canada is larger than the U.S.?  
• Adding Greenland and Canada would bring the U.S. up to 8,223,286 sm.

• The largest country in the world is Russia with 6,601,668 sm.
• Through the incorporation of Canada and Greenland, the USA would become #1 in land area.
• China is only 3.7 square miles.

As the third president of the U.S., Thomas Jefferson engineered the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.  This nearly doubled the size of the country.  He wanted to gain control of the Mississippi river and the port of New Orleans.

How many of you know that James Polk was the 11th President of the USA?    This was between 1845 and 1849.  He is credited with overseeing the largest territorial expansion in American history, acquiring over a million square miles through a treaty with England and war with Mexico.

• He too was born in a log cabin, in 1795, in Mecklenburg, North Carolina.

• 
  Was chronically ill as a child, but went on to graduate at the top of his class at the University of North Carolina.
• At the Age of 27 was voted into the Tennessee legislature.
• At the age of 30 was elected to Congress.
• He was aided by Andrew Jackson, and as a Jacksonian Democrat supported expanded suffrage and limited federal government.

• 
  Served seven terms in the House, including two terms as Speaker.
• Returned to Tennessee to become governor in 1839.
• He could't win his home state of Tennessee, but was elected to become U.S. president in 1844, with national expansion as a priority.
• He became the president that expanded the nation to the Pacific, and returned to Tennessee after one one term because this is what he promised,
• However, he died of cholera just 103 days after leaving the presidency.

While more than just land made America great, all the above purchases and steals no doubt were essential to advance the USA to #1.  Back to the Oceania Riviera, after dinner, we went to the theater to watch a show featuring the music of Burt Bacharach.

Went dancing, but not worth any graphics.  Ended the day with only 2487 steps.

Woke up today to some bumpiness.

Struggled to the Terrace Cafe, and went to the Wave Grill because they deliver the meal.  Had a cheeseburger and fish + chips.

Made it back to our cabin to see even choppier waves.

I'm now heading to bed for a long nap.  Tonight and Tomorrow?  Who knows.

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