page_title: Territories of the United States on stamps
section_title: Manifest destiny
hierarchical_section_title: Territories of the United States on stamps / National boundaries / Manifest destiny
caption_attribution_description: English: Jackson_Scott_1937_Issue-2c.jpg
context_page_description: Territories of the United States on stamps discusses commemorative postal issues devoted to lands that have been ceded to the nation or purchased by treaty in conjunction with both war and peace. Thirteen states have been created from colonial territories, two from independent republics, four from previous states in the Union, and an additional thirty-one from United States territories.
  Many aspects of acquisition, settlement and exploration have been celebrated on postage stamps. These are represented below in issues that appeared prior to 1978.
context_section_description: The first expansion beyond Treaty of Paris borders occurred with the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803 under President Thomas Jefferson, known as the architect of the Louisiana Purchase. His portrait is featured on the second stamp of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition issue. 
  This issue of 1904 also featured a 10-cent stamp with an outline of the Louisiana Purchase territory superimposed over a political map of the United States. The Louisiana Purchase sesquicentennial 1953 featured James Monroe, Robert R. Livingston and François Barbé-Marbois, "signing the Louisiana Transfer, Paris 1803". 
  A map of the 1822 Florida Territory was pictured on the statehood commemoration from its original state seal on its 100th anniversary by a 3-cent stamp on March 3, 1945. The gates of St. Augustine are pictured on the left and the State Capitol in Tallahassee on the right.  
  Texas was annexed in 1845 by Republic of Texas petition to the United States under the presidency of James K. Polk. The 100th anniversary of Texas statehood was commemorated by a 3-cent stamp on December 29, 1945. The Republic of Texas was established in 1836 in the aftermath of a rebellion against Mexican authority. Texas annexation to the U.S. was resisted by Northerners opposed to the expansion of slavery. But during the Polk Administration, Texas was annexed as a slave state. This led directly to the Mexican–American War as Mexico moved to protect its territorial claims from American expansion. 
  The Mexican–American war begun under President James Polk had three distinct operational phases. The Kearny Expeditions through Mexican territory to reach the Pacific, the invasion of Mexico from the north under Zachary Taylor, and the invasion of Mexico from Vera Cruz under Winfield Scott to capture Mexico City. A 3-cent stamp, "Kearny Expedition" was issued October 16, 1946, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Col. Stephen Watts Kearny expedition in New Mexico during the MexicanAmerican War. In Santa Fe he established American authority with himself as military governor. He commanded several expeditions through western territories, and in California he was engaged in several battles and was again military governor. 
  The 2-cent Army stamp of January 15, 1937, shows Andrew Jackson (left) and Winfield Scott a hero of the Mexican War, leading a campaign from Vera Cruz to Mexico City. Following the Peace Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, the Mexican Cession turned over to the U.S. territory stretching west to the Pacific Ocean. 
  The Oregon Territory dispute was settled by the Oregon Treaty between the U.S. and Great Britain in 1846 under President Polk. The Oregon Territory was commemorated on its 100th anniversary with a 3-cent stamp on July 14, 1936. It comprised the present states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and parts of Montana and Wyoming. The stamp features a map of the Territory, including a trace of the Oregon Trail, flanked by a Native American scene and a covered wagon train.  A 3-cent commemorative of the 100th anniversary of the Gadsden Purchase issued December 30, 1953. The U.S. bought the Gadsden Purchase (1854) from Mexico. It amounted to 29,670 square miles which later became parts of Arizona and New Mexico. With the Gadsden Purchase, the contiguous territory which would become the "lower forty-eight" contiguous states of the United States was complete. 
  The Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition commemorated the nation's northwest territory on the 10th anniversary of the 1897 Klondike Gold rush and the 40th anniversary of the 1867 Alaska Purchase. Delayed from 1907 to 1909 to avoid competing with the Jamestown Exposition. 
  Secretary of State William H. Seward is shown. He negotiated the $8 million purchase of Alaska from Russia. The popular press in 1867 referred to the purchase as "Seward's Folly," but by 1909 the importance of this acquisition was recognized.
caption: Winfield Scott (r.), the Mexican War
  1937 issue
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