Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.

United States territorial acquisitions

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
United States territorial acquisitions
US territorial expansion.png
U.S. territories
American Samoa • Guam • Northern Mariana Islands • Puerto Rico • U.S. Virgin Islands

Since the United States Constitution's ratification in 1789, the country has grown from 864,746 square miles to 3,531,905 through territorial acquisitions.[1][2]

As of August 2021, the United States controlled five unincorporated, organized, inhabited territories: Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa. The U.S. also controlled nine minor outlying islands: Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Navassa Island, Johnston Atoll, Midway Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Wake Island, and Kingman Reef.

The United States has acquired new island territories through cession, purchase, and occupation, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs.[3] The U.S. also leased the Panama Canal Zone from 1903 to 1999. The country's first and largest territorial acquisition was the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 for $10 million; it nearly doubled the landmass of the original 13 states. In 1947, the Mariana Islands, Caroline Islands, and Marshall Islands became the most recent U.S. territorial acquisitions, as of August 2021.

The cheapest acquisition by purchase was of Alaska for $12 per square mile. The most expensive acquisition by purchase was of the U.S. Virgin Islands for $183,824 per square mile.

The territories gained by the U.S. through occupation were primarily small islands in the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The Guano Islands Act of 1856, which was designed to assist American farmers by making guano (dried sea bird excrement) easier to mine for use as fertilizer, authorized such occupations.[4]

Historical U.S. territories

List of U.S. territorial acquisitions

The table below lists the major territorial acquisitions of the United States since 1789. The list does not contain all of the small islands the U.S. claimed in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea under the Guano Islands Act of 1856, but it does include the nine minor outlying islands under undisputed U.S. control as of August 2021: Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Navassa Island, Johnston Atoll, Midway Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Wake Island, and Kingman Reef.[4] The minor outlying islands do not have permanent populations and are unorganized (they lack local government).[5]

For each acquisition, the table shows the year the U.S. gained control of the territory, the method through which it was obtained, the purchase price (if it was purchased), previous control, the size of the territory by square mile, the status of U.S. control of the territory, and whether the land had been incorporated into the 50 states as of August 2021.

According to the U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs, the United States has employed three methods of territorial acquisition for acquiring island territories:[3]

  • Cession refers to a transfer of land that is formally agreed upon by the acquiring and ceding state, usually by treaty.
  • A purchase is a type of cession in which the acquiring nation agrees to financially compensate the ceding country for a territorial transfer.
  • Occupation refers to the appropriation of an area that lacks supreme control by another sovereign.

Three other methods for acquisition of island territories are recognized under public international law, according to the Department of the Interior, are:[3]

  • Accretion is an increase in land mass through geological changes.
  • Subjugation occurs when a sovereign establishes a conquest followed by formal annexation.
  • Prescription is "the acquisition of an insular area subject to the supreme power of another sovereign through the continuous and undisturbed exercise of that supreme power."

The table contains seven purchased territories, 10 ceded territories, and 10 territories obtained through occupation. The U.S. occupied nearly 100 additional islands under the Guano Islands Act of 1856.[4]

Territories acquired by the United States[6][3]
Acquisition/Agreement Year acquired Acquisition method Purchase price Previous control Size of territory by square mile Current U.S. control?[7] Incorporated into state(s)?
Louisiana Purchase 1803 Purchase $15 million France 827,987 Yes Yes
British Cession 1818 Cession N/A United Kingdom 45,417 Yes Yes
Florida Purchase 1819 Purchase $5 million Spain 72,101 Yes Yes
Texas 1845 Cession N/A Independent republic 389,166 Yes Yes
Oregon territory 1846 Occupation N/A United Kingdom, United States
(contested)		 286,541 Yes Yes
Mexican Cession[8] 1848 Purchase $15 million Mexico 529,189 Yes Yes
Gadsden Purchase 1853 Purchase $10 million Mexico 29,670 Yes Yes
Baker Island 1857 Occupation N/A Unclaimed 0.5 Yes No
Howland Island 1857 Occupation N/A Unclaimed 0.6 Yes No
Jarvis Island 1857 Occupation N/A Unclaimed 1.7 Yes No
Navassa Island 1857 Occupation N/A Unclaimed 2 Yes No
Johnston Atoll 1858 Occupation N/A Unclaimed 1.1 Yes No
Alaska 1867 Purchase $7.2 million Russia 591,000 Yes Yes
Midway Islands 1867 Occupation N/A Unclaimed 2 Yes No
Hawaiian Islands 1898 Cession N/A Independent republic 6,450 Yes Yes
Palmyra Atoll 1898 Cession N/A Republic of Hawaii 4.6 Yes No
Philippine Islands 1898 Purchase $20 million Spain 115,800 No No
Puerto Rico 1898 Cession N/A Spain 3,508 Yes No
Guam 1898 Cession N/A Spain 209 Yes No
American Samoa 1899 Cession N/A Germany, United Kingdom, United States 76 Yes No
Wake Island 1899 Occupation N/A Unclaimed 3 Yes No
Virgin Islands 1917 Purchase $25 million Denmark 136 Yes No
Kingman Reef 1922 Occupation N/A Unclaimed 0.4 Yes No
Kanton and Enderbury islands[9] 1938 Occupation N/A Unclaimed 3 No No
Mariana Islands[10] 1947 Cession N/A Japanese League of Nations mandate 179 Yes No
Caroline Islands[11] 1947 Cession N/A Japanese League of Nations mandate 500 No No
Marshall Islands[12] 1947 Cession N/A Japanese League of Nations mandate 70 No No

Constitutional authority

In the United States, treaties regarding the exchange of territory with sovereign nations are typically initiated by the president and subject to the advice and consent of two-thirds of the U.S. Senate. According to Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution:

“ The President shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two-thirds of the Senators present concur...[13][14] ”

Once the United States legally acquires territories, Article IV, Section 3, of the Constitution grants Congress the authority to manage them, stating:

“ The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State.[13][14] ”

Current U.S. territories

In addition to the 50 states, the United States contains unincorporated organized territories which are governed by and subject to parts of the U.S. Constitution but do not have state status. Those territories are American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico and Northern Mariana Islands are considered commonwealths and have their own constitutions.

Below is a list containing an overview of each territory and its citizenship status.

American Samoa

American Samoa is located in the Pacific Ocean about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand. The "Deed of Cession" was signed on April 17, 1900. The capital is Pago Pago. Samoan is the primary language, but English, Tongan, and other Pacific islander languages are also spoken. The motto of American Samoa is "Samoa, Muamua Le Atua" (Samoan) which translates to "Samoa, Let God Be First."

Citizenship status

Individuals born in American Samoa are United States nationals, rather than citizens. U.S. nationals have the right to reside within the United States and its territories indefinitely. U.S. nationals may also apply for citizenship if they choose. Residents of American Samoa cannot vote in federal elections, but they do elect a nonvoting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives.[15][16][17]

Guam

Guam is located in the Pacific Ocean region known as Micronesia. Guam was ceded to the United States after the Spanish-American War in 1898. The capital is Hagåtña. English is the primary language of the island, but Filipino, Chamorro, other Pacific islander languages, and other Asian languages are also spoken.

Citizenship status

Individuals born in Guam are considered citizens of the United States. Residents of Guam cannot vote in federal elections, but they do elect a delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, who serves for a term of two years and has limited voting abilities. Residents of Guam also caucus for presidential primary candidates and delegates from Guam are sent to the Republican and Democratic national conventions.[15][18][19]

Northern Mariana Islands

Northern Marian Islands, more formally known as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, is located between Hawaii and the Philippines. It consists of fifteen islands. Philippine languages are the primary languages, but Chamorro, English, other Pacific islander languages, Chinese, and other Asian languages are also spoken. The capital is Capitol Hill (Saipan).

Citizenship status

Individuals born in the Northern Mariana Islands are considered citizens of the United States. Residents of the Northern Mariana Islands cannot vote in federal elections, but they do elect a delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, who serves for a term of two years and has limited voting abilities.[15][20][21]

Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico, more formally known as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is located in the northeastern Caribbean west of the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands. It is just east of the Dominican Republic. Puerto Rico was ceded to the United States in 1898 following the Spanish-American War under the Treaty of Paris. Spanish and English are the primary spoken languages. The capital and the largest city is San Juan. The motto of Puerto Rico is "Joannes est nomen eius" (Latin) which translates to "John is his name."

Citizenship status

Individuals born in Puerto Rico are considered citizens of the United States. Residents of Puerto Rico cannot vote in federal elections, but they do elect one resident commissioner to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives for a term of two years with limited voting abilities. The United States federal government does not collect income tax from those residing on the island. Puerto Rico residents may, however, serve in the military and are subject to most federal laws.[22][15]

U.S. Virgin Islands

The U.S. Virgin Islands are a group of islands in the Caribbean. The main islands include Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas, and Water Islands. English is the primary language of the territory, but Spanish, Spanish Creole, French, French Creole are also spoken. The capital and the largest city is Charlotte Amalie. The motto of the United States Virgin Islands is "United in Pride and Hope."

Citizenship status

Individuals born in the U.S. Virgin Islands are considered citizens of the United States. Residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands cannot vote in federal elections, but they do elect a nonvoting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives.[15][23]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Quick Facts," accessed August 19, 2019
  2. ↑ Data current through 2010.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 U.S. Department of the Interior, "Acquisition Process of Insular Areas," accessed August 20, 2019
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 WTTW, "How Guano Islands Helped Build an American Empire," accessed August 20, 2019
  5. ↑ U.S. Department of the Interior, "Definitions of Insular Area Political Organizations," accessed August 22, 2019
  6. ↑ United States History, "U.S. Territorial Acquisitions," accessed August 20, 2019
  7. ↑ As of August 22, 2019
  8. ↑ The purchase agreement arose out of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, ending the Mexican American war. In addition to the purchase price, the U.S. agreed to pay up to $5,000,000 in American claims against Mexico, according to United States History.
  9. ↑ The United States and the United Kingdom agreed to jointly administer these islands from 1938 to 1979 under a condominium agreement, according to "United States History."
  10. ↑ After World War One, the League of Nations ceded these islands to Japanese control. After World War Two, the United Nations ceded the islands to guard and govern them, according to "United States History."
  11. ↑ After World War One, the League of Nations ceded these islands to Japanese control. After World War Two, the United Nations ceded the islands to guard and govern them until they became independent as the Federated States of Micronesia in 1986, according to "United States History."
  12. ↑ After World War One, the League of Nations ceded these islands to Japanese control. After World War Two, the United Nations ceded the islands to guard and govern them until they became independent in 1986 as the Republic of the Marshall Islands, according to "United States History."
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 United States Senate, "Constitution of the United States," accessed August 22, 2019
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 U.S. Department of the Interior, "Definitions of Insular Area Political Organizations," accessed January 22, 2017
  16. ↑ Encyclopædia Britannica, "American Samoa," accessed January 22, 2017
  17. ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Immigration Terms and Definitions Involving Aliens," accessed January 22, 2017
  18. ↑ Encyclopædia Britannica, "Guam," accessed January 22, 2017
  19. ↑ Infoplease, "Guam," accessed January 22, 2017
  20. ↑ CIA World Factbook, "Northern Mariana Islands," accessed January 22, 2017
  21. ↑ Encyclopædia Britannica, "Northern Mariana Islands," accessed January 22, 2017
  22. ↑ Infoplease, "Puerto Rico," accessed January 17, 2017
  23. ↑ Encyclopædia Britannica, "U.S. Virgin Islands," accessed January 22, 2017


Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=United_States_territorial_acquisitions&oldid=10212633"