Acquisition of new territories

The acquisition of new territories helped the country by making it larger, and pushing out European claims to the lands, and it hurt the country by causing many issues with slavery. When America acquired Florida and was able to use Oregon it grew as a country because people settled in the areas and the economy went up. As more of the land became American less became European, which made America stronger and less vulnerable. More immigrants came when America acquired new land and also advances in transportation were made like the railroads and the steamboats. The country became more diversified and was forced to be exposed to different cultures. Yet, when new lands were added, the debate of whether they would be free or slave came up. With the Louisiana Purchase and the request from Texas to be annexed, the South fought for slavery while many Northerners fought against it. The country became even more greatly divided by North and South on the slavery issue and that is how the country as a whole was weakened.