purchased in 1803 purchased from france cost: $15 million, about $0.03/acre doubled the size of...
TRANSCRIPT
Purchased in 1803Purchased from FranceCost: $15 million, about $0.03/acreDoubled the size of the United
StatesApproved by Thomas Jefferson,
arranged by James Madison
BASIC FACTS
For trade reasons, Westerners wanted to control the Mississippi River, which meant controlling New Orleans at its mouth.
Jefferson offered to buy New Orleans from Napoleon, the French emperor
Napoleon offered the entire Louisiana Territory instead – he needed lots of money to fight the British
WHY DID WE BUY IT?
The Territory included all or part of 15 states (including Louisiana and Texas)
The Purchase began the process of America’s westward expansion
Jefferson got involved in the British and French wars, by providing money to France
IN THE END…
Most of the Louisiana Territory was
relatively unknown to Americans.
Jefferson assigns Captain Meriwether
Lewis to explore the Territory.
Lewis chooses his friend William Clark to
co-captain the so-called “Corps of
Discovery”, more commonly known as
the…
SO NOW WHAT?
Capt. Meriwether Lewis
LEWIS & CLARK EXPEDITION
The Corps of Discovery
THE EXPEDITION
Nobody in America knew much about the newly
purchased Louisiana Territory
Eager to discover exactly what lay in the lands he
had bought, President Jefferson authorized an
exploring expedition, led by Meriwether Lewis and
William Clark
THE TRIP
Lewis & Clark left St. Louis in May of 1804 with about 40 men
(including one slave) and a dog.
They moved slowly up the Missouri River, and stopped for the
winter with the Mandan Indians in what is now North Dakota.
They hired a French-Canadian trapper and his Indian wife,
Sacagawea to guide them
After crossing the Rocky Mountains, they reached the Pacific
Ocean in November of 1805
SACAGAWEA
Sacagawea was important to the success of the
expedition.
She acted as both interpreter and guide.
Maybe even more important, the presence of a
woman and her young child showed other Indians
that the expedition was not a war party.
THE ROUTE
THE RETURN
The return trip was much faster – traveling
downstream and over land they had already mapped
The expedition returned to St. Louis in 1806, after
two years of exploration
Lewis and Clark were national heroes
Only one person died on the expedition. He had
appendicitis and the infection killed him.
THE RESULTS
A
merica had a much better idea of what they had purchased
F
riendly relations were made with many new Indian tribes
H
undreds of new species of animals and plants were discovered
N
ew maps would help future pioneers moving West