The Louisiana Purchase
Key Terms Expedition – a long voyage of exploration Continental divide – mountain ridge that separates river systems flowing toward opposite sides of a continent. In the United States, it is located in the Rocky Mountains and rivers will either flow east to the Atlantic or west to the Pacific. Corps – an organized group
The Louisiana Purchase By 1800, 1 million people lived between the Appalachian mountains and the Mississippi River. Those people depended heavily on the Mississippi to transport their farm and trade goods to market. While Washington was president, the United States had signed the Pickney Treaty with Spain allowing Americans to use the river and port of New Orleans. Spain controlled New Orleans, but in 1800 Spain signed a treaty giving New Orleans back to France.
Napolean Bonaparte President Jefferson was worried that France would not allow the United States access to the Mississippi or to New Orleans so he decided to send Robert Livingston and James Monroe to France to negotiate. France was controlled by a general name Napoleon Bonaparte who had taken power during the French revolution. Napoleon was on a mission to conquer Europe. The Americans met with the French foreign minister and offered France $10 million dollars in exchange for New Orleans and West Florida. After losing Haiti during a revolution, France no longer felt they needed land in the Americas. The French asked the US if they would be interested in purchasing all of the Louisiana Territory.
The Louisiana Purchase Needing money for his conquests, Napolean Bonaparte sold the Louisiana Territory to the US for 15 million. This happened in 1803 and is known as the Louisiana Purchases. This doubled the size of the US.
Time To Review Why was it important to seek control of the Mississippi? Why were the French willing to sell the Louisiana Territory? Why is the Louisiana Purchase important? What year did we make the Louisiana Purchase?
Was This Purchase Legal? Jefferson believed in a strict interpretation of the Constitution. However, the Constitution did not clearly state whether or not the president had the power to purchase land. In the end, it was agreed the Louisiana Purchase would be considered a treaty, and therefore legal.
Lewis and Clark Once we had this new land, we needed to explore it. Jefferson chose two men, Lewis and Clark, to lead the expedition. The group of 50 men traveling with them was known as “The Corps of Discovery.”
Sacagewea Along the way, the expedition spent some time with the Mandan tribe. They met Sacagawea there. She lived with the Mandan people but was a Shoshone woman. She agreed to be their guide. Sacagewea helped the expedition avoid a fight with the Shoshone tribe by asking the Shoshone Chief, who was also her brother, to allow the expedition to cross their lands.
After several years, they finally made it to the Pacific Ocean After several years, they finally made it to the Pacific Ocean. Lewis and Clark brought back useful information about the Louisiana Purchase and the animals, plants, and people they encountered while exploring.
Review Who was chosen to lead the expedition of the Louisiana Territory? What did they call the volunteers who agreed to go explore with them? How was it that Sacagewea was able to act as their guide?
Pike’s Expedition Before Lewis and Clark had returned, another explorer was sent out. Zebulon Pike was sent to explore the lands of present day Colorado and New Mexico. Pike’s Peak near Colorado Springs is named after him. Pike was arrested by the Spanish, marched to Mexico, then escorted back to the border by way of Texas.