Westward Expansion and Civil War Chapter 6 Section 1

Territorial Expansion and Manifest Destiny As a Democratic-Republican, President Thomas Jefferson was committed to the idea of states’ rights and strict construction of the Constitution. Yet Jefferson’s policies as president did not differ greatly from those of his Federalist predecessors. He discovered that in his role as U.S. president, his first duty was to strengthen the nation.

To do this, he reluctantly changed his view of the Constitution. The issue that prompted a change of mind was this: Should he consent to purchase from France the vast territory called Louisiana?

The Louisiana Purchase By 1800 pioneer families had moved beyond the Appalachian Mountains into Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio. These lands were already part of the United States. On the Mississippi River, however, the city of New Orleans as well as the unexplored lands of Louisiana to the west were under French rule. In 1803 the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte made the extraordinary offer to sell New Orleans and the Louisiana Territory to the United States for a bargain price (about $15 million).

Jefferson’s Constitutional Dilemma No clause in the constitution authorized the national government to expand the country’s borders. As a strict constructionist, Jefferson could not justify making the purchase. But to turn down the offer of Louisiana would be to miss out on the greatest land sale in history.

Decision for Loose Construction Jefferson’s opponents in the Federalist Party argued for a loose construction of the Constitution. According to this view the national government had many powers that were implied by the “necessary and proper” clause of the Constitution. Reluctantly, Jefferson adopted the loose construction view when he asked the Senate to ratify the treaty with France for the purchase of Louisiana.

Exploring and Settling the West Frontier- An imaginary line dividing settled areas from the wilderness. President Jefferson’s purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803 more than doubled the land area of the United States and expanded U.S. boundaries far beyond the Mississippi all the way to the Rocky Mountains. Thus, a vast new frontier beckoned to explorers, trappers, and traders, pioneering farmers, and missionaries.

Lewis and Clark With the full support of Congress, Jefferson sent an expedition led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark from St. Louis in 1804 to explore the newly acquired lands and to look for a water route to the Pacific. They enabled the United States to claim the whole Oregon region and prepared the way for latter settlement of the American West. In addition, the rocks, plants, and animals that the explorers discovered and brought back were of great value for naturalists.

After the Lewis and Clark expedition, Americans became interested in the fur trade in the Oregon Country. The center of the fur trade was St. Louis. Beaver pelts were in high demand in the East of the United States and in Europe that concerned the fur trade.

Missionaries In addition to fur traders, missionaries traveled to the Oregon Country to convert Native Americans to Christianity. They built missions and schools, and sent for more settlers from the East. As a result, by the 1840s, several thousand American farmers and pioneers resided in the Oregon Country.

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Mormons One of the largest groups to settle in the West was the Mormons. The Mormon Church is also known as the Church of Latter-Day Saints. Joseph Smith founded the Church in Western New York. Mormons have been persecuted for their beliefs, which include the practice of polygamy. Polygamy- Having more than one spouse at a time. In 1844, Joseph Smith was killed by an Illinois mob, and the Mormons led by Brigham Young left and moved to Utah. Many Mormons today reside in Salt Lake City Utah.

The Spanish, Mexican, and Native American West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California were the present day states that were originally explored and settled by the Spanish. The purpose of the mission for Spanish colonization was to convert the Native Americans to Christianity, teach them the Spanish culture, and make them loyal subjects.