1. Section 2 – pg 188 The Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark
Chapter 5
Section 2 – pg 188
The Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark

2. The Nation Looks West Pg 188 - 189
The amount of westward settlers increased after the US won independence
By 1800, more than 1 million settlers lived between Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River

3. Pg
Most settlers were farmers who relied on the Mississippi river to ship their crops to the port at New Orleans
Spain, who controlled the Mississippi River and New Orleans, threatened to close the port to Americans
In 1795 the US negotiated a treaty with Spain called the Pinckney Treaty
Guaranteed the American’s right
to ship their goods down the
Mississippi to New Orleans where
they could be stored until they
were transferred a ocean going
ship for the journey east

4. Pg
In 1801, Jefferson discovered that Spain had secretly given New Orleans and the rest of its Louisiana Territory to France
This scared Jefferson b/c France’s dictator was already trying to conquer Europe and he might try to establish dominance in America
Also American expansion westward would be block as long as Napoleon owned the Mississippi River

5. The Louisiana Purchase
Pg 189
The Louisiana Purchase
Even before Louisiana was transferred to France, the Spanish withdrew the right of American’s to ship goods through New Orleans
This violated the treaty set up in 1795
Many Americans demanded Jefferson go to war

6. Pg 189
A Surprise Offer
Jefferson decided the best approach was to try to buy the city of New Orleans from France
He sent James Monroe to France to make a deal for New Orleans and a territory to the east called West Florida

7. Pg 189
In Paris, the Americas discovered that a revolution had be led by Toussaint L’Ouverture had driven the French from their Carribean colony
Wi/o Haiti as a base, it would difficult for them to defend Louisiana in the event of a war
In addition, war was looming between France and Britain and Napoleon needed money
Offered to sell them the entire Louisiana Territory for $15 million – abt 4 cents an acre

8. The Louisiana Purchase almost doubled the size of the country
Pg 190
The Louisiana Purchase almost doubled the size of the country
Mostly unexplored, but had millions of acres of fertile farmland and other natural resources
We also now had control of the Mississippi River

9. Jefferson’s Dilemma Pg 190
Jefferson loved the deal, but was unsure if it was Constitutional for the president to buy land from a foreign country
He reasoned that it was like making a treaty, which he did have the power to do
The Senate approved the treaty and Congress quickly voted to pay for the land

10. Lewis and Clark Explore the West
Pg 191
Lewis and Clark Explore the West
In January 1803, even before the US had bought Louisiana, Jefferson convinced Congress to spend $2,500 on a westward expedition
Expedition: a long and carefully organized journey
Jefferson chose Meriwether Lewis to lead the trip, and Lewis chose William Clark to be his co-leader
Were ordered to report back on the geography, plants, animals, and other natural features of the region
Jefferson also wanted them to make contact with the NAs west of Mississippi and to find a waterway between the Mississippi river and the Pacific Ocean

12. Pg 191
Into the Unknown
In the spring of 1804, Lewis and Clark left St. Louis and headed up the Missouri river
Had 3 boats with about 40 men
Most were Americans, some French Canadians, and one enslaved African American

13. Pg 191 In mid-July the party reached the mouth of the Platte River
In early July, they met the first NA
3 weeks later, they reached the edge of the Great Plains

14. Pg 192
In late October 1804, the expedition reached the territory of the Mandan ppl, in what is now North Dakota
They decided to stay there for the winter
There they were joined by a French Canadian trader and his wife, a NA named Sacagawea
She was a Shoshone who would travel with them and serve as a translator

15. Crossing the Rockies Pg 192 In April 1805, the party set out again
By Summer they were in what is now Montana and began to climb the Rockies
By August they had reached the Continental Divide of the Rockies
Continental Divide: a place on a continent that separates river systems flowing in opposite directions
The party was disappointed to see ranges of mountains instead of a river that would take them to the Pacific

17. The next day, Lewis met a group of Shoshone warriors
Pg 192
The next day, Lewis met a group of Shoshone warriors
When Sacagawea arrived to translate she found that the chief was her brother
The Shoshones agreed to sell the expedition horses that were needed to cross the mtns

18. Pg
At the Pacific
On the west side of the Rockies, they reached the Columbia river
They stopped to build canoes for the downriver voyage
Finally early November they saw the Pacific Ocean
They spent the wet and gloomy winter of 1805 – 1806 near the point where the Columbia River flows into the Pacific
Began return journey in March 1806
Took half a year to return

19. Pg 193
Pike’s Expedition
Shortly before Lewis and Clark returned, another expedition left heading west
From 1805 to 1807, the party, led by Zebulon Pike, explored the southern part of the Louisiana Territory
Pike led his party west to the Rocky Mtns
He tried to climb the mts but got 2/3 the way before he was forced to turn back
Today this mtn is known as Pikes Peak

20. Pg 193 Pike’s return route took him into Spanish New Mexico
Early in 1807, Spanish troops arrested the members of the party as spies
They feared they were gathering info so the Americans could take over the region
After several months in captivity, they were released and escorted back to the US
Unfortunately, as the Spanish had feared, Pike’s report of this region spiked American interest