The Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis & Clark Expedition

The Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis & Clark Expedition

Today you will: 1. Understand the impact of the Louisiana Purchase

2. Identify the impact of the The Lewis and Clark Expedition

In 1800, the U.S....

extended to the Mississippi River. New states like Vermont, Kentucky, and Tennessee have been added. The Northwest territory will soon become Ohio.

The western part of North America is controlled by France and Spain. Britain has territory in Canada. Russia controls Alaska.

The Louisiana Purchase

• In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson arranged for the purchase of French Louisiana from Napoleon Bonaparte who was becoming occupied with a war with Britain.

• Jefferson originally sought to buy New Orleans from France, but jumped at the opportunity to secure all of the Louisiana Territory.

Multiple Choice

Which president is responsible for the Louisiana Purchase?

• George Washington

• John Adams

• Alexander Hamilton

• Thomas Jefferson

The Louisiana Purchase

• In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson arranged for the purchase of French Louisiana from Napoleon Bonaparte who was becoming occupied with a war with Britain.

• Jefferson originally sought to buy New Orleans from France, but jumped at the opportunity to secure all of the Louisiana Territory.

Poll

Why would Jefferson want to buy New Orleans and the Louisiana Territory (take a guess)?

• for national security--keep France out of North America

• for trade and economics--New Orleans is a major port at the mouth of the largest river in North America

• for national security--to create a land buffer between the U.S. and New Spain (the area now known as Mexico)

• for economic opportunities--land has always been the most sought after economic commodity

• economics & ideological vision--Jefferson envisioned the US as a land of farmers. More land=more farm land

Does the Constitution give the president the authority to buy land?

No. But....Congress has the authority to do "what is necessary and proper" for the benefit of the nation.

Jefferson wasn't sure if he had Constitutional authority to make the Louisiana Purchase, but he did know he had authority to negotiate with foreign nations.

Jefferson uses a "loose interpretation" of the Constitution (thanks, Hamilton) to buys French Louisiana.

Poll

How much do you think it cost to buy the Louisiana Purchase?

• $ 8 billion

• $25

• $126 trillion

• $15 million

885,000 Square Miles

• Jefferson purchases the territory for $15 million

• It included 885,000 square miles

• It DOUBLED the size of the United States

Multiple Choice

What is the cost of the Louisiana Purchase per square mile?

• about $17 per square mile

• about $1000 per square mile

• about $150 per square mile

• about $1500 per square mile

885,000 Square Miles

• Adjusted for inflation, most historians believe that the price would be about $233 million, today

• Is that still a good deal?

• How much is New Orleans and all of the land really worth today?

The Lewis and Clark Expedition

• To explore the land that he bought, Jefferson selected Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to lead an expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory.

• In 1804, the Corps of Discovery left St.Louis to explore the new lands of the United States

• The Corps consisted of 33 men, and others who would join along the way

Multiple Choice

Who did President Jefferson select to lead the Corps of Discovery?

• Meriwether Lewis and William Clark

• Neil Armstrong and Buzz Alderin

• Lewis Clark and James Madison

• Lewis Monroe and Clark Griswald

The Lewis and Clark Expedition

• To explore the land that he bought, Jefferson selected Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to lead an expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory.

• In 1804, the Corps of Discovery left St.Louis to explore the new lands of the United States

• The Corps consisted of 33 men, and others who would join along the way

Sacagawea

One of the most interesting members of the Corps of Discovery was Sacagawea, a Shoshone Native who joined the expedition as a guide in the winter of 1804.

Sacagawea

While in Mandan, North Dakota, a French fur trader named Toussaint Charbonneau approached Lewis about joining the expedition. His wife was Sacagawea, who he acquired as a slave in a gambling game. She was knowledgeable in multiple languages and sign language, which made her an ideal interpreter and guide for the journey. Clark wanted Sacagawea on the journey and was willing to tolerate Charbonneau.

Multiple Choice

Is it true that Sacagawea was pregnant on the journey?

• True

• False

Is it true that Sacagawea was pregnant on the journey?

  True!  She was already pregnant when she joined the expedition.  Her son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau was born in February of 1805 in Mandan, North Dakota.  After Sacagawea’s death in 1812, William Clark adopts him and raises him.

All the way to the Pacific

Lewis and Clark mapped a route to the Pacific Ocean while making contact with the Native American tribes of the West, and recording scientific data about the surroundings en route to the Pacific.

The entire expedition covered about 8,000 miles.

Poll

How long do you think it took the Corps of Discovery to travel to the Pacific Ocean and back?

• 20 years

• two weeks

• three months

• 861 days (about two and a half years)

Fifteen different states eventually come from the Louisiana Purchase

How will new states affect the expansion and development of the U.S.?

Multiple Choice

Which of the following are states from the Louisiana Purchase?

• Louisiana, Arkansas, Nebraska, South Dakota

• Louisiana, Kentucky, Alabama, Oregon

• Louisiana, Arizona, Nevada, Washington

• Oklahoma, Mississippi, Iowa, Ohio

Multiple Choice

What changes does the Louisiana Purchase bring?

• It doubles the size of the United States

• It will encourage Westward Expansion and settlement of the west by European Americans

• It will cause human rights controversies regarding slavery and the removal of Native Americans from ancestral homelands

• all of these

Westward Expansion creates a few problems

• #1- Will new state added allow slavery? Will they be free states or slave states?

• #2- How does pioneer settlement westward affect Native Americans.

Homework

Read & watch "Lesson 2: The Louisiana Purchase" on Canvas.