Louisiana Purchase/War of 1812/Foreign Affairs

Imagine Maya, Elijah, and Abigail are time travelers. They have landed in the era of the Louisiana Territory acquisition. They are curious to understand if this addition contributed to sectionalism (differences of the people's wants and concerns based on which region of the country they live in). Which research question should they ask to best analyze this?

• How did acquiring the Louisiana Territory contribute to the creation of a national army?

• Did the U.S. Constitution have a process for deciding whether new territories like the one Maya, Elijah, and Abigail are exploring, could allow slavery?

• Did the U.S. Constitution permit the federal government to purchase territories from other countries like the Louisiana Territory?

• How did the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory impact the taxes of average American citizens in that era?

Imagine this, Abigail, Mia, and Ethan! You've discovered a letter from Pierre S. du Pont to President Jefferson in 1802. Pierre S. du Pont, a French immigrant, played a crucial role in helping the U.S. government acquire the Louisiana Territory from France.

Dear President,

France is getting a bit jittery, thinking the United States has plans for conquest. If all you need is access to the Mississippi River for transporting goods from the Western states, then a trade treaty should do the trick. 

If you want to own the land, you'll need to convince them to let it go. The natural love of all people for wealth leaves you but one choice when you have nothing else to offer. It's time to open the wallet.

Consider what a war with France would cost. If the United States purchases Louisiana, it's a win-win. We get Louisiana, avoid any bloodshed, and stay buddies with France.

So, based on this letter, can you figure out two reasons why purchasing the Louisiana Territory was a good idea?

• Was it to promote friendly relations with England?

• Or perhaps to boost economic growth in the U.S.?

• Maybe it was to protect a shipping route from interference from another country?

• Or could it have been to provide a safe location from Native American tribes?

Imagine you're in a history class with Abigail, Aiden, and Henry. Your teacher hands you a letter written by President Thomas Jefferson in 1803 to a government official who made treaties with Native Americans. You all read it together:

'Since this letter is private, I can safely give you a better view of my Native American policy. To encourage them to sell us their territory, I plan to build more trading posts so that they fall into debt. When these debts get beyond what they can pay, they will be more willing to sell their land. Thus, our settlements will gradually surround the Native Americans. In time, they will either join us as U.S. citizens or move west of the Mississippi River.'

'We should remain on friendly terms with the Native Americans, even though they know by now that we can overpower them. But if any tribe is foolish enough to resist my plan, we will seize their land as a warning to others.'

After reading, Aiden asks, 'What is the overall tone of Thomas Jefferson's letter?'

• Deceitful

• Helpful

• Enraged

• Defensive

Hey Sophia, Lily, and Kai! Let's dive into a historical mystery. We have a secret letter from President Thomas Jefferson from 1803. He wrote it to a government official who was making treaties with Native Americans.

Since this letter is private, I can safely give you a better view of my Native American policy.  To encourage them to sell us their territory, I plan to build more trading posts so that they fall into debt.  When these debts get beyond what they can pay, they will be more willing to sell their land.  Thus, our settlements will gradually surround the Native Americans.  In time, they will either join us as U.S. citizens or move west of the Mississippi River.

We should remain on friendly terms with the Native Americans, even though they know by now that we can overpower them.  But if any tribe is foolish enough to resist my plan, we will seize their land as a warning to others. 

Now, imagine you are historians. How would you most likely use this letter to evaluate the credibility of President Jefferson's claims to help the Native Americans?

• To counter Jefferson's claim that Native Americans should give up hunting

• To support Jefferson's claims that Native Americans needed more trading posts to help their tribes be successful

• To support Jefferson's claim that farming would contribute to Native American's overall comfort

• To counter Jefferson's claims that he was making choices for the greatest good of Native Americans

Use Sources 1 and 2 to answer the following question:

What was most likely a long-term effect of the Louisiana Purchase?

Source 1

This passage is based on a letter by Pierre S. du Pont to President Jefferson in 1802.  Pierre S. du Pont was a French immigrant who helped the U.S. government acquire the Louisiana Territory from France.

by

Pierre S. du Pont, 1802

Mr. President, 
France is worried that the United States has ambitions for conquest.  If all you need is access to the Mississippi River for transporting goods from the Western states, then all you need is a trade treaty. 
If you want to own the land, you will need to persuade them to give it up.  The natural taste of all people for wealth leaves you but one choice when you have nothing else to offer.  It is to pay them money.
Think about what a war with France would cost.  If the United States purchases Louisiana, both countries would benefit.  We will have Louisiana, while avoiding bloodshed and remaining friends with France.

Source 2

This passage is based on a letter President Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1803 to a government official who made treaties with Native Americans.

by

Thomas Jefferson, 1803

Since this letter is private, I can safely give you a better view of my Native American policy.  To encourage them to sell us their territory, I plan to build more trading posts so that they fall into debt.  When these debts get beyond what they can pay, they will be more willing to sell their land.  Thus, our settlements will gradually surround the Native Americans.  In time, they will either join us as U.S. citizens or move west of the Mississippi River.
We should remain on friendly terms with the Native Americans, even though they know by now that we can overpower them.  But if any tribe is foolish enough to resist my plan, we will seize their land as a warning to others.

• The U.S. Government encouraged cooperation with Native American tribes

• The U.S. government supported policies and decisions that promoted westward expansion

• The U.S. government discouraged settlements near Native American land because it was already owned by Native American tribes

• The U.S. government prohibited expansion through any military conflict

These two historians have come to different conclusions about American expansion into the West before, during, and after the War of 1812.

Historian 1's conclusion: Westward expansion helped the country's individualistic and democratic culture.

Historian 2's conclusion: Westward expansion was a tragedy that should not be celebrated.  Entire communities were stripped of their land in the name of so-called progress.

Which primary source did Historian 2 most likely use to support her conclusion about westward expansion?

• A treaty between the United States and Spain allowing shared access of the Mississippi River

• a transcript of the legislative debate that led to prohibiting slavery in land North of the Ohio River

• A summary of communications between Native American tribes discussing how to protect their lands

• A diary entry describing the assistance of a Native American tribe to a white settler's family as they traveled through their village

Hey there, history buffs! Let's dive into a scenario. Imagine David, Jackson, and Zoe are time-traveling back to the era of President Madison. They come across an official statement where Madison says, "British cruisers have been in the continued practice of violating the American flag on the great highway of nations...our commerce has been plundered in every sea, the great staples of our country have been cut off from their legitimate markets..."

Now, here's your challenge: What do you think Madison meant when he referred to "the great highway of nations"?

• A freeway between states

• Communications between countries

• The world's ocean trade routes

• The wagon routes across our frontiers

Hey Liam, Oliver, and Arjun! Let's take a trip back in time and imagine ourselves in the War of 1812. We're looking at a painting titled "We Owe Allegiance to No Crown" by John Archibald Woodside.

Now, imagine if John Archibald Woodside was a British supporter and wanted to change this painting to promote the British point of view. Which change do you think would have the most impact?

• Instead of an angel of liberty, there would have been an angel of death attacking the American sailor

• Instead of one ship in the background, there would be many ships

• The American sailor standing in the middle would have a green shirt to represent American greed instead of a blue one

• Instead of clouds in the background there would have been open seas

Imagine you're in a history class with Ava, Charlotte, and Priya. The teacher is discussing the conclusions of two historians about the effect of the War of 1812 on the development of an American identity.

Historian 1: The United States victory over Great Britain in the War of 1812 led to a historical uprising in national pride. Many Americans began to see themselves as a part of United States instead of a country made up of a collection of states.

Historian 2: While some historians focus on the national unity in the years after the War of 1812, I disagree.  The historical evidence shows that the sectionalism that had been part of the American identity since its beginning continued to grow in the years after the War of 1812.

Charlotte raises her hand and asks, 'What primary source did Historian 2 most likely use to support his conclusion about the effect of the War of 1812 on the development of an American identity?'

• A newspaper article praising the decline of differences between political parties

• A bill proposing road and canal funding sponsored by legislators from across the country

• A debate transcript showing a difference in support for the prohibition of slavery between Northern and Southern states

• A magazine article noting the popularity of "The Star-Spangeld Banner" in Northern and Southern regions