John Gast, American Progress
(Manifest Destiny) (1872)
Manifest Destiny
• EQ: How Justifiable was US expansion in the
1800s?
• Manifest Destiny means obvious fate
• John O’Sullivan wrote that the US’ “manifest destiny to overspread
and possess the whole continent”.
– The US he said had the divine right to settle this area
• Although Britain had lands and Mexico’s claims, he believed it was
the duty of the US to extend the blessings of democracy to new
lands and people’s.
– By 1848 the United States great experiment had become reality the
US tripled in size in a little more than a single lifetime
• Manifest destiny took many forms: treaties, settlement, and war
The Louisiana Purchase
• 1st opportunity for expansion during the early 19th
century involved territory west of the Mississippi River
known as Louisiana
• By 1802 the U.S wanted the port city New Orleans
• Famers were settling lands west of the Appalachian
Mtns. To get their crops on the market they floated
them down Mississippi river to New Orleans then
loaded boats with their crops Farmers depended on
being able to move their crops freely
Louisiana
• The region stretched from
Canada south to Texas
• From the Mississippi it
stretched to the Rocky Mtns.
• 1st claimed by France, given to
Spain after the French and
Indian War
• 1800 Napoleon convinced
Spain to give it back to France
• Wanted to settle the land
with French Farmers-raise
food for slaves in the
Caribbean
• These plans alarmed settlers
who feared the port would be
closed off to American goods!
A Noble Bargain
• President Jefferson understood the concerns of the
farmers
• 1803-sent James Monroe to France with an offer to buy
New Orleans for $7.5 million
• By the time Monroe reached France, Napoleons plan
changed Toussaint L’Ouverture led a slave revolt in
the Caribbean. Slaves defeated French (Haiti)
• Napoleon no longer needed Louisiana-needed $ to
expand territory in Europe and feared loosing it to
Britain.
A Noble bArgAiN (coNt’d)
• Napoleon offered to sell ALL of Louisiana!
• April 1803-Monroe signed a treaty giving Louisiana
to the US for $15 million
• Greatest deal in history?
– Doubled the size of the US for 2-3 cents an acre
– Not everyone approved!!
• Hard to govern, Politicians in the East feared they would loose
power, too expensive to purchase, no provisions in the
Constitution for purchasing foreign territory!
– 1803-Senate voted to ratify the Louisiana Purchase!
Lewis and Clark
Expedition
January 18, 1803
Jefferson asked Congress
to approve $2500 for
the expedition.
#2  May 14, 1804
• 48 men left
• St. Louis Missouri
#3  August 20, 1804
• Sergeant Floyd
dies
• Only member
of Corps to die
• caused by the
inflammation
or rupture of
his appendix
#4 September 1804
• Met with Teton division of the Sioux
• Jefferson warned explorers to make friendly
impression
– It was tense because Sioux saw the boat full of
weapons/goods heading upstream to arm the
armies and competitors.
#5  Winter 1804-1805
• Spent winter with Mandan Tribe
• Hired Sacagawea’s husband-French-Canadian fur trader
who was an interpreter between his wife and the Corps
#20  Search for Shoshones 
Why is it important?
#6 August 17, 1805
• Sacagawea meets her brother at Shoshone Tribeable to speak Shoshone and trade for horses
#7  November 1805 – March 1806
• Ocean in view
• December 3, 1805 expedition reaches the Pacific
#8September 23, 1806
• Expedition arrives home in St. Louis
Discoveries
• What they found: some 300 species unknown to
science, nearly 50 Indian tribes, and the Rockies.
• On the morning of September 23, the Corps of
Discovery entered the Mississippi River and at
noon disembarked at St. Louis—two years, four
months, and ten days after they had left.
Gathered along the shore, the one thousand
people of St. Louis greeted the returned Corps
with gunfire salutes and an enthusiastic welcome.