#1 The Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the
acquisition by the United States of
America of 828,800 square miles of
French territory in 1803. The U.S. paid
$15 million dollars for the Louisiana
territory about .04 cents an acre.
The Louisiana Purchase encompassed
all or part of 14 current U.S. states and
two Canadian provinces. The purchase,
which doubled the size of the United
States, comprises around 23% of
current U.S. territory.
The purchase was a vital moment in the presidency of Thomas Jefferson. The American
purchase of the Louisiana territory was not accomplished without domestic opposition. There
was nothing in the Constitution that
covered the acquisition of new territory.
Many people believed Jefferson was
being hypocritical by doing something he
surely would have argued against if it
had been suggested by the Federalists.
The Federalists strongly opposed the
purchase, favoring close relations with
Britain over closer ties to the French.
Both Federalists and DemocraticRepublicans were concerned about
whether the purchase was
unconstitutional. Many members of the
United States House of Representatives
opposed the purchase.
French leader Napoleon Bonaparte, upon completion of the agreement, stated, "This accession of
territory affirms forever the power of the United States, and I have given England a maritime
rival who sooner or later will humble her pride."
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
1)
2)
3)
4)
From whom did we buy the Louisiana Purchase and how much did we pay?
What percentage of the US is made up of the Louisiana Purchase ?
Why were Federalist against the Louisiana Purchase ?
Napoleon claimed that America’s growth due to the Louisiana Purchase had ” given
England a maritime rival who sooner or later will humble her pride." What did he mean?
#2 Purpose of the Lewis & Clarke Expedition
Meriwether Lewis and William
Clark led the first United States
expedition (1804–1806) to the
Pacific Coast. "The object of your
mission," Jefferson wrote, "is to
explore the Missouri river, & such
principal stream of it, as, by it's
course ... may offer the most direct
& practicable water
communication across this
continent, for the purposes of
commerce." Another goal was to
gain an accurate sense of the
resources being exchanged in the
Louisiana Purchase. In July 1803,
as the expedition was still in its preparation phase, the United States purchased from France the
Louisiana Territory.
The expedition also
collected scientific data, and
hoped to find a Northwest
Passage. Following detailed
instructions from Thomas
Jefferson himself, Lewis and
Clark became
ethnographers, botanists,
zoologists, astronomers,
cartographers, diplomats,
and reporters. Another of
Jefferson's goals for the
expedition was to establish
U.S. sovereignty (control)
over the tribes along the
Missouri River and claim
the rights of "discovery" to
the Pacific Northwest and Oregon territory before the British.
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
1)
2)
3)
4)
According to quote by Jefferson, what was the purpose of the expedition?
What kinds of resources did the Louisiana Purchase offer?
How do you think Native Americans would feel about being controlled to the USA?
How do you think the British felt about the US claiming rights to large amounts of North
America?
#3 Lewis & Clark scientific discoveries.
Lewis and Clark documented many discoveries, based on scientific measurement and observations. They
studied many aspects of the West, the flora and fauna, depth, current and tributaries of rivers as well as
native inhabitants. Lewis and Clark described for science at least 120 mammals, birds, reptiles and fish, as
well as at least 182 plant species. They made the first attempt at a systematic record of the meteorology of
the West, and less successfully attempted to determine the latitude and longitude of significant
geographical points.
North American Prairie
Northern Rockies
Pacific Northwest
Bison
Black-tailed prairie dog
Black-footed ferret
Interior least tern
Whooping crane
Swift fox
Burrowing owl
Pronghorn
Pallid sturgeon
Eastern cottonwood
Badger
Piping plover
Greater prairie chicken
Big bluestem
Topeka shiner
Grizzly bear
Whitebark pine
Westslope cutthroat trout
Gray wolf
Oregon bitterroot
Clark's nutcracker
Bull trout
Elk
Elegant mariposa lily
Bighorn sheep
Cougar
Mountain goat
Greater sage grouse
Trumpeter swan
Pacific Salmon and steelhead
Western red cedar
Northern spotted owl
Fisher
Pygmy rabbit
Lewis's woodpecker
Woodland caribou
Oregon spotted frog
Pacific yew
Canada lynx
Sea otter
Wolverine
Big sagebrush
September 7, 1804
William Clark
... discovered a Village of Small animals that burrow in the grown (those animals are Called by the french Petite
Chien) Killed one and Caught one live by poreing a great quantity of Water in his hole we attempted to dig to the
beds of one of those animals, ...
... Contains great numbers of holes on the top of which those little animals Set erect make a Whistleing noise and
whin allarmed Step into their hole.
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
1) How did the expedition benefit science?
2) Looking at the lists of plants and animals they discovered which ones do you believe
would been seen as possible resources that would lead to economic benefits?
3) Which of the lists of animals discovered do you think would hinder or endanger
settlement in the west?
4) Based on the journal passage which animal do you think is being described?
#4 The Journals
All of the members of the Corps of Discovery wrote journals
that documented the expedition. These journals are a great
primary source that provides a detailed look at the expedition
from several points of view. They illustrate the dangers and
difficulties the corps faced on a daily basis. The journals also
describe the scientific observations and maps that were made
by the Corp.
April 17, 1805
Meriwether Lewis
there were three beaver taken this morning by the party. the men prefer the flesh of this anamal,
to that of any other which we have, or are able to procure at this moment. I eat very heartily of
the beaver myself, and think it excellent; particularly the tale, and liver ...
April 29, 1805
Meriwether Lewis
(Meeting with two bear)
... the other after my firing on him pursued me seventy or eighty yards, but
fortunately had been so badly wounded that he was unable to pursue so closely as to
prevent my charging my gun; we again repeated our fir[e] and killed him. ... it is a
much more furious and formidable anamal, and will frequently pursue the hunter
when wounded. it is asstonishing to see the wounds they will bear before they can be
put to death. the Indians may well fear this anamal equiped as they generally are with their bows
and arrows or indifferent fuzees, but in the hands of skillfull riflemen they are by no means as
formidable or dangerous as they have been represented.
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
1)
2)
3)
4)
Are the Lewis & Clark journals an example of primary or secondary sources?
According to the first journal entry what were the men eating on their journey?
What animal is Lewis describing in the second journal entry?
What do these two journal entries tells us about the conditions the Corp was facing?
#5 Maps
Map created by Lewis
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Which of the two maps is more detailed?
Which direction did Lewis & Clark travel to reach the Pacific Ocean?
What two forts did the Corp create on their expedition?
What city on the Mississippi was the starting point of the expedition?
What mountain chain did the expedition cross?
The Yellowstone River was explored by whom?