ThomasJeffersonandthePurchaseoftheLouisianaTerritory
byGloriaSesso
OBJECTIVE:
InthislessonstudentswillanalyzeThomasJefferson’s“InstructionstoMeriwether
Lewis”forhisexplorationoftheLouisianaTerritorywhichwasabouttobe
purchasedfromFrance.Usingagraphicorganizer,studentswillcategorizethe
reasonsfortheexplorationinordertodrawinferencesaboutwhytheterritorywas
purchased.
MATERIALS:
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ThomasJefferson,“InstructionstoCaptainLewis,”June,1803
CategorizingInformation
GraphicOrganizer:MakingInferences
COMMONCORESTATESTANDARDS:
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Determinethecentralideaorinformationofaprimaryorsecondarysource;
provideanaccuratesummarythatmakescleartherelationshipsamongthe
keyideasanddetails.
Evaluatevariousexplanationsforactionsoreventsanddeterminewhich
explanationbestaccordswithtextualevidence.
Analyzehowaprimarysourceisstructured
Writeargumentsbasedondisciplinespecificinformation.
INTRODUCTION:
The purchase of the Louisiana Territory from France during Thomas Jefferson’s
Presidency was considered to be one of Thomas Jefferson’s greatest successes. It
led to his re‐election as President and obscured the “scandal” of Sally Hemings
which had been brought to light by Thomas Calender around the same time. The
purchaseofthisterritorywasnotspecificallymentionedintheConstitutionandit
seemed a contradiction of Jefferson’s “strict constructionist” view of the
Constitution.Italsowouldextendgovernmentalcontroloveralargerareaandthat
seemed to violate a concept of republicanism. Alexander Hamilton opposed the
purchaseforthatreason.
In order to understand the context of the purchase and establish reasons for it,
studentswillcategorizeingroupsJefferson’s“InstructionstoCaptainLewis.”Using
their categories from the graphic organizer, they will make inferences about the
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majorreasonforthepurchaseoftheterritory.
PROCEDURES
1. The Teacher should read the first paragraph using a “Think Aloud” strategy. The Questioning or the Summarizing aspects of “Think Aloud” could be used; For example, use think aloud questions such as: “Why did Jefferson want Lewis to study the boundaries,” and “I think this is mainly about.” 2. Notes should be taken as to the purpose of the expedition based on the first paragraph. 3. Students should be organized in groups to complete the reading taking notes and then organizing their notes into categories using evidence from the text to complete the graphic organizer. 4. The class should discuss how the various groups developed their categories of analysis. 5. Students should then individually complete the graphic organizer on “Making Inferences on Jefferson’s Reasons for Purchasing the Louisiana Territory.” using the evidence gathered from their notes and categories of analysis. 6. There can be either a group or class discussion of the inferences that the students had made based on their note taking and categorical clues 7. Students should be asked to write on one of the following topics: 
Explain the most important reason for Jefferson’s purchase of the Louisiana Territory. Use evidence from the text to support your conclusion. Or  To what extent is the following statement true? “In purchasing the Louisiana Territory, Jefferson’s major goal was to create an American Empire of Liberty.” To what extent is this true? Explain ©2013TheGilderLehrmanInstituteofAmericanHistory
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“INSTRUCTIONSTOCAPTAINLEWIS”
ANALYZINGPURPOSE
NOTETAKING POLITICAL Key Words ECONOMIC Key Words ©2013TheGilderLehrmanInstituteofAmericanHistory
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SOCIAL Key Words ©2013TheGilderLehrmanInstituteofAmericanHistory
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INFERENCES INFERENCE ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ CLUES INFERENCE ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ CLUES INFERENCE ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ CLUES ©2013TheGilderLehrmanInstituteofAmericanHistory
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InstructionstoCaptainLewis(June20,1803)
(Abridged)
“ The object of your mission is to explore the Missouri River & such principal stream of it, as by its course and communication with the waters of the Pacific Ocean, whether the Columbia, Oregon, Colorado or any other river may offer the most direct and practicable water communication across the continent for the purposes of commerce. Beginning at the mouth of the Missouri, you will take observations of latitude and longitude, at all remarkable points on the river & especially at the mouths of rivers, at rapids, at islands & other places & objects distinguished by such natural marks and characters of a durable kind, as that they may with certainty be recognized hereafter. The courses of the river between these points of observation may be supplied by the compass…. The commerce which may be carried on with people inhabiting the line you will pursue, renders a knolege of those people important. You will therefore endeavor to make yourself acquainted …with the names of the nations and their numbers; the extent and limits of their possessions; their relations with other tribes or nations their language, traditions, monuments, their ordinary occupations in agriculture, fishing, hunting, war, arts & the implements for these; their food, clothing, and domestic accommodations; the diseases prevalent among them, & the remedies they use; moral and physical circumstances which distinguish them from the tribes we know; peculiarities in their laws, customs & dispositions; and articles of commerce… And considering the interest which every nation has in extending & strengthening their authority of reason and justice among the people around them, it will be useful to acquire what knolege you can of the state of morality, religion and information among them; as it may better enable those who may endeavor to civilize and instruct them, to adapt their measures to the existing nations and practices of those on whom they are to operate…. In all your intercourse with the natives, treat them in a most friendly & conciliatory manner which their own conduct will admit; allay all jealousies as to object of your journey, satisfy them of its innocence, make them acquainted with the position, extent, character, peaceful and commercial dispositions of the U.S., of our wish to be neighborly, friendly and useful to them & to our disposition of a commercial intercourse with them…” ©2013TheGilderLehrmanInstituteofAmericanHistory
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