Lesson 1-Early Expansion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdOsWQGPbwg Think of a time when you have been lost. How did you react? What did you have to do in order to find your way around?

Expanding the Nation The Northwest Ordinance created the Northwest Territory. The Northwest Territory included Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Once enough Americans moved to these lands, we could establish them as states! Unfortunately, the ordinance pushed Native Americans off of their lands which lead to conflicts.

Expanding the Nation Slavery was banned in the Northwest Territory. This was the first attempt to prevent slavery in the United States. Pioneers began making the journey west in search of new lives. A pioneer is a person who settles in a new part of a country. Early pioneers packed their belongings into Conestoga wagons when they traveled.

Let’s Go West! Daniel Boone By 1820, nearly 2 million Americans lived west of the Appalachian Mountains! Daniel Boone made it all possible! Daniel Boone was a man that spent his entire life learning how too live off of the land. He was hired to find a route from North Carolina to Kentucky. It was not easy as the new territory was very confusing and one could easily get lost during their travels. Daniel Boone

Let’s Go West! The route that Daniel Boone discovered was called the Cumberland Gap. It went through the Appalachian Mountains. Throughout Daniel Boone’s travels he and 30 other men fixed up the trails so others could find their way more easily. His work of clearing the road by cutting down trees made it much easier for people to travel west.

Jefferson and Louisiana In the year 1800, Thomas Jefferson was elected President. Jefferson was a Patriot in the Revolutionary War, a writer, inventor, and statesman that changed the boundaries of the United States! Reread page 248 and take note of all of Thomas Jefferson’s accomplishments. Which of his achievements do you think was the most important? What does it mean to “change boundaries?”

The Louisiana Purchase Thomas Jefferson thought it would be a good idea to expand the United States territory even farther. New Orleans, was owned by the French at this time. It was a very important trade center along the Mississippi River. Jefferson wanted to buy New Orleans from the French for $10 million. New Orleans

The Louisiana Purchase Surprisingly, the French gave him the entirety of Louisiana for $15 million! This purchase nearly doubled the size of the U.S. Look back at page 249. Why were the French willing to give us such a good deal for the Louisiana Territory?

The Corpse of Discovery Thomas Jefferson asked his assistant, Meriwether Lewis to lead an expedition through the Louisiana Territory in order to learn more about the land. The journey lasted two years and opened more doors for westward expansion. An expedition is a journey. Look at the map on page 250 to see just how big the Louisiana Territory was! Meriwether Lewis

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark Lewis and his friend William Clark gathered information about the land, its resources, and the Native Americans who lived there throughout their two year expedition. Lewis and Clark called their journey the Corps of Discovery. During the Corpse of Discovery, the men traveled thousands of miles and created detailed maps in order to help others find their way around. Refer to the map on page 250 to view Lewis and Clark’s routes. William Clark

Sacagawea Native American, Sacagawea joined the expedition as an interpreter and guide in order to help Lewis and Clark. She stayed with the men all the way to the Pacific Ocean and back again! Why would Lewis and Clark need Sacagawea to be an interpreter? What does an interpreter do?

Lewis and Clark ended their expedition in 1806. They created maps of over 8,000 miles of land and paved the way for the country to expand. Americans traveled to the Louisiana Territory in droves in search of new opportunities! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NB1GQRVG9Fc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhsoQJ-O0Fg