The Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase In 1803 President Jefferson sent James Monroe to Paris to negotiate with Napoleon (French ruler) for the Louisiana territory For $15 million the U.S. purchased the territory, about 4 cents/acre Largest land deal in history!
Lewis and Clark Jefferson assigned two skilled frontiersmen, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark the task of mapping the Louisiana Territory Lewis & Clark traveled with a crew of 45 explorers and kept detailed journals
Sacagawea Wife of a French-Canadian fur trader Hired by Lewis & Clark as guides and interpreters She showed explorers where to fish, to hunt, and to find wild vegetables She also helped trade supplies with American Indians
Many Virginians Head West Tobacco farming had worn out the soil, so farmers looked west for new opportunities. The western territories had new opportunities and large areas of land. Virginians took their traditions, ideas and cultures with them.