Jefferson and The Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase By 1800, more than a million settlers lived between the Appalachian Mountains and Mississippi River; still not allowed to use Mississippi River for trade (controlled by Spain) Pinckney Treaty – negotiated to allow use of river – helpful for transporting goods Crisis develops – Spain secretly gave New Orleans and Louisiana Territory to France This disturbed Jefferson – worried about Napoleon Bonaparte taking over America or blocking American expansion
Buying Louisiana Jefferson sends Monroe to France – able to purchase entire Louisiana Territory for $15 million (4 cents an acre) because Napoleon needed money Haitians had driven French out – without that colony it was difficult to maintain control of Louisiana Territory This purchase doubled the size of America Summary of Purchase- Video
The Louisiana Purchase
Lewis and Clark Explore the West Newly acquired western land needed to be explored Americans wanted to know if a waterway existed between the Mississippi River and Pacific Ocean Also want Lewis and Clark to make contact with Natives living in this area
The Journey Began in St. Louis and head up Missouri River Reach Platt River – meet Natives Proceed to the eastern edge of Great Plains Next they move to what is now North Dakota – meet the Mandan people and Sacagawea (Shoshone) Hit the Rockies and Continental Divide – disappointed that they did not see a waterway to take them to Pacific Shoshones agree to sell horses to help the expedition Reach Columbia River and eventually Pacific Ocean
Pike’s Expedition As Lewis and Clark travel back, Zebulon Pike also explores Louisiana Territory Goes to Rocky Mountains – tries to climb a mountain – makes it up almost all the way – now called Pikes Peak On his way home arrested by Spanish in New Mexico – thought he was a spy Eventually released This expedition created more interest in Spanish borderlands
Pikes Peak, Colorado