SSUSH6 The student will analyze the nature of territorial and population growth and the impact of this growth in the early decades of the new nation

6.a- Explain the importance of the Northwest Ordinance in the westward migration of Americans, and on slavery, public education, and the addition of new states The Northwest Ordinance (1785) was legislation that provided for the organization of the northwest territories of the United States (north of the Ohio River, east of the Mississippi). By establishing a procedure to subdivide the territory and survey for townships, the Northwest Ordinance encouraged the continued westward migration of Americans. The sale of these lands by the government was a primary source of revenue in the era of the early republic. Slavery was banned in the northwest territories under the Ordinance, an early example of the divisions developing between the “free” north and the slave South. The Northwest Ordinance included a provision to promote public education- each township surveyed included a section of land, the income from which was intended for public education. The Northwest Ordinance also established terms for the admission of new states- settlers could organize a territorial government when the population reached 5,000, then apply for statehood after a population of 60,000 had been reached.

6.b- Describe Jefferson’s diplomacy in obtaining the Louisiana Purchase from France and the territory’s exploration by Lewis and Clark The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 more than doubled the size of the United States, setting the stage for the continued westward migration of Americans throughout the 1800s. The Louisiana Purchase included a huge area west of the Mississippi- specifically the lands drained by the Missouri River. The lands had reverted from the French to the Spanish after the 1763 Treaty of Paris (Seven Years’ War), but in 1800, the French leader (Napoleon) convinced Spain to give France the lands in exchange for French aid in gaining territory in Europe. Jefferson sought to intervene diplomatically, attempting to block the deal, or at least gain concessions from France- full access to the Mississippi and New Orleans, for example. In 1803, Napoleon sold the territory, including New Orleans, to the United States for roughly $15,000,000. The United States now controlled the entire Mississippi River drainage.

Lewis and Clark Expedition Even before the Louisiana Purchase, Jefferson was planning an expedition to explore and map areas west of the Mississippi. He chose his personal secretary, Meriwether Lewis, to lead the expedition. William Clark joined Lewis to co-lead the expedition, which was charged with exploring the western reaches of the Missouri River, and ascertaining a route to the Pacific. In May 1804, the “Corps of Discovery” set out from St. Louis, traveled up the Missouri River, crossed the Rocky Mountains, finally reaching the Pacific near present Portland, Oregon. Lewis and Clark returned over 2 years after they had begun. Their epic journey greatly increased knowledge of the west.

Lewis and Clark

Route of Lewis and Clark Expedition

Sacagawea

6.c- Explain major reasons for the War of 1812 and the war’s significance on the development of a national identity The War of 1812 (U.S. vs. Britain) was the culmination of years of rising tensions between Britain and its former colonies. At the heart of that tension was trade diplomacy, as the United States tried to remain neutral in the Napoleonic Wars between France and Britain. There were also issues of naval impressment (forced service), and the continued British involvement with Native Americans in the Great Lakes region. A contingent of Congress, the “War Hawks,” mostly representing southern and western farmers, led the move toward war, citing the British trade restrictions and accusing British Canada of fomenting rebellion among the Native Americans on the frontier.

War of 1812 The fighting during the War of 1812 consisted of three failed invasions of Canada, a series of Naval engagements in and around the Great Lakes, a British assault on Washington D.C. (Capitol and White House burned), and an unsuccessful siege at Baltimore. The latter battle inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner, (to the melody of a British drinking ballad), as he awoke to see the U.S. flag still flying over Ft. McHenry. Two decisive American victories, Lake Champlain, and the Battle of New Orleans convinced the British to back down, leading to the Treaty of Ghent (1815) which restored the pre-war status quo- no territory changed hands. One of the most important social developments to emerge from the War of 1812 was a major upwelling of national pride and unity. The Americans defended their territory and hegemony, and began to be recognized as an emerging world power. This strong nationalism would influence the growth of the United States in the coming decades, as it continued to spread American culture and power westward across the continent.

6.d- Describe the construction of the Erie Canal, the rise of New York City, and the development of the nation’s infrastructure Following the War of 1812, the rise in national pride and unity also translated into a push for building a national infrastructure to link the economies of various regions. One of the most important developments, in terms of transportation and commercial infrastructure, came with the completion of the Erie Canal, (1825) which linked the Great Lakes with the Hudson River, and New York City. The same era witnessed a great expansion of the road systems linking cities and towns throughout the United States, including the “National Road,” a trans-Appalachian roadway linking the eastern cities with the western interior.

Erie Canal

6.e- Describe the reasons for and importance of the Monroe Doctrine The rise of the United States as an emerging world power led to a new diplomatic stance as well. Throughout the first decades of the 1800s, nations in central and South America were declaring independence from their European colonizers. During the administration of James Monroe, the United States acted on this development, declaring pre-eminence in the Western Hemisphere with the Monroe Doctrine- a warning to European powers that the Americas were no longer under the European sphere of influence, and that the United States would prevent any attempts to re-colonize nations in the Americas. The Monroe Doctrine established the United States’ sphere of influence in the Western Hemisphere, and signaled the beginning of a newly assertive U.S. in international relations and diplomacy.