Ch. 20: The Louisiana Purchase Vocabulary: continental divide, expedition, Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Sacagawea

The Louisiana Purchase In 1803 the Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Purchase from France for $15,000,000. It covered 828,000,000 acres. The United States government paid about 55 cents per acre. Thomas Jefferson President of the United States Napoleon Bonaparte Emperor of France

The Louisiana Purchase Jefferson thought there might be a water route that stretched all the way across the country from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. He paid Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to check it out. They formed a team of 45 men called the Corps of Discovery. Meriwether Lewis William Clark

The Expedition In 1804, the Corps of Discovery left the Mississippi River at St. Louis. They travelled down the Missouri River as far as they could go. Half way down the Missouri River, Lewis and Clark hired a fur-trader named Toussaint Charbonneau. His wife, Sacagawea was very helpful to the Corps, because as a Shoshone, she knew how to translate for some of the Native American tribes that Lewis and Clark encountered. Sacagawea

The Expedition Once they got to Great Falls the Missouri River turned South. The expedition struggled to find a pass through the Rocky mountains when they reached the Continental Divide. After splitting up Lewis and Clark both arrived at the Pacific Ocean in the Oregon Territory.

Outcome of the Expedition While exploring, the Corp of Discovery did not find a water route to Pacific Ocean, nor did they blaze a path for future settlers. They did bring back important maps of the regions they explored, information about plants and animals that lived west of the Mississippi River and established peaceful relationships with some of the Native American tribes that they met.

Questions about Chapter 20 Who were the two men President Jefferson chose to lead the Corps of Discovery? What did Sacagawea do that was so important to the Corps of Discovery? Why did President Jefferson send an expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory? What country did the United States purchase the Louisiana Territory from? Was the Corps of Discovery successful? Why or why not?