Chapter 3: American Explorers

Louisiana Purchase Louisiana was named for the king of France The Territory made up ¼ of the size of the U.S The ruler of France at time of purchase by the United States was Napoleon President for the U.S. at time of purchase was Thomas Jefferson

Louisiana Purchase con’t.. First commissioned expedition, which means approved, to explore the Louisiana Territory was led by Lewis and Clark One reason to explore this new Territory was to establish boundaries An explorer who made a discovery for his country was the “agent” of his government The purchase cost $15 million

Expeditions into OK. Territory 1st expedition into OK. Territory was Pike and Wilkinson Fort Smith was established during this period, and was center of settlement activities Major Stephen A. Long named Fort Smith after leading expeditions to establish the fort. 1st official records of Oklahoma was kept by Wilkinson

Expeditions con’t Many expeditions were set to explore major rivers The Pike expedition was captured by the Spaniards, but later let go. Their records were stolen Wilkinson met some of the Five Civilized Tribes, and the occasional white man Western tribes were not as hostile to the American explorers as they were to the foreign explorers

Great Salt Plains were described as “glistening fields of snow in the summer light” by explorers Treaty of San Ildefonso was to have been a secret