Objective: Describe President Jefferson’s Constitutional dilemma regarding the Louisiana Purchase (1803)

Do Now: (pgs ) Define: Strict Construction Loose Construction Read document written by Robert Livingston

THE LOUISIANA TERRITORY INCLUDED PARTS OF LOUISIANA, ARKANSAS, MISSOURI, IOWA, MINNESOTA, NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, NEBRASKA, KANSAS, OKLAHOMA, COLORADO, WYOMING, TEXAS, NEW MEXICO, AND MONTANA

An Opportunity Land west of the Mississippi River belonged to the French –Napoleon offers to sell the U.S. this land, including the river, for $15 million dollars

Constitutional Dilemma No clause in the Constitution allowed the president or the government to expand the country’s boarders –Jefferson was a strict constructionist of the constitution (word for word)

Decision Using the Elastic Clause, Jefferson purchases Louisiana –He becomes a Loose interpreter of the Constitution Loose- Using the Elastic Clause to adapt the Constitution as needed Jefferson changed the way he interpreted the constitution from strict to loose.

Effects of the Purchase Doubled the land area of the U.S. Focused the U.S. on Westward Expansion (Manifest Destiny) The United States permanently acquired the Mississippi River New Orleans- became an important port city in the south

The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the U.S. for the price of 4 cents an acre. President Jefferson sent three expeditions to explore the new territory. Louisiana Purchase U.S. in 1803 U.S. in 1802 Photos of the actual Louisiana Purchase Treaty

The Mississippi: America’s Great River Road The “Big Muddy”. 2,350 miles. Draining all or part of 31 states & 2 Canadian provinces. Covers 40% of the U. S.

EXPLORING THE NEW LANDS PRESIDENT JEFFERSON SENT MERIWETHER LEWIS AND WILLIAM CALARK ON A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY TO MAP AND INVESTIGATE ON THE NEW WESTERN LANDS CONFIDENTIAL LETTER FROM PRESIDENT JEFFERSON TO LEWIS AND CLARK ON THE PURPOSE OF THEIR EXPLORATORY JOURNEY MAP THEY TOOK WITH THEM

What did Lewis and Clark accomplish? Their main goal was to find an all-water route across the continent, a Northwest Passage. Although such a route does not exist, the journey had a major impact on the future course of U.S. history. The immense amount of geographic information undid much of the erroneous thinking of the time. Americans were made aware of the great potential of the new lands; the stage was set for increased exploration, trade, settlement and annexation.

Map of Lewis and Clark's journey of exploration

RiversRivers Hudson R. Potomac R. Mississippi R. Ohio R. Missouri R. Arkansas R. Colorado R. Columbia R. Yukon R. Rio Grande R. St. Lawrence R.

Do Later/H.W. Answer multiple choice questions on the Elastic Clause and Louisiana Purchase

Louisiana Purchase Jefferson purchased much of the central U.S. from France in He had to switch his interpretation of the Constitution from strict to loose because nothing in the Constitution authorized this purchase. Jefferson’s main goal was to obtain the Mississippi River and Port of New Orleans for trade.

President Jefferson wanted to purchase the important port of New Orleans at the southern end of the Mississippi River. The U.S. wanted guaranteed rights to sail vessels down the river through Spanish territory and unload goods at New Orleans for shipment to the Atlantic coast and Europe. Louisiana Purchase

President Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to map and investigate the new western lands and find the Northwest Passage, an all-water route to the Pacific Ocean Map they took with them Exploring the new lands Meriwether Lewis William Clark

Sacagawea was the Shoshone Indian wife of the interpreter Toussaint Charbonneau, a French fur trader that Lewis and Clark hired. She was instrumental in providing friendly relations between the explorers and the various tribes they encountered on their expedition.