1. Chapter 9.2 The Louisiana Purchase
Remember that expansion was one of Washington’s keys to American Success

2. I. The Nation Looks West
As more people are arriving to the Free U.S. our nation looks west for expansion
Moving west would allow for more settlement, more power, and more opportunity for farming and industry
Plus it made control of the
Mississippi River that
much more
important for trade

3. Spain currently had control of the River and threatened to close the port to the U.S. so the U.S. began negotiating a treaty with Spain called the Pinckney Treaty which allowed us to use the River
By 1801 the Spanish gave that area to the French though (which wasn’t good for us why??
Napolean Bonaparte was the French Leader and was trying to take over Europe
Jefferson feared that owning the River was the their first step to taking areas near us
Thus ending our Westward expansion

4. II. Buying Louisiana
Even before Louisiana was given to France we feared that the Mississippi would cause problems
American trade was in the hands of our enemies and America wanted Jefferson to go to war (we know what Washington would have done)

5. A. A surprise offer
Jefferson thought the best way to get the land and control of the river was to make an offer to the French
So Jefferson sent James Monroe to make a deal for Florida, New Orleans, and control of the mouth of the Mississippi River
Plus we had learned that a revolution by Toussaint Louverture had driven the French out of its base in Haiti and without that base they wouldn’t be able to defend New Orleans just in case we had to fight for it

6. On top of that France still had problems with Britain So with more war looming, Napoleon needed money to fund war
So Monroe offered 15 million = 4 cents per acre which stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada and controlled the Mississippi which would double the size of the U.S.

7. B. Jefferson’s Dilemma
Jefferson was worried and happy at the same time
Happy that the deal was out there but worried cause no where in the constitution did it say a president could buy land from another country
However it did say leaders could do whatever was necessary and proper to the prosperity of the U.S. so the senate approved the deal and the U.S. became much larger and more powerful

8. III. Lewis and Clark Explore the West
Jan Jefferson agrees to spend $2500 to on a Western Expedition or an organized Journey to see what land in the West looks like
He chose General Meriwether
Lewis who then chose
another war
Veteran William Clark

9. Their job was to look into the geography, plant and animal life, and natural features of the new portion of the United States and hopefully find a new passage or water way to the Pacific Ocean. Why was this important?

10. A. Into the Unknown
Spring 1804 Lewis and Clark headed up the Missouri River from St. Louis on 3 boats with 40 men
As their journey started they soon ran into the Natives
As they continued they came to the Great plains and soon Present day N. Dakota where they decided to set up camp for the winter
They also were joined by a French trader and his wife as well as a Native American Sacagawea who could translate for them if need be.

11. A. Crossing the Rockies
As spring came they kept moving and came to present day Montana.
As they began climbing the Rockies they came to the Continental Divide or the point where river water
flows in opposite
directions

12. They soon ran into more natives that just happened to be family of Sacagawea and once again they were kind to Americans and sold them the horses they needed to climb the mountains
As they passed over the Rockies they came to the Columbia River and stopped to build canoes to get down river (native help)
At one point they reached a section of river rapids 55 miles long but finally came to the mouth of the River at the Pacific ocean

13. Once the Pacific was reached they began the trip back which took nearly ½ a year
At the same time Zebulon Pike was also sent out to look and the new land
He chose a lower route but had no native help and became stranded in waist deep snow near the Rockies
On his way home he ran into the Spanish who took him captive as a spy they thought he was
getting info for the U.S.
to take their land also
Soon he was allowed
to go back to the U.S.