Louisiana Purchase
In October 1802, the Spanish colonial administrator in New Orleans prohibited American crops from being shipped to other nations. Americans believed, incorrectly, that the order had actually come from Napoleon. Fears of French control of the Louisiana Territory grew.
President Jefferson sent envoys to France with a proposal to purchase New Orleans. They found that with the French army struggling, Napoleon had abandoned his plans for American empire. He offered to sell the entirety of France's North American possessions. This was an incredible deal for the United States, costing less than five cents per acre for 828,000 square miles of land. This deal, now known as the Louisiana Purchase, more than doubled the size of the United States.
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led an expedition to explore the west soon afterward. The team, also known as the Corps of Discovery, left St. Louis, Missouri in 1804 and returned to the same spot in 1806. Their travels gave the United States government an understanding of what exactly it had purchased. In class activities 1/14/14:
- Learned about the connection between Napoleon and Lewis and Clark
- Created a giant map detailing the Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark Expedition
- Added to our history notebooks
- Made leaf rubbings to record our own nature discoveries
Optional Lesson Extension Activities:
- What would you do? Try this fun online game from National Geographic, and see how you would fare on Lewis and Clark's journey.
- Print the fun book about Sacagawea including activities.
There are lots of fantastic books about this period. You will probably laugh, but my favorite come from the fun point of view of Lewis' dog.
- For older students - The Captain's Dog: My Journey with the Lewis and Clark Tribe by Roland Smith
- For younger students - Seaman's Journal: On the Trail with Lewis and Clark by Patti Reeder Eubank
Assignment:
- Read the last of your timeline cards - we are going to be wrapping up this time period next week!
- Don't forget to practice your timeline.
