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Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America in 1803 of 828,000 square miles of Frances claim to the territory of Louisiana. The U.S. paid about 15 million dollars for the Louisiana Territory. The Louisiana Territory consisted of all or part of 15 present U.S. states and two Canadian Provinces. -
Corps of Discovery
Corps of Discovery
The Lewis and Clarck Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, was the first American expedition to cross what is now the western portion of the United States, departing from St. Loius on the Mississippi River making their way westward through the contindental devide to the Pacific Coast. -
Parts of Louisiana Purchase
The land purchase contained Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska, parts of Minnesota that were west of the Mississippi River, most of North Dakota, Most of South Dakota, northwestern New Mexico, northern Texas, portions of Mantana, Colorado east of the Continental Divide, Louisiana west of the Mississppi River, including the city of New Orleans, and small portions of land that would eventually become part of the Candanian Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. -
Time During Purchase
The purchase of the Louisiana territory took place during the presidency of Thomas Jefferson. At the time. the purchase faced domestic oppostion becuase it was thought to be unconsitutional. Although he agreed that the U.S. Constitution did not contain provisions for acquiring territory, Jeffereson decided to go ahead with the purchase anyway in order to remove France's presence in the region and to protect both U.S. trade access to the port of New Orleans and free passage on the Mississippi Riv -
Objective of the Expedition
The main objective of the expedition was to explore and map the newly acquired territory and, by following the Missoouri River northwest to see if it was connected or came close enough to the Columbia River, which flowed on to the Pacific Ocean. -
Objectice of Expedition
During this exploration Lewis and Clark aimed to find a practical route across the Western half of the continent, and in doing so, to establish an American presence in this territory thus securing it before Britain and other European powers tried to claim it. -
The Expedition
The Expedition took place shortly after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, it was commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and considered a select group of U.S. Army volunteers under the command of Captain Meriwither Lewis and his close friend Second Lieutenit William Clark. -
Jefferson's Orginal Goal
According to Jefferson himself, one of his main goals was to find "the most direct and practical water communication across this continet, for the purposses of commere". -
Journey
There were 33 people including 29 participants in training at the 1803 Camp Wood. On August 1s, they sent four armed expeditions of fifty soldiers, mercenaries, and indians from Santa Fe northword under Pedro Vial and Jose Jarvet to intercept Lewis and Clark and imprisin the entire expedition. -
Departure
The Corps of Discovery departed from Camp Wood May 14th 1804, and met up with Lewis in St. Charles, Missouri, a short time later, marking the begining of the voyage to the Pacfic Coast. The Corps followed the Missouri River westard. Their travel followed the Missouri through Kansas City, Missouri, Omaha, and Nebraska. -
Sacagawea
Lewis and Clark Journals
Scagawea was an indigenous indian who Lewis and Clark met on their journey. In his writings, Meriwether Lewis showed a somewhat negative view towards her, though Clark had better thoughts of her, provided some support for her children throughout the years. In the journals, they used the terms "squar" and "savages" to reger to Sacagwea and the other indians. -
Split (Lewi's Group)
On July Third, before crossing the Continental Devide, the Corps spilt into two teams so Lewis could explore the Marias River. Lewi's groupe met some men from the blackfeet nation. During the night, the Blackfeet tried to steal their weapons. While trying to keep from stealing the weapons the men ended up killing two Blackfeet men. -
Sergeant Charles Floyd
Throughout their whole journey there was only on emember to die. Sergeant Charles Floyd passed away from acute appendicitis. He was burried at a bluff by the river, now named after him, and what is now Sioux City, Iowa. A mile up from where he was burried is a small river which they named "Floyd's River". -
Split (Clark's Group)
Clark and his group had entered the Crow Tribe's territory. During night time half of Clark's horses had been taken, but no one had seen a Crow near their campsite . Lewis and Clark had stayed apart untill they reached Yellowstone and the Missouri River on August 11th. Once the groups met up again they were able to return home quickly via the Missouri River. -
Retrun Trip
Return Trip
The Corps returned to St. Louis on September 23rd 1806. The Corps achived their goals of reaching the Pacific, mapping and establishing thier presence for a legal claim to the land. They established diplomatic realtions and trade with 24 indigeous nations. They never did find the Northwest Passage, though.
