Manifest Destiny, Louisiana Purchase, and Lewis and Clark
Name of the Lewis and Clark's expedition
Corps of Discovery
What did Lewis and Clark do in California?
Spent the rainy winter building forts, working on their notes and journals, and studying their surroundings
Who went along with Lewis and Clark on their journey?
- 14 soldiers - 9 volunteers from Kentucky - Clark's slave, York - 2 French rivermen - Lewis' dog Seaman - 9 extra soldiers and 7 rivermen that went along the river bank for more protection--who planned to return home that fall
Sacagawea
- A Shoshone Native American woman whose language skills and knowledge of geography helped Lewis and Clark on their expedition - Worked as their interpreter, aided communications between Native Americans and the crew
What new animals did Lewis and Clark discover or see?
- Antelopes - Prairie dogs - White pelicans - Jackrabbits - Coyotes - Buffaloes - Grizzly bears
Meriwether Lewis after the expedition
- Became governor of Louisiana Territory - Died of gunshot wounds on October 11, 1809
William Clark after the expedition
- Became governor of Missouri Territory until it was annexed into a state - Continued to improve relations between Americans and Native Americans - Died on September 1, 1838
William Clark
- Chosen by Meriwether Lewis as co-leader of the Corps of Discovery/Lewis and Clark expedition
What tone did the Native Americans have after Lewis and Clark's journey?
- Disgusted, feel disrespect with Americans with their disregard towards their role in Lewis and Clark's journey
How did President Jefferson buy the Louisiana Territory?
- France owned Louisiana, as Spain returned it after France gave it to the latter when the French and Indian War ended. - Alarmed that France now controlled Louisiana, Federalists sought to use force against France. - President Jefferson then sent Robert R. Livingston, the then U.S minister to France , along with James Monroe, to attempt to purchase New Orleans. - Napoleon--the French emperor--gave up his dreams of an American empire, as he was overwhelmed by the slave revolt in Haiti and an upcoming war with Britain, and he offered to sell all of Louisiana for roughly $15 million. - After Livingston and Monroe signed a treaty, the Louisiana Territory was officially part of the U.S. In October 1803, the Senate ratified the treaty.
Toussaint Charbonneau
- French-Canadian explorer and trader - Husband of Sacagawea - Participated in Corps of Discovery
What information did Lewis and Clark collect?
- Gathered data on 178 new kinds of plants - 122 new kinds of animals - More than 40 Native American tribes
According to Thomas Jefferson, how were Lewis and Clark supposed to treat the Native Americans they met?
- Give them security - Treat them respectfully - Offer gifts, trade
What were the challenges that Lewis and Clark encountered?
- Had to navigate through harsh rivers and stormy weather - Ticks, mosquitoes, and gnats tormented everyone in the summer - Grizzly bears posed a threat to their survival - Had to move across the Rocky Mountains on foot - Had strained relationships with some Native American tribes
Why did President Jefferson hire Lewis and Clark?
- He wanted to explore the land he purchased through the Louisiana Purchase - He wanted to learn more about the land and discover more about the geography, climate, and wildlife in the region.
Why did Napoleon sell the Louisiana Territory?
- He was overwhelmed by the slave revolt in Haiti - Wanted to save funds for his upcoming war with Britain
How did Native Americans aid the Lewis and Clark expedition?
- Informed Lewis and Clark about the geography of the region - Traded materials with them - Some joined the crew as interpreters, permitting the Americans to communicate with the N.A
What made it possible for Lewis and Clark to communicate with the Native Americans?
- Interpreters, such as Sacagawea and her husband, Toussaint Charbonneau made it possible for Americans to communicate and trade with N.A
How did Manifest Destiny contribute to westward expansion?
- It lead Americans to believe that they were superior to the Native Americans, animals, and wildlife they encountered - Thus, they removed anything in their way of expanding west - This included pushing the Native Americans, wild animals, and wildlife off their land so they could settle in it
Louisiana Territory
- Land from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains - U.S purchased it from France for 15 million dollars. - It doubled the size of the US at the time, getting more land than the US wanted. - U.S only wanted New Orleans, but they got all of Louisiana and the surrounding land.
When did Lewis and Clark set off from St. Louis on their expedition to explore the lands gained as a result of the Louisiana Purchase?
- May 14, 1804 - Began where the Missouri River met the Mississippi River, set sail on the Missouri River
Did Lewis and Clark reach California?
- On November 15, 1805, Lewis and Clark reached the Pacific Ocean at the mouth of the Columbia River--one year, six months, and one day after leaving St. Louis - Reached California as well
When did the Corps of Discovery end?
- On September 23rd, 1806, they reached St. Louis, with crowds gathering to cheer for their survival, as many thought they had died
Why did people move west?
- Original 13 states were crowded, people sought more land to live on - As more people populated the Americas, they needed more space and land - More fertile areas to the west, including Ohio River Valley
How did Louis and Clark's expedition impact westward expansion?
- Permitted U.S to gain an improved understanding of the land around them. - Paved the way for the nation to continue expanding westward until their power reached from coast to coast - With new knowledge of the region, settlers began moving into the U.S' new territory, opening up endless possibilities for the nation's progress, economy, and population.
How did the United States get the territory in the continental U.S?
- Removed Native Americans from their ancestral lands or purchased it from them - Destroyed wildlife - Fought in wars - Created treaties and agreements with other countries
Why was the Louisiana Purchase controversial?
- Some thought that the Native American tribes already living there can damage the prospects of Americans moving there - Citizens settling in land would weaken our country - Uninhabitable land and would weaken central govt. - The territories gained by the purchase could present problems in Congress (free vs. slaves states) - Jefferson's cruel decisions and previous behavior made this purchase
How did the Native Americans' lives change in the years after Lewis and Clark's expedition?
- Soon N.A were displaced from their ancestral lands - Hurt by diseases that killed many of their members - Forced off the rivers that brought trade and held their culture by the U.S government
Louisiana Purchase (1803)
- The acquisition of the land owned by the French west of the Mississippi River until the Rocky Mountains - Costed U.S $15 million - Purchase of approximately 828,000 square miles of land by President Jefferson, nearly doubling the size of the U.S - Permitted U.S to seize control over the Americas, as they now governed New Orleans--at the mouth of the Mississippi along the Gulf of Mexico, the city was a key port for trade and economic expansion. - Controversial purchase
Manifest Destiny
- The belief that it was a God-given right and duty for the United States to expand from coast to coast. - Americans thought that their country was destined to expand its control in the Americas--so much so that it was justified and inevitable. - It shaped the country's thinking about moving west and how it acquired land. - Its citizens considered themselves superior to the Native Americans, animals, and wildlife they encountered; thus, they removed anything in their path that presented a challenge to their attempt at western expansion.
Cons of the Louisiana Purchase
- The land the U.S had bought was uncharted territory; with no prior knowledge on the geography and climate in the Louisiana Territory, the acquisition could bring dangers and hardships to the Americans. - Communication and transportation would be difficult in the area. - Many world powers sought to control this land, so the United States would have to fight off other nations to protect it. - It would be difficult to see how the U.S could utilize the land with no prior knowledge on it. As the Native Americans were already living there, American citizens moving into the large Louisiana Territory could present many problems.
How did the Native Americans help Lewis and Clark survive?
- The tribes discussed the geography of the land with them - Told them how to hunt and gather supplies in the region
What were some of the challenges that people moving west may have encountered?
- They moved into uncharted territory, and they did not recognize the geography, climate, or food sources in those areas. - The Native Americans already lived there, possibly provoking dangerous arguments
Pros of the Louisiana Purchase
- This purchase of land allowed the United States to seize control over the Americas, paving the way for further western expansion. - The United States could control New Orleans--a critical port for trade--, and thus, the nation established their rule in an embattled area - Now, the nation could rule over more land, create more states, and profit off of the geographical conditions in the territory they had bought. - The Louisiana Purchase provided the nation with an opportunity to become a world power.
What was the goal of Lewis and Clark's expedition?
- To explore the methods of opening the fur trade - Discover a water route that could make transportation across North America easier - Study the land and animals - Learn more about the Native Americans living in the west
Through which deals, treaties, and acts did the United States make to expand westward?
- Treaty of Paris (of 1783) - Louisiana Purchase (1803) - Texas Annexation (1845) - Mexican-American War and Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) - Indian Removal Act (1830)
Meriwether Lewis
- U.S explorer, leader of Corps of Discovery/Lewis and Clark expedition - Pres. Jefferson's private secretary
What did President Jefferson do with the Louisiana Territory?
He hired Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the new land
The first major territorial expansion of the United States in the 1800s
Louisiana Purchase of 1803
Why were Americans motivated to expand westward?
They believed in the idea of Manifest Destiny, guiding them west across the wilderness