The Louisiana Purchase

*Control of the Mississippi River*The U.S. gains Louisiana

*Lewis and Clark Expedition

Why was control of the Mississippi River important to Western Farmers?

• Few roads west of the Appalachian mtns.• Farmers relied on the Miss. River to ship

wheat and corn.• Americans used part of New Orleans as a

result of the Pinckney Treaty with Spain• Spain gives Louisiana back to France.• Pinckney treaty is no longer valid.

continued

• ** Jefferson is afraid Napoleon will try to build an empire in North America.

• (Napoleon wanted to grow food and ship it to the French West Indies)

• *** A slave revolt in Haiti results in Napoleons dream of an empire in the Americas to die

• Slave revolt led by Toussaint L’Ouverture.

The U.S. gains Louisiana

• Meanwhile….. Jefferson wants to buy New Orleans from France

• ** ensure that formers would always be able to use the port to ship goods.

• James Monroe and Robert Livingston are authorized to spend 10 million.

continued

• *As a result of Napoleon losing Haiti AND his need for money to support his European wars…..

• He offers to sell the U.S. all of Louisiana for 15 million

• Monroe and Livingston sign the treaty.

Constitutional or Unconstitutional

• How does Jefferson rationalize the Constitutionality of the Louisiana Purchase???

• 1. President can make treaties• 2. Congress must approve (Senate quickly did)

• STRICT OR LOOSE INTERPRETATION??????

Follow Up Questions(to be answered in your notebooks)

• 1. What were Jefferson’s instructions to Lewis and Clark?

• 2. What route did Lewis and Clark take?• 3. What did Lewis and Clark find on their

expedition?• 4. How did Sacajawea contribute to the

success of the expedition?• 5. Where did Zebulon Pike explore?