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Impacts of lewis and clark expedition
How the belief in manifest destiny motivated thomas jefferson to purchase the louisiana territory from france
Impacts of lewis and clark expedition
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When Thomas Jefferson made the Louisiana Purchase he could have had no idea what magnificent things resided within the territory he had acquired for the United States. He did, in fact, know there was something out there even if it was just land. So, he recruited Lewis and Clark to lead an expedition to see what the new lands had to offer. Getting a group to leave their families to go explore new territory was not easy. This is where Fort Southwest Point came in. An article by Trent Strickland who is the president of the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation states, “In late April, writing to the president from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Lewis stated that ‘Fort Southwest Point must form my first recourse for the selection for my party.’ He
Third, Clark and Lewis couldn’t finish the journey without a little bit of help. Clark and Lewis gained their help from Sacagawea and her husband Charbonneau. Sacagawea was a member of the Shoshone tribe and was taken by the prisoner by the members of the Hidatsa tribe. Her Husband, Toussaint Charbonneau, was an self-sufficient trader who lived among the Hidatsas. Lewis and Clark were offered a deal by a Charbonneau to sign on as a interpreter, because of his Sacagawea. Sacagawea was very big contribution to the Lewis and Clark expedition. She could read maps very well and she could sense in what direction they were to go. Lewis and Clark didn’t have much transportation until Sacagawea negotiated with the Shoshone for horses. Sacagawea was
Lewis and Clark were very successful people however their greatest success was only achievable with the help of Native Americans. April 1803 President Thomas Jefferson purchased uncharted territory from france. Jefferson always had liked the idea of western expansion so when he got the chance he took it. Jefferson pushed for approval to head an exploration of the Louisiana Purchase, and in 1803 it was approved. Jefferson had named Meriwether Lewis the leader and William Clark as his associate it wouldn't be until their first winter during the exploration that sacajawea would come into the picture . However Jefferson did not announce publicly that the U.S. had purchased eight hundred and sixty eight thousand square miles of land for fifteen million dollars until July .Lewis and Clark’s journey began near St.Louis, Missouri May 1804. Most days of the exploration had harsh conditions or at least one challenging obstacle to get around.For example during the exploration the hundred and forty six days spent in North Dakota, they experienced harsh temperatures below zero. This vast amount of uncharted land would become thirteen of the the states we know today. This expedition would discover a hundred and twenty two new animals, and a hundred and seventy eight plants, the expedition took eight hundred and sixty three days over a length of seven thousand six hundred and eighty nine miles, and at the cost of thirty eight thousand seven hundred and seventy two dollars and twenty five cents. Lewis and Clark’s Expedition would not have been as successful as it was without the help of George Drouillard, Sacajawea, and the Native American tribes they encountered. These Native Americans helped provide shelter, food, knowledge, and artifacts ...
This transaction would come to be known as the Louisiana Purchase and nearly doubled the size of the new nation. While George Washington and John Adams made efforts at westward expansion, Thomas Jefferson secured the Louisiana Purchase and initiated the Lewis and Clark expedition. According to Wulf, “maybe Lewis would find the huge mastodon roaming across the plains; discover profitable crops, flowers in exotic shapes and sizes, and trees that would soar even higher than those already encountered. Jefferson planned this expedition in the name of science, but it would also be the beginning of a distinctly American glorification of the wilderness” (Wulf, 157). The Lewis and Clark expedition and the Louisiana Purchase had such a significant impact on America’s identity.
Jefferson recognized that the purchase would be “beyond constitutional,” (Jefferson) but his desire to expand America undermined his “legal scruples” (book). The Republicans and Thomas Jefferson supported the acquisition, because it was favorable to the “immediate interests of” the “western citizens” (book). The also believed it would create a more safe and peaceful environment, in a way that would separate French and American authorities. The federalists on the other hand, disagreed with the treaty for various reasons. They were worried that westward expansion would increase wages on the Atlantic coast by “reducing and lowering the value of real estate in their region” (book). The federalists knew that the states to that would be created from the new land would be settled by Jeffersonian Republicans, ultimately establishing a stronger Republican foothold in the country. Despite the feuds between the two groups, the Senate ratified the treaty with a vote of twenty-six to six, and on December 20, 1803, America took possession of the Louisiana
It also allowed for continued easy trade through New Orleans, which was a major motivation to make the Purchase (History). However, it did have its negative consequences, namely that, while France may have sold the land, many Native Americans still considered it their home, and for Jefferson’s plan to fill the land with farmers to succeed, they would have to be removed, additionally much of the wildlife on this frontier suffered. Though this probably would have happened even if Jefferson did not make the purchase, his action did speed up the
One of the central pillars of American history and idealism is the concept of manifest destiny. Which according to the Random House Dictionary is the nineteenth century belief and doctrine of the United States, that it was their God given destiny to expand its territory over North America, thereby enhancing their sovereignty and increasing their political, economic and social influence on the world stage. This term was not created until later in the century, post Lewis and Clark expedition. However it was most certainly one of the main goals of the expedition. Lewis and Clark were not the first group of white men to explore areas of the west, though none were quite as influential or as important to supporting manifest destiny. However these two explorers, Lewis and Clark not only supported manifest density, they also made significant contributions to scientific and cartographical knowledge of the western frontier. Their voyage across the United States stands out from other explorations of the west, due to the numerous journals that Lewis and Clark as well as their expedition team wrote in, almost every day. These journals represent first hand records of everything they encountered, thus preserving their journey for hundreds of years to come and allowing for their additions to the scientific community of the United States to be preserved.
The year of 1803 significantly changed our nation eternally. It stunned many people. In no way, shape or form, did we ever believe that our nation would expand so rapidly. What started with the small purchase of New Orleans led into the substantial purchase of the Louisiana Territory. This was a purchase that will make Thomas Jefferson a man to be remembered. Although, he wasn’t the only man who impacted the United States during this time period. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark are the two men that are greatly known for their expedition across the Louisiana Territory. These two subjects, the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, altered our nation immeasurably.
Although Jefferson did not originally agree with presidents having power to expand the nation by purchasing land, he did end up expanding west with the purchase of the Louisiana Territory. The Purchase showed Jefferson at his most hypocritical. Bothered by the extra Constitutional nature of what he had done, he considered authorizing an amendment until Treasury secretary Albert Gallatin and others persuaded him that the power to acquire territory was implied by the power to make treaties (Kauffman). Because the Constitution does not allow the president the power to purchase foreign territory, Jefferson initially recommended that the administration propose a constitutional amendment that would allow him to obtain Louisiana while still maintaining his strict constructionist principles (Kauffman). Even though creating this amendment would make it seem as if he were not changing is views of the Constitution, it also represents how he would be taking advantage of his power in order to change the Constitution of his own benefit. If this amendment were passed, Jefferson could make the purchase without changing his strict interpretation of ...
Jefferson was especially concerned that Lewis and Clark establish good connections with the Indians and carry out linguistic and ethnological studies. Consequently, they held several meetings with the Indian tribes they met on their journey. The Americans wanted to open the door to diplomatic relations and gain access to trading rights with the Indians too. They were instructed to notify the Indians of the new sovereignty of the United States under the terms of the Louisiana Purchase. In making these contacts, they hoped to shift trade away from the Spanish, French, English, and Russian competitors and toward American interests.
The Similarities and Differences of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois’s Views During the late 19th and early 20th century, racial injustice was very prominent and even wildly accepted in the South. Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois were two of the most renowned “pioneers in the [search] for African-American equality in America” (Washington, DuBois, and the Black Future). Washington was “born a slave” who highly believed in the concept of “separate but equal,” meaning that “we can be as [distant] as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress” (Washington 1042). DuBois was a victim of many “racial problems before his years as a student” and disagreed with Washington’s point of view, which led
When Meriwether Lewis and William Clark first explored Montana in the early 1800s, they were awestruck by the open plains and delighted by the wide range of animals that roamed the land. After reaching the Great Falls, which is on the Missouri River in what is now Montana (Av2 books).
With the Louisiana Purchase (1803), the United States more than doubled its size. Now that the U.S. was in control of all of the new territory, Americans were free to roam and explore the newly acquired lands. Not to long after the purchase, President Thomas Jefferson had the U.S. Congress provide $2500, "to send intelligent officers with ten or twelve men, to explore even to the western ocean" (www.wikipedia.org). The main objectives of the crew were to study the western terrain, Indian tribes, geology, botany, and wildlife in the Louisiana territory. Another objective of the crew was to evaluate the interference of British and French trappers who were already well established in the newly
The Louisiana Purchase was the largest land transaction for the United States, and the most important event of President Jefferson's presidency. Jefferson arranged to purchase the land for $11,250,000 from Napoleon in 1803. This land area lay between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border. The purchase of this land greatly increased the economic resources of the United States, and proved Jefferson had expansionist dreams by doubling the size of the United States. Jefferson believed that the republic must be controlled by ambitious, independent, property-holding farmers, who would form the incorruptible bedrock of democracy (LaFeber 179). In order to complete his vision the country needed more land.
In 1803 the United States would make the largest and possibly most controversial land purchases in American history, the Louisiana Purchase. During the years leading up to this event the United States was still trying to solidify a national identity. There were two subjects that were causing for division of the new national identity, one being westward expansion. The Northern states and Federalists opposed the idea of westward expansion while the Southern States and the Jeffersonians backed this purchase. Although there was a struggle for a single national identity and this controversial purchase did not aid in finding that single identity, it was still the right decision for the United States. By purchasing this land from the French the United States would not share a colonial boundary with the French who were continuing to gain power under Napoleon. Purchasing the Louisiana Territory would prove to be beneficial for the United States for more reason than one.
President Jefferson was instrumental in the Louisiana Purchase, which secured an area extending from Canada to the Gulf and the Mississippi to the Rockies, for fifteen million dollars. This purchase also led to the planning and organization of the Lewis and Clark expedition. However, the argument over whether or not Florida was included in the Louisiana Purchase caused many sarcastic attacks on Thomas Jefferson from members of congress.