Transcript Chapter 10- The Jefferson Era

The
Louisiana
Purchase
Moving Westward
 After we gained use of the Mississippi River
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through Pickney’s Treaty, thousands of
settlers began moving westward
The use of the river was vital to their
economic survival
Some U.S. territories declared statehood
Kentucky and Tennessee became states by
1800
Spain allowed Americans to move goods
freely in their territory in 1802
The French Threat
 In 1802, President Jefferson learned that
Spain agreed in a secret meeting to transfer
the Louisiana Territory to France’s possession
 Jefferson also believed the France also gained
Florida
 It was known that Napoleon Bonaparte had
plans to create empires in the United States
which was a threat to Americans
 French control would put American trade
along the Mississippi River at risk
The Louisiana Purchase
- Congress authorized Robert Livingston to
offer as much as $2 million for New
Orleans and West Florida in order to gain
control of the territory
 Napoleon wanted a Western Empire, but
after losing Santo Domingo (now Haiti) he
realized he had no use for Louisiana.
 Napoleon also needed money for pay for his
war against Britain so he had a French
official offer the whole Territory to Robert
Livingston and James Monroe
Louisiana Purchase
 They did not have the authority to accept, but it
was too good to pass up.
 It would provide:
 Cheap land for farmers
 Give United States control of the Mississippi River
 After days of negotiation, they agreed on a
price of $15 million (about $0.03 an acre)
 Jefferson worried such a large purchase would
not be legal, the Constitution mentioned
nothing about acquiring land
Louisiana Purchase
 Jefferson thought about seeking a
constitutional amendment, but there was no
time
 He decided the government’s treaty-making
powers allowed him the right
 Senate approved the purchase in October
1803
 It doubled the size of the United States
The Lewis and Clark
Expedition
 Jefferson chose Captain Meriwether Lewis to
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lead an exploration of the Louisiana Country.
Lewis chose William Clark to accompany him.
Expedition began in the summer of 1803
They were sent to document their findings
about the territory’s people, plants, and
animals
They also hoped to find the fabled Northwest
Passage- an all water route across N. America
Lewis and Clark Expedition
 Also brought along York, an enslaved African
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American and Clark’s longtime companion
He was especially helpful in building ties with
Native Americans who were drawn to him
because they had never seen someone like him
They encountered many Native American groups
A Shoshone women, names Sacagawea joined
them as their guide
18 months later, they made it to the Pacific
Ocean never finding the Northwest Passage
Zebulon Pike and the
Southern Route
 Zebulon Pike- explorer trying to find the
sources of the Arkansas and Red Rivers
 Pike described the great plains as a treeless
desert. This caused many Americans to think
the plains region was useless for farming
 Discovered Great plains, Rocky Mountains,
and part of the Rio Grande
Federalist Plan to Sucede
 Federalists in the Northeast were troubled by the
purchase.
 They feared Westward Expansion would weaken
New England’s power in political and economic
affairs
 Federalists in Massachusetts plotted to secede, or
withdraw, from the Union
 They wanted New York to secede with them and
Aaron Burr was who they needed to help.
Hamilton v. Burr
• Hamilton was concerned about
the succession
• Hamilton accused Burr of
treason
• Burr was having setbacks in his
political career which he blamed
Hamilton for
• Burr challenged Hamilton to a
duel
• The met in Weehawken, NJ in
July 1804
• Hamilton hated dueling, it was
illegal but popular among
upper- class
• Hamilton pledged not to shoot
at Burr, but Burr made no such
pledge
• Burr aimed to shoot Hamilton and
he was successful
• He seriously wounded Hamilton
who died the next day
• Burr fled to avoid arrest