CHAPTER 1 BEYOND THE MISSISSIPPI In In the early 1800s settlers began moving to the western part of the United States But most settlers did not cross the Mississippi River West of this river was a large territory known as Louisiana This territory belonged to France But the French were at war with the British The French government needed money In the early 1800s large areas of North America had not yet been explored by US citizens 5
And France was not sure it could defend Louisiana if the British attacked So France offered to sell the territory to the United States for 15 million US President Thomas Jefferson was thrilled He was eager for the United States to expand to the west In April 1803 the two nations signed the Louisiana Purchase Treaty Louisiana was now part of the United States The territory covered 828,000 square miles 2,144,500 sq km It reached all the way to the Rocky Mountains Many different American Indian nations lived in this territory But few settlers knew what the area was like 6
Jefferson wanted to learn about the land and the people who lived there He asked his personal secretary Meriwether Lewis to lead an expedition This group would travel through the new territory and explore it LEWIS AND CLARK’S JOURNEY LEWIS AND CLARK’S JOURNEY LEWIS AND CLARK’S JOURNEY FORT CLATSOP MARIAS RIVER BRITISH TERRITORY COLUMBIA RIVER great falls YELLOWSTONE RIVER FORT MANDAN SNAKE RIVER MISSOURI RIVER SPANISH TERRITORY LOUISIANA TERRITORY OHIO RIVER UNITED STATES ST LOUIS R E PI RIV SIP SIS MIS Lewis and Clark’s route PHILADELPHIA WASHINGTON DC W N S E 7
