The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 created a territory that stretched all the way north from the southern boundary of present-day Nebraska to include all of the remaining lands of the Louisiana Purchase.
Wonderful NARA site that provides pictures of the original treaty and agreements of the Louisiana Purchase. Brief introduction discusses the amount of land purchased and the cost per acre described by the Purchase.
As America was forming its government, many problems needed to be solved. The Library of Congress tells you more about this time and some of its interesting people.
In this unit, students learn how the United States began to grow as soon as it became a nation, and they examine the effect of this growth on societies already established in North America. Register for a free account to download teacher resources.
This is a full unit of study from iCivics, featuring multiple lesson plans with presentations, downloadable documents, and more. Being the new kid on the block wasn't enough for the United States. Early Americans wanted their nation to be bigger, too. (And probably badder.) They succeeded--but at a cost. In this unit, students learn how the United States began to grow as soon as it became a nation, and they examine the effect of this growth on societies already established in North America.
Students will explore via primary sources, the success of Lewis and Clark's expedition, and develop skills in analyzing documents and artifacts.
Lesson plan assesses historical thinking skills by providing two primary sources on Thomas Jefferson's views on the constitutionality of the Louisiana Purchase.
The Smithsonian's EdGate project provides this illustrated narrative site that explores the mapping of the American West accomplished by the 1804-06 Lewis and Clark expedition.
A series of primary source documents all related to the Louisiana Purchase. Includes the text of the final agreement, speeches by Jefferson and others. Great stuff!
A fantastic site from the Our Documents group that allows visitors to see an original copy of the Louisiana Purchase Treaty of 1803. This treaty allowed the United States to purchase a tract of land west of the Mississippi River that was larger than 6 European countries combined! There are links to a larger image, typed transcript, and downloadable .PDF file. Also available is a link to the Proclamation to the people of New Orleans that announced the sale.
Click on the sliding bar and watch how the United States territory grew with the Louisiana Purchase, Florida Acquisitions, Texas Annexation, Oregon Country, and Mexican Cession.
This resource explains Jefferson's interest in westward expansion while showing and describing many original documents.
U.S. History is designed to meet the scope and sequence requirements of most introductory courses. The text provides a balanced approach to U.S. history, considering the people, events, and ideas that have shaped the United States from both the top down (politics, economics, diplomacy) and bottom up (eyewitness accounts, lived experience). U.S. History covers key forces that form the American experience, with particular attention to issues of race, class, and gender.Senior Contributing AuthorsP. Scott Corbett, Ventura CollegeVolker Janssen, California State University, FullertonJohn M. Lund, Keene State CollegeTodd Pfannestiel, Clarion UniversityPaul Vickery, Oral Roberts UniversitySylvie Waskiewicz
Lewis and Clark
The Missouri Crisis
Independence for Texas
The Mexican-American War, 1846–1848
Free Soil or Slave? The Dilemma of the West
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
Identify key examples of partisan wrangling between the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans
Describe how foreign relations affected American politics
Assess the importance of the Louisiana Purchase
This site gives a biography of President James Monroe. From the left-hand toolbar, select information about his life before presidency, campaigns and elections, and also domestic affairs. Links to the first lady, cabinet members , and key events can also be found on the left-hand toolbar.
Explore the motivations for the Louisiana Purchase, as well as the terms of the purchase and its consequences. In this interactive lesson from WGBH, students develop a written argument in response to the question "Do you agree that the Louisiana Purchase was a 'most splendid' event?" They gather evidence from videos featuring historian Ben Weber and from primary source documents, images, and maps.