The Constitution to 1840: Westward Expansion
The US grew rapidly after gaining independence. Many began leaving the thirteen states to find more land.
The Louisiana Purchase: 1803
Thomas Jefferson, our third president, purchased a tract of land from the French leader Napoleon. The land spanned the entire width of the United States, from the Gulf up to Canada, and went as far west as the Rocky Mountains.
Napoleon had wanted the land to secure his trade routes along the Mississippi to the island of Hispaniola. After being defeated by natives on the island, he was willing to part with the land and sold it to Jefferson. While the Constitution did not specifically give Jefferson the authority to gain new land by treaty, he decided to proceed regardless, believing the benefits far outweighed a possible violation of the Constitution. Jefferson bought the land for $15 million from the French, and it doubled the size of the United States!
Thomas Jefferson, our third president, purchased a tract of land from the French leader Napoleon. The land spanned the entire width of the United States, from the Gulf up to Canada, and went as far west as the Rocky Mountains.
Napoleon had wanted the land to secure his trade routes along the Mississippi to the island of Hispaniola. After being defeated by natives on the island, he was willing to part with the land and sold it to Jefferson. While the Constitution did not specifically give Jefferson the authority to gain new land by treaty, he decided to proceed regardless, believing the benefits far outweighed a possible violation of the Constitution. Jefferson bought the land for $15 million from the French, and it doubled the size of the United States!
Here is a slideshow of the pages from the SmartBoard notebook on the Louisiana Purchase.
Louisiana Purchase paragraph for Smartboard lesson.
Watch this brief video to learn more about the Louisiana Purchase.
Lewis and Clark's Expedition: 1804
President Thomas Jefferson asked Meriwether Lewis to lead and expedition to learn all about the land acquired as a result of the Louisiana Purchase. Lewis chose his friend,William Clark, to help lead the expedition. They hired acorps to journey alongside them and hoped to find a waterway across North America. Their group consisted of 33 people, most of whom were soldiers. This group was called the Corps of Discovery.
The expedition departed from St. Lewis in May of 1804 and traveled up the Missouri River by boat. By winter they have reached present-day North Dakota and built a camp there. Lewis and Clark met up with an Indian woman named Sacagawea, who agreed to serve as a translator in their dealings with the Native Americans.
By the spring of 1805, the expedition was on the move once again up the Missouri River by boat. Their greatest need was to acquire horses in order to cross the Rocky Mountains. Sacagawea was instrumental in helping Lewis and Clark get horses from the Shoshone Indian tribe.
After crossing the Rocky Mountains, the expedition traveled down the Snake River to the Columbia River and on to the Pacific Ocean. The expedition returned to St. Lewis in September, 1806, after traveling more than one year and more than 3000 miles. They were able to tell the government much about the land and its people, as well as producing maps showing the major rivers and mountains. These would prove very useful to future pioneers.
The expedition departed from St. Lewis in May of 1804 and traveled up the Missouri River by boat. By winter they have reached present-day North Dakota and built a camp there. Lewis and Clark met up with an Indian woman named Sacagawea, who agreed to serve as a translator in their dealings with the Native Americans.
By the spring of 1805, the expedition was on the move once again up the Missouri River by boat. Their greatest need was to acquire horses in order to cross the Rocky Mountains. Sacagawea was instrumental in helping Lewis and Clark get horses from the Shoshone Indian tribe.
After crossing the Rocky Mountains, the expedition traveled down the Snake River to the Columbia River and on to the Pacific Ocean. The expedition returned to St. Lewis in September, 1806, after traveling more than one year and more than 3000 miles. They were able to tell the government much about the land and its people, as well as producing maps showing the major rivers and mountains. These would prove very useful to future pioneers.
Here are several video clips on Lewis and Clark.
Click on this link to see a Google Earth map of Lewis and Clark's Expedition.
Click here on the links below to learn more about Lewis and Clark.
Scholastic: Lewis and Clark
Live Binders
Follow the Footsteps of Lewis and Clark
PBS: Lewis and Clark
Pass Over to the Columbia
National Geographic
Mapping the West
Life Along the Route
Lewis and Clark Adventure Game
Scholastic: Lewis and Clark
Live Binders
Follow the Footsteps of Lewis and Clark
PBS: Lewis and Clark
Pass Over to the Columbia
National Geographic
Mapping the West
Life Along the Route
Lewis and Clark Adventure Game
The War of 1812
After the Lewis and Clark expeditions, many Americans wanted to move west. However, the Native Americans fought the pioneers, hoping to push them back east. It was discovered that the British were selling guns to the Indians, especially those in the Northwest Territory.
The British were also stopping American ships at sea in order to keep the Americans from trading with the French and other European countries. The British also took American sailors off of their ships and put them to work on British ships--this was called impressment. Congress declared war on Great Britain in 1812.
The Americans won the Battles of Lake Erie and the Battle of the Thames, both of which weakened the British control of Canada. In August of 1814, the British marched into Washington, DC, and set fire to the White House and the Capitol. The British sailed for New Orleans and laid siege to it for 10 days. Andrew Jackson led the American forces and finally the British surrendered.
The War of 1812 proved that the new United States of America was a world power to be reckoned with. A wave of nationalism (pride in one's country) swept the country.
The British were also stopping American ships at sea in order to keep the Americans from trading with the French and other European countries. The British also took American sailors off of their ships and put them to work on British ships--this was called impressment. Congress declared war on Great Britain in 1812.
The Americans won the Battles of Lake Erie and the Battle of the Thames, both of which weakened the British control of Canada. In August of 1814, the British marched into Washington, DC, and set fire to the White House and the Capitol. The British sailed for New Orleans and laid siege to it for 10 days. Andrew Jackson led the American forces and finally the British surrendered.
The War of 1812 proved that the new United States of America was a world power to be reckoned with. A wave of nationalism (pride in one's country) swept the country.
Pioneer America
From the early 1800's through the 1830's, only a few brave souls made their way West to the new, mostly unexplored territory. Many were hunters who sold their goods to European traders. They lived in small settlements, among the native Americans who roamed the great plains. Little did these hunters and traders know that they would soon be joined by thousands of Americans, seeking their fortune in the wild, new land.
Here is a ThinkQuest about life in pioneer America.
Check out this video on the Donner party. A Pioneer wagon train that went very wrong.
Check out this video on the Donner party. A Pioneer wagon train that went very wrong.
The Industrial Revolution
The U.S. economy experienced a surge in growth following the War of 1812 (meaning it grew a lot). New inventions and methods of transportation changed the way people lived, worked, and traveled. These changes are referred to as the Industrial Revolution.
Important inventions and growth of manufacturing:
· Spinning machine: Samuel Slater
· Cotton gin and concept of interchangeable parts: Eli Whitney
- This machine allowed for much faster, more effective production of cotton, leading to the influx of
more slaves and the phrase, "Cotton is King."
· Reaper or harvester: Cyrus McCormick
· Textile mills
· Factories
Important inventions and growth of manufacturing:
· Spinning machine: Samuel Slater
· Cotton gin and concept of interchangeable parts: Eli Whitney
- This machine allowed for much faster, more effective production of cotton, leading to the influx of
more slaves and the phrase, "Cotton is King."
· Reaper or harvester: Cyrus McCormick
· Textile mills
· Factories
Transportation
Obviously with increased goods came the need to transport the products to the consumer. This, in turn, led to the development of various means of transportation. The most important of these were:
· The Erie Canal
· The National Road: linked the East to the West
· Railroads: locomotives
· Steamboat (invented by Robert Fulton)
Obviously with increased goods came the need to transport the products to the consumer. This, in turn, led to the development of various means of transportation. The most important of these were:
· The Erie Canal
· The National Road: linked the East to the West
· Railroads: locomotives
· Steamboat (invented by Robert Fulton)
Here is a PowerPoint about some of the inventions that came about during the Industrial Revolution.
The Industrial Revolution
The Assembly Line: Now and Then
The Erie Canal