The early 1800s saw the beginning of American expansion west of the Mississippi River. The Louisiana Purchase, orchestrated by Thomas Jefferson in 1803, doubled the previous territory of the newly formed United States. Jefferson proposed exploration of the Louisiana Purchase and funded an expedition team headed by Lewis and Clark to map the lands newly purchased from France and to find a Northwest Passage.

Discussion questions:

What do you see as the primary benefits of the Lewis and Clark expedition? Were Jefferson’s expectations for the expedition realized? One of the effects of American expansion to the west was additional displacement of Native Americans. Provide your thoughts about and some examples of the social and political ramifications of this movement?