THE LOUISIANA PURC H A S E

Some of the land west of the Mississippi River (including pre s e n t -

day Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Ne b r a s k a ,

South Dakota, No rth Dakota, Minnesota and Montana) was once

owned by Fr a n c e . The French named the area to the north the “Up p e r

L o u i s i a n a” and present-day Louisiana the “Lower Louisiana.” B o t h

we re named for King Louis XIV. The French used the land for exten-

s i ve trading and trapping, but the area was not settled. France lost

c o n t rol of the land to Spain during war but regained control thro u g h

t reaties in 1800 and 1801. President Thomas Jefferson wanted to gain

c o n t rol of the land in order to control river trade along the Mi s s i s s i p p i

R i ve r.

Napoleon, Fr a n c e’s leader in 1803, was nearing war with

Britain, and his ministers advised him to sell the Louisiana area for

f u n d i n g . Ro b e rt Livingston, which was one of Je f f e r s o n’s ambassadors

along with James Madison went to Paris to try to buy New Or l e a n s ,

Florida, and parts of present-day Alabama and Mi s s i s s i p p i . In s t e a d ,

Napoleon offered them the entire Louisiana are a . The total price was

fifteen million dollars. They signed the treaty on April 30, 1803.

This land officially became part of the United St a t e s .

Lewis & Clark State Hi s t o ric Site - Teachers Gu i d e Lesson #4: Louisiana Pu rc h a s e

DISCUSSION QU E S T I O N S1 ) Who was the Louisiana area named after?

- a n s we r : King Louis XIV

2 ) Which country originally owned the Louisiana are a ?

- a n s we r : Fr a n c e

3 ) Which U.S. President wanted to purchase the Louisiana are a ?

- a n s we r : President Thomas Je f f e r s o n

4 ) Why did he want to purchase the are a ?

- a n s we r : to control trade along the Mississippi Rive r

5 ) Which French leader decided to sell the Louisiana are a ?

- a n s we r : Na p o l e o n

6 ) How much was the Louisiana Pu rc h a s e ?

- a n s we r : fifteen million dollars

7 ) What year did the Louisiana area become part of the United St a t e s ?

- a n s we r : 1 8 0 3

Lewis & Clark State Hi s t o ric Site - Teachers Gu i d e Lesson #4: Louisiana Pu rc h a s e

WORD FIND Find these important words that relate to the Louisiana Pu rc h a s e . They ru n

d i a g o n a l l y, down and sidew a y s .

F R A N C E L I V I N G S TO N

LO U I S I A N A M A D I S O N

J E F F E R S O N T R E ATY

M I S S I S S I P PI T R A D E

N A P O L E O N S PA I N

Lewis & Clark State Hi s t o ric Site - Teachers Gu i d e Lesson #4: Louisiana Pu rc h a s e

Lewis & Clark State Hi s t o ric Site - Teachers Gu i d e Lesson #4: Louisiana Pu rc h a s e

WORD FIND (ANSWERS FOR T E ACHERS)

Find these important words that relate to the Louisiana Pu rc h a s e . They ru n

d i a g o n a l l y, down and sidew a y s .

F R A N C E L I V I N G S TO N

LO U I S I A N A M A D I S O N

J E F F E R S O N T R E ATY

M I S S I S S I P PI T R A D E

N A P O L E O N S PA I N

Lewis & Clark State Hi s t o ric Site - Teachers Gu i d e Lesson #4: Louisiana Pu rc h a s e