In 1801, became the third President of the
United States. Jefferson feared that , led by General
Napoleon Bonaparte, was going to expand its empire in the
Americas. in Louisiana was an important trading
port for American farmers on the Mississippi River so Jefferson
decided to approach France about purchasing New Orleans.
The Louisiana Purchase
When approached about the sale of New Orleans, the
French government surprised the Americans by offering to
sell the whole of Louisiana to the United States. The
in 1803 included land as far west as
Idaho and north as Canada. To explore the new territory and
find a route to the Pacific Ocean, Jefferson asked and William Clark to head an expedition. ,
a Shoshone woman, joined the expedition as their translator.
The Corps of Discovery
The led by Lewis and Clark, set out on
May 14, 1804. It consisted of soldiers, , scouts, Native
Americans, and an enslaved African American. After traveling
8,000 miles, the expedition reached the in
November 1805.