SSUSH6 The student will analyze the nature of territorial
and population growth and the impact of this growth in the
early decades of the new nation.
a. Explain the Northwest Ordinance’s importance in the
westward migration of Americans, and on slavery, public
education, and the addition of new states.
b. Describe Jefferson’s diplomacy in obtaining the
Louisiana Purchase from France and the territory’s
exploration by Lewis and Clark.
a. Explain the Northwest Ordinance’s importance in
the westward migration of Americans, and on slavery,
public education, and the addition of new states.
Northwest Ordinance
• The ordinance was passed
under the Articles of
Confederation as a means of
raising money for the new
government.
• It set up an orderly way of
settling the new territory by
dividing the area into
townships.
Northwest Ordinance
• The Ordinance:
- guaranteed freedom of religion, property, and
trial by jury.
- forbad slavery, beginning the division between
northern and southern states
- set aside land for the support of public education
- set up rules for how territories could become states
What ordinances were passed to entice
settlers to move into the new territory?
b. Describe Jefferson’s diplomacy in obtaining
the Louisiana Purchase from France and the
territory’s exploration by Lewis and Clark.
Louisiana Purchase
• In 1800 France gained New Orleans.
• Jefferson sent an ambassador to France to attempt
to negotiate rights to use the Mississippi.
• In 1803, to gain money to fight the British,
Napoleon offered to sell the entire Louisiana
Territory to the U.S.
• The U.S. immediately accepted and purchased the
territory for $15 million, doubling the size of the
U.S.
Lewis and Clark
• In 1804, Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William
Clark west to explore the new territory and to find a
water route to the Pacific Ocean.
• The Corps of Discovery included Sacagawea, an
Indian guide, and York, Clark’s slave.
Lewis and Clark
• The expedition was gone for just over 3 years.
• They discovered many new plants and animals and made
contact with many different Natives. They kept detailed records
of their discoveries and mapped out the territory they explored.
• They did not discover a water route a to Pacific.
Questions
1. In what ways did the Northwest Ordinance try and lure
Americans westward?
2. Why was the Northwest Ordinance set up?
3. Why was France willing to sell the US the Louisiana
Territory?
4. What was the purpose of the Lewis and Clark expedition?