Expansion of
the United States:
The Northwest Ordinance
and
Louisiana Purchase
1785-1803
The Land Ordinance--1785
Key Features of the Northwest
Land Ordinance--1785
• Required land to be surveyed into
townships of 6 mile squares and divided
into 36 one mile square sections
(640 acres)
• A typical farm was equal to a ¼ section or
160 acres
• One section (N16) of every township was
set aside for public education
The Northwest Ordinance--1787
• Established territories for expansion and
guidelines for becoming new states (after
they reached a population of 60,000)
• Required a Representative Government
• SLAVERY WAS NOT ALLOWED!
• Guarantee Freedom of Religion and
Rights to Trial by Jury
(anticipated the Bill of Rights in 1789)
France Purchases Louisiana
• Louisiana was secretly dealt to France by
Spain in the Treaty of Ildefonso in 1800
• Napoleon hoped to re-establish a French
presence in the New World
• The Haitian slave revolt eventually led to
defeat of the French Army and their return
to France –leaving Louisiana
undefendable
The Louisiana Purchase-1803
• Learning of the secret deal, Jefferson sent
Robert Livingston and James Monroe to
purchase Louisiana from Napoleon.
Livingston
Monroe
Napoleon
The Louisiana Purchase $$$
• Total Cost was $15 million
• Doubled the size of the United States
• President Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis
and Clark to explore the new territory and
find the source of the Missouri River
(Hoping to find a Northwest Passage)