Chapter 3: American
Explorers
Louisiana Purchase
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Louisiana was named for the king of
France
The Territory made up ¼ of the size
of the U.S
The ruler of France at time of
purchase by the United States was
Napoleon
President for the U.S. at time of
purchase was Thomas Jefferson
Louisiana Purchase con’t..
► First
commissioned expedition, which means
approved, to explore the Louisiana Territory
was led by Lewis and Clark
► One reason to explore this new Territory
was to establish boundaries
► An explorer who made a discovery for his
country was the “agent” of his government
► The purchase cost $15 million
Expeditions into OK. Territory
► 1st
expedition into OK. Territory was Pike
and Wilkinson
► Fort Smith was established during this
period, and was center of settlement
activities
► Major Stephen A. Long named Fort Smith
after leading expeditions to establish the
fort.
► 1st official records of Oklahoma was kept
by Wilkinson
Expeditions con’t
► Many
expeditions were set to explore
major rivers
► The Pike expedition was captured by the
Spaniards, but later let go. Their records
were stolen
► Wilkinson met some of the Five Civilized
Tribes, and the occasional white man
► Western tribes were not as hostile to the
American explorers as they were to the
foreign explorers
► Great
Salt Plains were described as
“glistening fields of snow in the summer
light” by explorers
► Treaty of San Ildefonso was to have been a
secret