Louisiana Purcahse
What two countries were involved in the Louisiana Purchase?
France and the United States
What were Lewis and Clark Exploring?
The Louisiana Territory
Where did the trail start and end?
Missouri to Oregon
Where was gold found?
California (bonus points if they say Sierra Nevada Mountains or Sutters Mill)
How did the US gain control of Texas and much of the southwest region of what is today the United States?
War with Mexico
How much did the Louisiana Purchase cost?
15 million dollars (about 3 cents an acre)
How were Lewis and Clark instructed to treat the Native Americans?
Friendly, the US wanted to have a good relationship with them for trading and such
About 2,000 miles long
What were the group of people who moved to California during the gold rush called?
How did other countries view the Louisiana Purchase?
They thought it meant that America had become wealthy and powerful to be able to buy so much land so quickly, and it made them more intimidated to see the US double in size
What part of the Louisiana Territory was the US trying to purchase and why?
The Mississippi River and New Orleans because it was good for commerce/trading
Why were Lewis and Clark sent on their expedition?
To explore the Louisiana Territory, create maps for future settlers to use, to discover new plants and animals, to trade with Native Americans, to identify where the best places to live were
Why did people use the Oregon Trail?
They wanted to settle new land and use it to farm or start a business, they wanted a fresh start for their family, they wanted to be able to spread out over lots of land
Besides the US, where were some places that people moved to California from?
China, South America, Mexico, and Europe
What was the purpose of the transcontinental railroad?
To connect the spread out cities and towns in the western United States
Why did Napoleon decide to suddenly sell the Louisiana Territory to the US for so cheap?
Because he wanted to go to war with Great Britain and needed a lot of money as fast as possible
How did Native Americans view Lewis and Clark?
Some tribes were supportive and wanted to be friends, while other tribes were suspicious and wanted to be enemies
Name two dangers that travelers might come across while on the Oregon Trail?
Difficult terrain (like valleys or rivers), attacks from Native Americans or robbers, lack of supplies, and disease or illness
What was one way that society changed in California because of the Gold Rush?
It was very violent because it was mostly men with no women or children to calm them, it created a job shortage which was filled by Native American slaves, it was extremely diverse, it increased the population of California greatly
What is one reason the Federalists were against the Louisiana Purchase?
They didn't like Jefferson, they hadn't even moved into their own land yet, it was a wilderness, it would increase slavery, it would give too much power to the executive branch
Why was Thomas Jefferson and some of the American people hesitant about purchasing the Louisiana Territory?
Because technically the Constitution did not say that the President could buy land from a foreign country
What is an example of a long term effect of the Lewis and Clark Expedition?
The removal of Native Americans from their own lands to reservations, finding new species of animals and plants, and/or making maps for settlers to use to move into the territory safely
In your own words describe what life was like on the Oregon Trail
Should include something about that you traveled most of the day for months, that you had to be constantly on guard, that supplies would run short, that one out of ten people died, etc.
In your own words, describe life in California during the gold rush
Should include that it was very violent because everyone wanted to get rich quick and there were no families to calm things down, that it was very diverse which also led to tension, no one really trusted each other, people were moving in and out all the time
How is Manifest Destiny related to the the Louisiana Purchase?
The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the country so that Americans could spread democracy further