In one stroke of a pen in 1803, Thomas Jefferson signed a deal which has influenced our country to this day.  On April 30, 1803, he signed a treaty with France that gave us control of the Louisiana Territory.  Our country doubled in size in that moment!  Our president, Thomas Jefferson, was not even sure if what he had done was within the limits of the constitution, but decided that it would be the best option for our country.

Task:  You job will be to:

Research the conditions of the Louisiana Purchase

Learn about the leaders who explored this area

Map the route they took and learn of the dangers that they encountered.

Procedure: 

Day 1:

We are going to learn about the Louisiana land deal which expanded our country.  Click on the following web page to learn about the great purchase by Thomas Jefferson.   

Day 2:

We are going to learn about the important players in this great expedition.  You are to choose one of these members of the corp. and research them.  You are then going to write a letter back to President Jefferson introducing yourself to the president and explaining what your job is and what you have seen.

Click here to look for pictures for your letter to Jefferson

Did Meriwether Lewis almost die on the trip? Click Here

Day 3:What did they see on the journey?

Here is information about the animals and plants that the Lewis and Clark Expedition would have seen on their journey.

Day 4

Day 5

Finally we will trace the steps of these famous explorers and discover the interesting wildlife and land formations not found in the United States up to this point.