Early 19th Century America
Early 19th Century AmericaOn March fourth, 1801, Thomas Jefferson was elected President
of the United States of America. Thomas Jefferson was a Republican.
Republicans strongly supported farmers, and they wanted an agrarian
nation. An agrarian nation means some changes had to be made in the
country. The country needed strong trade with other countries, and
they also needed more land to farm on. This led to the Louisiana
Purchase.
The French owned a huge amount of land west of the United
States. Inside all of this land was the mouth of the Mississippi
River, New Orleans. Because the Republicans wanted a farming nation,
America needed a port like New Orleans. Jefferson didn't think that
Napoleon would sell all of this land, but he asked him anyway if he
was willing to sell. To his surprise Napoleon did want to sell this
land because he needed more money for his fight with Great Britain. So
Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory, and doubled the nation's
size. This purchase was a mastermind move by Jefferson that let the
farming nation trade using the whole Mississippi.
Another achievement of Thomas Jefferson was the exploration of
the Louisiana Territory. He hired Lewis and Clark to explore the
uncharted territory. He told them to search the land for a river
passage to the Pacific Ocean. Jefferson also told them to keep diaries
and make maps. This was Clark's task. In May, 1804, forty-four men set
out on the expedition. The travelers tried to be friendly with the
Indians on their way. When they reached North Dakota they hired the
French trapper Toussaint Charbonneau, and his wife Sacajawea to be
guides and interpreters. With them they traveled all the way to the
Pacific Coast and back. Even though many people were disappointed upon
their return that they had not found an all water route, Lewis and
Clark were the first to map most of this land we call America. They
also aroused an interest in the people to move westward in the growing
nation.
Let's go back a little bit to when Napoleon sold the Louisiana
Territory to the United States. He needed money to fight in the war he
was having with Great Britain. Since the United States had a small
military, it did not want to be involved in the French-British War.
America tried to stay neutral while trading with Europe, but France
and Great Britain kept on violating their neutrality rights. The
United States kept on trying to trade, but both sides put blockades on
each others ports. This meant that the other countries took their
ships. The British, however, not only took their ships, but they also
impressed American sailors.
During all of this mayhem President Madison came to power.
Because of Britain's violations of America's sailors,...
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