Further Content Exploration

Now that you have completed the mapping activity and have a basic knowledge of the Louisiana Territory and the route of the Lewis and Clark expedition, it is time to move into a deeper exploration of the role that the Louisiana Purchase played in political, scientific, technological, economic, social, commercial, and Constitutional matters.

Using the examples below, create a set of focus questions related to each of the topics above. As you develop the questions, you may want to review the readings or conduct further research to better understand the issues related to each topic.

Sample questions:

1. Why did President Jefferson want to acquire the Louisiana Territory? (politics)
2. How did Jefferson's interest in science and innovation play into the Lewis and Clark expedition? (science and technology)
3. Was Jefferson's action in purchasing the Louisiana Territory Constitutional? (Constitutional history)
4. How would the shipment of bulk commodities like wheat and cotton have been altered by the acquisition of the purchase? What was the impact of the ownership of New Orleans on trade patterns of trade in North America? (economy and commerce)

After you have completed your questions, consider what additional questions these might raise with your students. Discuss with your colleagues or reflect in your journal about how students might interpret events differently when considering different perspectives. See the next activity for examples.