Drago 1 Dominick Drago Mr. Dart U.S. History 28 October 2015 Thomas Jefferson and Western Expansion Thomas Jefferson, born in 1743, grew up in Virginia on a plantation called Shadwell located in Albemarle County. It is clear to see why Jefferson was inspired to explore western land. His father, Peter Jefferson, was a well known explorer and surveyor of Virginia. Peter and his good friend Joshua Frye explored the mountains of Virginia and Maryland, and eventually produced the first map of Virginia created by surveying the land. When Jefferson was young, he was dedicated to exploring the land like his father, although he never left the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Jefferson was well educated, fluent in five different languages, and was taught …show more content…
They used information from the Indians and their findings to create accurate maps of the western territory, and form a path for people to begin moving west. Without Thomas Jefferson, the Louis and Clark expedition would not have been possible. Jefferson is known as the main author of the Declaration of Independence, which is a very important part of America's history. Thomas Jefferson is also remembered as a founding father; his face is carved into Mount Rushmore and is also found on the nickel. Drago 3 Works Cited "Envisaging the West: Thomas Jefferson and the Roots of Lewis and Clark." Envisaging the West: Thomas Jefferson and the Roots of Lewis and Clark. Ed. Douglas Seefeldt. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2015. "Lewis & Clark Expedition." National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2015. "Thomas Jefferson." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2015 "Thomas Jefferson." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2015. "Westward Expansion." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 29 Oct.
In Captain Lewis and Clark’s famous expedition, they successfully made it across the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, opening the previously occupied western region for trade routes. Their unforgettable adventure led to the first reports of the American West. Over the course of the exhibition Lewis and Clark interacted with almost 50 different tribes. The trail of tears, fewer than 10 tribes were interacted with and they were just forced to move.
Being the president, Jefferson had wanted the recently gained land to be explored to be aware of what it contained. As a result, the United States' government provide money to Meriwether Lewis and William Clark for exploration. This was known as the Lewis and Clark Expedition which had taken place from May 1804 to November 1805 when Lewis and Clark explored the territory. Stated by Heather LeBlanc, “Along the way they charted trails, mapped river and mountain ranges, collected samples and wrote descriptions of unfamiliar plants and animals, and recorded facts about the Native American tribes they encountered along their journey.” The discovery of these untapped resources allowed the Americans to make profit by selling them to other country’s that did not contain them.
Thesis Statement: Lewis and Clark took a journey that would last over 3 years, and made many discoveries about the plants and wildlife, they met Sacagawea who translated and her presents allowed for better communication to open trade with the Indians, but also gained knowledge for maps that would be used for future exploration. President Thomas Jefferson commissioned Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the land gained from the Louisiana Purchase and to let the native American Indians of that area know there was a new presidency. President Jefferson wanted them to record their findings; animals, plants, and locations. Lewis and Clark took a journey that would last over 3 years, and made many discoveries about the plants and wildlife, they met Sacagawea who translated and her presents allowed for better communication to open trade with the Indians, but also gained knowledge for maps that would be used for future exploration.
Romero 1 Yahaira Yoceline Romero Mr.Gorman History 1301 November 2, 2014 Summary of Hope and Heritage:Myth and Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson was born in 1743 he was the son of wealthy parents from western Virginia. He was the first to attended College, the College of William and Mary. He later went on to study law at Williamsburg.
There are many ways to prove that the expedition was challenging. In 1804, Thomas Jefferson appointed two men, Merriwether Lewis and William Clark, and ordered them to find a direct waterway to the Pacific Ocean, create friendly relationships with Native Americans, and to record the geography of the land, animals, and plants. Lewis and Clark took a group of about 40 people and the group was called the Corps of Discovery.
the Lewis & Clark expedition, or the Corps of Discovery, began in 1804 and was given permission by President Thomas Jefferson to venture into the newly purchased western territories of Louisiana. France sold the United States the entire territory of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. This enormous tract of land “doubled the size of the United States” empire and was sold to us for “less than three cents per acre” (First Americans, pp. 251). The expedition was headed by two men named Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Their goals included exploring, mapping, and documenting every aspect of discovery along the Missouri River all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
After Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory he commissioned the Corps of Discovery which was led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. We were on a fact finding mission to find a Northwest Passage, become friends with the Native Americans and tell them that America now owns the land, and collect information about plants and animal. The trip began in May of 1804 from St. Louis traveling to the Pacific Ocean and in September of 1806 we returned to St. Louis. On September 7,1804 we ran into an animal we named a prairie dog.
Throughout 1803, Jefferson had talked with Meriwether Lewis, a young army veteran and his private secretary, about the Louisiana Territory. Jefferson wanted Lewis to lead a group of people out into the west to explore as much land as he could. Lewis, an adventurer at heart, accepted Jefferson’s request, and in early 1804, went to Philadelphia to recruit the men he wanted to accompany him on his journey. Among the men that were recruited was William Clark, an old friend of Lewis and the man that would share command of the band of explorers with Lewis. Together, Lewis and Clark decided to call their group “The Corps of Discovery.”
“Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.” He should believe so, as Thomas Jefferson’s actions clearly characterize his individual self, while also inducing the question, Does Thomas Jefferson deserve the honor he possesses, through these eminent actions?
President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the Corps of Discovery to have the Lewis and Clark expedition find a waterway that could connect the United States for transportation because he had aspirations to expand to the Pacific and Northwest making the expedition important to his agenda for the United States. (The Corp of Discovery, 2016). Another reason for the important expedition was to create a relationship with the American Indians, and the American fur trade, while learning the North American topography and geography of the land which was also important to the exploration (Corps of Discover, 2016). Thomas Jefferson was important to the Lewis and Clark expedition because he organized the journey, sought funding and made Lewis and Clark head
The Westward Expansion all started when America made the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. There were many benefits from the purchase for the US that the French didn’t realize before they sold it. The purchase gave the US access to the Mississippi river which allowed for expansion of river trade to the North and South from the center of the US. The port city of New Orleans was bought by the US and its prosperity benefited the US greatly. The US sent Lewis and Clark west to investigate the land they purchased.
Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States. Jefferson was one of the most important president during that time period. Jefferson’s home state was Virginia and was a Democratic Republican. He had many accomplishments and was also the author of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson went through some hard and cruel times during his presidency.
So there is one way a not so average person helped with westward expansion. In the thirty-third chapter titled ”Reporting to Jefferson” it talks about not only Jefferson yet again, but it talks about Lewis and CLark and how their expedition inspired others to move forward , and discover even more of the
As well as laying ideologiacl foundations of America, and creating the American Library System, Jefferson also was a main component to The Lewis and Clark Expedition that was responsible for discovering cast new lands and treasures in the heartland of America" (Sandra Jabonson). Not only did he provide the inspiration, and funding, but he was also the person who helped push it into action. Because of their expedition, the country became a place of inspiration to people as the sheer size alone provided endless possibilities for people to imagine, all due to
Thomas Jefferson had many important roles in his lifetime. He was a public official, historian, and a philosopher. He was also one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence and became the third President of the United States. He was in service to the country for over five decades. He inherited some slaves from his father and father-in-law.