How Did Lewis And Clark Impact American Culture

World History II
C-Block
4/6/14

How Did the Louisiana Purchase, the Corps of Discovery, and Lewis and Clark Impact American Culture?

Lewis and Clark were two men, given a mission by President Thomas Jefferson in April of 1803 to chart all the lands, organisms, and cultures included within the Louisiana Purchase. The main purpose, however, was to find some sort of fabled Northwest passage that would speed up the land trade. Considered the most important expedition in American History by nearly all, people often forget the trail of mayhem and sorrow that would follow Lewis and Clark’s wake, not immediately, but over the next hundred or so years. A few scholars say that the Lewis and Clark expedition was not worth it, the high tensions
At this point in time, the nation had an estimated 5,308,483 people within its borders (“Inside the Corps.”, PBS), from the Atlantic Ocean over in the east, to the Mississippi rapids in the western reaches of the country. From the Great Lakes up in the north, to about the Gulf of Mexico in the south. Only a small area was occupied, however, for two-thirds of the population lived within 50 miles of the Atlantic. The American population was growing quickly however, and Jefferson needed to find new land upon which his citizens could live and thrive, while also serving the best economic interests of his country. This led Jefferson into buying the Louisiana Purchase off of the French. Jefferson was going to take advantage of this amazing deal as best he could, so he secretly ordered The Corps of Discovery to intervene and cut off the lucrative trade business and deals that those living within the Louisiana Purchase had with the French and British. At this point in time, the British dominated the gold mine that was the fur trade with the Native Americans throughout the continental interior. Gaining control over this market would give the American economy a much needed boost, which is why Jefferson told Lewis and Clark to disrupt the trade as best as they could and set up some sort of trade with the natives (U.S. History, Exploration: Lewis and Clark). Winter began approaching, and the Corps decided that the best
Was a useful source in providing every type of animal, plant, and fish that the Corps of Discovery took notes on and discovered. Really is solid in helping solidify an argument with a large amount of examples.
Klose, Nelson, and Robert Francis Jones. United States History to 1877. Hauppauge, NY: Barron 's, 1994. Print.
Source was rather broad, went over most aspects of the expedition but never went into depth. Was useful in providing unknown facts about Sacagawea however. Fits into research well, the information given perfectly helps and fits into the paper nicely.
"Lewis 's Notes." Discovering Lewis and Clark RSS. Web. 09 Apr. 2014. .
Primary source. The main point this quote serves is to show that Lewis and Clark were not racist at all, and in fact did not mind the company of other races. Information is reliable, has been known for a long time and was written by a reliable source. Fits rather well into the argument of racial acceptance being a little more popular after Lewis and Clark acknowledged that not only white people are