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Benefits and Burdens of the Louisiana Purchase

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Weighing the Evidence

  • Students will click on the link below and examine seven different primary sources related to the Louisiana Purchase. Click on the “enlarge” icon to view and read each source carefully.

    Your goal is to weigh the evidence and decide whether each source suggests the Louisiana Purchase was a benefit or a drawback for the United States.

    • Drag each source onto the seesaw to show your judgment.

    • Move it toward one side if you believe the evidence strongly supports your position, or closer to the middle if the impact seems less significant.

    • You may stack sources that share similar viewpoints or levels of impact.

    When finished, be ready to explain:

    • Which sources provided the strongest evidence of the Louisiana Purchase’s benefits?

    • Which sources showed potential problems or concerns about the purchase?

    • Overall, was the Louisiana Purchase a positive or negative turning point for the United States?

    Background Information

    In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from France, doubling the size of the United States. The deal raised important questions:

    • Was the purchase constitutional?

    • How would the U.S. govern such a large new area?

    • What were the economic, political, and cultural effects of the expansion?

    Use the evidence in the seven documents to form your own conclusion about how beneficial the Louisiana Purchase truly was.

Please Note: Activities may not be optimized on mobile devices. For the best experience, complete the activity on a desktop or laptop.

View the full activity: https://docsteach.org/activity/benefits-and-burdens-of-the-louisiana-purchase/

public-domain
To the extent possible under law, Andrew Troxel has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to “Benefits and Burdens of the Louisiana Purchase”