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Benefits and Burdens of the Louisiana Purchase

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Weighing the Evidence

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? (Could the government legally do it)

    • How would the U.S. govern such a large new area? (Was it feasible for the government to actually govern this area)

    • What were the economic, political, and cultural effects of the expansion? (What would happen with the people already living there? How would this impact politics and the economy?)

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 burden for the United States.

  • Part 1: Open the Google Doc on Google Classroom, and follow step one. You are going to give a brief description of each document (In one sentences… what is it?)

  • Part 2: You are going to drag the documents to different parts on the scale.

  • If you put a document closer to Interpretation 1, then you think this document helps argue that the Louisiana Purchase benefited the United States.
  • If you put a document closer to Interpretation 2, then you think this document helps argue that the Louisiana Purchase burdened the United States.

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

 

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-2/

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