The Louisiana Purchase has shaped modern day America. The Louisiana Purchase was the United States buying the Louisiana territory from the French. Contrary to popular belief the Louisiana Purchase was much more than just the state of Louisiana. The territory was 828,000 square miles, stretching from Louisiana all the way to Montana, which is equivalent to 529,920,000 acres. This was easily the largest land purchase in United States history. A grand total of around 15 million dollars for the whole thing which is about paying just a little less than $.42 an acre, this was arguably the easiest expansion of the United States ever. The Louisiana Purchase was not as easy of a decision as we know now back then. It was full of political controversy …show more content…
Thomas Jefferson needed someone to travel across the territory to make maps, find an all water route from the Atlantic to the pacific, and to let Indian tribes know of their intentions. Meeting with congress in secret, Jefferson gained the authority to launch such an expedition with a beginning cost of $2,500 eventually costing the United States $38,000 to start this expedition. Thomas Jefferson selected Meriwether Lewis to head the expedition who then goes and attends classes for botany, celestial navigation, zoology, and medicine from some of the United States leading scientists. Lewis is also instructed to start buying supplies for the trip. Once news of the Louisiana Purchase becomes official in the United States Lewis begins his final preparations for the long journey ahead. In the summer of 1803 Lewis was constructing a boat in Pittsburgh for his journey across the American Northwest. When the construction of the boat is completed he goes down the Ohio River, recruiting at various stops and picking up, most notably, an old friend named William Clark who used to be a military captain who Meriwether Lewis appointed to be second in command on the trip. They make a final stop in St. Louis where they set up camp, called Camp Wood, on the eastern bank of the Mississippi river where they recruit and train more men. March 10, 1804 final ceremonies are held in St. Louis that show France transferring the Louisiana Purchase to the United States. This is the final event France has to do with the Louisiana Purchase, from then on out the territory is fully claimed by the United States. Four days later the expedition takes off from St. Louis and the travel west in search of an all water route to the pacific, and to make peace with any and all Indian tribes that may be situated in the territory. There are about 48 men that go on the expedition the exact