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Exploring the West: The Louisiana Purchase

Related Article: Learn more about Lewis and Clark.

President Jefferson sent explorers Lewis and Clark to the Pacific Northwest to secure the fur trade.

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Colonizing the US West: North US Land (1:42)

In the late 1700s, Spain, Britain, Russia, and the United States were all trying to expand their control of western North America.

Colonizing the US West: Spanish North America (2:15)

Students learn about Spain’s colonization of the southwest, including the creation of Spanish missions to spread the empire’s control.

Colonizing the US West: Spanish Missions (9:31)

La Purisima Concepcion is an example of a typical Spanish mission in California. Learn about life on the mission 200 years ago and the roles of the padres and American Indians.

Colonizing the US West: The Louisiana Purchase (1:45)

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson almost doubled the size of the United States by purchasing the Louisiana Territory from France.

Colonizing the US West: Russians Move South (2:02)

Students learn about Russia’s efforts to expand its colonial holdings southward in North America from Alaska into the Pacific Northwest.

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The Lewis and Clark Expedition (1:07)

From the Archives of Discovery: In 1803, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out to find an all-water route through the United States to the Pacific Ocean. Learn more about the Lewis and Clark expedition in this video.