With the stroke of a pen, Thomas Jefferson roughly doubled the size of the United States. The Louisiana Purchase not only grew the new country, but also it gave rise to the legends surrounding westward expansion and accelerated the decimation of indigenous peoples. Class members examine the impact on the new country using an online manipulative map.

Concepts

louisiana, the louisiana purchase, mapmaking, westward expansion, primary source analysis, primary source images, primary sources, thomas jefferson, early american history, manifest destiny

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Use the map to introduce the Louisiana Purchase
• Practice map skills with the included questions

Classroom Considerations

• Learners must be able to access the image and manipulate it to zoom in and out on a device

Pros

• Map allows for hands-on exploration
• Resource can be adapted to a variety of activities

Cons

• None

Common Core

RH.6-8.1 RH.6-8.2 RH.6-8.3 RH.6-8.5 RH.6-8.6 RH.6-8.7 RH.6-8.8 RH.6-8.9 RH.6-8.10