The Louisiana Purchase - How Did It Impact American History?
In this one-time, lecture-based class, we will examine the true cost of the Louisiana purchase, the crisis in international relations that led up to it, and how it shaped American history.
Rebecca Colley, MA, MBA
Average rating:
4.8
Number of reviews:(25)
What's included
1 live meeting
45 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
US Grade 3 - 6
This one-time class will examine the history of the Louisiana Purchase, the crisis in international relations that prompted it, and its impact on the development of the newly formed independent republic. We will begin with a brief overview of the colonial history of the Louisiana Territory. Then we will learn what led Thomas Jefferson to send a delegation to Paris to negotiate the purchase of the rights to settle Louisiana. Jefferson's delegates bought the rights to the land for a bargain price: $15 million, or 4 cents per acre, but it wasn't that simple. It had a huge impact on the finances of the new country and ultimately came with a human cost. We will look at how the acquisition of this vast territory fueled sectional conflict that ultimately resulted in Civil War and its impact on the indigenous people who lived on this "unsettled" land. The agenda for the class is as follows: - Colonial History of Louisiana – a brief overview - Conditions and Events Leading up to Louisiana Purchase - Outcome of Jefferson’s Delegation to France - Transfer of Land and Negotiations - Consequences: Westward Expansion and the Removal of Indigenous People - Consequences: Fueling Sectional Conflict
Learning Goals
Upon completing this course, learners will have an understanding of the long-term impact of an important historical event and how it shaped American history for better or for worse.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
There are some events that were violent that will be covered (e.g the Saint Domingue slave uprising, Bloody Kansas, the beating of Senator Charles Sumner). They are covered as an overview and not in detail. The Indian Removal or "Trail of Tears" will also be discussed in which many indigenous people died.
Language of Instruction
English
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
The books, articles and other sources used in developing this class are listed below. All information will be presented by the teacher, and not resources are materials are required on the part of the learner.
Books and Articles used in researching this class:
Bailing, Dalleck, Davis, Donald, Thomas Wood, The Great Republic: A History of the American People. D.C Heath and Company, 1992.
Baptist, Edward E., “The Bittersweet Victory at Saint-Domingue” The Slate Group, Aug 6, 2015. https://slate.com/
Halabi, Gina. “Westward Expansion and the American Civil War” US History Scene https://ushistoryscene.com
Harrington, John and Grant Suneson, “What were the 13 most expensive wars in U.S. history?” 24/7 Wall Street, published on https://www.usatoday.com, June 13, 2019
Kennedy, Roger G. “The Louisiana Purchase”, Common Place: The Journal of Early American Live http://commonplace.online/.
“Louisiana Purchase Treaty”, National Archives, General Records of the U.S. Government
“Manifest Destiny and Indian Removal” Smithsonian American Art Museum, https://americanexperience.si.edu
McNeil, Kent. “The Louisiana Purchase: Indian and American Sovereignty in the Missouri Watershed”. 50:1 Western Historical Quarterly 17-42, 2019
Selin, Shannon. “Canada and the Louisiana Purchase” www.shannonselin.com, 2016
“1803 Louisiana Purchase”, “1820 Missouri Compromise”, “1854 Kansan-Nebraska Act”, “1859 John Brown and Harper’s Ferry”, “Manifest Destiny”, “Compromise of 1850” Compromise of 1850 Heritage Society, http://www.compromise-of-1850.org
Other Online Sources
“History of Louisiana”, “John Brown”, “Bloody Kansas”, “Louisiana Purchase”, “James Madison”, “Sainte Domingue”, Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org
“Important Dates in History” State of Louisiana, https://www.louisiana.gov/
The Historic New Orleans Collection, https://www.hnoc.org/.
“The Louisiana Purchase”, Monticello, https://www.monticello.org/
“1803 Louisiana Purchase”, “1820 Missouri Compromise”, “1854 Kansan-Nebraska Act”, “1859 John Brown and Harper’s Ferry”, “Manifest Destiny”, “Compromise of 1850” Compromise of 1850 Heritage Society, http://www.compromise-of-1850.org
Joined March, 2021
4.8
25reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Degrees
Master's Degree in History from Queen’s University
Bachelor's Degree in History from Queen’s University
I have a Master Degree in Antebellum American history and have studied Jacksonian America (when the Indian Removal was executed) and the events leading up the American Civil War. I have led seminar discussions at the university level on this period and written a thesis on the institution of slavery in the American South. On Outschool, I have been teaching classes on special interest topics in the American Civil War since March of 2021 which has been an area of interest to me since I was a small child. I thank one of my learners for requesting a class on the Louisiana Purchase. It is a fascinating story of international relations and has had a profound impact on shaping the development of the newly formed United States. It has been my pleasure to research and develop this class in response to that request. Reviews
Live One-Time Class
$18
per classMeets once
45 min
Completed by 9 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 8-12
1-4 learners per class
