購買路易斯安那州 - 它如何影響美國歷史？

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