5th Grade History & Social Studies — Westward Expansion — America Grows Under Providence
Students will learn how President Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803, doubling the size of the United States.
In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson made one of the most important decisions in American history. He purchased a massive piece of land from France called the Louisiana Territory. This land stretched from the Mississippi River all the way to the Rocky Mountains.
The price was about 15 million dollars — roughly 4 cents per acre! This was an incredible deal that doubled the size of the young nation overnight. Jefferson believed God had given America a special mission, and this new land was part of that purpose.
The Louisiana Purchase opened the door for Americans to explore and settle the vast western frontier. It included land that would become all or part of 15 states, including Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and many more.
Many Americans saw this as God's providence — His guiding hand making a way for the nation to grow and prosper. Jefferson sent explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to map and study this incredible new territory.
On a blank map of the United States, color the original 13 states in one color and the Louisiana Territory in another. Label the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains.