Exploration of the Far West | U.S. Elections
How did the voyage of Lewis and Clark help create interest in the western expansion of the United States? What did they find that would draw settlers west? Who did they influence to help the United States pursue a policy of expansion?
Why did the Federalists oppose the Louisiana Purchase and westward expansion in general? Compare and contrast the Federalist and Jeffersonian vision of the future United States? Which vision triumphed in the end?
What were the direct and indirect causes of the Louisiana Purchase? What factors led France to sell the territory? What beliefs made the Jefferson administration interested in buying the land? Why was New Orleans considered a particularly important possession?
What was the role of Native Americans in the journeys of Lewis and Clark? How was their exploration different from the way Native Americans had navigated these same lands for centuries? What new technology and techniques did Lewis and Clark bring to the task?
The election of Thomas Jefferson brought to power a new political party, the Democratic-Republicans. Was this party a national organization, representing the U.S. as a whole, or sectional party, representing only the South? What evidence is there for each position?
Why did a two-party system arise in the election of 1800? What effect did this system have on American political history? Was this a healthy or unhealthy development for American political life?
Write a diary as an observer from France in the United States during the Election of 1800. What are your views of the election? What do you think the election reveals about American political life? Compare America's peaceful transition to Democratic-Republican rule with political life in post-revolutionary France? How do you explain the differences?