Fun Fact #379
Fun Fact #379
The Corps of Discovery
In 1802 President Thomas Jefferson was greatly concerned about Napoleon’s potential to blockade the Mississippi River and cut the backbone of the United states. Thus he sent two representatives to negotiate the sale of New Orleans for 10 million dollars. Yet the proposal arrived at a time when Napoleon was deeply in debt, and –fearing the land would be taken by Britain anyway– decided to propose a counter offer. The United States could buy the entirety of the Louisiana Territory for 15 million dollars (Louisiana to Idaho). The negotiators jumped on the opportunity, doubling the size of the United States and making it one of the largest countries overnight.
To find out what was in this new territory President Jefferson sent 4 expeditions to map, and survey the land. The most Famous of these expeditions was “The Corps of Discovery” known today by its leaders: Lewis and Clark.
Image By William Morris in the wikimedia Commons
