The United States Buys Louisiana

Name ______Hour ______

A treaty between France and Spain gave France possession of the Louisiana Territory in 1800. President Thomas Jefferson later learned of the treaty and became alarmed. The French ruler at that time, Napoleon Bonaparte, was an ambitious conqueror with plans for empire-building in both Europe and North America. To Jefferson’s surprise, however, Napoleon offered to sell Louisiana to the United States in 1803. Even though he was not certain any President had the authority to purchase land for the nation, Jefferson accepted Napoleon’s offer. Americans did not object to Jefferson’s decision to acquire a vast new land when they learned of the Louisiana Purchase. The map below shows the United States in 1803, after the Louisiana Purchase, and some features of the area. Study the map, and then choose the answer that best completes each statement on the next page. Write the letter of your answer in the blank. Name ______Hour ______

Study the map, and then choose the answer that best completes each statement. Write the letter of your answer in the blank.

______1. With the purchase of Louisiana, the size of the United States nearly a. tripled b. doubled ______2. After 1803, the United States extended from the Atlantic Ocean west to a. the Pacific Ocean b. the Rocky Mountains ______3. The boundaries of the Louisiana Purchase were a. artificial (man-made) b. natural ______4. With Louisiana, the United States acquired the seaport of a. St. Louis b. New Orleans ______5. The Louisiana Purchase took in the portion of the Mississippi River drainage basin on the a. east b. west ______6. The Yellowstone, Platte, and Kansas rivers are direct tributaries of the a. Mississippi River b. Missouri River ______7. All the rivers in the Louisiana Purchase finally join the a. Mississippi River b. Missouri River ______8. Most of the rivers in Louisiana flow generally from a. south to north b. west to east ______9. The waters of all the rivers in Louisiana eventually reach the a. Gulf of Mexico b. Great Lakes ______10. Compared with the western half of Louisiana, elevations in the eastern half would be a. lower b. higher ______11. The Snake and Columbia rivers were in a. the Oregon Country b. Spanish Territory ______12. The Snake and Columbia rivers flow mostly from a. west to east b. east to west ______13. The Columbia River’s source is in the Rocky Mountains, and its mouth is along the a. Pacific Ocean b. Gulf of Mexico Name ______Hour ______