Louisiana Purchase Term Paper

Louisiana Purchase to America's westward expansion. How did the United States handle the problem presented by the indigenous people as the population moved westward?

The vast westward territory known as the Louisiana Purchase held a large number of indigenous peoples, such as the Spanish, the French and especially the Native American Indian. Immigration by white Americans into this territory increased by huge numbers following the purchase in 1803, mainly due to the ideology known as "Manifest Destiny." By far, American settlers were the largest group but many French-speaking refugees, which included whites, freed blacks and slaves, migrated to the territory. As a result of this ethnic diversity, the culture of the Louisiana territory became very mixed and the boundaries were not clearly set.

At the time of the Louisiana Purchase, the U.S. government quickly discovered that a sense of stability must be established within the territory. This was done in two distinct ways -- first, the cultural question was addressed with the creation of a governmental body and judicial system based on American political ideals which would replace the existing French and Spanish systems. Congress then established a legislative council for the entire territory which President Thomas Jefferson insisted must be made up of a majority of American citizens. Second, President Jefferson devised and initiated the Lewis and Clark Expedition which was to fully explore the territory bound by the Mississippi River on the eastern side and the Pacific Ocean on the west.

As a result of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the efforts of the U.S.

A government to introduce new governmental policies and systems, a great majority of Louisiana residents, mostly Spanish and French, became very upset with the thought of their old systems being dismantled. President Jefferson's views on this situation were, to say the least, quite predictable. Stephen Oates mentions that Jefferson was certain that most of the population was American Indian and African-American and that "from the start of the debate (Jefferson) thought only whites could govern the territory." This was further complicated by the U.S. government's decision to displace a huge number of the Indian Nations in the Southeast and old Northwest to other portions of the territory which in essence would place these groups in totally foreign environments and set into motion the turmoil which was to follow in later years. This also upset traditional cultural systems and forced the native peoples to unite and defend the common elements associated with their heritage.

On March 26, 1804, the U.S. Congress created the ruling government for the territory of the Louisiana Purchase. President Jefferson expressed his concerns by relating that he wished to have American laws instituted in the territory through introducing a body of American leaders who would control the new government and enact legislation to create specific laws. Yet the indigenous residents of the territory saw this as a failure on the President's part, mostly due to the embargo placed on the admission of slaves into the new territory and the decision by Congress to fully restrict the creation of laws and statutes by the local peoples.

The geographical boundaries of the Louisiana Purchase also influenced the displacement of many native peoples. The Lewis and Clark Expedition not only opened up the newly-acquired territory but also affected the areas of the Pacific Northwest. This gave white American settlers a free hand in developing and controlling vast areas of land already occupied by Native American Indians. This act of "Manifest Destiny" greatly expanded the American republic and brought about much historical change and economic development through the introduction of railroads, canals, roads and the creation of a national market system via the proliferation of family farming in the newly-opened territories.

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