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In 1796, Daniel Boone helped clear a trail through the Appalachians from Virginia to Kentucky. This had made it more easier for people to move west. This trail was known as the Wilderness Road. It served a pathway for settlers.

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Soon, a new state joined the Union. It is known as Vermont. But, even after adding Vermont, people thought there wasn't much fertile land. It motivated people to start traveling West of the Appalachian Mountains to find new ground.

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Kentucky became the fifteenth state. More than 300,000 settlers traveled to Kentucky/Midwest with the Wilderness Road.

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When France had taken over the Mississippi River that used to be owned by Spain, Thomas Jefferson (the president) worried that France would try to stop Americans from using the port in New Orleans. Settlers near the Appalachians relied on the Mississippi River to ship things south using the port. James Monroe was sent to France by Thomas Jefferson, to convince the leader of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, to buy New Orleans. The leader was hesitant at first, but he realized that since they were fighting with the British they needed more money. The leader offered to sell the Louisiana territory for 15 million dollars. This piece of land would double the size of the United States. Thomas Jefferson soon became concerned when he found out how much land was involved.

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When the Louisiana territory was bought, Spain didn't approve. They secretly signed a treaty with France. This treaty was to make France get back the Louisiana territory. This made Americans feel uneasy.

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Thomas Jefferson wanted to know the Territory of Louisiana more. He wanted to know all about it, like its routes. Lewis was told to command the expedition to find a route to the Pacific Ocean (once the purchase was done). Jefferson sent a letter to a Secretary of Treasury named, Albert Gallatin. He sent a letter for him to request Congress to fund the expedition, but secretly.

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The Louisiana Purchase surrounded 530 million acres of territory in North America which was purchased by the France in 1803 for $15 million.

As the United States spread across the Appalachians, the Mississippi River became important to flow for the produce of America's West. (between the Appalachians and Mississippi)

In 1762, Spain owned the territory of Louisiana. It included 820,000 square miles. It was made up of all fifteen modern U.S states between the Mississippi River and Rocky Mountains.

The Pinckney treaty of 1795 fixed conflicts between Spain and the United States to navigate the Mississippi and giving the rights for Americans to transport their goods to ocean.

With the Pinckney treaty and the weak Spanish empire in control of Louisiana, America statesmen felt that the westward expansion would not be restricted soon.

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The purchase of the Louisiana territory was completed. Lousiana territory was now officially part of the U.S

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Once the Louisiana territory was bought, Thomas Jefferson was curious about this new land that went beyond the Mississippi River. He sent an expedition to the new land. They had three goals to accomplish. First goal, they needed to find a water route to the Pacific Ocean. Second goal, they needed to meet and learn about the American Indians, that lived in this region. Third goal, they needed to take notes on new landforms, animals, or plants

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The situation of the westward expansion was threatened by Napoleon Bonaparte's plan to revive the French empire in the New World. His plan was to recapture the sugar colony of St. Domingue from a slave rebellion and use Louisiana as the granary.

France acquired Louisiana from Spain in 1800 and took possession in 1802, which sent a large French army to St. Domingue and sending another to New Orleans. The Westerners (those who moved west) became worried about having the more powerful French in New Orleans. President Thomas Jefferson noted, "There is on the globe on single spot, the possessor of which
is our natural and habitual enemy. It is New Orleans."

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Lewis and Clark left St. Louis, Missouri (more than 30 people left). Then later, a french trapper named Charbonneau and his wife, Sacagawea joined them as guides. They would translate the language that other people were talking in. They told the American Indians that their mission wouldn't cause any harm.

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They finally found the Pacific Ocean. They had met their first goal. Clark had wrote in his journal "Ocean in view! O! the joy".

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Lewis and Clark returned back to St. Louis. They successfully explored the whole territory. They put their detailed information and discoveries in a journal. They even brought back new types of plants and animals for Thomas Jefferson to take a good look at. Even though they didn't find a water route across the continent, they ended up finding the Pacific Ocean. They even left a trail to the Pacific Ocean for other explorers to discover.

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Thomas Jefferson appointed Lewis to be governor the Territory of Upper Louisiana. He also appointed Clark to be a Lieutenant Colonel but was rejected. They received large amounts of land and double pay.