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SSUSH6
The student will analyze the nature of
territorial and population growth and
the impact of this growth in the early
decades of the new nation
6.a- Explain the importance of the Northwest Ordinance in the
westward migration of Americans, and on slavery, public education,
and the addition of new states
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The Northwest Ordinance (1785) was legislation that provided for the organization
of the northwest territories of the United States (north of the Ohio River, east of
the Mississippi).
By establishing a procedure to subdivide the territory and survey for townships,
the Northwest Ordinance encouraged the continued westward migration of
Americans. The sale of these lands by the government was a primary source of
revenue in the era of the early republic.
Slavery was banned in the northwest territories under the Ordinance, an early
example of the divisions developing between the “free” north and the slave South.
The Northwest Ordinance included a provision to promote public education- each
township surveyed included a section of land, the income from which was
intended for public education.
The Northwest Ordinance also established terms for the admission of new statessettlers could organize a territorial government when the population reached
5,000, then apply for statehood after a population of 60,000 had been reached.
6.b- Describe Jefferson’s diplomacy in obtaining the Louisiana
Purchase from France and the territory’s exploration by Lewis and
Clark
• The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 more than doubled the size of the United
States, setting the stage for the continued westward migration of
Americans throughout the 1800s.
• The Louisiana Purchase included a huge area west of the Mississippispecifically the lands drained by the Missouri River.
• The lands had reverted from the French to the Spanish after the 1763
Treaty of Paris (Seven Years’ War), but in 1800, the French leader
(Napoleon) convinced Spain to give France the lands in exchange for
French aid in gaining territory in Europe.
• Jefferson sought to intervene diplomatically, attempting to block the deal,
or at least gain concessions from France- full access to the Mississippi and
New Orleans, for example.
• In 1803, Napoleon sold the territory, including New Orleans, to the United
States for roughly $15,000,000. The United States now controlled the
entire Mississippi River drainage.
Lewis and Clark Expedition
• Even before the Louisiana Purchase, Jefferson was planning
an expedition to explore and map areas west of the
Mississippi. He chose his personal secretary, Meriwether
Lewis, to lead the expedition.
• William Clark joined Lewis to co-lead the expedition, which
was charged with exploring the western reaches of the
Missouri River, and ascertaining a route to the Pacific.
• In May 1804, the “Corps of Discovery” set out from St.
Louis, traveled up the Missouri River, crossed the Rocky
Mountains, finally reaching the Pacific near present
Portland, Oregon. Lewis and Clark returned over 2 years
after they had begun. Their epic journey greatly increased
knowledge of the west.
Lewis and Clark
Route of Lewis and Clark Expedition
Sacagawea
6.c- Explain major reasons for the War of 1812 and the war’s
significance on the development of a national identity
• The War of 1812 (U.S. vs. Britain) was the culmination of
years of rising tensions between Britain and its former
colonies.
• At the heart of that tension was trade diplomacy, as the
United States tried to remain neutral in the Napoleonic
Wars between France and Britain. There were also issues of
naval impressment (forced service), and the continued
British involvement with Native Americans in the Great
Lakes region.
• A contingent of Congress, the “War Hawks,” mostly
representing southern and western farmers, led the move
toward war, citing the British trade restrictions and
accusing British Canada of fomenting rebellion among the
Native Americans on the frontier.
War of 1812
• The fighting during the War of 1812 consisted of three failed invasions of
Canada, a series of Naval engagements in and around the Great Lakes, a
British assault on Washington D.C. (Capitol and White House burned), and
an unsuccessful siege at Baltimore. The latter battle inspired Francis Scott
Key to write the Star Spangled Banner, (to the melody of a British drinking
ballad), as he awoke to see the U.S. flag still flying over Ft. McHenry.
• Two decisive American victories, Lake Champlain, and the Battle of New
Orleans convinced the British to back down, leading to the Treaty of Ghent
(1815) which restored the pre-war status quo- no territory changed hands.
• One of the most important social developments to emerge from the War
of 1812 was a major upwelling of national pride and unity. The Americans
defended their territory and hegemony, and began to be recognized as an
emerging world power. This strong nationalism would influence the
growth of the United States in the coming decades, as it continued to
spread American culture and power westward across the continent.
6.d- Describe the construction of the Erie Canal, the rise of New
York City, and the development of the nation’s infrastructure
• Following the War of 1812, the rise in national pride and
unity also translated into a push for building a national
infrastructure to link the economies of various regions.
• One of the most important developments, in terms of
transportation and commercial infrastructure, came with
the completion of the Erie Canal, (1825) which linked the
Great Lakes with the Hudson River, and New York City.
• The same era witnessed a great expansion of the road
systems linking cities and towns throughout the United
States, including the “National Road,” a trans-Appalachian
roadway linking the eastern cities with the western interior.
Erie Canal
6.e- Describe the reasons for and importance of the
Monroe Doctrine
• The rise of the United States as an emerging world power led to a
new diplomatic stance as well. Throughout the first decades of the
1800s, nations in central and South America were declaring
independence from their European colonizers.
• During the administration of James Monroe, the United States
acted on this development, declaring pre-eminence in the Western
Hemisphere with the Monroe Doctrine- a warning to European
powers that the Americas were no longer under the European
sphere of influence, and that the United States would prevent any
attempts to re-colonize nations in the Americas.
• The Monroe Doctrine established the United States’ sphere of
influence in the Western Hemisphere, and signaled the beginning of
a newly assertive U.S. in international relations and diplomacy.