Apush leq: analyze and evaluate the motivation and rationale behind the western expansion through the louisiana purchase that took hold in the us at the start of the 19th century

Before the Louisiana Purchase, Louisiana was a French territory, and Napoleon threatened to block American access to the port of New Orleans on the Mississippi River. This scared Americans, because the nation wanted to expand the exports of American products.

President Jefferson sent diplomats to France to bargain access to the River, instead, Napoleon offered the sell of Louisiana. France needed money because of the war against Britain and then, the US bought Louisiana for 15 million dollars.

The Purchase impacted the Western Expansion since it doubled the size of the US and added more 14 states to the Union. It permitted the US to have more land to plantations and increase commerce and trade.

The philosophy of “Manifest Destiny” also became popular with the belief that Americans were destined to expand their territory.

what is the question?

the columbian exchange, also known as the columbian interchange, named for christopher columbus, was the widespread transfer of plants, animals, culture, human populations, technology, and ideas between the americas, west africa, and the old world in the 15th and 16th centuries, related to european colonization and trade following christopher columbus's 1492 voyage. invasive species, including communicable diseases, were a byproduct of the exchange. the changes in agriculture significantly altered and changed global populations. the most significant immediate impact of the columbian exchange was the cultural exchanges and the transfer of people between continents.

the new contact between the global population circulated a wide variety of crops and livestock, which supported increases in population in both hemispheres, although diseases initially caused precipitous declines in the numbers of indigenous peoples of the americas. traders returned to europe with maize, potatoes, and tomatoes, which became very important crops in europe by the 18th century.

the term was first used in 1972 by american historian alfred w. crosby in his environmental history book the columbian exchange. it was rapidly adopted by other historians and journalists and has become widely known.