Jefferson Elected President (1800)
Thomas Jefferson became President in 1800. His many achievements in
office included organizing the Lewis and Clark expedition, known as
the Corps of Discovery.
Curious about the land beyond the United State’s
western border, President Jefferson asked Congress to fund a small military
expedition to explore the area to the Pacific Ocean. France owned much
of this region at the time, but before the expedition began, Napoleon
Bonaparte offered the entire Louisiana Territory to the United States
for purchase.
The Louisiana Purchase was a great bargain for the United States and it served Bonaparte well. Selling the land to America kept it from England, France's major rival. Jefferson spent much of his second term trying to keep the U.S. out of the war between England and France. |
