The Louisiana Purchase, which was completed in 1803, doubled the size of the United States and opened up vast territories for exploration and settlement. As a result, President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1804 to explore the newly acquired lands of the Louisiana Purchase, with the ultimate goal of reaching the Pacific Ocean.
The expedition, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, set out in 1804 and spent over two years traveling through the uncharted wilderness of the American West. They eventually reached the Pacific Northwest in 1805, when they arrived at the mouth of the Columbia River in present-day Oregon.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition not only furthered American understanding of the geography and natural resources of the Pacific Northwest, but it also established relationships with Native American tribes in the region and paved the way for future settlement and exploration of the area.
Overall, the Louisiana Purchase played a crucial role in opening up the Pacific Northwest to exploration and eventual settlement by European Americans.
how did the louisiana purchase contribute to the exploration of the pacific northwest? It led to the first Europeans setting foot in the pacific north west?
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