Louisiana Purchase
At a glance:
- Series: Great Events from History: North American Series
- Categories: Government and Politics, Land Acquisition and Expansion, Territory Redistribution, Geography
- Subcategories: Treaties, Agreements, Negotiations, Frontier, Pioneers
- Curriculum: 19th Century European History, French History, American Indian History, American Early National History (1789-1815)
- Geographical Location: Paris, Washington, D.C.
- Date: May 9, 1803
Article abstract: The United States doubles its size and secures new western borders.
Summary of Event
The first Europeans to explore Louisiana were the Spanish in the sixteenth century, but they failed to occupy the area effectively. In 1682, the French explorer René Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle, claimed the region for France and named it in honor of King Louis XIV. Louisiana remained French territory until near the end of the Seven Years’ War (French and Indian War) in 1763, when France ceded it to Spain in return for its help in the war...
[The entire page is 1578 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Related Topics
