The Louisiana Purchase was one of the United States’ largest land deals ever. The US bought the one hundred, eighty-six thousand square mile territory for about 5.5 cents per square mile, 35 and one-third cent per acre. At that time, the early 1800’s, the US was expanding westward, and Louisiana, which was owned by Spain, was right in the way.
Thomas Jefferson become the third president of the United States on February seventeenth, 1801, and was looking west even before. He had dreams of expanding the country westward, and being president might help. Before the start of his presidency, Jefferson found himself a private secretary, who was a captain of the US infantry and a family friend, Meriwether Lewis. Jefferson had other friends who might have made a better secretary, but Jefferson wanted to send a party westward to search for the Northwest Passage. Jefferson most likely had Lewis as a secretary because he wanted Lewis to join the expedition; when asked, Lewis accepted. Unknown to Jefferson, one of his associates was a spy for Spain. He was nicknamed Secret Agent No. Thirteen and was paid well; two thousand dollars a year! Meanwhile, Lewis went in search for a co-leader to help him in the expedition.
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The group consisted of soldiers, French river guides, young explorers, and Lewis’ dog, Seaman. There were forty-five men total. Lewis had had six service years in the army. One hundred sixty-four days into the journey, the group met the Mandan Indians. With them was a French-Indian’s wife, Sacagawea. She, as a child had been stolen from her home tribe from the West. She went with the group to guide them. As all this was happening, the purchase was being discussed as of reasons to buy… and