THOMAS JEFFERSON &
LOUISIANA PURCHASE (You are here)
Thomas Jefferson was the third
President of the
unquenchable thirst for knowledge
Thomas Jefferson Papers
1797 - 1801- Jefferson served as Vice
1800- The National government moved from
Philadelphia (after 10 years) to the new Federal City on the
Banks of the Potomac. The exact site of the new Federal City was
to be selected by Washington himself, and it was later named in his
1801- Thomas Jefferson became the 3rd President of the
United States (he was 58 years old).
1801- United States census confirmed over 5 million people
living east of the Mississippi
1801- Rumors began to circulate in New Orleans that
Spain had secretly transferred Louisiana to France.
1801- The process of designing
Medals is undertaken by the US Mint
1802- Rumors of 1801 were confirmed
Spring of 1802- President Jefferson sent a dispatch to
the American minister in France, Robert R. Livingston to negotiate the
purchase of New Orleans.
January 18, 1803- President Thomas
Jefferson launched the Lewis and Clark Expedition with a confidential
letter to the Congress of the United States of America, "The
river Missouri, & the Indians inhabiting it, are not as well known
as is rendered desireable by their connection…with us…An
intelligent officer with ten or twelve chosen men…might explore the
whole…to the Western Ocean"
1803- President Jefferson appointed James Monroe to
assist Livingston in the negotiations. Upon arriving Monroe
learned that Napoleon had offered to sell the entire Louisiana
territory to the United States.
April 1803- The treaty transferring Louisiana
United States was signed.
June 1803 -President
Thomas Jefferson's letter to Meriwether Lewis
1804 - President Jefferson re-elected as President
Spring 1809- Jefferson returns to his Virginia home
1819 - Jefferson persuaded the state legislature to
charter the University of Virginia. Jefferson designed the
schools main buildings and helped shape its curriculum and choose
Jefferson's accomplishments: Writer of the
Declaration of Independence, naturalist, meteorologist,
paleontologist, architect, musician (violin), botanist, Native
American collector & purchased
the Louisiana Territory.