Military Expeditions to the West Unit 3 Formative

Military Expeditions to the West Unit 3: Formative Years, 1783 -1812

Shorthand List • • • US = United States GB = Great Britain FR = France NA = Native Americans Fed. = federal government • Gov’t = government Directions: • N = North • E = East • S = South • W = West

Military Realities • Standing army and militias drastically understrength 1) Little threat from foreign military o Britain (GB) hoped to curb U. S. expansion 2) State rivalries made establishment of a federal army difficult o Little fed. regulation of militia 3) Fed. plagued with financial problems 4) Americans reluctant to serve

Indian Expeditions. Background • NAs resisted expansion with help of British arms and presence in the NW o Settlers demand protection after passing of Northwest Ordinance (1787) • Early expeditions ended in failure and high casualties

Indian Expeditions- Fed. Response • 1793 - Washington creates Northwest Legion o Battle near Cincinnati River at Fort Miami • Battle of Fallen Timbers (1794) “Mad” Anthony Wayne o American victory removed NAs from most of Ohio o British finally evacuate northern forts Blue Jacket- leader of Shawnee forces

Defense under Jefferson, 1801 -1809

Jefferson’s Policies • Jefferson and Congress begin to economize o Reduced size of Army and Navy o Coastal fortifications o Expeditions to understand Western lands

Westward Expansion

Louisiana Purchase (1803) • Fearful of FR presence in US o Spain prevents US from trading with Louisiana using the Mississippi River • Jefferson appeals to new FR leader, Napoleon o FR agrees to sell all of Louisiana for $15 million o US now double the size • Small garrisons stationed at New Orleans

Louis and Clark Expedition • Congress turns to army for exploration of west o Meriwether Lewis chosen to head expedition o Picks William Clark as cocaptain Why was the army chosen to conduct the expedition? • 48 men accompanied the two o 70% of men were soldiers • Referred to as “Corps of Volunteers for North Western Discovery” William Clark Meriwether Lewis

Louis and Clark Expedition • Goals of the expedition: o Identify important plants and animals o Locate source of Missouri River o Assist American traders and farmers o Locate single route from Atlantic to Pacific Ocean

Fruits of the Expedition • Other expeditions held by Captain Pike • Expedition stopped by Spanish (owned territory) • Increased tensions with Spanish o Neutral territory created between Arroyo Hondo and the Sabine River • Both expeditions provided valuable knowledge of terrain, climate, fauna, and peaceful commerce with NA tribes