The Louisiana Purchase, one Thomas Jefferson’s greatest achievements as president, was approximately 828,000,000 square miles of land purchased from the French. This land was acquired in 1803 and a total of 15 states were made from the land. After the purchase of this land, Jefferson was determined to map all that there was to it. He gave the important task to his personal secretary, Meriwether Lewis. It was Lewis who …show more content…
They spent a winter with them and helped create a bond between Americans and those of the tribe. The spent hours with the Mandans helping create the first maps of Western Americas. All the geographical knowledge the Mandans had on the land was passed on to Lewis and Clark and would later be seen by the President. This knowledge was all granted to them thanks to the relationship they cultivated with the tribes people. Lewis and Clark were highly cherished by the Mandans and were treated as one of their own. Sadly, the relationship with the Mandans was lost when with the help of the Americans a deadly disease carried away with it most of the Mandan people. Their fast chief called white people his greatest enemy and regretted ever having contact with them. While many view the Lewis and Clark expeditions a success, the Indians that suffered from the success of this trip can only hate it. With the Louisiana purchase came prosperity for Americans, but would later lead to the demise of many Indian