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Primary
PBS

Pbs: Archive of Thomas Jefferson's Documents

For Students 9th - 10th
A PBS website that contains Jefferson's views on political, religious, social, personal, and intellectual freedoms in the form of his original documents. Contains the Louisiana Purchase agreement. Tied to a larger site on a Jefferson...
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Website
University of Groningen

American History: Biographies: Thomas Jefferson

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource provides a biography of Thomas Jefferson that includes information on his early career, prelude to the presidency, and his presidency.
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Handout
Siteseen

Siteseen: Land of the Brave: Thomas Jefferson

For Students 9th - 10th
Overview and biographical facts on the life of Thomas Jefferson, a Founding Father of the United States who drafted the Declaration of Independence and later became the third US President.
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Website
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Colonial Williamsburg: Thomas Jefferson, Son of Virginia

For Students 9th - 10th
Excerpted from the Colonial Williamsburg Journal, this essay offers details of Thomas Jefferson's life and his long and varied career.
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Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of American History: American Presidency: Jefferson's Resolution

For Students 9th - 10th
Reviews Thomas Jefferson's decision to acquire the Louisiana Territory.
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Website
Discovering Lewis & Clark

Discovering Lewis & Clark: The Louisiana Purchase

For Students 9th - 10th
Website detailing the events leading up to the Louisiana Purchase and the actual deal that took place.
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Lesson Plan
University of Maryland

Howard County History Labs: Westward Expansion

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Lesson plan assesses historical thinking skills by providing two primary sources on Thomas Jefferson's views on the constitutionality of the Louisiana Purchase.
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Lesson Plan
Ohio State University

Osu History Teaching Institute: Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders will explore via primary sources, the success of Lewis and Clark's expedition, and develop skills in analyzing documents and artifacts.
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Lesson Plan
iCivics

I Civics: Louisiana Purchase (1803)

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this map-based lesson, students learn the historic importance of the Mississippi River, why the U.S. was determined to maintain access, and how the United States acquired the land that made up the Louisiana Purchase.
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Primary
US National Archives

Our Documents: The Louisiana Purchase Treaty (1803)

For Students 9th - 10th
A fantastic site from the Our Documents group that allows visitors to see an original copy of the Louisiana Purchase Treaty of 1803. This treaty allowed the United States to purchase a tract of land west of the Mississippi River that was...
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Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Us History: 1800 1848: Jefferson and the Turn of the 19th Century

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about Thomas Jefferson and his most influential action as president, the Louisiana Purchase.
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Website
Digital History

Digital History: The Louisiana Purchase

For Students 9th - 10th
Find out about the serendipitous sale of the whole of the Louisiana Province by Napoleon to the Americans for $15 million dollars.
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Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Westward Expansion: The Louisiana Purchase

For Students 5th - 8th
Read about the fortuitous purchase made that doubled the size of the United States. See why Napoleon was willing to sell the land, and find out about the quandary Thomas Jefferson was in as he had to go against his strict construction...
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Primary
US National Archives

Nara: American Originals: Louisiana Purchase Treaty

For Students 9th - 10th
Wonderful NARA site that provides pictures of the original treaty and agreements of the Louisiana Purchase. Brief introduction discusses the amount of land purchased and the cost per acre described by the Purchase.
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Activity
Library of Congress

Loc: America's Story: Louisiana Purchase

For Students 3rd - 8th
This Library of Congress timeline series discusses the Louisiana Purchase.
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Activity
Other

Gateway New Orleans: Louisiana Purchase

For Students 9th - 10th
Read a description of the terms of the Louisiana Purchase. There is a map to show the land that was included in this deal.
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Handout
The History Cat

The History Cat: Us History: Louisiana Purchase

For Students 9th - 10th
Covers two topics related to the growth of the new United States - the Louisiana Purchase and the settling of the Great Plains. How the Louisiana Purchase came about as a result of a decision by Napoleon is explained. The Great Plains...
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Article
Siteseen

Siteseen: American Historama: Louisiana Purchase, 1803

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides the history of the events leading up to the Louisiana Purchase, the negotiations, the treaty, and the Constitution, together with numerous facts about the event.
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Lesson Plan
Huntington Library

Huntington Library: The Corps of Discovery: The Lewis and Clark Expedition [Pdf]

For Teachers 5th
In this instructional activity, 5th graders learn about westward expansion and the Lewis and Clark expedition. Includes background information for the teacher. Students explore primary and secondary resource readings on the Louisiana...
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eBook
OpenStax

Open Stax: Partisan Politics

For Students 11th - 12th Standards
By reading this section of a chapter on "The New Republic", students will be able to identify key examples of partisan wrangling between the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans, describe how foreign relations affected American...
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Activity
Scholastic

Scholastic: Grolier: Lewis and Clark: Louisiana Purchase

For Students 3rd - 8th
A summary of one of the largest land purchases in history, the Louisiana Purchase.
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Graphic
Curated OER

Educational Technology Clearinghouse: Clip Art Etc: Thomas Jefferson

For Students 9th - 10th
Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 - July 4, 1826) was the third President of the United States (1801-1809), the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and one of the most influential Founding Fathers for his promotion...
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Lesson Plan
Louisiana Department of Education

Louisiana Doe: Louisiana Believes: English Language Arts, Grade 12: Undaunted Courage

For Teachers 11th - 12th Standards
Students explore ideas prominent throughout westward expansion and American literature: myth versus reality. The texts present various perspectives of the West. Students consider the idealism and romance of the American spirit versus the...
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Primary
PBS

Pbs: Louisiana Purchase: April 30, 1803

For Students 9th - 10th
This PBS site provides images of all pages of the original Louisiana Purchase, with a transcript.