What is historical context?

--WHO?
--WHAT?
--WHEN?
--WHERE?
--WHY?

Think about the important...

Historical context is the social, political, cultural, economic, and environmental situations that influence the events

Dictionary Definition

Think: What else was happening at the time?

​What is the historical context of the Louisiana Purchase?

​Important Who -
Thomas Jefferson was
the 3rd president of a
young nation,
The United States.
He wanted control of the waterways around New Orleans to give the US full access to the Mississippi River and help the US economy.

​Important Who -
Napoleon Bonaparte led France in many wars to gain land for France. Originally, he planned to use the Louisiana Territory to grow food for the then French colony of Haiti.

​Important What -
Napoleon Bonaparte sold the French Louisiana Territory to the United States. Thomas Jefferson was the President that bought what became known as the Louisiana Purchase.

​ Important When -
Thomas Jefferson sent diplomats to purchase land from the French AFTER the Haitian Revolution. Since Haiti was no longer under French Control, Napoleon did not need the Louisiana territory to grow food for Haiti.

​ Important Where -
Thomas Jefferson only wanted to purchase the area around the City of New Orleans because control of New Orleans would allow the US to access the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico. Napoleon sold him the Louisiana Territory which laid to the west of the entire length of the Mississippi River.

​ Important Why -
Thomas Jefferson wanted access to the Mississippi River.. Napoleon wanted out of the Americas after the Haitian Revolution. He also needed funds to support French wars.