Name: Period/Class: Date:

Louisiana Purchase Primary Sources: Document A

Directions:​ 1. Read the article. Follow the directions listed in the first column. The questions will be used to help build background knowledge as
you read. The notes are given to help clarify concepts.
2. Read the article again and answer the questions
3. Answer the questions following the article

Document A: Alexander Hamilton (Modified): 

FIRST READ SECOND READ
Who is the Author?  

_________________________ ​Source: Alexander Hamilton wrote an editorial called "Purchase of 

__
*The author is talking about
purchasing the port of New
Orleans, not the entire Louisiana
Purchase.
Use your “sticky note notes” to
answer the following questions:
What political party does the
author belong to?
___________________________
What political party does
President Thomas Jefferson
belong to?
Louisiana" for the New York Evening Post, July 1803. 
   Does the author support the
The purchase of New Orleans* is essential to the peace and  purchase of the port of New
prosperity of our Western country, and opens a free and valuable  Orleans?
market to our commercial states.  ____________________________
This purchase will probably make it seem like Mr. Jefferson is 
brilliant. Any man, however, who possesses any amount of  Does the author believe the
intelligence, will easily see that the purchase is the result of lucky  purchase is the result of wise or
coincidences and unexpected circumstances and not the result of  thoughtful actions by Jefferson?
any wise or thoughtful actions on the part of Jefferson's  ____________________________
administration.   ____________________________
 

___________________________
*The “vast region west of the
Mississippi” is the land that is part
of the Louisiana Purchase.
Who already lives in the region
west of the Mississippi?
___________________________
___________________________
As to the vast region west of the Mississippi*, it is a wilderness  Why does Hamilton believe it is
with numerous tribes of Indians. And when we consider the present  unlikely that people will settle in
territory of the United States, and that not one-sixteenth is yet  the new land?
under occupation, the possibility that this new purchase will be a  When looking at the current
place of actual settlement seems unlikely.  territory,_____________________
  ____________________________
 
    What does Hamilton think will
If our own citizens do eventually settle this new land, it would  happen if citizens do eventually
weaken our country and central government. On the whole, we can  settle the land?
honestly say that this purchase is at best extremely problematic.  ____________________________
  ____________________________
____________________________

Fill in the following claim.

Alexander Hamilton is ____________ the Louisiana Purchase.

What are 3 reasons Alexander Hamilton was against the Louisiana Purchase?
1. ________________________ already live there.
2. Hamilton believes that it is _______________ that people will _______________ in the
new land.
3. It will ______________ the country and the ________________ government.

 
 

Use the claim and the reasons to create a paragraph.

______________________________________
(claim)​

___________________________________________
__________________________________. He thinks
this because ​ ____________________________
(reason 1)​

__________________________________________.
He also believes ​ __________________________
(reason 2)​

___________________________________________
____________________________. Finally, he claims
_____________________________________
(reason 3)​

___________________________________________
____________________________.