The Louisiana Purchase

When the United States won its independence from Great Britain, it also won new lands. Soon, the Louisiana Purchase doubled the country's size. These new lands had to be explored and settled. Brave explorers, such as Lewis and Clark, soon blazed a trail to the West.

The Making a New Nation series looks at the growth of the United States, from the earliest settlements to the present day. Discover how immigration, exploration, and migration have formed the nation we call home.