From Territory to Statehood Study Guide

  1. Know the following vocabulary:
  2. Martial Law—Military rule
  3. Ratify—to approve
  4. Napoleonic Code—French law
  5. Annex—To incorporate or blend into a current political unit
  6. Impress—Force into service
  7. Blockade—using ships to block a coast keeping other ships from passing
  8. Neutral Strip—land that Spain and the United States agreed to stay out of to avoid war
  9. Know the following people:
  10. Edward Pakenham—English general during the Battle of New Orleans.
  11. Andrew Jackson—American general during the Battle of New Orleans.
  12. Jean Lafitte—A pirate who aided Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans.
  13. Julien Poydras—Congressmen who assisted Louisiana in gaining statehood.
  14. Thomas Jefferson—U.S. President who bought Louisiana from France.
  15. Wade Hampton—American general who ended the St. John Slave Rebellion.
  16. After the Louisiana purchase the people that lived in the Louisiana Territory has to assimilate with the U.S. citizens. Louisiana: French and Spanish speaking Catholics vs. English speaking Protestants
  17. Manifest Destiny is the idea or belief that the U.S. had the right to expand westward to California. LA Purchase is an example of how this belief was accomplished.
  18. After the Louisiana Purchase the territory was split into the Territory of Orleans (which would eventually become the state of Louisiana) and the District of Louisiana (which was everything else).
  19. Claiborne was selected as the governor of the Territory of Orleans.
  20. Spain and Louisiana could not agree on Louisiana’s western border. To avoid war they agreed to create the Neutral Strip. This meant the United States and Spain did not control the area. Outlaws moved to the area. They would rob Spaniards and the Territory of Orleans then run back to the neutral strip. They could not be arrested because no one officially controlled the area.
  21. West Florida was not included in the Louisiana Purchase. Spain owned West Florida, but most people living there were from America. They made a plan for self-government and Spain agreed to the plan but they were deceived. Spain gathered soldiers to attack, but Americans hear of the plan and attack the Spanish fort in Baton Rouge. The settles then declared their independence and form the Republic of West Florida. It lasted for 10 weeks. President Madison annexed West Florida and it became part of the United States.
  22. The process of statehood: a territory needs 60,000 people, a bill for the territory to become a state, a state constitution, the constitution has to be ratified, and the state needs a governor.
  23. Louisiana became the 18th state on April 30, 1812. This day was selected because it was the anniversary of the LA Purchase. Claiborne was elected as the first governor.
  24. Louisiana’s first Constitution of 1812 was biased. It only allowed wealthy, white, land-owning males to votes and participate in government.
  25. War of 1812 causes: English encouraging American Indians to attack the U.S. and English impressing U.S. sailors.
  26. Andrew Jackson was the American general sent to defend New Orleans. Edward Pakenham was the English general in the Battle of New Orleans. Jackson and his men were greatly outnumbered. Louisiana residents (creoles, black militiamen, Lafitte’s pirates, etc.) agreed to help fight in the battle to defend their city. Jackson picked the Rodriguez canal, in Chalmette, as the location for the battle. It was between the Mississippi River and a swamp. Jackson and his men won the battle.
  27. Battle of New Orleans united cultures because many different types of people came together to fight against the English as Louisianans.
  28. Andrew Jackson is not a hero after the Battle of New Orleans. This is because he imposed martial law after the battle.
  29. The Treaty of Ghent ended the War of 1812. It was signed two weeks before the Battle of New Orleans.