Which statement describes the impact of the Louisiana Purchase on U.S. territory?

Which statement describes the impact of the Louisiana Purchase on U.S. territory?

• A. It doubled the size
• B. It reduced the size
• C. It added only a small strip
• D. It had no effect

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how much land the United States gained. The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 added a huge swath of territory—about 827,000 square miles—from France for about $15 million. That new land stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from the Gulf of Mexico up to the Canadian border, effectively more than doubling the country’s size. This massive gain opened vast areas for farming, settlement, and future statehood, and it spurred the era of westward exploration, like the Lewis and Clark expedition. So the statement that it doubled the size best captures the impact. The other options don’t fit because the nation did not lose land, did not gain only a small strip, and did have a major territorial effect.

The key idea is how much land the United States gained. The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 added a huge swath of territory—about 827,000 square miles—from France for about $15 million. That new land stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from the Gulf of Mexico up to the Canadian border, effectively more than doubling the country’s size. This massive gain opened vast areas for farming, settlement, and future statehood, and it spurred the era of westward exploration, like the Lewis and Clark expedition. So the statement that it doubled the size best captures the impact. The other options don’t fit because the nation did not lose land, did not gain only a small strip, and did have a major territorial effect.