Reservations of the Louisiana Purchase - 18"x24"
In 1803 the United States "acquired" from the French the "territory of Louisiana", in what we now know as the Louisiana Purchase. At that time, the French controlled only a small fraction of the territory, as the majority of it was still retained by Native American Nations. This map shows the multitude of Tribal Nations that called this area their homeland. Many of these Tribes were unaware that these two foreign powers had even executed the sale. It would take another 75 years for the United States to fully take control of this territory . This was accomplished through treaties with Tribes, westward expansion, war campaigns, attempted annihilation of the buffalo and the reservation system. Even at the completion of the reservation system, much of this land even today is retained by federally-recognized Tribal Nations.
