San Antonio College Library

The 1803 Louisiana Purchase was made when reliable information about the territory was virtually nonexistent. In 1805, General James Wilkinson ordered United States army officer Pike, then a lieutenant, to undertake an expedition to find the source of the Mississippi River and to assert American authority over the Native Americans and over the English traders in the upper Mississippi Valley. After his return to St. Louis in 1806, Pike received orders...

In Surveying the Early Republic, Robert D. Bush contextualizes the firsthand account of Andrew Ellicott, the United States Boundary Commissioner appointed by President George Washington in 1796. Ellicott and his Spanish counterparts established the boundary line between the United States and Spanish territory in North America after the United States and Spain signed the Treaty of San Lorenzo, opening the door to navigation of the Mississippi River...

Documents of American History is a collection of documents that span the time between 1492-1973 that were edited by Historian Henry Steele Commager. Contained within the collection are various types of documents from legislative statutes, Supreme Court decisions, to presidential addresses, party platforms, etc. This collection of documents is a good for reference and while many of the documents have become available on the internet there are still...