Imagery in Dantes Inferno Essay - 689 Words

Robert Herrick, an English poet, once said, â€Å"Hell is no other but a soundlesse pit, where no one beame of comfort peeps in it.† Picture any type of Hell with relief, happiness, or even the smallest crack of a smile. There is no place. In fact, one can only think of the complete opposite, whether it is a Hell filled with neglect, pain, disgust, or a never-ending life of horror. This is the place created by Dante Alighieri; The Inferno is exactly the type of Hell where no person would want to be. Even those who acted upon the lightest of sins suffered greatly. While each realm contained a different sinner, the punishment that each were forced to face was cruel, repulsive, and sometimes rather disgusting. Through grieving tears without an†¦show more content†¦Dante gives a picture perfect example of their torment. It was said that, â€Å"And as they scrubbed and clawed themselves, their nails / drew down the scabs the way a knife scrapes bream / or some other fish with even larger scales† (Alighieri XXIX.82-84). The impression that Dante gives forces the reader into picturing the sinners drag their dirty nails into their prickly, scabbed skin, so rapidly and intense, that he compares it to a knife grating the scales of a fish. Dante also uses visual imagery to describe the lives of the gluttons. Since the gluttons spent their lives consuming massive amounts of food and drink, they represented themselves as garbage. Therefore, they were treated as such in Hell. The reader is able to visualize the punishment of a glutton through Dante’s vivid expression: â€Å"Huge hailstones, dirty water, and black snow / pour from the dismal air to putrefy / the putrid slush that waits for them below† (Alighieri VI.10-12). The reader can obviously picture the clean ground beneath all of the disgusting dirt, mold, mud, and rancid slush. Dante also puts the image of the rotting gluttons that lie under this filthy mess into the reader’ s mind. Each realm contains something different, and Dante clearly proves to give the sense of a different image every time. While every person has a different depiction of Hell, Dante provides fascinating imagery of his portrayal, so the reader can truly experience theShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Dante ´s Inferno Essay1606 Words   |  7 PagesDante’s Inferno is a very important piece of literature. There are many things to be learned from it, from the face value knowledge that Hell is a bad place, to a deeper understanding of how God intended us to live; but the most important lesson to be learned here is the power of allegory. Nancy Thuleen says this about it. â€Å"Dantes portrayal of Hell in the Inferno is an undisputed masterpiece of visual and allegorical imagery, enriched not only by extensive use of figurative language, but by concreteRead MoreDantes Voyage Through Hell1490 Words   |  6 PagesThe Inferno was written by Dante Alighieri around 1314 and depicts th e poet’s imaginary journey through Hell. Dante spent his life traveling from court to court both lecturing and writing down his experiences. His Divine Comedy – the three-part epic poem consisting of Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso (Hell, Purgatory and Heaven)– is generally regarded as one of the greatest poetic feats ever accomplished. All three parts are incredible literary feats with symbolism so complex and beautiful thatRead MoreThe Inferno And The Systems Theory1220 Words   |  5 PagesDante’s Inferno is an allegorical tale that reflects a tumultuous time in Florence. The Inferno reflects the common thinking of religion and Christianity at the time and through examination of both the Inferno and the systems theory, a better understanding of life in Florence, at that time, can be better comprehended. The systems theory is a model that explores the intertwined aspects of a given civilization. Dante’s Inferno details aspects of the systems theory that can be used to better understandRead More journeyhod Journey into Hell in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness953 Words   |  4 Pagesthe novels narrator, Marlow, the journey up the Congo River to the heart of darkness is reminiscent of Guidos journey into hell in Dantes Inferno, with these literary allusion always present, through forms of intense imagery. The landscape takes on a hellish nature and the wilderness is personified. Death is omnipresent and this is reflected in the death imagery used to describe the cities of Brussels and London, the Congo region and Kurtz station. The hypocrisy of society and civilizationRead MoreWhile St. Augustine’s autobiography is not comparable to the poetic dream vision of Inferno, the600 Words   |  3 PagesWhile St. Augustine’s autobiography is not comparable to the poetic dream vision of Inferno, the theological background of the two works is nearly identical. Dante the character of Inferno, like Augustine in Con fessions, is a homo viator, a spiritual wanderer on earth; Dante the poet believes that the soul’s sinful state leads to retribution in Hell. The significance of both works benefit in understanding the journeys of man in his quest for a more spiritual association, the faults Dante and AugustineRead MoreThe Inferno Of Dante Alighieri1647 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The Inferno of Dante Alighieri† translated by Ciaran Carson, originally written by Dante himself is a classical piece of literature. It is the first part of Dante’s three part epic poem entitled, â€Å"The Divine Comedy†. â€Å"The Inferno of Dante Alighieri† transports the reader into a gradual ride, going from an familiar and earthly land, to descending the depths of Hell in the search of salvation. The imagery conjured up while reading this book is plentiful as Dante’s writing is impeccable. NaturallyRead MoreThe Divine Comedy1705 Words   |  7 PagesComedy can be broken down to a epic that expresses a global message of human life. I. To understand The Divine Comedy and its impact, an understanding of Dante Alighieri’s life of tragic love and civil war can assist in unraveling the truth on Dante’s philosophical epic. Alighieri’s grief of a lost love and his involvement in a civil war led to his philosophical masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, influenced by classical writers like Homer and Virgil, using a distinct style and use of language thatRead MoreDantes Beasts2989 Words   |  12 PagesThe Beasts and Monsters in Dantes Inferno   The Inferno is the first section of Dantes three-part poem, The Divine Comedy. Throughout Dantes epic journey into the depths of Inferno he encounters thirty monsters and five hybrid creatures.   The most significant of these monsters are of central importance to his journey and to the narrative, as they not only challenge  Dantes presence in Inferno, but are custodians of Hell, keeping in order or guarding the perduta gente.   In this essay I am concentratingRead MoreLiterary Analysis: Dantes Inferno Essay837 Words   |  4 PagesDante’s work Inferno is a vivid walkthrough the depths of hell and invokes much imagery, contemplation and feeling. Dante’s work beautifully constructs a full sensory depiction of hell and the souls he encounters along the journey. In many instances within the work the reader arrives at a crossroads for interpretation and discussion. Canto XI offers one such crux in which Dante asks the question of why there is a separation between th e upper levels of hell and the lower levels of hell. By discussingRead MoreAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness1164 Words   |  5 Pagesdescription in Heart of Darkness shows how backwards civilization is through the need to enlighten or civilize the natives is flamboyantly flaunted in both the movie and book. Ultimately, both portray an allusion to Dante’s inferno and through comparing and contrasting the symbolisms and imagery effectively personify the dangers and recklessness of the ensembles in the Eldorado Exploring Expedition, from Heart of Darkness, and Captain Willard’s mission to kill Kurtz in Apocalypse Now. Repeatedly in Joseph

The Last of the Mohicans Free Essays

Is racism a choice or not?   The novel `The Last of the Mohicans,` by James Fenimore Cooper, did provide evidences of racism as practice not only by Americans but also by other cultures which suggests a strong indication on the possible roots of racism. This paper therefore attempts to dramatize this new found reality that may not be known or accepted by many.   The three part thesis of the paper is stated in the following propositions: (1) the racism has its roots in nature and it must be having been part of human nature. We will write a custom essay sample on The Last of the Mohicans or any similar topic only for you Order Now (2) That racism has been practiced due to natives wanting to preserve their cultures, and (3) that racism is strongly felt in gender mix. Since the Native Americans are forced to live with their colonizers, refusal to intermarry with the European colonizers must have been a natural thing to do. Hence what is ever is happening as racism in the United States must be traced back to this great of American history. To dwell therefore on the belief that discrimination is a well-planned reaction to other cultures may seem to find litter support as it not natural to hate or discriminate other people. There must be a prior experience in the past that has entered the subconscious level.   Not surprisingly therefore one could read in the American literature stories and novels that my have the colors or some racial problem. But the racial reactions was not chosen voluntarily as intended reaction but a subconscious reaction become something hurtful that has happened in the past. The issue of apparently prohibited a sexual racial mixture between cultures is depicted in the novel The Last of the Mohicans by Fenimore Cooper’s. The word ‘miscegenation’, which the shortened word for the sexual racial mixture has taken its meaning from two parts ‘miscere’ and ‘genus’   is apparently used in the at the end of the nineteenth century, and the word was actually   found mainly in the analysis of previous literary works. In appreciating therefore the reality to a profound and realistic portrayal of gender and racial relations between Native Americans and white people in the period of Indian and French Wars in his novel, author Cooper made an introduction of his own vision of early native Americans taking the position that miscegenation should be prohibited. It may be argued that the existing political and social issues are indeed influenced by the attitude of white people towards Native Americans in the past.  Ã‚   To be specific about it one may check that the at the end of the seventeenth century there were indeed some American states to have passed specific laws that were aimed at prohibiting sexual racial mixture and this may inferred to have deprived people of different races, with the exception of the white population but not without the undeniable repercussion as far as the American political rights particularly violation to the principles of equality. On taking the contrary view miscegenation may lessen the differences between two races but people then or may even this could aggravate these distinctions because people would be detached and removed from their customary background and by forbidding them from integration into the new environment. This could observed by the fact America’s vision as seen by some is large measure of what the country’s have projected as a model   about a future-realizable condition, instead of using the past to look the situation using reason.   With this seeming mismatch, America may have been involved in complex racial tensions and conflicts which appeared to be directed Native Americans. This same reason was also evident in Cooper’s rejection of sexual mixture in the book. In his portrayal of gender relations and miscegenation in the novels, Cooper may be opening the minds of those who know the real background or origin of racism as a social phenomenon.  Ã‚   Not many people will disagree that the US the country that brought a into living together as community of people   from different races   if one will observe that such may have even started from the   period of colonization. Since colonization may only be a desire to influence other cultures. But as soon as the process of interaction was started it, history has recorded about colonizers making constant attempts to destroy beliefs of Native Americans both from the cultural and religious aspects. The most immediate reaction however was for the indigenous population with America to want preservation of their cultural identity which normally is conflicting to the principles of white people. It is proper at this point to produce evidence from the text why Cooper has shown rejection of sexual mixture between races.   In his narration, Fenimore Cooper has described the people or character in the novel with mixed and unmixed blood. One of the characters in the novel is Hawkeye, who despite the fact of being culturally connected with both white people and Indians, he is portrayed by author as a person â€Å"without a cross†[1] The author may have the same treatment of Alice Munro who is described as â€Å"surprisingly fair†[2]. For another character by the name of Chingachgook, the author has presented as an unmixed Mohican. Cooper has created characters belonging to the other race like Cora, the elder sister of Alice, who may be described to of mixed race, who played the role of protecting even at the cost of her own life.   Cora was indeed presented as coming from â€Å"that unfortunate class who are so basely enslaved to administer to the wants of a luxurious people†[3] from the race of West Indians, who cannot marry a person from the South. It may be concluded then that Cooper did portrayed a story of racism in the US dating back to period of colonization as the book revealed women characters being prohibited to many from other race and therefore an indication of lack of freedom and equality when it comes to issues of choosing their marital partners. Cooper portrayed a judgment for women who ignored racial prejudices and assigned their societal-dictated roles, by either being rejected by society or having to die as they are opposing to sexual mixture. In the novel, one could conclude in their minds how the author Cooper has chosen to exterminate ignorer of racial prejudices such Cora and Magua if only to prevent an incompatible marriage. Work Cited: Cooper, J `The Last of the Mohicans, ` St. Martin’s Press, New York, 1984 [1] Cooper, 1984 p.4. [2] Cooper, 1984 p.378 [3] Cooper, 1984 p.310 How to cite The Last of the Mohicans, Essay examples

Gore

Gore-Tex Brand Sample Essay 1. Explain what happened to the Gore-Tex trade name after the patent expired When the patent expires the discoverer has no longer sole rights to her or hers invention opening it up to everyone. At this point other companies can offer competitory merchandises at decreased monetary values. It seems that Gore-Tex was smart plenty to take advantage of their ain patent and spread out the merchandise line to include other merchandises utilizing the same engineering. 2. What activity can houses utilize to seek to keep any advantage developed during the patent protection stage? The company can spread out their production into the other countries by utilizing the same engineering. 3. It seems that Gore Associates is to a great extent oriented towards engineering ; what are some of the dangers of being excessively to a great extent focused on engineering? When excessively many undertakings are traveling on based on engineering the costs can be highly high and can weigh down the company by binding up resources. It can besides do the company loose the sight of the initial end or come up with excessively many variables and loose other chances. 4. Cooperatives and share-ownership strategies provide excessively many attractive forces and benefits. but there are besides restrictions ; discourse these. There can be excessively many different sentiments. and people may desire to travel to the different waies if there is no clear end set by a company direction or a leader. 5. In Montenegro Gore-Tex is present through other trade names utilizing its engineering ( such as waterproofs. coats. chapeaus. boots. baseball mitts. socks. etc ) I think that immature people would be more than happy if they had an chance to work for a company like Gore-Tex. One of the chief grounds is that most of the companies in Montenegro is hierarchically structured and immature people don`t have the right to show their ain sentiment and thoughts.

Reality Therapy free essay sample

Each of us has all five needs, but they vary in strength. †¢ The more we are able to connect with people, the greater chance we have to experience happiness. We are by nature social creatures; we need to both give and receive love. †¢ In our quality world, people are the most important component. These are the people we want most to connect with, are closet to, and most enjoy being with. †¢ From birth to death all that we do is behave. With rare exceptions, everything we do is chosen. Every total behavior is purposeful. It is our best attempt to get what we want to satisfy our needs, to close the gap between what we want and what we perceive we are getting, and to gain the most effective control of our lives. †¢ The need to love and belong is the primary need because we need people to satisfy our other needs. We will write a custom essay sample on Reality Therapy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is also the most difficult need to satisfy because we must have a cooperative person to help us meet it. †¢ We develop our own inner picture albums with specific images of people, activities, events, beliefs, possessions, and situations that fulfill our needs and satisfy our wants. Many times our pictures exist in priority order, but sometimes we may have difficulty identifying our priorities. †¢ A success identify can be seen as being able to give and receive love, feel that you are significant to others, feel powerful, possess a sense of self-worth, and meet your needs in ways that are not at the expense of others. Conversely, a failure identity can be seen in a lack of confidence and a tendency to give up, feel inadequate, or not even try. †¢ Our total behavior is made up of four inseparable but distinct components-acting, thinking, feeling, and physiology. Our actions and our thoughts are the most important: They drive our emotions and our physiology. †¢ Our behavior is language, and we send messages by what we are doing. The purpose is to influence the world around us to get what we want. †¢ Our behaviors come from the inside; thus we choose our one destiny. We are the people that we are because of the choices that we make. We have freedom, we can make choices, and we are responsible for what we choose to do with our lives. †¢ We are the products of our past, but we are not the victims of our past unless we choose to be. What do you think stops you from making the changes you would like to? o Define client wants and needs from the therapist. †¢ Direction and Doing o Reality therapy stresses current behavior and is concerned with past events only as they influence how the client is behaving now. Although problems may be rooted in the past, clients must learn to deal with them in the present by learning better ways to get what they want. o Listening to clients talk about feelings can be productive, but only if it is linked to their present behavior. Rather than focusing on problematic feelings, counselors encourage clients to take action by changing what they are doing and thinking. o Commons questions asked by the therapist include: â€Å"What are you currently doing and how well is it working? † This will allow you to see where their present behaviors are taking them and to help the client make better choices. o â€Å"What do you see for yourself now and in the future? † â€Å"What did you do different last week? † â€Å"What will you do tomorrow? † Evaluation o Confront them with the consequences of their behavior. o Get them to judge their actions and thoughts. Have client evaluate all aspects of behavior. Questions that need to be asked: â€Å"Is your behavior helping or hurting you? † â€Å"Is your behavior taking you in the direction you want to go? † o Self-evaluate, than help them make effective choices. †¢ Planning and Commitment o Jointly form plans around exploration of new behaviors o Make a commitment o Helps them take control o Develop a plan o Good plans are: simple, attainable, measurable, immediate, involved, controlled, committed and continuous o Creating and carrying out plans helps people take control. If a plan doesn’t work, try a new one. Diagnosis and appraisal devices Diagnosis of Clients Wants and Needs †¢ The therapist begins by asking clients what they want from therapy. They inquire about the choices clients are making in their relationships. In the first session, a skilled therapist looks for and defines the wants and needs of the client. The therapist also looks for a key unsatisfying present relationship. The therapist may ask â€Å"Whose behavior can you control? † to help deal with the client’s resistance to looking at his or her own behavior. Formal Diagnosis †¢ Psychiatry can be hazardous to one’s physical and mental health, and psychiatric drugs generally have negative side effects. †¢ Mental illnesses consist only of conditions associated with tangible brain damage and should be treated primarily by neurologists. †¢ Clients should not be labeled with a diagnosis except when it is necessary for insurance purposes. Diagnoses are descriptions of the behaviors that people choose in their attempt to deal with the frustration and pain that is endemic to unsatisfying present relationships. People with problematic physical and psychological symptoms are not mentally ill, and labeling ineffective behavior as mental illness is not accurate. Evaluation of client progress in therapy †¢ The most basic human need is to find one’s identity. The major psychological route toward fulfilling that need is in being loved and in feeling worthwhile to ourselves and to other people. If these basic needs are not met, the person will attempt to meet their needs in ineffective behaviors. †¢ Clients must face a world that is imperfect and not built to their specifications. Clients are taught they can do something about their life if they will consider themselves and their environment realistically. †¢ In therapy, clients are challenged to examine what they want and need. They are also asked to examine their failures and accomplishments. Clients are encouraged to take responsibility for their behavior and to learn who they are and how they interact in the world. Therapy will be successful when clients are able to recognize that reality not only exists but they must be willing to fulfill their needs within its framework.

A Story That Makes You Want To Write

A Story That Makes You Want To WriteA narrative essay is usually a part of the fifth grade reading test. Because this type of essay questions answers to factual questions about current events and your personal experiences, you should expect to have to write in a more descriptive style and therefore use a stronger hand in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.Writing a narrative can be harder than writing a normal essay because it's often difficult to answer general population related questions. When writing a narrative, you must think about how to answer this question in a better way than most people would. This can take a bit of practice is very important because it takes time to master the skill of being able to write a story that's 'unique' to you.The fifth grade reading test is a great place to begin your story. In order to be successful, you should research the topic before you start writing. Use the story you've researched to provide an answer to the question 'What do you know abo ut it?' in a way that's not very common but is understandable and also made clear in the story.For example, if you're writing about how you love to play soccer, a better way to write 'I like soccer' is 'I think I like soccer' or something that's simpler. Even if you're writing a sports story, don't give details that are too far fetched or hard to believe. An example is writing that you're actually a member of the opposing team. This can get a bit confusing and could turn off a lot of readers, so it's better to limit your details to those that are real.Another great part of storytelling is the ability to point out the way that you perceive the world. This will let the reader know that you understand the world a little bit and have some knowledge about it. It's very important to point out the point of view you're taking with your story because some people like to think that their viewpoint is the only one.By telling a story with as much special effect as possible, you will create intr igue. You may want to create a vivid scenario that only you can see and hear, or even a memory from a past event. This may be more difficult than writing an ordinary essay because it may require you to create more vivid detail in your story. And while you're at it, try to avoid using so many strong words and adjectives.You can now craft a narrative essay for fifth grade that's successful and interesting. Use this guide to write the best fifth grade essay that you've ever written.

Labor Relations free essay sample

With each of these scenarios also give the type of employer, the history of the worker at that company, the incident which arose, why it was a clear violation of employer policy, and what would be the likely result of arbitration of this issue if the employee acknowledged his wrong doing but asked to keep his job. Explain the reasoning for our considered outcome. When an employer has to discipline a unionized employee there are four steps to the grievance (infraction) procedure. In the first step the employee is given the grievance in an informal oral manner so a quick resolution can be made, and before a written record is established. The second step in the grievance procedure is to present the grievance to the industrial relations representative or (IR). The IR representative is familiar with the union’s contract and decides on a disciplinary action or if the grievance involves an employee discharge then the union will take it to step three. We will write a custom essay sample on Labor Relations or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In step three the employee has union representation and the grievance is most likely settled at this step, if an agreement cannot be made then step four is the last chance to resolve the grievance or it goes to arbitration. Arbitration is a quasi-judicial process in which parties agree to submit unresolved disputes to a neutral third party for binding settlement. [ (Labor Relations, 10th Edition, 2009) ] (pg. 490). When an employee repeatedly breaks the rules and has been disciplined the union, employer, and employee write up a last chance agreement (LCA). This is an agreement drawn up by all parties stating that if the employee has another grievance violation within a certain amount of time the employee will be terminated. The type of employer that my three employees work at is a security company. The security company has hired all three as security officers and upon hiring they were informed of the company’s rules and the grievances that are imposed if the rules are not followed. All three employees have acknowledged the rules, and have signed a document stating that they understand the rules and the disciplinary actions taken if they break the rules. John, an officer at the security company, has never had any disciplinary actions against him since he started working for the company and has been a great employee thus far. John was involved in an incident while on duty with the company patrol vehicle. He has had an accident in the patrol vehicle and has run into a parked car while patrolling the parking lot. It is mandatory that if an employee is involved in an accident with a company vehicle while on duty a drug test is taken and if the drug test shows that John was under the influence (which he was) then that is grounds for immediate termination of his employment. John knows that this is a clear violation of company policy and has requested his union representative. If this disciplinary grievance goes to arbitration the likely result would still be the termination of John’s employment with the security company. The reason for my considered outcome is John was under the influence of drugs while on duty. There is a no tolerance policy for drug use especially while on duty, he could have done a lot more damage and very easily could have injured an individual in the process. Bill, an officer at the security company, has had issues with his behavior and attendance since he started working for the security company three months ago. It has affected his performance on the job and he has had two disciplinary actions against him in three months time. Company policy states that if an employee has three disciplinary actions in a 90 day period that is grounds for termination. Bill has just showed up late again for work and this will be his third grievance for the 90 day period. Bill admits his tardiness and swears that he will not be late again if he is given another chance to improve his attendance. Bill goes to arbitration and the likely result of the arbitration will be that Bill, the employer, and union will draw up a last chance agreement (LCA) for Bill to sign and abide by for a specific length of time. If Bill violates that agreement then it is automatic grounds for termination of his employment at the security company. The reason for my considered outcome of this scenario is because this is the most realistic way a company would handle this kind of disciplinary problem with an employee. Usually if an employee has had three disciplinary actions in a 90 day period that shows a pattern of undesired work behavior and the employer is going to want a last chance agreement to put an end to the undesired behavior. Bob, an officer at the security company, has been employed by the company for almost two years. Bob had a disciplinary action against him the second month of his employment with the security company. The infraction was a complaint of sexual harassment against one of his female co-workers at a previous job site. The complaint was investigated and Bob admitted to saying some inappropriate comments to his co-worker. The security company has a strict no tolerance policy on sexual harassment, but because Bob has admitted his wrong doing and the co-worker accepted his apology, Bob was permitted to stay employed with the security company and was put on a last chance agreement which he completed with no further issues. My considered outcome for this scenario was a bit light considering what Bob’s disciplinary action was for. The reason I considered giving Bob a second chance is that he acknowledged what he had done wrong and apologized to the co-worker that he had offended. Bob completed his last chance agreement he had made and has not had any other grievances since then. Bob probably did not think what he had said to his fellow co-worker would offend her like it did, and because it did he watches what he says and talks about while at work so he does not make the same mistake twice. Reference Fossum, J. A. (2009). Labor Relations (10th ed. ). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin.

The History of the Louisiana Purchase

The History of the Louisiana Purchase On April 30, 1803 the nation of France sold 828,000 square miles (2,144,510 square km) of land west of the Mississippi River to the young United States of America in a treaty commonly known as the Louisiana Purchase. President Thomas Jefferson, in one of his greatest achievements, more than doubled the size of the United States at a time when the young nations population growth was beginning to quicken. The Louisiana Purchase was an incredible deal for the United States, the final cost totaling less than five cents per acre at $15 million (about $283 million in todays dollars). Frances land was mainly unexplored wilderness, and so the fertile soils and other valuable natural resources we know are present today might not have been factored in the relatively low cost at the time. The Louisiana Purchase stretched from the Mississippi River to the beginning of the Rocky Mountains. Official boundaries were not determined, except that the eastern border ran from the source of the Mississippi River north to the 31 degrees north. Present states that were included in part or whole of the Louisiana Purchase were: Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Historical Context of the Louisiana Purchase France controlled the vast stretches of land west of the Mississippi, known as Louisiana, from 1699 until 1762, the year it gave the land to its Spanish ally. The great French general Napoleon Bonaparte took back the land in 1800 and had every intention of asserting his presence in the region. Unfortunately for him, there were several reasons why selling the land was all but necessary: A prominent French commander recently lost a fierce battle in Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti) that took up much needed resources and cut off the connection to the ports of North America’s southern coast.French officials in the United States reported to Napoleon on the countrys quickly increasing population. This highlighted the difficulty France might have in holding back the western frontier of American pioneers.France did not have a strong enough navy to maintain control of lands so far away from home, separated by the Atlantic ocean. Napoleon wanted to consolidate his resources so that he could focus on conquering England. Believing he lacked the troops and materials to wage an effective war, the French general wished to sell Frances land to raise funds. The Lewis and Clark Expedition to the Louisiana Purchase Traveling 8,000 miles (12,800 km), the expedition gathered huge amounts of information about the landscapes, flora (plants), fauna (animals), resources, and people (mostly Native Americans) it encountered across the vast territory of the Louisiana Purchase. The team first traveled northwest up the Missouri River, and traveled west from its end, all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Bison, grizzly bears, prairie dogs, bighorn sheep, and antelope were just a few of the animals that Lewis and Clark encountered. The pair even had a couple of birds named after them: Clark’s nutcracker and Lewis’s woodpecker. In total, the journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition described 180 plants and 125 animals that were unknown to scientists at the time. The expedition also led to the acquisition of the Oregon Territory, making the west further accessible to the pioneers coming from the east. Perhaps the biggest benefit to the trip, though, was that the United States government finally had a grasp on what exactly it had purchased. The Louisiana Purchase offered America what the Native Americans had known about for years: a variety of natural formations (waterfalls, mountains, plains, wetlands, among many others) covered by a wide array of wildlife and natural resources.