The year 2003 marks the bicentennial of the 1803 Treaty of France, by which the United States of America acquired the Louisiana Territory, an area of more than 828,000 square miles. Upon this acquisition, known as the Louisiana Purchase, the territory of the United States doubled. Historians consider the Louisiana Purchase to be a landmark event or turning point in U.S. history. This Digest discusses the following: (1) President Thomas Jefferson's decision to purchase the Louisiana Territory; (2) the significant consequences of this decision in U.S. history; and (3) methods of teaching about the Louisiana Purchase. (BT)