2008 civics test · Question 71 · 1800s
What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
Any one of these answers is accepted
- the Louisiana Territory
- Louisiana
What this means
The United States bought the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803.
The land stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains, and all or part of fifteen present-day states were formed from it.
Did you know? The Louisiana Purchase cost about $15 million for 828,000 square miles. The National Archives estimates that the purchase roughly doubled the size of the United States and cost about four cents per acre.
President Thomas Jefferson made the deal. France, under Napoleon, needed money for its wars in Europe and was willing to sell.
Answer: the Louisiana Territory, or simply Louisiana. Note that this means the historic territory, which was much larger than today’s state of Louisiana.
Why this is on the test
The Louisiana Purchase roughly doubled the size of the country, and it is the only land-purchase question on the test.
How this question is asked
On the 2008 civics test, the officer asks up to 10 of the 100 questions out loud and you pass by answering 6 correctly. You answer in your own words. There is no multiple choice and nothing to write down for the civics portion.
This question also appears on the 2025 civics test , as question 90.
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