On April 30th the United States acquired Louisiana Territory from France in a secret treaty adding 828,000 square miles for $15 million dollars! American Ambassador Robert Livingston and James Monroe assisted in the negotiations to purchase the entire Louisiana Territory. The new territory runs West of the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains, stretching from the Gulf of Mexico North to Canada doubling the United States territory. President Thomas Jefferson stated the Mississippi River will be critical for American commerce. Jefferson is calling it “an ample provision for our posterity and wide spread field for blessings of freedom.”…
Louisiana was a French territory, so English was rarely spoken there. This was a problem because the lingua franca of the US was in fact English and there was quite a bit of controversy over how they could be expected to follow rules of and support a government they literally could not understand. It was argued that the other states were part of an agreement or partnership to attain life, liberty and the other fruits of being free men and were treated equally, but Louisiana was not. It was a purchased territory that had not agreed to nor did they ask to be a part of the United States. Another argument was Article 3 of the Treaty Ceding Louisiana, October 30, 1803 where it states that “the inhabitants of the ceded territory shall be incorporated in the union of the United States and admitted as soon as possible, according to the principles of the Federal Constitution, to the enjoyment of all the rights, advantages, and immunities, of the citizens of the united states; and, in the mean time they shall be maintained and protected in the free enjoyment of their liberty, property, and the religion which they profess”. When it came time to make good on these words, there were several issues to consider. Congressman Roger Griswold argued the above mentioned point that Louisiana was not a partner, but a piece of territory purchased. That the people were being…
Money is power and power means winning, when New Orleans was purchased it meant even more money and power for the United States. Purchasing New Orleans was not a rash decision. The economic and political factors that led to the desire of the Jefferson administration to purchase was the need/want to expand, the quality of land, and the money France would receive. The French Revolution was between 1789-1799 and the purchase of New Orleans was in 1803, 4 years after their war had occurred.…
When Robert Livingston and James Monroe returned from Paris with the 1803 Louisiana Territory Purchase Treaty, President Thomas Jefferson was faced with a dilemma. Jefferson had sent Monroe to Paris to negotiate the purchase of New Orleans for $2 million. A treaty selling the United States all of the territory was another matter and posed Constitutional issues for the leader of a party that believed in strict construction (interpretation) of the Constitution. Jefferson and the Congress had already authorized the Lewis and Clark Expedition, but not with the intent of owning the vast lands.…
In 1801, there was a secret agreement between France and and Spain. The French were able to gain back the Louisiana Territory they lost in 1763. (2) The Spanish recognized the Americans' rights to ship goods down the Mississippi River, but in 1802, King Charles IV disabled the Americans from using the port in New Orleans. (3) President Thomas Jefferson needed to gain control of the New Orleans Port.…
Miller Center, Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia, 23 Feb. 2017, (-- removed HTML --) In this primary source, Jefferson’s annual message, he discusses the effects that the Louisiana Purchase will have on the nation. Many people brought concerns they had with the treaty to his attention and in this public message, Jefferson assured them that congress was aware of the problems they could face. He provided information on how certain situations involved in the Purchase would be dealt with and why they aren’t as severe as it may seem. This annual message provides Jefferson’s assurance and approval of the Louisiana Purchase.…
3. Jefferson made the purchase of Louisiana because he dreamed about the United States growing throughout North America. Jefferson also knew that Britain could use power against France to obtain power of the Louisiana Territory, which would eventually end in the United States being sandwiched in between the two. If French gained the territory they would be in the middle of the battles between France and Britain. Also, New Orleans is a main spot for shipping.…
During the Jeffersonian Era of the early 1800s; America’s new president was the Democratic Republican, Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson had already worked against former president, John Adams, by constantly campaigning against him when working under Adams in order to steer America away from a Federalist government. Once he becomes the president, Jefferson once again shows that he is incapable of holding a leadership position when he violates the U.S Constitution, as well as undermining the U.S economy; Due to this inability to properly lead, Jefferson should be impeached. Jefferson completely violated the Constitution. In 1803, Jefferson originally wanted to purchase New Orleans from France in order for the U.S to be able to freely use…
In 1803, the United States had paid France $15 million to abandon its claim to 828,00 square miles of land in the brand-new America. It was called the Louisiana purchase, but we didn’t actually buy the land. America and France both claimed the land, and we paid France $15 million to abandon its claim, leaving us as sole owners of the land.…
| -Federalists argue that the Constitution does not touch on territorial expansion at all.-The issue therefore, should not be touched onit will just stir the pot unnecessarily-If issue is dealt with, a war (standing army) will undoubtedly come about.-Since treaty is unconstitutional, territorial expansion is unconstitutional.-Acquiring land requires an army because Louisiana territory borders Spain.-If the country continues to grow, the Eastern states will not be important anymore.…
Every school child learns at an early age of the Louisiana Purchase. They learn simply of Thomas Jeffersons great real estate deal that more than doubled the size of the young United States. What they do not learn, however, is of the intense debate in congress, which nearly put the brakes on Jeffersons plan; or of the underhanded financial deals the Jefferson made while congress bickered in order to come up with the funding for the purchase; or of the decisions Jefferson made that seemingly compromised some of his strongest beliefs. It is these details that tell the real story of the Louisiana Purchase.…
American money was more valuable to Napoleon then land. Jefferson accepted his offer and payed him. The Louisiana territory cost around $15 million About three cents per acre. It doubled the size of the United states. Jefferson was willing…
Over the decades to come several events would influence the supporters and opponents of territorial expansion to impact the federal government policy. Soon after the inauguration of Thomas Jefferson, the Louisiana Purchase was made on April 30, 1803 giving a land mass the size of Alaska to the US. The price of the land was extremely low price due to the heavy debt Napoleon’s war torn France was under with Britain. The acquisition of the this land mass, was considered by the democratic republicans an extension to the empire. Federalist on the other hand felt otherwise. Federalist James Elliot argued that, “The…
Many, Jefferson himself included, even wondered if the it would be illegal to do so. Yet, while not authorized by the Constitution, President Jefferson chose to act and sent Robert R. Livingston to Paris as an ambassador of France in hopes of buying New Orleans and the rights to the Mississippi River. In his desperations for the land, Jefferson told Livingston that it was “of absolute importance, not only to control all the rivers flowing into the Gulf of Mexico but also to defend America from invasion.” The fear of France owning the territory under Napoleon’s rule was so strong that Jefferson even commented that the United States would have to “... marry ourselves to the British fleet and nation.” And so after two declined offers and stalled negotiations over the New Orleans, Jefferson decided to send Livingston some help in the form of James Monroe with the hopes of further convincing France to sell the territory.…
In 1803, Napoleon sold the Louisiana Territory to the Americans for 15 million dollars,…