Louisiana Purchase

Louisiana Purchase

The Louisiana Purchase was done in the year 1803. In this purchase the United

States of America paid fifteen million dollars to get all the land west of the Mississippi

River and east of the Rocky Mountains. This transaction was done between Thomas

Jefferson and the great Napoleon. The benefits that the United States of America

experienced from this purchase were numerous. For one, it gave the U.S. complete

control of the Mississippi, which in tern helped many farmers with transporting

goods. Second, it more than doubled the size of the United States. With this huge

amounts of land, the government could set up more farms to feed the young but

growing nation. Despite these benefits, however, many people believe that the

Louisiana Purchase was an unconstitutional mistake, for it was not written that the

government could buy land from other nations. The question, however, still remains, was

the Louisiana Purchase a necessity for the young growing nation, or was the purchase

an unconstitutional act done by President Thomas Jefferson himself?

At the end of the French and the Indian War France had given up its claims to

lands west of the Mississippi to Spain. However, when Napoleon came to power he took

back the Louisiana lands from Spain. The news of this transaction reached the United

States government. This alarmed the president and the rest of the republicans, for

they feared the French control of the western lands. First of, it would get France to

occupy the western lands of America. France, as one may know, was a powerful and

aggressive nation, having France on America's borders created fear of invasion among

the Americans. Jefferson was also afraid that the French might limit the westward

expansion. Also, French control of the Gulf of Mexico and the mouth of the of the

Mississippi River could deprive westerners of the right to deposit at New Orleans, and

it could greatly limit their trade. "The day that France takes New Orleans," said President

Jefferson, "We must marry ourselves to the British fleet ad nation." (Curti 245). That

quote tells one that Jefferson was really concerned. It was this fact that led Jefferson to

urge the American minister to Paris, Robert R. Livingston, and James Monroe to travel

to France where they were to negotiate a deal with Napoleon. They were to offer ten

million dollars to Napoleon for New Orleans and West Florida.

When the ambassadors have arrived in Paris, they quickly began to negotiate with

Napoleon and his advisors. Napoleon then offered the American ambassadors a deal of a

lifetime--the whole Louisiana lands for only fifteen million dollars. Now why would

France want to sell all this land? For one, there was a civil war in the Island of Haiti.

There the slaves have revolted and won independence from France. Napoleon tried

hopelessly to get the Island of Haiti back under control, but it was to no avail. Without

control of Haiti the lands of Louisiana were useless to France, and thus Napoleon decided

to sell it to the Americans. Moreover, Napoleon was planning to conquer all of Europe,

this meant war with Great Britain. Since Napoleon knew that Britain would easily

gain France's overseas lands, he decided to sell them for fifteen million dollars. Robert

Livingston and James Monroe contacted Jefferson, who only wanted to get New Orleans,

for advice, and the final decision. Jefferson, seeing it as an opportunity, agreed to pay

fifteen million dollars to get all of the Louisiana lands. "This land sale, probably the

largest in history, was negotiated early in 1803." (Curti 247).