Louisiana Purchase: America’s Single Largest Land Deal
The Louisiana Purchase was by far the single largest land deal in the United States, occupying the western half of the Mississippi River basin. Purchased from France in 1803 at less than three cents per acre for 828,000 square miles, it was the greatest land bargain in American history (Blumberg, 100). By doubling the size of the United States, the Louisiana Territory allowed the country to strengthen itself, materially and strategically, granting access to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico for trading (Harriss). Although the purchase had a great influence on American history as a whole, Americans and Louisianans must be aware of the impact the Louisiana Purchase had on Louisiana history, hence the name.
Tracing back to the origin of the Louisiana Purchase lies a rich and indispensable story. After the Seven Years War, Spain gained control of New Orleans, although many immigrants and Americans were settling in the territory. Driven to negotiate with the United States in fear of an imminent alliance between the United States and Britain, Spain had to ensure peace with the United States. In 1795, the Treaty of San Lorenzo, also known as Pinckney's Treaty with Spain, allowed American merchants "right of deposit" in New Orleans, in other words, allowing duty-free transport through the port of New Orleans (Wagner). In addition to duty-free transport, Pinckney’s Treaty also gave Americans the right to travel
The Louisiana Purchase formed both negative and positive impacts for President Jefferson and the expansion of the United States; dealing with both agricultural and economic reasons. On April 30th, 1803 the United states representatives paid fifteen million dollars to the French for over eight-hundred-twenty-eight-thousand square miles of their territory. This segment of land stretched from the Mississippi river to Rocky Mountains, and also from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada. Both negative views of the Louisiana purchase reflected ill on President Jefferson.
The Louisiana Purchase was a seminal event for a new nation that caused heated debates to just how constitutional this deal of land was. Due to Jefferson’s familiarity with the French during his time in France as an American envoy. Another factor that led Jefferson to purchase of this vast land, was his understanding of the potential dangers of the French military. Posted on the Mississippi River, controlling the ports, and what can enter and leave, this would make trade for the United States much more difficult. The deal was instantly popular but soon found
In April 1803, the negotiation was concluded and the entire region of Louisiana was ceded to the United States for the sum of $11,250,000 dollars (LeFeber 182). The American negotiators seized the favorable circumstances to urge the claims of American merchants on the French government for $3,750,00. This important acquisition more than doubled the territory of the United States. The great majority of the nation received the treaty with jubilation, but there were some particularly in the eastern States that disclaimed strenuously against it. They saw in the great enlargement of our territory and was nogthing more thatn a great waste, a wilderness unpeopled with any beings except wolves and wandering Indians. We are to give money of which we have too little for land of which we already have too much (LeFeber 183).
The Louisiana Purchase was a portion of land west of the mississippi. It was purchased from Napoleon (French) by the U.S. for 15 million dollars in 1803. The U.S. wanted new orleans because then The United States would have a faster route to get to the coastal states. The federalist had legitimate problems with the Purchase and expressed them openly.
The port of New Orleans was controlled by France. France eventually gave over the rights to Spain. Spain didn’t want a vast majority of new settlers coming into the land, so Spain closed New Orleans and the lower part of the Mississippi to any foreigners. Spain eventually gave the rights of navigation and exploration of the land and New Orleans Port over to the Americans. France soon gained a new leader by the name of Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon was a powerful tiny man who took over a vast majority of land in Europe. Spain gave the Louisiana territory to Napoleon, because of the gigantic size of the property.
The Louisiana Purchase was the United States purchase of the Louisiana territory in April of 1803 from the French. The French at the time were in need of money because of the war between them and the British so they decided to sell their Louisiana territory to America. The Louisiana Purchase created an issue with the people who live in the Louisiana territory. Since most of the people who live there are of a French origin, Americans and the American government were split on how citizenship status should be given and how would the Louisiana territory be added to the United States Union. For Louisiana and its inhabitants, they should be admitted into the United States on an equal footing with the original states of the Union because the United
Imagine you are the President of a rapidly expanding country. If you got offered 530 million acres of land for $15 million, would you buy it? President Thomas Jefferson and his advisers were faced with this exact decision. Thomas Jefferson, envious of France’s New Orleans, sent Monroe and Livingston to Paris with the hope of at least getting the port rights to New Orleans, if incapable of buying it with a budget of $9.3 million. When Livingston and Monroe reached Paris, they were surprised to find Napoleon and his French government not only willing to sell, but almost forcing a sale on the American ambassadors. Not only that, they wanted to sell all 830,000 square miles of the Louisiana Territory, including New Orleans. Constantly expanding and exploring, Livingston and Monroe knew America needed more room to grow. 530 Million acres worth of land would be more than sufficient for 1803 America. At 3 cents per acre, the Louisiana Purchase was a great deal as far as cost is concerned. Before they had even signed the contract sealing the deal, President Thomas Jefferson had already recruited a close friend and fellow botanist, Meriwether Lewis to explore the new Territory. Before the public even knew about the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark Expedition had set out. The Louisiana Purchase was a good idea because it provided room for rapidly-expanding America to grow and explore at an incredibly low price but also increased America’s global prowess.
The Louisiana Purchase was a “land deal” made between France and the U.S. in December of 1803, where France sold America 828,000 miles of land along the west side of the Mississippi River for 15 million dollars (approximately 4 cents per acre). People regard it as Thomas Jefferson’s greatest achievement because of how drastically it changed the United States. The purchase greatly expanded America and brought many other benefits along with it. Although it was definitely a major benefit to the United States, even Jefferson had his doubts about the purchase. But despite their many doubts, the U.S. made the decision to ratify the purchase, and because of that decision, America has changed for the better.
In the eyes of several, the Louisiana Purchase may well be recognized as one of the all-time greatest real estate deal. As Paul Leicester stated in his work of The Works of Thomas Jefferson “Jefferson at the stroke of a pen essentially doubled the territorial extent of the United States.” On April 30, 1803, U.S. representatives located in Paris approved to purchase 828,000 square miles at the very cost-efficient amount of fifteen million dollars that spread from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains, and from the Gulf of Mexico all the way north to Canada. To better realize how inexpensive the United States purchased that land for was about eighteen dollars and some change per square mile. Soon enough, the newly purchased land of western territory became six states and portions of nine present-day states. As one could imagine this great purchase did not happen without a buildup of time, and without many factors leading up to the Louisiana Purchase. Below are a couple of factors such as the Spanish control of New Orleans and Napoleon’s burning desire for the Caribbean Island of Haiti.
The Louisiana Purchase impacted the United States significantly. On April 30th of 1803, the Louisiana Purchase Treaty was signed by Robert Livingston, James Monroe, and Barbe Marbois in Paris, France. This was the territory that France sold to the United States.1 Both the agriculture and the economy got substantially boosted due to this territory. The Louisiana Purchase had an impact on the United States agriculturally, economically, and to advance imperialistic goals.
New American settlements west of the Appalachian Mountains depended on river transportation to transport their goods because overland trade was very expensive and impractical. Also, the United States wanted a tract of land on the lower Mississippi. James Monroe, the primary negotiator in Paris, was empowered to obtain New Orleans and West Florida for anywhere between two and ten million dollars. Surprisingly, however, Napoleon offered much more. The United States was given the opportunity to buy the Louisiana Territory, which stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. This one transaction doubled the physical size of the United States and cost our nation fifteen million dollars. Fifteen million dollars came out to approximately three cents an acre. Now this seems like a relatively small sum for such a massive amount of land, but it was still a gigantic price tag for the modest federal budget of the day.
The Louisiana Purchase was sold at 15 million dollars, which at today's price would be about 300 million dollars. At that price, each acre would be about fifteen cents. The land was bought by president Thomas Jefferson, so it lengthened the land of America physically. Document B explains, "The inhabitants of the ceded [Louisiana] 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 these rights, advantages and immunities of 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." This can show how the land should be incorporated into the American land so that the people, as states, can have the rights they deserve and show not enjoy these advantages. The people should not be held back for what they believe and not be told what is freedoms they shouldn't have. The land had a major effect and was immediately observed by Sacagawea, Lewis, and Clark so that they can look over the land and the characteristics about it. They would perceive the Natives what they would do with the land and how that can benefit America from expanding their land features. Document A, shows a picture of how America's land has drastically
The Louisiana Purchase was important because it expanded the United States (U.S.). This gave the U.S. access to the Mississippi River and the port city of New Orleans. This allowed access for imports and exports; the U.S. could get paid for these ports. The United States increased its size by 828,000 square miles; the purchase price for this land was $15 million dollars. The land was controlled by France;
The purchase of Louisiana was both beneficial to President Thomas Jefferson as well as detrimental in many ways. The ordeal started in October of 1802, where Joseph Harris of smithsonianmag.com states that the Spanish administrator, Juan Ventura Morales, who was administering New Orleans until the French administrator Laussat arrived, said that the terms of 1795 treaty had expired and the Americans had lost their right to store American merchandise in warehouses located in New Orleans. Another right lost to the Americans was free access to pass through the Spanish territory on the Mississippi River. The United States depended on New Orleans and the Mississippi River for trading, as Jefferson wrote “There is on the globe one single spot,
Before the “Louisiana Purchase” the territory was owned by Spain. The territory included the Mississippi River which gave Spain control over trade and ships. For a while Spain allowed The United States to use the Mississippi River to ship their goods. Although in 1798 the treaty that allowed the U.S to use the river was revoked. Spain had become more protective over the port since