Louisiana Territory Case Study

In 1803, a significant occurrence happened. The purchase of 827,000 square miles of land for approximately 4 cents an acre or 15 million dollars was made. This purchase was unlike any other, for it would have the most importance of any other purchase made in the United States. It is referred to as the Louisiana Purchase. The land that was purchased was known as the Louisiana Territory. Also, this territory wasn’t just bought. It was exchanged, for an important reason. The Louisiana Purchase is known as one of the most significant purchases or exchanges of money in the history of the United States of America. Additionally, the Louisiana Purchase was made for many important reasons, and was influenced by certain factors. Without the help and guidance of important influential people and countries, war and conflict, and exploration and discovery, the Louisiana Purchase may not have been as important is it is today, or may not have even been made.

Within occupied south Louisiana citizens were torn in their loyalties, goals, and visions for the future. Since The city fell early and did not suffer from Battle, most citizens were not driven by fear to want in into the war. They refused to give up hope for a southern victory and thus were cautious to contribute with Union forces. It was very hard for the African-Americans to live in Louisiana at first, after the civil war it got way easier. Before the Civil War, Louisiana was a major slave state. In 1860, 47% of the population was in slavery. However Louisiana also had one of the largest free black populations in the United States.

One problem that the federalist had with the purchase was that they already had enough land and not enough people to fill in the land. Expanding would not help population and would cause people to become more spread and expanded. A famous Federalist, named Alexander Hamilton, said, “ And when we consider the present territory of the United States, and that not one-sixteenth is yet under occupation, the possibility that this new purchase will be a place of actual settlement seems unlikely”(document A). He said this because if we add this to our already big landscape, we will create an area of people spread over an area. It will provide the government to set up more states and

The Decisions made to buy the Louisiana Purchase were tough; however, in the end the Louisiana Purchase was the most important land purchase in American history. In 1803 the United States had seventeen states along with the Northwest Territory. America still had not reached its potential growth, even though the states were still growing with settlers, until after the Louisiana Purchase. The president at this time was Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson’s decision would soon be the birth of our nation, as well as be the largest land purchase in American history.

With Mexico being a forming country the government could use the money from selling the unused land. Then with the money gained, the government could improve the country. United Mexican states had already welcomed Americans into Texas. “A special effort was made to encourage American farmers to settle in the Mexican province of Texas” (Background Paragraph 3) Having so many Americans already in the province of Texas, America almost owns Texas and could buy the land due to how many Americans are already there. Plus Mexico could probably use the money to help form the

It was interesting to me to read about Thomas Jefferson’s leadership style in the CNN article and hear about it the video “The Louisiana Purchase.” One of the things in the video that really interested me was how the presidents and politicians would use their own code. I was surprised when the video mentioned how Jefferson purposely sent a letter that was not coded so that Napoleon could hear rumors of America thinking about allying with British. I did not know Thomas Jefferson had it in him to bluff like that. It all makes me wonder, though, who was reading the letters and how many people talked about it for Napoleon himself to end up hearing about the contents of the letter?

The Louisiana Purchase today, is considered one of the greatest things an acting president has ever done. However, when Jefferson did buy the territory, it was viewed by many of his fellow Republicans as Federalistic, and an act of viewing the Constitution very loosely. Many claimed that he was abandoning his political principles, which he had fought for so strongly in the past. However, amid all the claims of his betrayal of his political principles by buying the territory without consulting congress, it is clear that he didn’t abandon them, because he did it for an agrarian expansion, and because he believed that it was best for Americans. Both of these reasons are two of the main ideals of the Republican

Theme: Geography - Territorial Acquisition - Throughout The nation's history the United States has expanded through the acquisition of new territories. These acquisitions have had both positive and negative effects on the United States.

Following the staggering desolation of Gulf Coast hurricanes and levee failures, 2005, Louisiana started undertaking its infrastructure issues, which includes some very poorly maintained roads and bridges in the state. Louisiana has a backlog of more than $12 billion in needed road repairs, highway upgrades and bridge work.1 The congestion is just getting so bad in some areas that people are revolting about and it threatens the economic development of the state. Also, several communities have mega-project needs and desires that push the political candidates and leaders to plan their developmental plans accordingly.1

The Louisiana Purchase opened a window of opportunity to the Americans, as the purchase expanded the nation further west. Evidently, the purchase of this land mass created a need for new technology and transportation. Throughout the period of 1800-1853, changes in technology and transportation further developed the Northern and Northwestern states, while the Southern states continued with a similar way of life aided by advancements in technology and transportation. Advances in technology and transportation dictated the opportunities presented to Northern and Northwestern society and settlement, but preserved continuity in Southern labor systems.

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.

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.

When the Louisiana Purchase was made by Thomas Jefferson in 1802, nobody in the United States knew anything about the territory. Everyone had to know more about the huge land grant that was just purchased by the U.S. People took the challenge and went out to see the great land. Famous explorers are known for their exploration of the Louisiana Purchase. Two famous explorers are known by many, Lewis and Clark. Although, there is one explorer that is less known but explored just as much area as Lewis and Clark. Zebulon Pike started his expedition of the Louisiana Purchase shortly after Lewis and Clark.

Saint John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana was established by a group of Germans on March 31, 1807. The parish was named after Saint John the Baptist and is also called the heart of the River Parishes and the German Coast. The settling and intermingling of the French and Spanish emigrants caused the culture and demographics of the parish to diversify by creating new ethnicities such as Creoles and Acadians. St. John the Baptist Parish (St. John Parish) is the fifth smallest parish in Louisiana and one of the 19 original parishes which made up the Territory of Orleans which later became the state of Louisiana. St. John Parish is bisected by the Mississippi River which separates the parish into a northern (East St. John Parish) and southern part (West St. John Parish). The parish John is also approximately 130 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico and 30 miles north of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. St. John parish has been known as a river region due to its extraction and exportation of biotic and potential resources. The parish’s primary source of income is generated through the processing of petroleum, natural gas and sulfur. Due to the parish’s mild climate the farming (sugar cane, feed

The quote said by Tecumseh, Shawnee leader - "Sell a country! Why not sell the air, the great sea, as well as the earth? Did not the Great Spirit make them all for the use of his children?" means that it would be outrageous to own something that should belong to everyone to share. I agree with this because, over the years many wars have taken place in our country because of territorial issues among internationally. With everyone sharing the land, their would be no reason to just fight and kill one another only for a piece of land!