Napoleon And Napoleon In America

Jefferson was troubled by the fact of France owning the land, because it might scare people away to settle in the land. In response James Monroe was sent to France along with Robert Livingston to negotiate a trade for the New Orleans territory. Jefferson limited the cost to $10

With all of the social and economic rifts in America, Napoleon saw a perfect opportunity to capture the sugar colony of St. Domingue from their slave rebellion and establish Louisiana as a part of his American empire. After having purchased Louisiana from France in 1800, Napoleon sent his troops to St. Domingue, preparing to acquire New Orleans. New Orleans had been a major trading port for America, dealing with almost half of America’s import and exports, and Thomas Jefferson began to question his trust in France when Napoleon threatened to take it. Jefferson decided to discretely handle the matter by approaching the situation as it came rather than taking a rash action that would surely create dissonance between France and America. Thomas Jefferson knew that the American West would be put into jeopardy if France captured it as they would have the same commercial rights and privileges as they did whilst under the Spanish. Jefferson issued a warning to Napoleon and treated to side with Britain if France captured New Orleans. As Napoleon’s army weakened and his fear of American attack grew, he decided to sell Louisiana to Thomas Jefferson for a mere 15 million dollars. This made Jefferson reevaluate his strict interpretation of the Constitution as he had to create his own rules with the Elastic Clause in order to obtain the land and secure American safety. Napoleon was not American and therefore did not hold an opinion on federalism and different interpretations of the Constitution. However, he had a major impact on the politicians of the Jeffersonian Age and made people reevaluate how they viewed America. The whole transaction also made America a more powerful force who was willing to side with their long-term enemy with due cause. Napoleon challenged Federalists and Democratic-Republicans as they scrambled to save Louisiana from French rule and

The Louisiana Purchase was a land sale between France and the United States in the year of 1803. In our history it is known as one of the largest land transactions to ever occur. The United States Congress decided to pay, “approximately $15 million dollars to France for over 800,000 square miles of land”. (www.thoughtco.com/jefferson-and-the-louisiana-purchase-104983) This became Thomas Jefferson’s greatest accomplishment through his presidency. By achieving this purchase it also posed a huge problem for the president. He knew the purchase would not be easy as it brought many dilemmas for him. His strong beliefs in “strict constructionism” brought about problems with the Constitution and money issues while trying to purchase. As well as hypocritical arguments with Alexander Hamilton over their opposed views.

President Jefferson’s major personal moral dilemma was actually purchasing the territory of louisiana from the french. Jefferson was a strong Democratic-Republican. This party was founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, This party was created in opposition of the federalist party which was led by Alexander Hamilton. The Democratic-Republican party believed that a strong central national government would deplete and completely rid the rights of states. The party strongly disapproved of the national Bank Of The United States stating that the bank was taking away power that belonged to the states. Among many of the views of the Democratic-Republican the strongest belief was to strictly abided by the constitution, so when the opportunity arose to purchase the French owned territory, the constitution did not state whether the government could or could not acquire any new land

In 1803, the Louisiana territory impacted the United States of America with the acquisition of land all across North America. “Immediately after the ratification of the present Treaty by the President of the United States…the commissary of the French Republic shall remit all military posts of New Orleans and other parts of the ceded territory to…the President to take possession” (United States Web). The Louisiana territory was purchased from the French for fifteen million dollars. This was after the Spanish had sold the territory to France. Unlike the United States, France had not realized the great significance of this land and all the opportunities it could have potentially opened to their own nation. Prior to acquiring the land,

Becoming president, Thomas Jefferson had to make a decision whether to go against his moral dilemma or to stay true to it. Thomas Jefferson had just as many advantages as there were disadvantages purchasing the Louisiana Territory. When Thomas Jefferson became president he had a major problem to fix. In the early 1800s Americans discovered that Spain and France signed a treaty giving France the Louisiana Territory which would give them the port of New Orleans and the Mississippi River. The government was greatly concerned about who had control over the port of New Orleans and the Mississippi River.

The Louisiana Purchase was one of the most important parts of the United States’ Westward Expansion because it nearly doubled the size of the country. Before the purchase, Napoleon was looking to rebuild an empire in North America but a slave revolt in Saint Domingue led by Toussaint LOuverture in Saint Domingue left Napoleon deciding on whether to suppress the rebellion or establish an empire in the Americas. Napoleon ended up trying to control Saint Domingue because he thought it would be too difficult to control Louisiana with American territory blocking the way, and he rendered it useless and sold it to the United States. With the Louisiana Purchase came some controversy as the Federalists thought it was against the Constitution to acquire any territory, but Jefferson responded by saying he had the power to make treaties, and he believed he did just that. As the United States acquired Louisiana, they had an opportunity to gain more land and got closer to countries like Mexico and increased their border length with Canada.

At this time France was in war and needed to pour more money into his country, so Napoleon offered the entire territory and at a very low price. Jefferson could not pass up the opportunity. It was a substantial piece of land and it gave them the perfect path to transfer the people’s products to market. Jefferson was unsure if purchasing the land was unconstitutional. Nowhere in the Constitution does it give the power to buy land from a foreign country. This was troublesome for Jefferson. He purchased because he needed New Orleans port for the people of the frontier to transfer their products down the Mississippi

P2 The Louisiana Purchase was about the U.S buying a large piece of land from France. But before the purchase many things happened. In 1802 Spanish officials at new orleans said Americans could no longer deposit, or unload and store, their goods at New Orleans before shipping them out to other countries. French leader Napoleon Bonaparte needed money so decided to make a decision. Napoleon decided to sell to the Americans. The French accepted a bid of 15 million for

Jefferson's plans for the nation were dependent upon westward expansion for educated American farmers. He wanted access to international markets to create the ideal society of agriculturist. His enduring vision was altered and crushed, however, when France repossessed control of Louisiana in 1801. The ambitious Napoleon Bonaparte, who had risen to power during the French Revolution, threatened to block American access to the New Orleans port on the Mississippi River. This port played a crucial key in the American business. New American settlements west of the Appalachian Mountains were dependent on the Mississippi River to transport their goods. The then president, Thomas Jefferson understood that blocking access to New Orleans was a grave threat to the interests of Americans. So what did Jefferson do? Well when the vast territory presented itself, he knew he could not pass it up. Jefferson always stated his strong belief that the federal government powers should be followed strictly. In fact, Article IV of the Constitution states that new states could be added, but made no provisions for the taking of foreign territories ("Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase"). Being a strict constructionist, he strongly felt that any powers not specifically given to the federal government were reserved for the interest of individual sovereign states. Jefferson followed the Constitution 'religiously' and when he purchased Louisiana it challenged his whole belief on it. He previously argued with Alexander Hamilton about the Presidential Powers as presented (The Moral Dilemma). Needless to say, he was caught in the act and people took notice. Many of those in the Federalist Party believed that if anyone else were to do the same thing he would have objectified on Constitutional grounds. Some New England Federalists even began to talk of secession since their political

This put President Jefferson on edge because many of the people were worried. Slavery was still allowed in the U.S but was outlawed in France. The people feared that Napoleon would free all the slaves in the Louisiana territory, which could influence other slaves in the U.S to rebel. His people felt helpless and Jefferson knew that he had to do something to console them. Jefferson felt the best thing to do would be to try to purchase New Orleans from Napoleon. He was hesitant at first to make the offer with Napoleon because he didn’t want to break the law by doing something he didn’t have the power to do. He was reassured by Article 1, Section 8, and Clause 18 of the U.S Constitution which states “ The Congress shall have power -- To make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by the Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.” This gave him the freedom to make independent decisions when he felt necessary. This helped finalize his decision on offering to buy New Orleans from

Eventually, Spain secretly gives the territories back to France, making Americans worry. Which during the time Napoleon has a grand design, where “Louisiana and the Floridas would provide the necessary economic and strategic support for an overseas empire centered on St. Domingue (Hispaniola), the richest of the French colonies, then in the control of rebel blacks led by Toussaint L'Ouverture” (presidentprofiles). But eventually, a war started in England, where Napoleon will be obligated to sell those territories to United States. Little before that happening Jefferson sent a warning letter to Napoleon, that if they were to instruct Napoleons design plan in New Orleans, it will interrupt trade meaning war must happen. Meanwhile at that time, Madison was working on a project to purchase New Orleans and the Floridas. Soon after, Napoleon decided that the territories Louisiana and Florida had to be sold due to the devastating outcome of the war in England, at a price of 15 million in

In 1803, the Louisiana territory impacted the United States of America with the acquisition of land all across North America. “Immediately after the ratification of the present Treaty by the President of the United States…the commissary of the French Republic shall remit all military posts of New Orleans and other parts of the ceded territory to…the President to take possession”. The Louisiana territory was purchased from the French for fifteen million dollars. This was after the Spanish had sold the territory to France. Unlike the United States, France had not realized the great significance of this land and all the opportunities it could have potentially opened to their own

After Jefferson bought Louisiana from Napoleon for fifteen million dollars, the United States was in the position of domination. The United States was slowly beginning to not only grow geographically but politically as well. However, there is an important question to be asked, Why would Napoleon give up so much for so little? As the Documentary, How the States Got Their Shapes “The answer: Haiti. When the slaves in Haiti overthrew France that, basically, took France out of the game in North America. Haiti is the crown jewel of the French Empire. It 's where all the sugar comes from. It 's where all the money comes from. The only reason you need New Orleans and all that land to the west is to provide food for Haiti.” Therefore, since Haiti no longer belonged to France, France was out of the competition. It is important to pinpoint that before the United States (the 50 states) America shared land with the Spaniard, English, and Native Americans. Thus, the Haitian Revolution gave the United States more land, and power to conquer land. Through the Haitian revolution United States was closer to be “destined to secure territory from "sea to sea," from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean” as the political cartoon American Progress, from John Gust illustrates.

Back when I was a merchant, in 1083, Britain and France were at war again. Britain tried to put a blockade, but Napoleon retaliated by using The Continental System. The Continental System is a pair of degrees that banned all trades with Britain with any part of the Continent, and would take any neutral ships, aka our American ships. Between 1803-1807, France hap taken 500 American Ships, whereas Britain had taken almost 1,000, and had forced the Americans on the ship to join the Navy Army. That was horrible because my cousin had to join.