The Louisiana Purchase was a major event in America’s history. Western expansion came with many different actions, but none of them were as important as the Louisiana Purchase. The Louisiana territory was bought by President Thomas Jefferson from Napoleon Bonaparte, the French Ruler, in 1803. The purchase increased Americas land by approximately 827,000 square miles of land stretching from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains, and cost $15 million dollars, which was only about 5 cents a square mile (www.monticello.org). There were as many disadvantages as there were advantages regarding the Louisiana Purchase. An advantage of Thomas Jefferson’s purchase was that it doubled the nation’s size.
Jefferson originally had sent a request
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The Louisiana Purchase increased American opportunity, but it also raised constitutional questions, as well as political concerns. Many Americans criticized him for purchasing the Louisiana Territory. Thomas Jefferson had a difficult time contemplating the purchase of the Louisiana Territory. He believed strongly in constitutionalism, and strictly abiding by the Constitution’s guidelines that is set. According to the Constitution it gave the president no power to acquire or purchase land from another country. Alexander Hamilton believed that the Constitution was only a guideline. Previously Jefferson had argued against Hamilton’s interpretation of the Presidential powers, and in concern to the National Bank, because he said it was not included in the constitution, therefore Jefferson claimed it was unconstitutional. When Jefferson tried to change the Constitution so that he was able to Purchase the Louisiana Territory and still abide to the Constitution, it made most Americans look at him as hypocritical. He wanted to begin the western expansion but did not want to seem to be a hypocrite, or upset Americans with his decision. “But, to Jefferson, what it really indicated was a willingness to sacrifice a small point of principle for a much larger one. And with the securing of these vast new territories—territories that doubled America's size” …show more content…
Although the land only cost around 5 cents a square miles, it still had to be paid for. Jefferson agreed to pay $15 million dollars for the land, while America was still in debt. This also upset Americans because not only did they think it was unconstitutional and hypocritical, but now Jefferson had spent $15 million dollars. The purchase doubled America’s size, which also doubled administrative cost for the land. Since there was now double the land more people had to be hired to take care of the land, farm, build, and manage all of the land that had been purchased. There also needed to be people who were appointed to administer the land. With all of these cost adding up Americans began to get upset with Jefferson’s
The issue was with whether the purchase of the land was necessary and proper or if it fit in the guidelines of the tenth amendment. The President only has certain given powers and that includes executive orders, signing and vetoing legislation, war powers, and reprieves, and pardons. Although the purchase of Louisiana in 1803 seemed unconstitutional and was largely controversial with the federalist party, it was completely constitutional under the elastic clause and the implied powers that the executive branch of the federal government
Jefferson had multiple intentions in mind when he handled the land deal with France. The four main ones are: To continue looking for the supposed “Northwest Passage” through America, a river route that would slice through America and connect the two surrounding oceans, which would have allowed mass trade between Europe and India, as opposed to the normal land and/or longer sea travel To make peace with more of the Native American Tribes, as doing so would allow further expansion, trading, and less conflict. The purchase enabled more traveling along the Mississippi river because it held the large trading post Louisiana, which opened up more trade routes, expanding the flow of goods through the West To avoid conflict with France. Despite
The Louisiana Purchase doubled the country’s size at the bargain price of 2 to 3 cents for an acre. If taxes were charged, the
With the belief that it came from him they got fearful that French could take control of the Louisiana Territory. Now with bringing to happen Jefferson had to do something because that could be a big problem in the future. What Jefferson did was he had to send two of his people to France. They
Nathan Vang Professor Melvin R. Earnest History 1301 17 November 2015 Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase The $15 million dollars real estate purchase of Louisiana from the French is probably one of the greatest real estate deals in history. When Thomas Jefferson heard that Spain was giving back the Louisiana territory to the French he was worried that if the french gained control of the Mississippi River, and the ports in New Orleans the United States would no longer have access to the Gulf of Mexico, which would upset America's Plan, Therefore Thomas Jefferson ordered U.S. Minister Robert Livingston, and former governor of Virginia James Monroe to negotiate a trade with France for the Louisiana Territory. With Napoleon Bonaparte
The Louisiana purchase of 1803 acted as a turning point in the aid of furthering the development of westward expansion by nearly doubling the size of the United States. The westward expansion assisted in the establishment of jobs, land, hope, and a new beginning. President Thomas Jefferson desired to purchase New Orleans and the surrounding territory, which later took the name known as the Louisiana Territory, from the French in order to secure trading routes for the United States. He wanted to prevent any disruption in American economics that would come from disrupted trade. Jefferson, was aware of the need for action and he was concerned with the threat of disunion.
A stretch of land stretching east to west from the Mississippi river to the rocky mountains was known as the Louisiana purchase. The Gulf of Mexico and New Orlans were its southernmost points. To the North it included much of Minnesota, All the way to the Canadian border in North Dakota and Montana.. Napoleon sent a lot of land to T. Jefferson. He had sold a total of 828,000 square miles to
In the years following the Revolutionary War the United States would begin to expand, although not popular among all citizens, it helped shape the country into what we know today. The first acquisition of territory would be as a result of the Treaty of Paris with Great Britain ending the Revolutionary War. This treaty marked the boundaries between the British colonies still located in North America and ceded the thirteen American colonies to a newly recognized country known as the United States of America. This would not be the only acquisition of territory that the United States would complete between the years of 1789 and 1815 but it would be the initial acquisition of territory that would develop this newly formed nation.
The Louisiana Purchase was one of the largest land deals in history. In 1803, the United States paid approximately $15 million dollars for over 800,000 square miles of land from the French who originally owned it. This land deal was one of the greatest achievements of Thomas Jefferson 's presidency because it more than doubled the size of the United States at a time when the nation 's population growth began to quicken. Jefferson’s decision to buy the Louisiana Territory doubled the size of the U.S., and its borders went from the Atlantic Ocean merged to the Rocky Mountains, north to Canada, and south to the boundary with Spanish Florida.
The Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana purchase was one of the biggest land purchases in history. In 1803, the United States paid around $15 million dollars for around 800,000 square miles of land. This was arguably the greatest achievement of thomas jefferson’s presidency. The louisiana territory was a wild card in the european game of imperialism.
A Journey Through Time Manifest Destiny Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana purchase was a “watershed” event. This purchase nearly doubled the land mass of a new nation. We got this area from France in 1803. We purchased the Louisiana territory for 15 million dollars and increased in size by 828,000 square miles stretching from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains.
The Louisiana Purchase was the purchase of the Louisiana territory by the United States from France in 1803. The U.S. paid fifty million dollars and a cancellation of debts worth eighteen million dollars which averages to less than three cents per acre. The Louisiana territory included land from fifteen present U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. The territory contained land that forms Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska, portions of Minnesota, large portions of North Dakota; large portions of South Dakota, parts of New Mexico, the northern portion of Texas, the area of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. The Louisiana Purchase was smart move by the United States.
The United States developed politically and economically in the late 1700s and early 1800s through individuals who were passionate about the future of America. Although passionate, not all men agreed on the same ideas; this led them to split into two groups. These groups, or political parties, spent much of their time advocating for certain policies, events, or other governmental issues, such as supporting or opposing the current president. Primarily because of the difference in their leaders ' beliefs, the two- party system developed with each party built on different principles; The Federalist 's ideas often clashed with the Democratic-Republican 's. These ideas were originally set in stone and rarely wavered, but under circumstances
New Orleans being a port city, it was a good passage for trade. Despite this, a rebellion in Haiti had shifted his focus off of the territory. Now that the land held no benefit to him, and was a large mass just taking up space, he decided his best option was to sell the land and gain the money for France (“Background”). Jefferson's only concern was securing the waterway into the Gulf of Mexico. He offered a sum of two million dollars for the port city alone.
Napoleon Bonaparte has always been seen as a tyrant, but he has made many positive impacts on the world. Napoleon rose to power after the French Revolution. There, Napoleon would become a genius general and later he would appoint himself Emperor of France. Napoleon Bonaparte used his power to impact the modern world through the Napoleonic Wars, the sale of Louisiana Purchase to the United States of America, and the Napoleonic Code.