The Louisiana Purchase
President: Thomas Jefferson
However, in 1800, Spain and France secretly signed the Treaty of San Ildefonso, giving the Louisiana territory to France (and Napoleon Bonaparte authority over New Orleans and the Mississippi River). The treaty didn’t remain a secret for long, as rumors of the transaction circulated in Washington.
Napoleon Bonaparte as a next-door neighbor limiting American opportunity greatly concerned President Thomas Jefferson. The situation escalated in 1802 after Americans were prohibited from storing their goods in New Orleans. President Jefferson tasked U.S. Minister to France Robert Livingston and future president James Monroe with negotiating the purchase of New Orleans and land east of the Mississippi from France (or at the very least, access to the port and the Mississippi River). Its importance could not be understated, as Jefferson said, “All eyes, all hopes, are now fixed on you … for on the event of this mission depends the future destinies of this republic.”
To the surprise of the Americans, France offered to sell all of Louisiana. It was a deal they couldn’t refuse. The Louisiana Purchase was finalized in 1803. For $15 million, the United States acquired 827,000 square miles of territory, which doubled the size of our young nation.
The Louisiana Purchase
Reflection
- Why do you think it is good that the United States includes all the land between the two coasts?
- Why do you think a water passage from coast to coast would be a good thing for the USA?