1803-The Louisiana Purchase

by Katarina S.  

The Louisiana Purchase!!!

Louisiana was a huge territory that ranged from Canada down to Texas over to the Mississippi River. Louisiana was once France's land, but after the French and Indian War France gave Louisiana to Spain.In the 1800's the French ruler convinced Spain to give Louisiana back to them. The reason why France wanted Louisiana back though, was because Napoleon Bonaparte (the French ruler) had plans to settle a thousand French farmers there. The farmers would raise food for slaves who worked in France's sugar plantations. Although Louisiana was France's land, the American farmers were still complaining. If France put the French farmers in Louisiana the American farmers would have no way of getting their crops to market.

               As a result of the complaints, Thomas Jefferson sent James Monroe to France with an offer to buy New Orleans. When James Monroe got there Napoleon Bonaparte had changed his plans and no longer needed Louisiana. Also, France Britain were at the edge of going to war. Napoleon thought he might lose Louisiana as a result of the war. It made sense just to sell Louisiana to the United States. So, on April 30, 1803, Monroe sighned a treaty giving Louisiana to the U.S. in exchange for fifteen million dollars.

               There was a HUGE impact on the U.S. as a result of the Louisiana Purchase. Some people thought it was the best land deal ever made, and others thought it would be impossible to govern such a large country. Some people thought that it cost way too much, and that we were paying them money that we don't have enough of. Opponents accused Jefferson of "Tearing the Constitution to tatters." Jefferson was worried by the argument that the purchase was unconstitutional. Though people argued, he still believed that it was a better stretch for the Constitution than to lose a historical opportunity.   

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Purchase

http://www.napoleonicsociety.com/images/LouisianaPurchase.jpg

http://www.frenchcreoles.com/LouisianaPurchaseMap.jpg