Annexation Of Louisiana Essay

522 Words3 Pages

The Senators were quite happy about the purchase, land hungry they supported the idea of moving West. The people appeared to be the same, and Jefferson curiosity finally got the best of him as he sent Lewis and Clark into the West to discover the unknown. After the purchase, I think that a majority of the people felt more secure and found themselves liking the idea of expanding. Was it inevitable though? No, I do not think so. Although the government, Jefferson, and the people were excited to move on, I think that it wasn't till Lewis and Clark came back that Americans truly considered the possibility of a bigger America. But before that, like Jefferson, the people didn't know what was out there, they were curious. They had to take small steps …show more content…

Often referred to as the greatest real estate deal in history, at least for the Americans, Jefferson purchased 828,000 square miles for $15 million. Historian Henry Adams wrote: “The annexation of Louisiana was an event so portentous as to defy measurement; it gave a new face to politics, and ranked in historical importance next to the Declaration of Independence and the adoption of the Constitution – events of which it was the logical outcome; but as a matter of diplomacy it was unparalleled, because it cost almost nothing.” (LehrmanInstitute.org) All of a sudden, Americans had oodles of unsettled land to be explored, expanded into and exploited for profit (this was the American perspective at the time. The fact that the Native Americans were “settled” there is too big a topic to be intermingled here). Obtaining the Louisiana Territory literally changed the face of America, not only from a geographic standpoint, but also from a political standpoint. Far-seeing politicians at the time would have noted that eventually all that land would have to be settled, divided and governed. It has been written that “Westerners, grateful to the president and Congress for having safeguarded their interests, developed a deeper loyalty to the government in Washington.” (WhiteHouseHistory.org). I suspect that