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
In 1801 Jefferson found out that France had secretly bought the Louisiana Territory from Spain. Jefferson was alarmed by this, because Napoleon Bonaparte was the French ruler at the time and was trying to conquer all of Europe, Jefferson feared he would now try and dominate power in America as well. Not to mention if Napoleon Bonaparte where to control the Louisiana Territory that would block the westward expansion of the United States. In 1802 the Spanish Governor withdrew the right of American ships to ship their goods through New Orleans, many Westerners were angered by this action. Then the Westerners demanded that Jefferson go to war with Spain and win back their right's but Jefferson thought of this as a bad idea.
north of north of the Arkansas River. He argued that would serve as crucial buffer between French Louisiana and British Canada. Many Americans opposed the Louisiana Purchase. Both houses of congress worried that the Louisiana Purchase would reduce clout. Only one federalist supported the Louisiana Purchase treaty which was passed by a vote of 24 to 7.
Without the Louisiana Purchase, many major factors contributing to the growth of the U.S. would most likely never have happened, and it would still be a small, minor country rather than a major world power. “Americans might turn their eyes southward and create states out of Cuba, Central America, or even Latin America… The Civil War may even be avoided altogether with slavery being phased out in the late 19th century”(6). Most likely, the United States would press to find land in other areas, but none of them would be as beneficial and necessary as the Louisiana Purchase. Even without it, Jefferson would “Attempt to seize New Orleans, but if the French have a secure base to send troops to Louisiana to, it could get ugly for the U.S.”(7).
I agree that Jefferson feared all southern states would be at Napoleon’s mercy if he settled in New Orleans. However, Napoleon’s intentions of the New World backfired as yellow fever, other diseases, and rebels revolting assisted in Napoleons decision to cut his losses. Furthermore, I also want to add that another reason the Louisiana Purchase came about was because Jefferson envisioned a country large enough for all descendants and felt the land of America allowed this, but Jefferson realized the nation’s current condition was too small. Therefore, he knew if he could somehow acquire rights to the land west of the Mississippi, it would provide people with enough land to prosper forever.
The United States purchased the Louisiana Territory in 1803. It had 828,000 square miles and most of the inhabitants in the region had a French, German, or Spanish background. The residents of the territory believed they would immediately be admitted to statehood and would have the same rights as those in the 1787 Northwest Ordinance, but the United States leaders thought otherwise. How did the Louisiana Purchase help the United States form a new notion about citizenship? The Louisiana Purchase helped the United States form a new notion when discussing the legality of the territory and how they would achieve statehood.
In the middle of the 18th century, Britain and France were at war against each other. Both the British and the French wished to extend their colonies in North America into the territory west of the Appalachian Mountains. Britain’s purpose of this expansion was to gain more territory and power, whereas the French were pursuing trade with the Native Americans that lived in that part of the country. After seven years of fighting, Britain had won the war, and Treaty of Paris of 1763 officially resolved the French and Indian War. Despite the immense amount of land that Britain attained in the aftermath of this war, they were in severe debt because the French and Indian War was unbearably expensive.
The Louisiana Purchase impacted the economic growth of the country in many ways. The first and most significant impact of the Louisiana Purchase was the huge acquisition of land that doubled the size of the United States at one go. The long term implications of this impact were as such. First, the large areas of forests contributed greatly to lumber industries.
The early 1620’s called upon desperate measures for the Virginians, surges of hunger so violent that it caused some to go mad and eat anything- the corpses of loved ones took a large popularity on the menu- they became despondent to grow food and stay alive, human nature beginning to take over. The Virginians had finally developed a “better” system that differed from their starvation of the time. Having had just recently committed the first few acts of slavery, Jamestown kicked off a big bang for the journey of slavery for the average dark, non-leisure men of the world. Aside from the Indians, all people in the newly discovered United States were unaware of how to grow food and prosper greatly in the new world. The fact that the Indians knew how to succeed in the new land angered all the white men, soon most of the Indian population had been killed off, and the white men were still struggling, just no longer in comparison to the Indians.
The main reason why Thomas Jefferson wanted to purchase Louisiana was because they desperately needed more land for homes and farm life and needed the New Orleans port. He needed the New Orleans port because the Mississippi River ran through New Orleans, which they could use to transport goods for all of the states. Jefferson's infamous quote is “ Anyone who owns New Orleans is a natural enemy to the American people”. Thomas Jefferson needed the port so he took action and tried to buy it. At the time the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte had possession of that land.
The French empire or the Napoleonic empire was the dominate land power of Europe. Napoleon had plans for total European domination by means of military and trade. He was close to succeeding but there was an obstacle in his way. The European empire stood in his way. They had power over the seas.
If he hadn’t purchased the Louisiana territory in our current time we probably would not have had access to the Mississippi river which was a crucial part of trade and traveling back then and now! “The Mississippi River Basin produces nearly all – 92% – of US agricultural exports, and 78% of the global exports of feed grains and soybeans.” (Keith Good, agricultural economy). The Mississippi river held the nation together in 1803 and still to this day we are still using the Mississippi river for sources of
In 1803, President Jefferson Stroke a deal with James Monroe to join Robert Livingston in assisting in the negotiations. Jefferson writes Robert Livingstone, “…we must learn at once whether we can acquire New Orleans or not.” This negotiations that President Jefferson ordered were for the purchase of New Orleans, and or part of Florida, and if that was not possible, then they would have to purchase only New Orleans, and if that was too not possible, they would try and secure the United States access to the Mississippi River and the port of New Orleans. Acquisition was apparently difficult because of the more powerful Napoleon. He was targeting to retake victory in the continent when he took power in
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.
In this transaction with France, signed on April 30, 1803, the United States purchased 828,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River for $15 million. The United States doubled its size, expanding the nation westward, which it is why this was so important. As the United States had expanded, navigation of the Mississippi River and access to the port of New Orleans had become critical to American commerce. In a Thomas Jefferson letter to Pierre Samuel du Pont, he predicted, and I quote, ”This little event, of France possessing herself of Louisiana, … is the embryo of a tornado which will burst on the countries on both shores of the Atlantic and involve in it’s effects their highest destinies. Jefferson also to wrote U.S. Minister to France Robert Livingston: "every eye in the US. is now fixed on this affair of Louisiana.
