How Did The Louisiana Purchase Form A New Notion About Citizenship?

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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. At first the leaders thought the Louisianians were “children” because they were uneducated and did not understand the republican …show more content…

“They are thus to serve an apprenticeship to liberty...practice of independence” (116). Using the word apprenticeship refers to the whole population being like children starting to grow up and learn. They would learn the ways of the other Americans and be able to enjoy the same things as them as they matured. Evidence #4 (Excerpt from speech by Congressman Samuel Lantham Mitchill). “But if they chose to remain… protected in the enjoyment of their liberty, property, and the religion to which they profess” (115). Even if they were not a citizen of the United States they were still able to have these rights of protection. As Mitchill had stated, they could not make them stay, but if they wanted to they could not kick them out of the territory with no place to go. Evidence #8 (May 29, 1804). “Settlers are by no means pleased with the government which Congress has prescribed for them” (122). The people have not liked what the leaders have set up for them and instead they want a Military government. Also many people are restless and have very unsettling tone toward the leaders. This makes the leaders from the United States come up with the Louisiana Governance Act, along with the second governance