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Jefferson's Dilemma In The Louisiana Purchase

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Jefferson’s dilemma in the Louisiana Purchase

In April of 1803 Thomas Jefferson was faced with many moral dilemmas in the process of buying the Louisiana territory. Though the price for the territory was beyond generous, Jefferson felt that by purchasing the territory he would be going against his beliefs that the constitution should be followed word for word. The constitution said nothing of the president having the power to purchase land from another government, or to use money of the states for the same purpose (“the moral dilemma”). Another problem was once the land was purchased, there was a fear that it could have been a waste since they had no way to know the layout of the land, and what it would be useful for. What's more …show more content…

After the Treaty of Paris in 1763, which ended the Seven Years War between the French and the British as well as all of their allies, the French lost claim to all of their land. The English being the winners of the war claimed the majority, and what they did not seize was given to the Spanish for their support and help in the war. In 1802 France and Spain signed a secret treaty called The Treaty Of Ildefonso. Once the treaty was fulfilled, Spain gave the Louisiana territory back to France (“Background”). Napoleon had interest in Louisiana for the purpose mainly to ship supplies to the French colonies in the Caribbean islands but also as a source of food and trade. New Orleans being a port city, it was a good passage for trade. Despite this, a rebellion in Haiti had shifted his focus off of the territory. Now that the land held no benefit to him, and was a large mass just taking up space, he decided his best option was to sell the land and gain the money for France (“Background”). Jefferson's only concern was securing the waterway into the Gulf of Mexico. He offered a sum of two million dollars for the port city alone. France came back with the counter offer of the whole Louisiana territory for a little more than a nickle a square mile (“background”). This was an offer that would be very beneficial to capitalize on, yet it went against Thomas Jefferson’s beliefs in the

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When Napoleon of France realized his plan to use the Louisiana territory was unsuccessful, he made a deal with Thomas Jefferson to buy the land with only fifteen million dollars (class lecture). A deal that cannot be ignored with a land that’s only about three cents an acre, Jefferson again had to bend his belief of strict interpretation of the constitution and admitted to the Senators (class lecture, 214). Thomas Jefferson’s decision was accepted, and the senators registered their prompt approval of the transaction (214). Jefferson again deserved the B+ because he changed and adjust his belief to benefit the common good of the United States, which was doubling its size by purchasing the Louisiana Territory

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The Louisiana Purchase was the purchase of the Louisiana territory by the United States from France in 1803. The U.S. paid fifty million dollars and a cancellation of debts worth eighteen million dollars which averages to less than three cents per acre. The Louisiana territory included land from fifteen present U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. The territory contained land that forms Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska, portions of Minnesota, large portions of North Dakota; large portions of South Dakota, parts of New Mexico, the northern portion of Texas, the area of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. The Louisiana Purchase was smart move by the United States.

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Also, Jefferson completely ignored his original views when confronted with the purchase of the Louisiana Territory. The Louisiana Territory was a large mass of land acquired from France in 1803. Napoleon wanted to sell the land due to the fact that he no longer saw the possibility of a French Empire in North America, so he planned on selling it to the United States. Jefferson completely agreed to the purchase. However, many saw this as unconstitutional as the Constitution does not explicitly allow the government to purchase foreign

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In 1803, Thomas Jefferson made the most controversial purchase regrading to the constitution. The Louisiana Purchase went against everything Jefferson believed in. Jefferson faced heat from both parties whether it was to accept or that he will be a hypocrite for accepting it. With this purchase Jefferson made the best decision of his time because of all the benefits the land gave the country. Thomas Jefferson was the direct definition of an anti-federalist.

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If we were to find the unit price of how much every acre of land cost for this purchase, it would amount to four cents per acre. Which is four cents for every 43,560 square feet of land. With this land, and the amount of resources we could gain from it, we could easily repay our debt with trade after gaining an abundant amount of new resources, which is why I don’t think this argument that The Columbian Centinel made is very valid. With this land, we gain more power, and power can easily lead to money, yet with the $15 million, we wouldn’t gain as much power as we would with buying the land. In summation, the reason why I would’ve approved of the ratification of the Louisiana purchase is because America’s land would be doubled in size, many new opportunities and minerals would be discovered, and the amount of money we would have to pay compared to the amount of land was so little, which made the bargain too good of an offer to pass.

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He was a strong believer in states' rights and thought that rights not explicitly stated in the Constitution should be given to the states. However, in writing the Constitution, there was no way to predict that a deal such as the Louisiana Purchase would ever be possible. Therefore, the power to purchase land from another government, thereby expanding the size of the United States, was never explicitly given to the federal government. Although Thomas Jefferson realized what a deal the Louisiana Purchase was, he had lots of moral doubts about completing the

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Imagine bringing your family from Paris to New Orleans and expecting to reign over the majority of Louisiana. The same territory that was suppose to be France’s North American Empire. However, before you know it, the territory you expected to reign over is sold. This is exactly what happened to Pierre Clement de Laussat when Napoleon Bonaparte sold the territory to the United States. The sale was known as the Louisiana Purchase and it changed the world.

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Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase "This little event, of France's possessing herself of Louisiana, is the embryo of a tornado which will burst on the countries on both sides of the Atlantic and involve in its effects their highest destinies." [1] Although Thomas Jefferson was one of our great Presidents I would like to appoint that our country has fought for freedom and land, we all have a dark side, and in my perspective Jefferson’s was slavery. He had great ideas but he wouldn’t let go of his slaves, other countries look over to us and they covet the power we have, for more especially our freedom, as I begin to inform you over Thomas Jefferson and his great achievement I’d like to say that this country is not perfect but most countries do wish they could find ways to take over as they have before and still continue to try and come up with schemes to ruin this powerful country despite of our imperfections.

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Any additions to what was stated there in the Constitution, he believed was considered unconstitutional. “I hope to God they may, for possession of it we must have—I mean of New Orleans, and of such other positions on the Mississippi as may be necessary to secure to us forever the complete and uninterrupted navigation of that river. This I have ever been in favor of; I think it essential to the peace of the United States and to the prosperity of our Western country.” (Senate Debates on the Louisiana Purchase 2–3 November 1803 Wednesday, 2 November 1803 Samuel White) There was no constitutional power granted to Congress or the President to buy territory for the United States, yet Monroe

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My opinion on this purchase the plan for Jefferson was to try to stop the war that was happening with the French but it didn’t quite stop it that when the war of 1812 had all stated up again but it was not only to stop the war it was to stop slavery at that time which was a smart idea nobody needs to go through that kind of pain. So it his idea didn’t work as the way he want it to be. It was a good idea for him to purchase the land from the French but for him to not know what was out there when he bought it must have been frustrating for him to do. The turning point was when Lewis and Clark returned with all their information, prompting the start of Manifest Destiny and America’s movement west. The people that was involve in this purchase was Tomas Jefferson, Napoleon B, and Lewis and Clark.

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These factors include the cost of purchasing the land, not only in a the physical cost but also a mental state it place on the people of this new founded country. The fact that if Jefferson went through with the purchase of this new expansion territory he would be funding Napoleon Bonaparte, the French ruler who ruled in a dictatorial way, who needed the money to support his army as he tried to conquer England harming people in the process. Additionally, the opinions of his own people differed, all did not agree with the idea of the Louisiana Purchase, some people even believed it to be unconstitutional. Jefferson had to figure all of these factors in when he was making the decision on whether he was going to accept Napoleon ’s offer on the land within the Louisiana Territory or whether he had to much to risk within his

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This was an important mark of U.S. History because they got to keep the ports on the Mississippi River, they gained 828,000 square miles of land for just only $15 million, and the Lewis and Clark expedition which led to the westward expansion. Thomas Jefferson Purchase of Louisiana was unconstitutional and he tried to say his actions were constitutional but didn't have enough evidence to prove it was in the constitution. Louisiana was an important historical event in U.S. history, but what Thomas Jefferson did to get it questions was it for the young growing nation or an unconstitutional act done by

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