Louisiana Purchase Analysis

Thomas Jefferson faced a moral dilemma and had to contemplate many factors when deciding whether to execute the deal for the expansion of the newly formed country by the Louisiana Purchase. These factors include the cost of buying into the Louisiana Purchase and associated debt, funding a foreign country overseen by a dictator, and differing opinions and concerns from the American people about the potential purchase.
The payment for the land that Thomas Jefferson purchased from France was an important part of his moral dilemma. Jefferson pondered whether the purchase of the Louisiana Territory was worth the risks it would bring to the people and the government or if it was too much to handle being a newly formed country that has not established

In the 1800’s the newly formed country was split into Federalists and Anti-Federalists. Federalist were those who were supportive of the growth of the government towards a stronger federal government and agreed upon the ratification of the Constitution. Anti-federalist were those who did not support the growth of the government and did not agree with the ratification of the Constitution. When talking about the indifference people felt about the purchasing of the Louisiana Territory it is said that, “Members of the Federalist Party, already a significant minority in both houses of Congress, worried that the Louisiana Purchase would further reduce their clout” (Jesse Greenspan). In other words, the Federalists were worried they would lose their already set status when it came to society and the political world. Federalists were strict believers in what is stated in the constitution and questioned the legality in purchasing the Louisiana Territory. The Federalists believed that the Louisiana Purchase would only harm the community, not help them so they were against the purchase of the land. Jefferson, when contemplating the purchase of the land, needed to take what his people felt into consideration. He polled the representatives with the treaty passing with a 24-7

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