Napoleon's Military Alliance With France

151 Words1 Pages
Since 1762, Spain had owned the territory of Louisiana, which included 828,000 square miles. The territory made up all or part of fifteen modern U.S. states between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains. Though Napoleon Bonaparte wanted to turn New Orleans into France 's New commercial capitol, Jefferson was confident he would not be able to and persisted negotiations to purchase the land from France. In addition to making military preparations for a conflict in the Mississippi Valley, Jefferson sent James Monroe to join Robert Livingston in France to try to purchase New Orleans and West Florida for as much as $10 million. Failing that, they were to attempt to create a military alliance with England. Napoleon decided to give up his plans