Louisiana Purchase and France

Louisiana Purchase

One of the most important events in the history of the United States is the Louisiana Purchase, which had significant impact on the nation's geography. The shape and course of the history of the United States was changed when Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana territory. The impact of this event on the shape and history of the United States is that it almost doubled the size of the country. As a result of its impact on the size and geography of this country, the Louisiana Purchase was one of the most important land transactions in history. This event occurred in 1803 when the United States purchased a land estimated to be 828,000 square miles in the west of the Mississippi River for $15 million from France. To this extent, an understanding of America's history and development, particularly in the early years, involves examining the Louisiana Purchase and its impact on the country.

Background of the Louisiana Purchase

The Louisiana Purchase is an event whose history can be traced back to the 1760s following the presence of Spain in the Mississippi River and the likelihood of France to control this region. In 1795, a conflict regarding maneuvering or navigating Mississippi had been resolved through a treaty in which the use of the river by the United States was recognized by Spain (Monticello par, 3). This treaty also recognized the right and freedom of America to deposit goods in New Orleans for transportation to vessels that traveled on the ocean. However, Spain may have quietly reserved New Orleans for several years as the country increased her pacific dispositions despite recognizing America's right to use this place.

While Spain's presence was not provocative due to this agreement, President Thomas Jefferson's desire to gain territory from Span was threatened by the likelihood of neighboring a more potent France, which was led by Napoleon Bonaparte. After France surrendered its possessions in North America when the French-Indian War came to an end, areas in west of the Mississippi River including Louisiana and New Orleans were transferred to Spain in1762. During this period, Britain took control of French territories that were located east of the Mississippi. The election of President Napoleon as French president in 1799 generated significant challenges to this arrangement because he sought to restore the country's presence on the continent.

Napoleon's attempts to re-establish France's influence over the continent reached fever pitch when the Louisiana situation emerged. This crisis occurred in October 1802 when King Charles IV of Spain signed a decree that transferred the Louisiana territory to France and Spanish agents in New Orleans. This decision created a crisis since Spain had earlier signed a treaty with the United States to recognize America's right to use Mississippi River and New Orleans for some of its activities. King Charles IV's decision was prompted by a court order from Spain that rescinded United States' right to access or utilize the port's warehouses. Consequently, the decision generated concerns and outrage in the United States, which resulted in the Louisiana crisis. President Jefferson sought to resolve this crisis through diplomacy whereas other factions wanted the declaration of war and secession in order to be utilized in resolving the issue.

Negotiations in the Louisiana Purchase

American policymakers had for a long period of time been comfortable that the nation's westward expansion would face no challenges in the future since Spain, which controlled it, had a weak empire (Office of the Historian par, 2). These assumptions were soon challenged by Napoleon's plans to re-establish France's presence and control in the continent. To counter these efforts, President Jefferson sought to resolve the ensuing crisis through diplomacy, which in this case entailed purchasing this territory from France. Efforts to purchase this territory were not only fueled by the need to promote the United States' westward expansion and the fear of having a more powerful French controlling the New Orleans and others areas in the Mississippi River. In January 1803, President Jefferson sent James Monroe to join Livingston as minister extraordinary in Paris and negotiate for the purchase of West Florida and New Orleans for a combined total of nearly $10 million. This process entailed asking the Congress to fund an expedition across the Louisiana territory to the Pacific. If the offer to buy New Orleans and West Florida would fail, Monroe was asked to try purchasing New Orleans alone or at least make sure that America retained access to the Mississippi and the port (Monticello par, 11). If both offers failed, Monroe and Livingston were required to attempt creating a military alliance with Britain.

Upon arrival in Paris in April 1803, Monroe was informed by Livingston that a significantly different offer from President Jefferson's instructions was offered. Napoleon offered to sell Louisiana territory for $15 million and subsequently abandon his plans to reinstate French control of this region. The change in France's plans was brought by the fact that the French Army in St. Domingue was being destroyed by yellow fever while there were increase threats of war between France and Britain. As a result, France would be unable to send her troops to control the whole Mississippi Valley, which implied that selling this territory to the United States was the most suitable decision. On April 30, 1803, the United States agreed to purchase the Louisiana territory and New Orleans for $15 million (Wills par, 1).

Impact of the Louisiana Purchase

As previously mentioned, the Louisiana Purchase had significant impacts on the size, territory and history of the United States. The purchase that would currently translate to 50 cents per acre (in dollars) increased the size of the United States by 828,000 square miles. Through this purchase, the country increased by ten states and parts of three more states (Wills par, 1). The Louisiana Purchase reflected the increased measures to ensure the growth of the United States and its eventual control and rise to become the world's super power. Prior to the Louisiana Purchase, many Americans were dreaming of having a bigger country and believed that the United States would grow to become an even greater nation (Landau, p.5). Based on their dreams and beliefs, Americans wanted to see the growth of the country and hoped that it would one day stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific Coast. Even though acquiring or obtaining land was not an easy process during this period, many Americans believed in the growth and increase in the size of the country.