Louisiana purchase and westward expansion under manifest destiny

Louisiana Purchase and Manifest Destiny

The United States has a number of defining moments or eras in history, epochs that serve as a milestone for American greatness. Two of these important moments are the Louisiana Purchase and Manifest Destiny. The Louisiana Purchase marks the beginning of America's expansion westward, the origin of the belief that the United States future is linked with its territorial expansion. It is analogous to Manifest Destiny in the belief that the United States needed to expand its borders and with expansion comes national greatness. This paper will examine the historical aspects of both events and compare and contrast them. It will argue that while the basic motivation for the Louisiana Purchase and Manifest Destiny are similar and that the Louisiana Purchase is the precursor to Manifest Destiny. The paper will explore their enduring legacy in the modern era.

Louisiana before its acquisition by the United States was a French controlled territory from 1699 to 1762, when it was briefly given to Spain after France's defeat in the Seven Years War (Nugent, 2008). Napoleon Bonaparte regained control of the territory in 1800, trying to extend his empire into North America. Any aspirations for North American expansion were dashed due to the slave revolt in Haiti and the approaching conflict with Great Britain. The United States maintained an interest in acquiring Louisiana since the early 18th century (Miller, 2008). American migrants were gradually settling in the area and Jefferson believed they could purchase territory piece by piece. The city of New Orleans was of particular interest to Americans because of it controlled the Mississippi River. It was an important trading post, a place where good where shipped to and from west of the Appalachian Mountains. The United States signed Pinckney's Treaty with Spain in 1795 giving American merchants the use of the port to house goods (Nugent, 2008). The treaty also gave Americans the right to navigate the Mississippi River, an important precursor to the growing trade in the region. Louisiana would cease being a Spanish territory when Spain and France signed the Treaty of San Ildefonso. The Jefferson administration wanted to purchase New Orleans from the French as means of ensuring America's economic interest in the region.

James Monroe and Robert Livingston traveled to Paris with the intention of purchasing New Orleans in 1802. However, due to circumstances in Haiti and mounting tensions with Great Britain, the French were prepared to sell the entire Louisiana territory for 15 million dollars, three cents per acre (Nugent, 2008). The purchase doubled the size of the nation, giving Americans new land to settle and farm. However, despite the massive gain in territory, the deal was met with controversy. Jefferson was a strict observer of the Constitution, but there was no precedent or anything explicitly stating within the Constitution that the President of the United States has the power to purchase land (Miller, 2008). There were further concerns about granting citizenship to people already living in the territory. That these foreigners are not suited to the democratic lifestyle of the United States. Jefferson believed that the purchase was necessary for the economic growth and overall betterment of the country. This belief trumped his issues about the possible unconstitutionality of the deal. This belief that territorial expansion is an important aspect of America's success continued into the mid-19th century with the prevalence of Manifest Destiny (Miller, 2008).

Manifest Destiny was a popular belief in the 19th century that Americans were ordained to settle the continent. There are three central ideas to Manifest Destiny, the first is that the American people (specifically those of European descent) were special, second it is their duty to spread the democratic ideals of America; rebuilding the world in America's image, and third, that it is literally pre-ordained by God that Americans spread their influence. The era of Manifest Destiny is commonly associated with 1812 to 1860. The United States went to war with Great Britain in 1812, one of the central causes to the War of 1812, was the American ambition to annex British Canada, rid North America of Britain, expand American territory, and end Indian raids into the Midwest. America failed to gain any significant Canadian territory but did end the Indian raids into the Midwest territory (Kennedy & Cohen, 2013). The war ended with the Treaty of Ghent in 1814, which reestablished diplomatic relations between the two countries and returned borders to their original lines before the war. The war did not quell the American desire for territories. An early proponent of this notion was John Quincy Adams. He was an integral part in the Treaty of 1818, formalizing the U.S.-Canada border and creating a joint governorship of the Oregon territory. Adams was also responsible for the purchase of Florida from Spain, by signing the Transcontinental Treaty in 1819. Finally, he was the architect of Monroe Doctrine of 1823, forbidding Europe from any further attempts of colonizing the Western Hemisphere (Kennedy & Cohen, 2013). It can be argued that Manifest Destiny and the Monroe Doctrine go hand in hand. In order to effectively enforce the Monroe Doctrine, the United States needed to expand its borders. Manifest Destiny influenced other decisions in American history. Manifest Destiny was an important factor several military conflicts such as the Mexican-American War in 1846, the annexation of Texas, and to an extent the Spanish-American War and the annexation of the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico (Howe, 2009).

The idea of American imperialism and superiority propelled America as it acquired new lands. This notion that America needed to expand its borders is what makes Manifest Destiny analogous with the Louisiana Purchase. The Louisiana Purchase marks the beginning of the United States formulating a grand future for the country. Manifest Destiny acts on this plan and moves it forward. This idea is still present today. America sees itself as the promoter and protector of democracy around the world. The United States still goes to war in order to protect freedom, establish democratic governments, and further American interests. The present day form of Manifest Destiny is more subtle, there is no longer a need to expand our borders but there is certainly a belief in American superiority and spreading the ideology of freedom and democracy. The advent of technology and media has done more to spread American ideas and culture than an army invasion. Movies, television shows, and music are the new tools to implement Manifest Destiny.