The Louisiana Purchase and American territorial expansion in 1803

Territorial Expansion

How did the U.S. acquire the territory in question?

On the auspicious date of April 30, 1803, the United States of America bought eight hundred and twenty eight thousand square miles worth of land from the French government of Napoleon Bonaparte. Thomas Jefferson, the President of America, wanted to secure this deal.

Wars were rampaging overseas in the continent of Europe and Napoleon had intentions to safeguard what he had acquired there. The area was a vast stretch of land extending from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. Spain had ceded Louisiana to France and this did not have positive implications for the young American government. The diplomatic world was discussing the accession as early as 1802. The clauses of the Treaty of San Ildefonso were not shared and this escalated concerns, primarily in the Jefferson regime. The United States of America depended on the port of New Orleans and it was imperative to lock that in under its belt in order to protect long-term interests. The French dictator had closed the port to American usage. Napoleon needed to find a source of funding in order to support his efforts in Europe. His labors in Santo Domingo had had suffered due to his armed forces perishing at the hands of yellow fever. His initial plan had been to restrain the insurgents and send troops to New Orleans to secure Louisiana. All that changed with the emergence of yellow fever.

Thomas Jefferson appointed James Monroe and Robert Livingston to negotiate a deal for the port of New Orleans in the fiscal amount of two million dollars. The port had been closed on the orders of the Spanish King due to a violation of the Pinckney Treaty of 1795. The counteroffer was the entire port for fifty million francs which launched a series of negotiations between the two countries. Realizing the problems that existed for France across the English Channel, Napoleon decided to forego his dreams of a "rebirth of New France in the Americas."

The American government had begun to prepare to seize the port by force, but that did not influence the French ruler's decision to offer the entire French colony for sale. (Streich, 2008) Unexpectedly, the French Foreign Secretary Charles Maurice de Talleygrand, under orders from Napoleon offered the entire French colony for sale. There were various reasons for this and they included the rising population in the concerned territory and it would have been too costly and difficult for France to hold back the western territory. Napolean wanted to merge his resources so he could dedicate them to the war that was raging in Europe. Another drawback was that the French navy was not equipped to handle battle and control of lands that were so far away from the home country. (Stief, 2011)

The envoys recognized the magnificence and magnitude of such an opportunity. Jefferson had only authorized them to settle for ten million dollars at maximum. However, after negotiations for a year, an agreement was struck between the two nations in the value of fifteen million dollars. A treaty was signed on April 30, 2012 where the hundreds of thousands of miles of territory now came under the American banner. The average cost was approximately three cents per acre. (The Louisiana Purchase, 2011) Two conventions were signed in order to facilitate the transaction between representatives of the nations. One outlined the payment schedule that was tantamount to sixty million francs. The latter was meant to assume the claims of American inhabitants against the French navy for seizure of property and goods from the American ships that were busy at sea.

What were the long-term consequences of the acquisition of this particular territory?

The Louisiana Purchase symbolized the greatest real estate transaction of its time. The United States of America had been accustomed to purchasing frontiers that had commonalities in terms of mentality, education, language and culture. As it was part of America's westward expansion strategy, it was a different experience to merge the American culture with that of the newly acquired topographical terrain. This was the point where the country became more versatile and cosmopolitan. The southern region of Louisiana was a diverse blend of foreign blood with the dwellers originating from Africa, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. There were sundry differing tongues, diverse approaches towards law, government and race. (The Louisiana Purchase: A Heritage Explored, 2011) Identification of people became a problem as intercultural barriers imposed themselves and that meant a different attitude altogether. The Louisiana Purchase was a launch pad for the diversity that now defines the United States of America.

It was this very difference in mentality that led to the slavery trade. The broad minded Americans tried to change the mindset in the Southern region, yet with little success. The justification was that the slaves were needed so the white people could concentrate on the progress of society and daily matters. (Eric Foner on the role of westward expansion, 2011)