In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase was an enormous land sale that took place from France to the United States. It was President Thomas Jefferson’s most important act and legacy. The Louisiana Purchase allowed the French to acquire large areas of land. This acquisition also gave the United States much more southern and midwestern land. Thomas Jefferson said that “every eye” in America is now focused on the Louisiana matter. The Revolutionary War, perhaps more, has created a more uncomfortable sensation through the nation’s body than any other” (Louisiana Purchase n.d.). The historic deal allowed for forward expansion of America’s economy and exploration.
After the French-Indian Wars of 1802, when the United States defeated France, the Louisiana Purchase took place. France signed land over to Britain and Spain after its defeat. Spain received New Orleans as its capital city. This was used by the United States to store export goods. It was mainly because the Mississippi River cut travel time. Spain acknowledged this and permitted the United States access to this port through the Pinckney Treaty. Spain had been struggling to establish its foothold in New World. Spain therefore considered the possibility of transferring its territory from Spain to France. France’s control over Louisiana could lead to massive economic sanctions. France and the United Kingdom were both superpowers. However, France’s leader caused most of the turmoil in the newly-formed United States. Napoleon Bonaparte, who was elected to power 1799, had the ambitious goal of making France great yet again. Bonaparte’s military skills and the desire for France to rise from the ashes and debts incurred through the colonial wars, all dealings with France will be futile. The United States was also at risk of another war because of the French territory it had gained. Bonaparte wasn’t the only war mongrel who made it difficult to reach a deal for the Louisiana Territory. The Federalist Party was also not willing to follow diplomatic procedures. They wanted to seize the territory and declare war. These events prompted Jefferson to urgently negotiate with France in order to end the troubles of a nation.
Due to the complicated and difficult circumstances, Thomas Jefferson made the purchase of Louisiana territory his legacy. Thomas Jefferson was faced with two opposing forces: the Federalist party wanted to seize and destroy the country’s infrastructure and Thomas Jefferson, one of the most brilliant military minds of late 18th century, wanted to regain the territory. With the nomination of James Monroe to the position of Minister Extraordinary, Jefferson’s plan for gaining the territory was put into practice in January 1803. Monroe was a close friend who also wanted to secure the territory. Jefferson stated that Monroe was a close friend and political ally. “All eyes and hopes are now focused on you… because on the event this mission depends on the future fates of this republic.” (Louisiana Purchase). Monroe was given the task of negotiating the sale. Three options were available to Monroe: The first was to buy land east of Mississippi, Florida or Louisiana. Both of these transactions could fail. He was required to negotiate New Orleans’ use as a point for trade. The purchase was limited to ten million dollars.
Monroe would have been blown away by Paris’ arrival, and it would not be necessary to send troops for the two countries. Napoleon’s plan to reestablish France’s superpower in New World was rapidly falling apart. With recent failures to quell an uprising at Saint Domingue that resulted in all French forces being lost to sickness, France was unable to send troops to defend Louisiana. Napoleon’s minister for finance had also under-evaluated Louisiana’s worth and told Napoleon that it was not worth the effort to protect without Saint Domingue. Monroe arrived in Paris knowing that France was ready to hand over Louisiana to America. Negotiations took place that resulted in the sale of all Louisiana territory. France agreed that the territory would be sold for fifteen million dollars by April 30th.
Monroe arrived in Louisiana immediately after the sale. However, the news was not as fast as Monroe expected. It was nevertheless received with the same amazement as Monroe. The sale was not announced in America until July 4th. With the acquisition of new territory, Jefferson’s cabinet had much to discuss about the boundaries of the new land. They were to be consistent with France’s northern territory and Spain’s southern territory. His cabinet was split over whether to amend and approve the Constitution or allow the purchase without US legislation. As Jefferson felt that an unapproved amendment to the Constitution would create an uprising in addition to a negative view of the purchase, tensions rose again. The problem was that the United States didn’t have the entire amount promised to Napoleon. They would need to borrow money at two of Europe’s biggest banks. With no time left to amend the agreement, Jefferson accepted the purchase. The issue was then sent to Congress for approval. It was approved by a 24-7 vote. Jefferson was still unsure about the constitution of the deal. As he stated, “… stretched and cracked the constitution.” (Greenspan (2013)). This deal would go down in history as one of the most significant real estate transactions. It was also a remarkable stroke of good fortune for the United States that it avoided conflict so soon after becoming independent.
The United States was forever transformed by the Louisiana Purchase. It allowed the United States to grow forward, as well as other national events like Manifest Destiny (the Civil War) and the Civil War. Thomas Jefferson left a legacy that allowed the nation to develop and become its own power. The United States no longer had tariffs to Spain to use New Orleans. It allowed land to flourish that quickly elevated the United States to a global power. This deal enabled people to reach the west and begin the United States’s growth. It also kept alive the dream of self preservation and freedom to pursue one’s goals.
