However, the territory north of the 49th parallel (including the Milk River and Poplar River watersheds) was ceded to the UK in exchange for parts of the Red River Basin south of 49th parallel in the Anglo-American Convention of 1818. ", The Historic New Orleans Collection provides more nuance to the negotiations of the Louisiana Purchase. Undercutting them, Jefferson threatened an alliance with Britain, although relations were uneasy in that direction. Acquisition of Louisiana was a long-term goal of President Thomas Jefferson, who was especially eager to gain control of the crucial Mississippi River port of New Orleans. The Louisiana territory would go on to play a central role in the westward expansion of the United States throughout the 19th century. Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin added that since the power to negotiate treaties was specifically granted to the president, the only way extending the country's territory by treaty could not be a presidential power would be if it were specifically excluded by the Constitution (which it was not). [26] The Federalists also feared that the power of the Atlantic seaboard states would be threatened by the new citizens in the West, whose political and economic priorities were bound to conflict with those of the merchants and bankers of New England. Napoleon sold French Louisiana to the US in 1803 as the Louisiana Purchase. While this strategy was successful at first, by 1803, disease and heavy casualties forced the French to withdraw. He was assisted by James Monroe. The Significance of the Zimmermann Telegram. [42] In October 1803, the U.S. Treasury had some $5.86 million in specie on hand, $2 million of which would be used to pay a portion of the debts assumed from France as part of the purchase. It was even subject to a speculative bubble which ruined fortunes. The deal helped Jefferson win reelection in 1804 by a landslide. This situation would further expand and strengthen the British empireNapoleons worst-case scenario. Native Americans way of life was forever changed by the unrelenting encroachment of American settlers. The Louisiana Purchase was a land purchase made by United States president, Thomas Jefferson, in 1803. At the time of the purchase, the territory of Louisiana's non-native population was around 60,000 inhabitants, of whom half were enslaved Africans. Furthermore, the Spanish prime minister had authorized the U.S. to negotiate with the French government "the acquisition of territories which may suit their interests." Otherwise, Louisiana would be an easy prey for a potential invasion from Britain or the U.S. In 1803, the United States nearly doubled in size when it bought the Louisiana Territory in a deal that shaped history. The U.S. adapted the former Spanish facility at Fort Bellefontaine as a fur trading post near St. Louis in 1804 for business with the Sauk and Fox. The French Revolution and the Politics of Government Finance, 1770-1815. The Journal of Economic History, vol. Livingston and Monroe were only authorized to spend up to $10 million for the purchase of New Orleans and West Florida. Brown University explains that Saint-Domingue created a tax revenue base of 1 billion livres and exported up to 170 million livres into France on an annual basis. Those troops saw initial success and captured the rebellions esteemed leader, Toussaint Louverture, though ultimately they could not fully suppress the rebellion. Britain and France renewed hostilities on May 18, 1803, shortly after the deal was finalized. [53][54], The eastern boundary of the Louisiana purchase was the Mississippi River, from its source to the 31st parallel, though the source of the Mississippi was, at the time, unknown. In a letter, Thomas Jefferson wrote that France's repossession of the territory "is the embryo of a tornado which will burst on the countries on both shores of the Atlantic and involve in it's effects their highest destinies.". Manifest destiny was in full effect. On April 11, 1803, just days before Monroe's arrival, Barb-Marbois offered Livingston all of Louisiana for $15million,[13] which averages to less than three cents per acre (7/ha). Despite the implications of the Louisiana Purchase for both France and the United States, Native Americans were unquestionably the biggest losers in the arrangement. While Napoleon originally tried to sell the territory for $22 million, the two sides eventually agreed to a sale at $15 million. [8] In 1801, Jefferson supported France in its plan to take back Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti), which was then under control of Toussaint Louverture after a slave rebellion. The asking price was $125 million. The Louisiana Purchase (1803) was a land deal between the United States and France, in which the U.S. acquired approximately 827,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River for $15 million. [62] The U.S. later built or expanded forts along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, including adding to Fort Bellefontaine, and constructing Fort Armstrong (1816) and Fort Edwards (1816) in Illinois, Fort Crawford (1816) in Wisconsin, Fort Snelling (1819) in Minnesota, and Fort Atkinson (1819) in Nebraska. Today, the 31st parallel is the northern boundary of the western half of the Florida Panhandle, and the Perdido is the western boundary of Florida. The United . Was the 1887 Dawes Severalty Act Successful? The territory also was only loosely under French control having just been transferred from Spain in 1800. The first plan of government used by the United States was under the: Who was the President at the time of the Alien and Sedition Act? ' Weegy: Napoleon sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States because he would have a hard time managing . Desperate to avoid possible war with France, Jefferson sent James Monroe to Paris in 1803 to negotiate a settlement, with instructions to go to London to negotiate an alliance if the talks in Paris failed. As explained by Medium, in 1803, even before final Haitian independence, it had dawned on Napoleon that his prospects for developing an American empire were growing increasingly faint. [1][2] More recently, the total cost to the U.S. government of all subsequent treaties and financial settlements over the land has been estimated to be around 2.6 billion dollars.[1][2]. 2), which is just what Jefferson did. This was possible because the Louisiana territory did not only encompass Louisiana as the state that exists today. William Marbury. [44][42] With the bankers' help, the French and American negotiators settled on a price of 80 million francs ($15 million), down from an initial price of 100 million francs, a sum the Americans could not afford and the financers could not provide. Napoleon informed his brothers of the sale and asked for their opinion. sold Louisiana Territory to the United States Marcus Whitman missionary family in Oregon Pennsylvania had a Whiskey Rebellion tariff tax on imported goods Cabinet President's team of workers Dolley Madison saved White House treasures Zebulon Pike explored the Louisiana Territory olive branch symbol of peace Francis Scott Key Your email address will not be published. The Louisiana Purchase extended United States sovereignty across the Mississippi River, nearly doubling the nominal size of the country. Its European peoples, of ethnic French, Spanish and Mexican descent, were largely Catholic; in addition, there was a large population of enslaved Africans made up of a high proportion of recent arrivals, as Spain had continued the transatlantic slave trade. However, Livingston was certain that the United States would accept the offer.[16]. Napoleon quipped after the Louisiana treaty: Napoleon was correct in that the Jeffersonian Democrats favored closer relations with France over Spain. Why would France decide to give up such a crucial territory for only $15 million, or the bargain basement price of 3-4 cents an acre? [30], Other historians counter the above arguments regarding Jefferson's alleged hypocrisy by asserting that countries change their borders in two ways: (1) conquest, or (2) an agreement between nations, otherwise known as a treaty. Difficulty in Maintaining Louisiana Territory, timeline of the history of the United States, Understanding the Significance of the 1793 Proclamation of Neutrality, The Significance of the 1775 Olive Branch Petition, The Significance of the Corrupt Bargain Election of 1824, The Significance of the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions. When word got around that Napoleon was giving up Louisiana to the Americans, not everybody agreed. The Significance and Purpose of the Treaty of Tordesillas. Napoleon's goal: an American empire. Britain B. Spain C. RussiaD. James Monroe 5. The treaty also recognized American rights to navigate the entire Mississippi, which had become vital to the growing trade of the western territories. The former slaves fought the French forces to a standstill while yellow fever and malaria outbreaks decimated the French invaders. Who was President at the time of the Louisiana Purchase? A final reason for Napoleons fateful decision was that he foresaw the difficulty in maintaining a French colony in North America across the Atlantic and so close to the United States. Napoleon sold the territory to the United States for only three cents an acre. "[29] The sale of course was not "worthless"the U.S. actually did take possession. There was no arguing with Napoleon, who would, after all,crown himself Emperor in 1804. This made it difficult, when compared to Britain, to obtain the necessary money to wage large-scale wars. [40], To pay for the land, the American government used a mix of sovereign bonds and the assumption of French debts. Napoleon saw in the sale of Louisiana something he needed more than anything else cold, hard cash. Negotiating with French Treasury Minister Franois Barb-Marbois, the American representatives quickly agreed to purchase the entire territory of Louisiana after it was offered. Furthermore, the French had no administration over the territory and few French settlers lived on the land. "The district of Louisiana changed to the territory of Louisiana". Another concern was whether it was proper to grant citizenship to the French, Spanish, and free black people living in New Orleans, as the treaty would dictate. C. would have a hard time managing the land and needed the money for war in Europe. Even if the British did not seize the territory, the United States also posed a significant future threat. pp. To recap, Napoleon ultimately sold the Louisiana territory for the following reasons: In hindsight it is easy for historians to criticize Napoleons decision. Louisiana had never been considered one of New Spain's internal provinces. That leads to the question as to why on Earth would France sell so much land, or at least the rights to it 828,000 acres for what amounted to 4 cents an acre? This respite gave Napoleon breathing room in his failed attempt to recover Saint-Domingue. The Louisiana Territory was a vast stretch of land of over 500 million acres from the Mississippi River Delta to the present-day border between Montana and Canada. Napoleon wanted its revenues and productivity for France restored. When Monroe and Livingston were offered the opportunity to buy the entire territory, they could not help but be excited. But although the Americans never asked for it, Napoleon dangled the entire territory in front of them on April 11, 1803. I renounce Louisiana. 730 Words3 Pages. Out of anger towards Spain and the unique opportunity to sell something that was useless and not truly his yet, Napoleon decided to sell the entire territory. Napoleon foresaw the United States as a future ally that could one day match Britain in might. [citation needed]. The question of what to do with the territory brought out deep divisions along sectional lines and ultimately helped lead to the Civil War.