Such were the words written by a newspaper contributor describing a monumental event that would impact the history of America forever: the Louisiana Purchase.
The history of the Louisiana Territory was mostly that of ownership transfers between Spain and France. It was originally claimed by Spain during the exploration of the New World. However, Spain lost the territory to French setters, who called the area New France. After the 7 Year’s War Spain regained Louisiana. During this time, the port city of New Orleans grew to become a major trade center in North America. Through Pinckney’s Treaty in 1795, the United States gained permission to use New Orleans for trade as well as navigate the Mississppi River, which was crucial to westward expansion. By the year 1800, America’s South and frontier fairly depended on the use of New Orleans for successful trade. Changes came about with The Treaty of San Idelfonso in 1800, in which Spain transferred the Louisiana Territory back to France. Napoleon, in 1801, sent troops to secure New Orleans, which sent a slight panic into the U.S.. President Jefferson already knew the need for America to secure New Orleans as its own and saw his opportunity to not only ensure American trade but also to establish his dream of an Empire of Liberty, essentially an expanding America.
Between 1801 and 1802, Jefferson dispatched Robert Livingston and James Monroe to Paris with the mission of acquiring the port of New Orleans and its environs. Instead of offering to sell New Orleans, the French offered America the entire Louisiana Territory, a tempting proposal since the price tag was a mere $5 million more than what the U.S. had been prepared to give for just New Orleans. Here we encounter the variou...
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...ark’s expedition helped chart the Louisiana Purchase and helped provide valuable information which led to the later acquisition of the Oregon Territory. In short, Lewis and Clark helped open the West.
Were it not for Jefferson’s daring purchase of the Louisiana Territory, the United States of America would have never become the most blessed and powerful nation on the face of the earth. Jefferson’s vision of an expanding America resulted in one the most influential events in American history. Lewis and Clark’s expedition played a crucial role in the opening of this new and vast western frontier. The Louisiana Purchase and the events that followed were truly monumental, although not many knew it at the time. As Fisher Ames wrote after the Louisiana Purchase, “Now by adding this unmeasured world beyond [the Mississippi], we rush like a comet into infinite space!”
Lewis and Clark were very successful people however their greatest success was only achievable with the help of Native Americans. April 1803 President Thomas Jefferson purchased uncharted territory from france. Jefferson always had liked the idea of western expansion so when he got the chance he took it. Jefferson pushed for approval to head an exploration of the Louisiana Purchase, and in 1803 it was approved. Jefferson had named Meriwether Lewis the leader and William Clark as his associate it wouldn't be until their first winter during the exploration that sacajawea would come into the picture . However Jefferson did not announce publicly that the U.S. had purchased eight hundred and sixty eight thousand square miles of land for fifteen million dollars until July .Lewis and Clark’s journey began near St.Louis, Missouri May 1804. Most days of the exploration had harsh conditions or at least one challenging obstacle to get around.For example during the exploration the hundred and forty six days spent in North Dakota, they experienced harsh temperatures below zero. This vast amount of uncharted land would become thirteen of the the states we know today. This expedition would discover a hundred and twenty two new animals, and a hundred and seventy eight plants, the expedition took eight hundred and sixty three days over a length of seven thousand six hundred and eighty nine miles, and at the cost of thirty eight thousand seven hundred and seventy two dollars and twenty five cents. Lewis and Clark’s Expedition would not have been as successful as it was without the help of George Drouillard, Sacajawea, and the Native American tribes they encountered. These Native Americans helped provide shelter, food, knowledge, and artifacts ...
The number 1 president of the U.S. Is George Washington. He was a commanding officer while the American Revolution was taking place and he is still one of the main authoritative and famous people in U.S. history. His benefaction stretches out really far out maybe even compared to others in the history of America. George was incorporated two different times in Germantown taking part in history. While the rebellion was taking place (1770s) George directed the U.S. forces in the Germantown war. The way to avoid the Yellow Fever Epidemic (1773), was that the statehouse had to move to Germantown, from Philadelphia. Inside of the Germantown homestead inhabitant Major Franks, George stayed there and encountered his council, that involved Alexander
The United States acquired the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803, thereby gaining control of the Mississippi River, and its watershed at the golf of Mexico. The U.S. government realized how important this was and its potential of becoming a great trading post. By 1812 this area called New Orleans grew as expected in size and importance. In peace it was a commercial outlet and trading center of the western United States.
This transaction would come to be known as the Louisiana Purchase and nearly doubled the size of the new nation. While George Washington and John Adams made efforts at westward expansion, Thomas Jefferson secured the Louisiana Purchase and initiated the Lewis and Clark expedition. According to Wulf, “maybe Lewis would find the huge mastodon roaming across the plains; discover profitable crops, flowers in exotic shapes and sizes, and trees that would soar even higher than those already encountered. Jefferson planned this expedition in the name of science, but it would also be the beginning of a distinctly American glorification of the wilderness” (Wulf, 157). The Lewis and Clark expedition and the Louisiana Purchase had such a significant impact on America’s identity.
The Louisiana Purchase stands as an iconic event today that nearly doubled the size of America, ultimately introducing the United States as a world power. In 1762, during the Seven Years’ War, France ceded its control of the Louisiana Territory to Spain (Britannica). However, when Napoleon Bonaparte assumed control of France in 1799, France rallied as a world power once more. Bonaparte’s interest in the Louisiana Territory spiked, and he pressured Spain’s king, Charles IV to relinquish his control of the land on October 1, 1800. This was known as the Treaty of San Ildefonso (Britannica). In view of the transfer between France and Spain, president Thomas Jefferson sent Robert R. Livingston to Paris in 1801. Jefferson became worried, because
It also allowed for continued easy trade through New Orleans, which was a major motivation to make the Purchase (History). However, it did have its negative consequences, namely that, while France may have sold the land, many Native Americans still considered it their home, and for Jefferson’s plan to fill the land with farmers to succeed, they would have to be removed, additionally much of the wildlife on this frontier suffered. Though this probably would have happened even if Jefferson did not make the purchase, his action did speed up the
The Louisiana Purchase came as a surprise that neither Thomas Jefferson nor anyone else had ever dreamed of. It began with Thomas Jefferson sending two men, James Monroe and Robert R. Livingston, to Paris to negotiate the acquisition of New Orleans with the government of the feared Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon had roused fears once France acquired Louisiana from the Spanish. Concerned with French intentions, Thomas Jefferson took immediate action and sent his two men to negotiate. The negotiation didn’t go as intended at all. We asked to buy New Orleans, but Napoleon offered the entire Louisiana Territory. Apparently, Napoleon had little use for Louisiana. He also couldn’t spare any troops to defend the enormous amount of territory. Napoleon needed funds more than anything, so he could support his military ventures in Europe. This led to the exhilarating time of April, 1803 when Napoleon offered to sell Louisiana to the United States.
...ective." Louisiana History 53.2 (2012): 133-167. America: History and Life with Full Text. 9 Apr. 2014. Web.
... a few years to complete discovered various plants, animals, and Native American Tribes that were undisturbed and forgot about before that time. This purchased benefited both sides in the form of money to the French and land going to the United States to continue the growth of their respective countries. Many great things come from the Louisiana Purchase such as the California Gold Rush in the 19th century. It also led to a split in the nation between the north (free states) and the south (slave states) in the form of which of the new states would be free or slave. These different views eventually led to a civil war, but if it wasn’t for the Louisiana purchase, no economical or geographical growth would have occurred. If it wasn’t for the Louisiana Purchase led by Thomas Jefferson, the United States may only still be the 13 colonies we had at first in my opinion
The Louisiana Purchase was the most important event of President Thomas Jefferson's first Administration. In this transaction, the United States bought 827,987 square miles of land from France for about $15 million. This vast area lay between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian Border. The purchase of this land greatly increased the economic resources of the United States, and cemented the union of the Middle West and the East. Eventually all or parts of 15 states were formed out of the region. When Jefferson became president in March 1801, the Mississippi River formed the western boundary of the United States. The Florida's lay the south, and the Louisiana Territory to the west. Spain owned both these territories.
The changes will be no less profound for European Americans. President Jefferson's orders were far-reaching. While Lewis and Clark did not discover a Northwest Passage or start the western fur trade or overland immigration, they certainly influenced the latter two movements. They provided valuable information about the topography, the biological sciences, the ecology, and ethnic and linguistic studies of the American Indian. The mysteries of the vast area known as the Louisiana Purchase quickly disappeared after Lewis and Clark.
There wasn’t much issue surrounding the purchase of the Louisiana Territory. A war wasn’t even required to acquire the land as document 5 explains. The major problem was that the Federalist Party argued that the Louisiana Purchase was a worthless dessert, and the constitution did not provide for the acquisition of new land or negotiating treaties without the consent of the Senate (Document 5).
Wachal, Barbara Schwarz. "Louisiana Purchase." Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 5. New York: Charles Scribner 's Sons, 2003. 162-163. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 13 Nov.
In 1803 the United States would make the largest and possibly most controversial land purchases in American history, the Louisiana Purchase. During the years leading up to this event the United States was still trying to solidify a national identity. There were two subjects that were causing for division of the new national identity, one being westward expansion. The Northern states and Federalists opposed the idea of westward expansion while the Southern States and the Jeffersonians backed this purchase. Although there was a struggle for a single national identity and this controversial purchase did not aid in finding that single identity, it was still the right decision for the United States. By purchasing this land from the French the United States would not share a colonial boundary with the French who were continuing to gain power under Napoleon. Purchasing the Louisiana Territory would prove to be beneficial for the United States for more reason than one.
President Jefferson was instrumental in the Louisiana Purchase, which secured an area extending from Canada to the Gulf and the Mississippi to the Rockies, for fifteen million dollars. This purchase also led to the planning and organization of the Lewis and Clark expedition. However, the argument over whether or not Florida was included in the Louisiana Purchase caused many sarcastic attacks on Thomas Jefferson from members of congress.