The Louisiana Purchase

295 Words1 Page

The Louisiana Purchase

The Louisiana purchase resulted from the fear that the United States would

lose its free trade rights in the Louisiana territory. America had an agreement

with Spain for free trade rights that resulted from Pickney's treaty of 1795

which granted American farmers the right to ship cargoes without paying

tolls. Spain granted American merchants the right to transport goods from

New Orleans to Atlantic ports without paying export duties. Since trading the

Louisiana territory to France for land in Europe, Spain no longer controlled

the area there for it voided all agreements for the free trade of America in the

Louisiana area. With the fear of losing these rights weighing heavily on the

shoulders of the Americans, president Thomas Jefferson sent James Monroe

to Europe to try to persuade the British to accept a military alliance should the

Americans need help in the event of war with France over their trade rights.

He also sent American minister Robert Livingston to France, he gave

Livingston permission to spend as much as two million dollars to obtain as

much of the Louisiana territory as he could. Though Livingston was only

granted two million for this project he spent fifteen million, but he acquired

the entire Louisiana territory for that price. When he returned to report the

deal to President Jefferson, he was overjoyed at the progress that Livingston

had reported to him. The Louisiana Purchase did three things, first of all it

eliminated an European power from the continent, and it also prevented

Jefferson from having to form a military alliance with Britain. The purchase

also secured the Mississippi River for free use to transport goods to markets.

Finally the Louisiana Purchase literally doubled the size of the United States.

There was opposition to the purchase from certain individuals that said that

Open Document