More handpicked essays just for you.
The louisiana purchase summary and importance
Louisiana purchase history paragraphs
The louisiana purchase cons
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
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 …show more content…
Jefferson recognized that the purchase would be “beyond constitutional,” (Jefferson) but his desire to expand America undermined his “legal scruples” (book). The Republicans and Thomas Jefferson supported the acquisition, because it was favorable to the “immediate interests of” the “western citizens” (book). The also believed it would create a more safe and peaceful environment, in a way that would separate French and American authorities. The federalists on the other hand, disagreed with the treaty for various reasons. They were worried that westward expansion would increase wages on the Atlantic coast by “reducing and lowering the value of real estate in their region” (book). The federalists knew that the states to that would be created from the new land would be settled by Jeffersonian Republicans, ultimately establishing a stronger Republican foothold in the country. Despite the feuds between the two groups, the Senate ratified the treaty with a vote of twenty-six to six, and on December 20, 1803, America took possession of the Louisiana
Did Thomas Jefferson give up his deeply held political values in order to purchase the Louisiana Territory from the French (P. 2)? This is the major question that has led to much debate within the early history of America (P. 1). Some historians argue that Thomas Jefferson did, in fact, throw away his commitment to states’ rights and constructionism by the large purchase of Louisiana for the U.S. (P.1). On the other hand, some believe that President Jefferson supported his political beliefs, the fortification of the republican government, with the Louisiana Purchase (P. 1).
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.
Thomas Jefferson had two options, to follow the constitution and what states has to say or to buy the Louisiana Purchase from France, and this was a dilemma. Not going through the states to get approval was a flaw saw by the people who were strong believers of the constitution. Though he himself was a strong believer in the constitution he chose to go ahead and buy the Louisiana Purchase. He knew he had to take this opportunity, for he wanted westward expansion. With that good of a mindset, Jefferson knew we would of course gain land, open up waterways, and help us grow as a country. He thought of things to benefit the U.S as a whole. He was not taking advantage of his power, nor was this was nothing as a selfish or conceited act. But was this the best for the U.S you may ask? Both Jefferson and I, think this will only benefit us.
The Louisiana Purchase 1803 and the Proclamation Line of 1763 were documents that changed the course of the United States. The Proclamation Line was one of the several attempts to keep the peace between Native Americans and white settlers. The intention of the imaginary line was to reduce conflict between the two cultures living in the border zone. Louisiana Purchase was done to ensure western expansion and to kept the United States of America from pursuing a war with France.
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 culture of Louisiana is not one general set of customs and beliefs shared by all those who live in the area. Louisiana is a state in which many different elements are mixed together to create what can be described as Southern Louisianan culture. The two most predominant elements which make up the culture within the southern region of the state are the cultures of the Creoles and the Cajuns, which have many different influences within them. A complex blend of many different elements including religion, language, music, and food, create the unique culture of the Cajuns and the Creoles in the region of Southern Louisiana.
result of this purchase, the U.S. population was able to expand and increase. The Federalist favored the sale of large land parcels to wealthy speculators instead of small parcel sales to farmers and contributed to the inflation of land values. Federalists were in control so they could determine anything that they wanted as far as the land goes. Thomas Jefferson was aloud to spend 10 million dollars on the Louisiana Purchase. However, he spent 15 million dollars putting the US in a 5 million dollar debt. “In a government which is founded by the people, who possess exclusively th...
As for the pros, the Louisiana Purchase would be an amazing asset to the United States. As President, all Jefferson wanted to do was anything that revolved around the benefit of the nation and the people. The most obvious advantage of the United States acquiring the Louisiana territory would the doubling in size of the country. The United States could easily double its size just by gaining one territory. Jefferson would be a fool no to take that deal. This would create dominance for the United States. Anyone would want to double the size of his or her country for a cheap price. This would make the United States become a force to be reckoned with. They would become a “top dog” within the
Jefferson was the founder of the Democratic-Republic Party and believed in an agrarian society with strong local governments (i.e. a weak central government). He thought that the states should yield most of the power so that the citizens could control what happens to them (i.e. citizens wouldn’t have to follow the potential dictatorship of the central government). Soon enough, Jefferson’s Democratic-Republican policies clashed with the Federalist policies of Alexander Hamilton, who believed in an urban-based society and a strong central government. In addition, Jefferson was a believer in a strict interpretation of the Constitution. When he decided to buy the Louisiana Territory from France, however, he had to compromise his beliefs—the Constitution didn’t have a provision for the purchase of land. Therefore, the first major question that arouse from the purchase of the Louisiana Territory was whether or not the purchase was constitutional.
The said territory was purchased by United States of America from France as it was claimed by the French that the particular territory belongs to them. It was controlled by the French from the end of 17th century till the mid of 18th century. This purchase was considered one of the significant transaction by the U.S. and French because a vast land of several territorial areas of America such as Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Lowa, Nebraska and a few more like these were given to the control of United States of America (Parish,
Thomas Jefferson envisioned a country of Agrarian Republicanism, this being a country of composed of small independent family farms, making use of the abundant and fertile land at their feet. Agrarian Republicanism worked for the United States, for a while at least until the limit of available land and the ending of slavery brought it down.
The Louisiana Purchase wasn’t openly publicized until July 3, just days before Meriwether Lewis left Washington, D.C., for Pittsburgh to start shopping for resources and hiring men for the excursion. For Lewis, the acquisition changed what could have been a semi-covert mission via foreign territory right into a formidable survey of the American-owned land.
The authorization of the Louisiana Purchase Treaty would involve more than a years worth of negotiating, fund raising to finance the purchase, and the transferring of documents that would complete the deal. Speculation of the signed treaty preceded the arrival of James Monroe and Robert Livingston, as they notified officials of the treaty on July 4, 1803 in Washington, D.C. However, Jefferson did not receive the official documents from his diplomats until July fourteenth. During this time, there was minimal opposition from the people of the United States as many had begun to understand how crucial the Louisiana territory was to the success of the commerce system of the United States of America. On the contrary, the Spanish greatly opposed the purchase, declaring that the French did not have a clear title of the territory and had promised never to sell it. Luckily, the Spanish objection was not supported by the French and Napoleon Bonaparte was still in agreement with the Louisiana Purchase Treaty. Napoleon was, however, becoming restless and threatened to void the treaty. Before Napoleon’s impatience got the best of him, Jefferson and the American government had plenty of time, the ratification date was not expected for several years, to get the purchase treaty ratified and to negotiate boundaries with Spain and Great Britain, but now they had until the end of October
Sometimes, when people do you a favor, you don’t always appreciate it at the time, but later on, you thank them for it. Jefferson was one such person, and, while he did not always have such a loose interpretation of the Constitution as he did when he bought the Louisiana purchase, he was justified in purchasing it due to his power to make treaties with the agreement of ⅔ of Congress. This made him justified due to the fact that it decreased conflict and decreased tension in general between the United States and France. Not only this, but it was also a formally concluded upon and ratified agreement between the United States and France, which, definitionally, would make the Louisiana Purchase a treaty.
With the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the United States obtained roughly 828,000,000 square miles of region from Germany, in this manner multiplying the span of the youthful republic. What was known as Louisiana Territory extended from the Mississippi River in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west and from the Gulf of Mexico in the south to the Canadian fringe in the north. Part or all of 15 states were in the long run made from the area bargain, which is viewed as a standout amongst the most imperative accomplishments of Thomas Jefferson's administration.