The Real Reason France Sold The Louisiana Territory To The United States, National Museum of American History/Wikimedia Commons, National Archives and Records Administration/Wikimedia Commons. Napoleon needed peace with Britain to take possession of Louisiana. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million and nearly doubled the size of the U.S. Even if the British did not seize the territory, the United States also posed a significant future threat. The jewel of the French overseas empire was Saint-Domingue in the Caribbean, which is today's Haiti on the large island of Hispaniola. History and Geography 807: The Industrial Nat, Social Studies American History: Reconstruction to the Present Guided Reading Workbook, Deborah Gray White, Edward L. Ayers, Jess F. de la Teja, Robert D. Schulzinger, Alan Brinkley, Albert S. Broussard, Donald A. Ritchie, James M. McPherson, Joyce Appleby, Creating America: A History of the United States. 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. According to the memoirs of Franois Barb-Marbois, in what was a prophetic statement foreshadowing the American Civil War, Napoleon said, "Perhaps it will also be objected to me, that the Americans may be found too powerful for Europe in two or three centuries: but my foresight does not embrace such remote fears. He added later, "I require money to make war on the richest nation in the world.". This was coupled with the importation of enslaved Africans. Jefferson sent Livingston to Paris in 1801[9] with the authorization to purchase New Orleans. As a result, Thomas Jefferson instructed James Monroe and Robert Livingston to purchase New Orleans in 1802. The Louisiana Purchase was a significant event of monumental proportions in the history of the United States. Pinckney's Treaty, signed with Spain on October 27, 1795, gave American merchants "right of deposit" in New Orleans, granting them use of the port to store goods for export. 2, 1995, pp. While Washington was president, the political parties that formed in the United States were the _______ Party, led by Hamilton and the _______ Party, led by Jefferson. True False. The Federalists even tried to prove the land belonged to Spain, not France, but available records proved otherwise. Spain procrastinated until late 1802 in executing the treaty to transfer Louisiana to France, which allowed American hostility to build. Besides, we may hereafter expect rivalries among the members of the Union. While this strategy was successful at first, by 1803, disease and heavy casualties forced the French to withdraw. While Napoleon originally tried to sell the territory for $22 million, the two sides eventually agreed to a sale at $15 million. To Napoleon's line of thinking, if the United States took control of Louisiana, then it would deny Britain the opportunity of conquering it. [23], After Monroe and Livingston had returned from France with news of the purchase, an official announcement of the purchase was made on July 4, 1803. President Jefferson's Secretary of State. 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). The French Revolution and the Politics of Government Finance, 1770-1815. The Journal of Economic History, vol. The answer fell into his lap. What Napoleon needed was a way to divest himself of the territory while at the same time preventing it from falling into British hands. First, the men sent to France were allowed to spend up to 10 million USD in order to buy New Orleans and, if possible, the west bank of the . 55, no. But in early 1803, continuing war between France and Britain seemed unavoidable. The Louisiana Purchase encompassed 530,000,000 acres of territory in North America that the United States purchased from France in 1803 for $15 million. Instead, the area encompasses 15 states and two Canadian provinces according to today's terms. Contents1 What country controlled the Louisiana Territory?2 Who controlled the Louisiana Territory in 1763?3 Who controlled Louisiana in 1812?4 Who controlled Louisiana in 1810?5 [] This would allow the Americans to retain clear access to the river. While 3-4 cents an acre was not a massive deal, from Napoleons perspective he received a large sum of money for land he had just received and had virtually no control over. Overcoming the opposition of the Federalist Party, Jefferson and Secretary of State James Madison persuaded Congress to ratify and fund the Louisiana Purchase. 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). 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.. Who claimed the Louisiana Territory for France? True False, Federalists believed in a strict following of the Constitution exactly as it was worded. [17] The signers were Robert Livingston, James Monroe, and Franois Barb-Marbois. [55], Because the western boundary was contested at the time of the purchase, President Jefferson immediately began to organize four missions to explore and map the new territory. The Louisiana territory would go on to play a central role in the westward expansion of the United States throughout the 19th century. How did Jefferson acquire Louisiana Territory? On April 30, 1803, representatives of the United States and Napoleonic France conclude negotiations for the Louisiana Purchase, a massive land sale that doubles the size of the young American republic. These wars, the Napoleonic Wars, lasted from 1803 to 1815 and led, as described by the New World Encyclopedia, to a brief French dominance of Europe. As for France, it never seriously established a colonial presence in the Americas again. True False, The War of 1812 was between France and the United States. Before the revolution, France had derived enormous wealth from St. Domingue at the cost of the lives and freedom of the slaves. However, the territory, like a regifted picture frame, was swapped among European powers. 'Sale of Louisiana') was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. At the time French leaders were preoccupied with the French Revolution and failed to suppress the rebellion quickly enough. Through the Louisiana Purchase, the United States' territory doubled at once. France ceded the territory to Spain in 1762 in the secret Treaty of Fontainebleau. [33][35], When Spain later objected to the United States purchasing Louisiana from France, Madison responded that America had first approached Spain about purchasing the property but had been told by Spain itself that America would have to treat with France for the territory.[36]. [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. As described by Louisiana State University, France even went so far as to send convicts from debtors' prisons to the colony in 1717 in order to increase its settlement. Jefferson had authorized Livingston only to purchase New Orleans. [37][38], Effective October 1, 1804, the purchased territory was organized into the Territory of Orleans (most of which would become the state of Louisiana) and the District of Louisiana, which was temporarily under control of the governor and judicial system of the Indiana Territory. Why Was Washingtons Farewell Address Important? The French ruler was just about to embark on a series of devastating wars. The two powers were at peace in early 1803, having signed the Treaty of Amiens in 1802, which, as explained by Britannica, ended hostilities between the two nations. The purchase doubled the size of the United States, greatly strengthened the country materially and strategically, provided a powerful impetus to . The United States was leery of Frances intentions with the territory, and the port city of New Orleans was critical to the US economy.2. William Marbury. The Louisiana Territory That Was Sold. 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. While Napoleons reasons were valid, his decision to sell the Louisiana territory certainly came as a surprise. Jefferson tasked James Monroe and Robert R. Livingston with purchasing New Orleans. Otherwise, Louisiana would be an easy prey for a potential invasion from Britain or the U.S. He also realized that with Britain's superior naval power, it would be relatively easy for them to take Louisiana at will. a Federalist judge who wanted his commission granted. Ambassador who was sent to France to negotiate the purchase of the Louisiana Territory. Native Americans way of life was forever changed by the unrelenting encroachment of American settlers. ' Weegy: Napoleon sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States because he would have a hard time managing . Alain Chappet, Roger Martin, Alain Pigeard. The vast territory was named after Louis XIV, the so-called Sun King. The remaining 60 million francs ($11.25 million) were financed through U.S. government bonds carrying 6% interest, redeemable between 1819 and 1822. How was the Louisiana Territory acquired? National Geographicpoints out that in modern dollars, the Louisiana Purchase would have cost $342 million. As detailed by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Americans believed that the acquisition and settlement of new lands to the west were critical to the future development of the country. The asking price was $125 million. Louisiana had never been considered one of New Spain's internal provinces. As tensions in Europe continued to grow, the unprofitable territory seemed to be more of a liability than asset. In the early 1800s aside from the city of New Orleans, the Louisiana territory was sparsely populated. 1803 acquisition of large region of Middle America land by the U.S. from France, Domestic opposition and constitutionality, Formal transfers and initial organization. 730 Words3 Pages. According to Slavery and Remembrance, the French imported nearly 800,000 enslaved Africans to the colony for brutal plantation work in what was one of the most violent slavery systems in the Americas. This respite gave Napoleon breathing room in his failed attempt to recover Saint-Domingue. It was the French who sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States. [46], Because Napoleon wanted to receive his money as quickly as possible, Barings and Hopes purchased the bonds for 52 million francs, agreeing to an initial 6 million franc payment upon issuance of the bonds followed by 23 monthly payments of 2 million francs each. The resources and land from theLouisiana territory considerably helped the United States become the global power it is today. U.S. ownership of the whole Louisiana Purchase region was confirmed in the Treaty of Ghent (ratified in February 1815) and guaranteed on the battlefield at the decisive Battle of New Orleans when the British sent over 10,000 of the best British Army soldiers to try to take New Orleans in a 5 month long campaign starting from September 1814 (First Battle of Fort Bowyer) to February 1815 (Second Battle of Fort Bowyer). In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million and nearly doubled the size of the U.S. This secret deal did not remain secret for long. Following French defeat in the Seven Years' War, Spain gained control of the territory west of the Mississippi, and the British received the territory to the east of the river. [24], Henry Adams and other historians have argued that Jefferson acted hypocritically with the Louisiana Purchase, because of his position as a strict constructionist regarding the Constitution since he stretched the intent of that document to justify his purchase. The Louisiana territory was now worthless to him, and he immediately sought to offload the territory to the United States. The Louisiana Purchase was the latter, a treaty. 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. However, Livingston was certain that the United States would accept the offer.[16]. President Jefferson's Secretary of the Treasury. Spain turned the territory over to France in a ceremony in New Orleans on November 30, a month before France turned it over to American officials. Louisiana Territory Changes Hands In 1796, Spain allied itself with France, leading. As quoted by Smithsonian Magazine, historian Charles A. Cerami said, "If we had not made this purchase, it would have pinched off the possibility of our becoming a continental power." Knowing that war was imminent, Napoleon sensed two opportunities by selling the Louisiana territory. Among Eurocentric circles, the Louisiana Purchase was seen as one of the greatest land deals in history. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was a temporary solution. The Louisiana Purchase extended United States sovereignty across the Mississippi River, nearly doubling the nominal size of the country. Advertisement lollol The Louisiana Territory was sold to the United States by France on December 20th, 1803, for the bargin of less than three cents per acre. "The district of Louisiana changed to the territory of Louisiana". Critics in Congress worried whether these "foreigners", unacquainted with democracy, could or should become citizens. It remained in Spanish hands until 1800, when Napoleon Bonaparte negotiated a secret treaty with Spain and took the vast holding back in exchange for tiny Etruria in Northern Italy. [64], The purchase of the Louisiana Territory led to debates over the idea of indigenous land rights that persisted into the mid 20th century. Louisiana Purchase, western half of the Mississippi River basin purchased in 1803 from France by the United States; at less than three cents per acre for 828,000 square miles (2,144,520 square km), it was the greatest land bargain in U.S. history. [citation needed], In Saint-Domingue, Leclerc's forces took Louverture prisoner, but their expedition soon faltered in the face of fierce resistance and disease. So while a slave rebellion helped drive the Louisiana Purchase, the new territory was destined to become a place of suffering and exploitation for the thousands of slaves forced to work there.. Francis Scott Key. [42] Barings had a close relationship with Hope & Co. of Amsterdam, and the two banking houses worked together to facilitate and underwrite the purchase. [57] As states organized within the territory, the status of slavery in each state became a matter of contention in Congress, as southern states wanted slavery extended to the west, and northern states just as strongly opposed new states being admitted as "slave states." PBS describes how by 1812, France had increased its army strength to 600,000 men, not to mention the thousands in the navy. explored the Louisiana Territory and points west. Napoleon sold France's Louisiana territory because he needed money to fund his wars of conquest in Europe one of the terms of the Louisiana purchase was that the U.S. had to pay the whole price up front in gold. Jefferson, as a strict constructionist, was right to be concerned about staying within the bounds of the Constitution, but felt the power of these arguments and was willing to "acquiesce with satisfaction" if the Congress approved the treaty. 3) Deutsch, Eberhard P. The Constitutional Controversy Over the Louisiana Purchase. American Bar Association Journal, vol. 22755. Washington University in St. Louis Press. On March 10, 1804, France officially transferred its claim to the Louisiana Territory to the United States. [T]his little event, of France possessing herself of Louisiana, . [24], The opposition of New England Federalists to the Louisiana Purchase was primarily economic self-interest, not any legitimate concern over constitutionality or whether France indeed owned Louisiana or was required to sell it back to Spain should it desire to dispose of the territory. As a result, Napoleon's view of Louisiana transformed from that of an outpost to that of a poker chip, ready to cash in. Adams' Vice President 4. went to France to purchase New Orleans 5. sold Louisiana to the United States 6. explored the Louisiana Territory 1. Of 176 electoral votes cast, all but 14 were in his favor. To read more on what we're all about, learn more about us here. Your email address will not be published. Francis Baring's son Alexander and Pierre Labouchre from Hopes arrived in Paris in April 1803 to assist with the negotiations. Also, Spain's refusal to cede Florida to France meant that Louisiana would be indefensible. The AdamsOns Treaty with Spain resolved the issue upon ratification in 1821. Napoleon Bonaparte used the cash to finance his war efforts, but he was finally and permanently defeated at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. [27], Spain protested the transfer on two grounds: First, France had previously promised in a note not to alienate Louisiana to a third party and second, France had not fulfilled the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso by having the King of Etruria recognized by all European powers. Napoleon dreamed and yearned for a French colonial empire to rival the British. The many court cases and tribal suits in the 1930s for historical damages flowing from the Louisiana Purchase led to the Indian Claims Commission Act (ICCA) in 1946. Though viewed as of lesser importance than the colony of Saint Domingue (Haiti), Louisiana and its crucial port city of New Orleans was to play a large role in French colonial dominance.1. Manifest destiny was in full effect. [48], A dispute soon arose between Spain and the United States regarding the extent of Louisiana. Negotiating with French Treasury Minister Franois Barb-Marbois, the American representatives quickly agreed to purchase the entire territory of Louisiana after it was offered. According to the Library of Congress, the Louisiana Territory was mainly ignored by the French government and remained unprofitable. Upon word of the Louisiana territory transfer from Spain to France, some hot-headed members of Congress proposed a preemptive strike against New Orleans. Plans were also set forth for several missions to explore and chart the territory, the most famous being the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Also, many Federalists were speculators in lands in upstate New York and New England and were hoping to sell these lands to farmers, who might go west instead, if the Louisiana Purchase went through. In 1801, Spanish Governor Don Juan Manuel de Salcedo took over from the Marquess of Casa Calvo, and restored the American right to deposit goods. Nobody really knows what post-victory plans for New Orleans and Upper Louisiana were given by the British government to Major General Sir Edward Pakenham and his second-in-command Major General Samuel Gibbs because both generals were killed in action at the Battle of New Orleans. 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? Louis. American diplomats Robert Livingston and James Monroepurchased the Louisiana Territory from the French for $15 million dollars, or four cents an acre, in 1803. The Louisiana Purchase proved popular with white Americans, who were hungry for more western lands to settle. [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]. Check out our timeline of the history of the United States for a great place to start and navigate through American history! Military expenditures accounted for nearly 60% of the overall budget, a staggering number to maintain.2. Part of his evolving strategy involved giving du Pont some information that was withheld from Livingston. The final price after the 15-year bonds were paid was $27 million, still a very good deal for the United States, and not really a bad one for Napoleon, considering the pressure he was under to dump the territory. 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 Louisiana Territory was established, as described by Smithsonian Magazine, in 1682, when the French explorer Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, arrived at the mouth of the Mississippi River, put up a cross and column, and declared to a group of puzzled Native Americans that the entire river basin belonged to France. When the United States found out that instead of Spain as their neighbor, it was to be France under Napoleon with imperial ambitions, the Americans feared that their access to the Mississippi would be cut off. Jefferson justified the purchase by rationalizing, "it is the case of a guardian, investing the money of his ward in purchasing an important adjacent territory; & saying to him when of age, I did this for your good." National Geographic also adds that it paved the way for the imperial expansion and conquest of the Native American tribes of the West. 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. Aside from the strategic reasons, the United States was the best market to sell the Louisiana Territory. 5057. While Napoleon had his reasons for the sale of the Louisiana territory, the treaty has gone down in history as one of the most impactful for the United States. 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. Without that, the United States' international influence would be less, as would its influence over the development of democracies. Napoleon brought stabilization to the regime, though direct taxes on the population made up a sky-high ~60% of all government revenues, compared to just 30% pre-revolution.2, In addition, Napoleons government maintained a large standing army to protect the nation and ward off enemies. Napoleon wanted its revenues and productivity for France restored. Perhaps the most important reason as to why Napoleon sold the Louisiana territory to the United States was the Haitian Revolution. When Napoleon rose to power he recommitted to recapture the colony of Saint Domingue (Haiti) and sent tens of thousands of troops in 1802 to crush the rebellion. The purchase included land from fifteen present U.S. states and two Canadian provinces, including the entirety of Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska; large portions of North Dakota and South Dakota; the area of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado east of the Continental Divide; the portion of Minnesota west of the Mississippi River; the northeastern section of New Mexico; northern portions of Texas; New Orleans and the portions of the present state of Louisiana west of the Mississippi River; and small portions of land within Alberta and Saskatchewan. In 1718, the French established New Orleans, and scant groups of colonists moved in. [32] The Senate quickly ratified the treaty, and the House, with equal readiness, authorized the required funding, as the Constitution specifies. The Territory of Louisiana or Louisiana Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1805, [1] until June 4, 1812, when it was renamed the Missouri Territory. But although the Americans never asked for it, Napoleon dangled the entire territory in front of them on April 11, 1803. 2), which is just what Jefferson did. Napoleon sold French Louisiana to the US in 1803 as the Louisiana Purchase. 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. There was also concern that an increase in the number of slave-holding states created out of the new territory would exacerbate divisions between North and South. This was particularly true in the area of the present-day state of Louisiana, which also contained a large number of free people of color. 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 As the Library of Congress describes, Saint-Domingue was incredibly valuable. He bought the Louisiana territory from France, which was being led by Napoleon Bonaparte at the time, for 15,000,000 USD. In the meeting, he said that Napoleon had read an account in the London press that 50,000 British troops might be sent to New Orleans. It was the first and only time that a slave revolt had seen such success, and this epochal event in San-Domingue is linked with the Louisiana Purchase.