Text Book Redo

Louisiana Purchase

Imagine being able to buy double the size of your house. That’s exactly what happened in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase. The Louisiana purchase was the territory sold by France to the US in 1803, comprising the western part of the Mississippi valley and including the modern state of Louisiana (Oxford Dictionary). The land purchased was 828,000 square miles, doubling the size of the United States. It is considered the greatest real estate purchase of all time and one of Thomas Jefferson’s greatest achievements as President.

French Territory

Spain claimed the territory in 1762 but later gave it to France in 1800. Napoleon Bonaparte had big plans for a sugar empire in the Americas. Napoleon Bonaparte was a French general who became emperor of the French in 1769-1821. However he realized that he could not build a sugar empire because of the war with Britain.

Buying New Oreleans

Originally Jefferson just wanted to buy New Oreleans from France. Since it was an important port and a part of the territory. Jefferson sent a representative to offer 5 million for the Port. But Napoleon Bonaparte told his representatives, X Y & Z, to offer the whole territory to Jefferson and to name their price. Jefferson offered 10 million but that was way too low. Then they offered 15 million and the French gave them the territory. They payed for less than 5 cents for each acre.

Was it Constitutional?

Technically it was not constitutional because Congress is supposed to buy land and not the President. What Jefferson did instead was sign a treaty which was called the Louisiana Purchase.