To France, it was a backwater sort of like owning Mediterranean Avenue in Monopoly. The Real Reason France Sold The Louisiana Territory To The United States With war in Europe likely, the French did not have the resources to defend and maintain the Louisiana territory. [47] However by December 1803, the British directed Barings to halt future payments to France. "The district of Louisiana changed to the territory of Louisiana". The problem with Saint-Domingue was that its entire economy was supported by and depended entirely upon slavery. While the dreams of colonial domination evaporated, Napoleon turned his attention towards establishing an empire across the European continent instead. [50] Spain insisted that Louisiana comprised no more than the western bank of the Mississippi River and the cities of New Orleans and St. Today, the 31st parallel is the northern boundary of the western half of the Florida Panhandle, and the Perdido is the western boundary of Florida. A treaty, dated April 30 and signed May 2, was then worked out that gave Louisiana to the United States in exchange for $11.25 million, plus the forgiveness of $3.75 million in French debt. [citation needed], During this period, south Louisiana received an influx of French-speaking refugee planters, who were permitted to bring their slaves with them, and other refugees fleeing the large slave revolt in Saint-Domingue. Napoleon saw in the sale of Louisiana something he needed more than anything else cold, hard cash. [34] The United States Senate advised and consented to ratification of the treaty with a vote of twenty-four to seven on October 20. This made it difficult, when compared to Britain, to obtain the necessary money to wage large-scale wars. II, Sec. He stood up and then splashed back down into the water so heavily that his brothers got soaked. In this light the deal can be seen as a win-win between Napoleon and the United States. 9, no. Spain Originally governed New Orleans and the Louisiana Territory up until 1802, but then transferred ownership to France under a secret treaty. Even if the British did not seize the territory, the United States also posed a significant future threat. [8] In 1801, Jefferson supported France in its plan to take back Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti), which was then under control of Toussaint Louverture after a slave rebellion. Undercutting them, Jefferson threatened an alliance with Britain, although relations were uneasy in that direction. 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. The United States purchased the Louisiana Territory in 1803. The deal helped Jefferson win reelection in 1804 by a landslide. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25723883. The main issue for the Americans was free transit of the Mississippi out to sea. The Lewis and Clark expedition followed shortly thereafter. On the following day, October 21, 1803, the Senate authorized Jefferson to take possession of the territory and establish a temporary military government. Milestones: 1801-1829 - Office of the Historian Pamela Martin In 1803, Napoleon Bonaparte surprised U.S. negotiators with an offer to sell the Louisiana Territory for approximately 4 cents per acre. Napoleon quipped after the Louisiana treaty: Napoleon was correct in that the Jeffersonian Democrats favored closer relations with France over Spain. [60] With tensions increasing with Great Britain, in 1809 Fort Bellefontaine was converted to a U.S. military fort and was used for that purpose until 1826. 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. While this was just a rumor, he had made up his mind to sell the territory. As the Library of Congress describes, Saint-Domingue was incredibly valuable. 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. Perhaps the most important reason as to why Napoleon sold the Louisiana territory to the United States was the Haitian Revolution. The Louisiana Purchase | Thomas Jefferson's Monticello As a result, while the territory of Louisiana was technically very large, it had hardly been touched by the Europeans, with the exception of the areas along the lower Mississippi River. Your email address will not be published. The French had no active administration over the territory and there were few French settlers. In 1800, Napoleon, the First Consul of the French Republic, regained ownership of Louisiana as part of a broader effort to re-establish a French colonial empire in North America. Louisiana Purchase - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia On March 11, 1803, Napoleon began preparing to invade Great Britain. "[19] On July 4, 1803, the treaty was announced,[20] but the documents did not arrive in Washington, D.C. until July 14. [T]his little event, of France possessing herself of Louisiana, . In 1763, Louis XV gave Louisiana to his cousin, Charles III of Spain. French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte ultimately sold the Louisiana territory to the United States for four reasons: the French government needed money, an impending war with Great Britain, the fallout from the Haitian Revolution, and the difficulty in maintaining a North American colony. 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." Already at the time, American frontier settlers slowly trickled into the territory. [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. Napoleon inherently knew that the peace would not last and that France needed to prepare for impending war with Great Britain once again. When it came to profit and geopolitical importance, Napoleon was far more interested in the Caribbean. [51] The dispute was ultimately resolved by the AdamsOns Treaty of 1819, with the United States gaining most of what it had claimed in the west. Please feel free to fill out our Contact Form. By April 30, 1803, they hashed out an agreement where the Americans would pay $15 million, a considerable reduction, although its constitutionality was debated. Interested in reaching out? Though the strike never materialized, the United States made it clear it would act with the nations best interests in mindincluding if it came to war. While Napoleon originally tried to sell the territory for $22 million, the two sides eventually agreed to a sale at $15 million. [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. A watershed event in American history, the purchase of the Louisiana . a Federalist judge who wanted his commission granted. Saint-Domingue was a powder keg, ready to explode. Regardless of its legality, Smithsonian Magazine details how in order to finance the transaction, several British banks actually bought the territory and turned it over to the United States in exchange for bonds at 6% interest. Would that make the United States too powerful? Overcoming the opposition of the Federalist Party, Jefferson and Secretary of State James Madison persuaded Congress to ratify and fund the Louisiana Purchase. To recap, Napoleon ultimately sold the Louisiana territory for the following reasons: In hindsight it is easy for historians to criticize Napoleons decision. How did France obtain the Louisiana Territory? - 2023 ' Weegy: Napoleon sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States because he would have a hard time managing . Check out our timeline of the history of the United States for a great place to start and navigate through American history! 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. Why Did Thomas Jefferson Buy The Louisiana Territory? FAQ: When did the united states purchase the louisiana territory True False, Federalists believed in a strict following of the Constitution exactly as it was worded. Since 1762, Spain had owned the territory of Louisiana, which included 828,000 square miles. Napoleon 6. [33] The fledgling United States did not have $15 million in its treasury; it borrowed the sum from Great Britain, at an annual interest rate of six percent. Napoleon's goal: an American empire. A group of Northern Federalists led by Senator Timothy Pickering of Massachusetts went so far as to explore the idea of a separate northern confederacy. Required fields are marked *. 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." [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 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. 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. While Napoleon originally tried to sell the territory for $22 million, the two sides eventually agreed to a sale at $15 million. Napoleon sold the Louisiana territory to the United States in 1803 The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was a temporary solution. By the 1720s, several settlements had developed, the chief of which was the territory's capital at New Orleans. The four decades following the Louisiana Purchase was an era of court decisions removing many tribes from their lands east of the Mississippi for resettlement in the new territory, culminating in the Trail of Tears. They also feared that this would lead to Western states being formed, which would likely be Republican, and dilute the political power of New England Federalists. The Significance of the Zimmermann Telegram. Barings relayed to order to Hopes, which declined to comply, allowing the final payments to be made to France in April 1804. 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 . The island colony of Saint Domingue was the most profitable of all French colonies given its vast sugar plantations. The Louisiana territory was now worthless to him, and he immediately sought to offload the territory to the United States. Napoleon was reported to have said of Louisiana in his treasury minister's memoir, "To attempt obstinately to retain it would be folly.". Napoleon sold the territory to the United States for only three cents an acre. Monroe, along with the minister to France, Robert Livingston, made the inquiry. In the early 1800s aside from the city of New Orleans, the Louisiana territory was sparsely populated. 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. 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 [] Without the profits from Saint-Domingue, it did not make sense to try to defend the sprawling Louisiana Territory, and Napoleon was worried about the British. Acquisition of Louisiana was a long-term goal of President Thomas Jefferson, who was especially eager to gain control of the crucial Mississippi River port of New Orleans. Alain Chappet, Roger Martin, Alain Pigeard. 2) White, Eugene Nelson. Spain procrastinated until late 1802 in executing the treaty to transfer Louisiana to France, which allowed American hostility to build. He bought the Louisiana territory from France, which was being led by Napoleon Bonaparte at the time, for 15,000,000 USD (about $320,000,000 in 2020 dollars). Everybody who has taken grade-school history knows the story. When Joseph continued to object, Napoleon shouted, "You are insolent!" Napoleon wanted its revenues and productivity for France restored. In 1799, he had seized power in a coup d'tat in France and wanted to restore French glory in the Americas. . 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. Francis Scott Key. Some of those other sources included the colonies and in this instance, the Louisiana territory. Even though Europeans had ostensibly laid claim to Louisiana for centuries, it remained largely undeveloped, with few wanting to move there. This, together with the successful French demand for an indemnity of 150 million francs in 1825, severely hampered Haiti's ability to repair its economy after decades of war. In the end, Barings and Hopes acquired the $11.25 million in bonds for just $9.44 million. See Page 1. At the time French leaders were preoccupied with the French Revolution and failed to suppress the rebellion quickly enough. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million and nearly doubled the size of the U.S. The key to opening the western goal was securing the Mississippi River and the Louisiana Territory. Unit 4: QUIZ 3: THE UNITED STATES GROWS IN SIZE AND STATURE (History [45] In 2021 dollars, the $15 million purchase price is equivalent to $336.92million. The British would have likely garrisoned New Orleans and would have occupied it for a very long time because they and their ally Spain did not recognize any treaties and land deals conducted by Napoleon since 1800, especially the Louisiana Purchase. The Louisiana Purchase was a land purchase made by President Thomas Jefferson in 1803. Who was President at the time of the Whiskey Rebellion? 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. The purchase originally extended just beyond the 50th parallel. 'Sale of Louisiana') was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. As a result, Thomas Jefferson instructed James Monroe and Robert Livingston to purchase New Orleans in 1802. Louisiana Territory | The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture Spain, no longer a dominant European power, did little to develop Louisiana during the next three decades. How did the purchase of the Louisiana territory benefit the United States? According to the Library of Congress, the Louisiana Territory was mainly ignored by the French government and remained unprofitable. [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]. The territory utterly transformed the nation over the next decades, in both good and bad ways. This respite gave Napoleon breathing room in his failed attempt to recover Saint-Domingue. Through the Louisiana Purchase, the United States' territory doubled at once. 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. Du Pont was living in the United States at the time and had close ties to Jefferson as well as the prominent politicians in France. Without that, the United States' international influence would be less, as would its influence over the development of democracies. This was possible because the Louisiana territory did not only encompass Louisiana as the state that exists today. [42] Barings had a close relationship with Hope & Co. of Amsterdam, and the two banking houses worked together to facilitate and underwrite the purchase. In the year of 1803, the Louisiana purchase occurred. The remaining 60 million francs ($11.25 million) were financed through U.S. government bonds carrying 6% interest, redeemable between 1819 and 1822. 2, 1995, pp. Was the 1887 Dawes Severalty Act Successful? pp. What was the result of selling the Louisiana Territory? 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. 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. While Napoleons reasons were valid, his decision to sell the Louisiana territory certainly came as a surprise. [57], The Louisiana Territory was broken into smaller portions for administration, and the territories passed slavery laws similar to those in the southern states but incorporating provisions from the preceding French and Spanish rule (for instance, Spain had prohibited slavery of Native Americans in 1769, but some slaves of mixed African-Native American descent were still being held in St. Louis in Upper Louisiana when the U.S. took over). 1) Sloane, William M. The World Aspects of the Louisiana Purchase. The American Historical Review, vol. The first reason that Napoleon sold the Louisiana territory was that the French government was in need of money. The Louisiana Purchase was the start of the United States' incredible expansion from a group of Eastern Seaboard states on the North American continent. The Similarities And Differences Between The Lewis And Clark Expedition. The Louisiana Purchase extended United States sovereignty across the Mississippi River, nearly doubling the nominal size of the country. A U.S. It takes a certain amount of chutzpah to think you can establish a global empire, and Napoleon Bonaparte is no exception. To Napoleon's line of thinking, if the United States took control of Louisiana, then it would deny Britain the opportunity of conquering it. Who sold the Louisiana Territory to the United states? [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. Many members of the House of Representatives opposed the purchase. This was coupled with the importation of enslaved Africans. 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. [22] In 1804 Haiti declared its independence; but fearing a slave revolt at home, Jefferson and the rest of Congress refused to recognize the new republic, the second in the Western Hemisphere, and imposed a trade embargo against it. The answer fell into his lap. [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. Napoleon sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States because he A According to the University of Kentucky, slaves outnumbered free people at least 10 to 1. Why would France decide to give up such a crucial territory for only $15 million, or the bargain basement price of 3-4 cents an acre? The Constitution specifically grants the president the power to negotiate treaties (Art. Why did France sell Louisiana to the US? From March 10 to September 30, 1804, Upper Louisiana was supervised as a military district, under its first civil commandant, Amos Stoddard, who was appointed by the War Department. The territory's boundaries had not been defined in the 1762 Treaty of Fontainebleau that ceded it from France to Spain, nor in the 1801 Third Treaty of San Ildefonso ceding it back to France, nor the 1803 Louisiana Purchase agreement ceding it to the United States.[49]. Who sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States? The Louisiana Purchase was a significant event of monumental proportions in the history of the United States. Your email address will not be published. Throughout the second half of the 18th century, the French colony of Louisiana became a pawn for European political intrigue. The Kingdom of France had controlled the Louisiana territory from 1699 until it was ceded to Spain in 1762. However, Livingston was certain that the United States would accept the offer.[16]. But although the Americans never asked for it, Napoleon dangled the entire territory in front of them on April 11, 1803. Slaves were routinely terrorized in a race-based social order. The Louisiana territory would go on to play a central role in the westward expansion of the United States throughout the 19th century. sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States. The additional land helped lead to the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the various frontier wars and broken treaties with the Plains natives of the late 1800s. At the time of the Louisiana Purchase Europe was held under a temporary peace as a result of the 1802 Treaty of Amiens. [citation needed], In Saint-Domingue, Leclerc's forces took Louverture prisoner, but their expedition soon faltered in the face of fierce resistance and disease. Southern Quarterlynotes, "What is often remembered as a remarkably 'peaceful' transfer of land was in fact predicated on events of enormous violence that took place in the Caribbean.". [42] In October 1803, the U.S. Treasury had some $5.86 million in specie on hand, $2 million of which would be used to pay a portion of the debts assumed from France as part of the purchase. The resources and land from theLouisiana territory considerably helped the United States become the global power it is today. The failed suppression of the Haitian Revolution also diverted French troops from landing in the port city of New Orleans, a near crisis averted for the United States. But in early 1803, continuing war between France and Britain seemed unavoidable. Among Eurocentric circles, the Louisiana Purchase was seen as one of the greatest land deals in history.

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