# data[].attributes.headline
1800: Napoleon Bonaparte Acquires Louisiana Territory

# data[].attributes.subject
1800: Napoleon Bonaparte Acquires Louisiana Territory

# data[].attributes.body
Through the secret Treaty of San Ildefonso, Spain returned the Louisiana Territory to France. Napoleon Bonaparte envisioned creating a new French colonial empire in North America. This transfer of power would soon prompt American concerns about French control of the strategically important Mississippi River and the port of New Orleans.

# data[].attributes.body
Spanish officials, still administering the territory for France, revoked Americans' right of deposit at New Orleans. This crisis severely impacted American farmers who relied on the Mississippi River to transport their goods. President Jefferson recognized this as a serious threat to American economic interests and western expansion.

# data[].attributes.headline
January 1803: Jefferson Sends Monroe to Paris

# data[].attributes.subject
January 1803: Jefferson Sends Monroe to Paris

# data[].attributes.body
President Jefferson appointed James Monroe as a special envoy to France, joining Robert Livingston in Paris. Their initial goal was modest: to purchase New Orleans and a small portion of the surrounding territory for up to $10 million. Little did they know that they would soon be presented with an opportunity to more than double the size of the United States.

# data[].attributes.body
Facing war with Britain and a slave rebellion in Haiti, Napoleon abandoned his dreams of a New World empire. He unexpectedly offered the entire Louisiana Territory to the United States. This moment marked a turning point in American history, presenting an unprecedented opportunity for territorial expansion.

# data[].attributes.headline
April 30, 1803: The Louisiana Purchase Treaty

# data[].attributes.subject
April 30, 1803: The Louisiana Purchase Treaty

# data[].attributes.body
American negotiators agreed to purchase the approximately 828,000 square miles of territory for $15 million (about $340 million today). This treaty effectively doubled the size of the United States and secured American control of the Mississippi River. The deal worked out to less than 3 cents per acre.

# data[].attributes.body
President Jefferson commissioned Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the newly acquired territory. Their famous expedition mapped the land, documented native peoples and new species, and helped establish American claims to the Pacific Northwest. This legendary journey opened up the American West to further exploration and settlement.