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LOUISIANA PURCHASE: BACKGROUND

Beginning in the 17th century, France explored the Mississippi River valley and established scattered settlements in the region. By the middle of the 18th century, France controlled more of the present-day United States than any other European power: from New Orleans northeast to the Great Lakes and northwest to modern-day Montana. In 1762, during the French and Indian War(1754-63), France ceded French Louisiana west of the Mississippi River to Spain and in 1763 transferred nearly all of its remaining North American holdings to Great Britain. Spain, no longer a dominant European power, did little to develop Louisiana during the next three decades. In 1796, Spain allied itself with France, leading Britain to use its powerful navy to cut off Spain from America.

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The purchase of land had a very significant value for the United States in 1803. Three cent an acre. No doubt the Louisiana purchase was something to mention in Jefferson’s presidency. It benefited the Union with double the land size and not to be sniffed at a significantly price. But Jefferson’s original idea was not to purchase the Louisiana territory. It was to explore the west part of the country from the Mississippi River to the west. “For example, just after the revolution, Jefferson had heard that some British capitalists were putting up a large sum of money to explore the country from the Mississippi River to California” (2006). This initiative, motivated Jefferson to write a note to George Rogers Clark, who had won the Northwest for the Unites States, Jefferson wrote “Some of us have been talking here in a feeble way of making the attempt to search that country” (2006). Clark wrote back to Jefferson saying that such a big adventure could take years and Clark at the moment, could not take the risk of such adventure.

During the French and Indian war, France had given up all its territory in North America (1763). “But Napoleon had plans to re-establish the French empire in North America” (2017). Jefferson knew that Spain had agreed to return Louisiana territory to France, and the relationship between the French and Jefferson was good, Jefferson also knew that the real economic status of France was not good at all. President Jefferson used these tactics to complete one of the greatest or the biggest deal in the history of the Unites States territory.

A change that influenced the idea of purchasing Louisiana came alone with the proclamation by Spanish administrator at New Orleans 1802 that the right of deposit at the port of New Orleans was to be suspended, this is was guaranteed in the Pinckney Treaty of 1795. “Without that permission, the lower Mississippi would be closed to America shippers a situation not tolerated” (2017). The lower Mississippi: Hudson, the Delaware, the Potomac, and the navigable rives of the Atlantic states. This caused that the westerners were upset, and clamored for a solution. Jefferson knew perfectly that action must be taken. Jefferson was in dilemma the president did not want an alliance with Great Britain neither a war with France.

In early 1803, Jefferson designate James Monroe “Governor of Virginia 1799-1802” as a special envoy to France. Monroe and the Minister Robert Livingston in representation of Jefferson in France would try to buy land east of the Mississippi River or in New Orleans itself, or, if all else failed, to secured U.S access to the river. Jefferson accredited Monroe and Livingston to negotiate up to $ 10 million for the purchase of New Orleans and part of the Floridas. “If France refused, Monroe was instructed to try to purchase New Orleans alone, or, at the very last secure U.S. access to Mississippi River and the port” (2009). Finally, if “Monroe and Livingston could not work out satisfactory arrangement, they were to cross the English Channel and begin discussions with the British” (2009). When Monroe and Livingston arrived in Paris was that surprise that Napoleon’s primer ministry, Barbe Marbois, had already approached to Livingston to ask what Jefferson would pay for the entire Louisiana territory. Livingston and Monroe himself, could not believe the importance of the Louisiana purchase. France would offer the whole Louisiana territory- more the 827,000 square miles of territory for only - $15 million. Negotiations moved quickly, Monroe and Livingston signed the Louisiana Purchase Treaty on April 30, 1803. They “agreed to pay $ 11,250,000 and assume claims of American citizens against France in the amount of $3,750,000” (2003).  “Though rumors of the purchase preceded notification from Monroe and Livingston, their message reached Washington in time for an official announcement on July 4, 1803” (2006).

As the leader of the Republicans, Jefferson had always “presented himself as a strict constructionist of the construction” (2006). The constitution played a dangerous role in the acquisition, especially with the president. Jefferson always saw that the power of a national government was always potential dangerous. With this in mind Jefferson had two big problems with the acquisition. “He did not believe that the president had the right to increase the national domain by a treaty of purchase- a real estate deal.”(2006) A second, and major problem was: that the United States was to incorporate the residents of Louisiana into the Union and later they would become states. Jefferson speculated if the president had the power to bring into the nation new groups of people who were part of a different community.

President Jefferson admitted that these actions must require amendments to the constitution. By the time Jefferson called the Congress into session, “Jefferson told Madison (I infer that the less we say about constructional difficulties respecting Louisiana the better, and that what is necessary for surmounting them must be done)” (2006). Several Federalists argued that there was no constitutional permission for the Louisiana purchase, and it did not require the addition of a new amendment.

The United States acquired the whole of Mississippi River and the western tributes, about 800,000 square miles of territory, “rich areas of farmland, and fantastic natural resources” (2017). The cost for the Louisiana territory was about 3 cents an acre. For the Unites States the acquisition of the Louisiana territory was significant, because with this purchase, the United States now had the full control of both the Mississippi River and the Port of New Orleans, and the middle of the country, now belonged entirely to the Unites States. In fact, 15 States were formed from this great portion of land. “On April 30, 1812, exactly 9 years after the Louisiana Purchases agreement was made, the first state to be carved from the territory-Louisiana-was admitted into the Union as the 18th U.S. state” (2009).

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Janson Chris. (2017). Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase. Bill of Rights Institute, http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/educate/educator-resources/lessons-plans/presidents-constitution/louisiana-purchase/.

Wilson Gaye. (2003). Louisiana Purchase. Monticello Newsletter,14 (Spring 2003).

(2006). Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Territory. The White House Hisotrical Association.

https://www.whitehousehistory.org/teacher-resources/thomas-jefferson-and-the-louisiana-       territory

(2009). Louisiana Purchase. History. http://www.history.com/topics/louisiana-purchase