who sold the louisiana territory to the united states

The Louisiana Purchase had major consequences for the United States. Critics in Congress worried whether these "foreigners", unacquainted with democracy, could or should become citizens. The Louisiana territory would go on to play a central role in the westward expansion of the United States throughout the 19th century. The first plan of government used by the United States was under the: Who was the President at the time of the Alien and Sedition Act? William Marbury. 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. 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. The Lewis and Clark expedition followed shortly thereafter. 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. Jefferson tasked James Monroe and Robert R. Livingston with purchasing New Orleans. Who sold the massive Louisiana Territory to the United States? While Napoleon originally tried to sell the territory for $22 million, the two sides eventually agreed to a sale at $15 million. Spain procrastinated until late 1802 in executing the treaty to transfer Louisiana to France, which allowed American hostility to build. According to the Library of Congress, Napoleon did not have enough troops to occupy Louisiana while simultaneously subduing Saint-Domingue. As discussed in the Journal of Economic History, France had a historically bad reputation for credit and finance due to the upheavals of the French Revolution. Cantonment Belle Fontaine 8051826 The First U.S. Fort West of the Mississippi River. Answer and Explanation: Napoleon inherently knew that the peace would not last and that France needed to prepare for impending war with Great Britain once again. Required fields are marked *. This would allow the Americans to retain clear access to the river. [56] The maps and journals of the explorers helped to define the boundaries during the negotiations leading to the AdamsOns Treaty, which set the western boundary as follows: north up the Sabine River from the Gulf of Mexico to its intersection with the 32nd parallel, due north to the Red River, up the Red River to the 100th meridian, north to the Arkansas River, up the Arkansas River to its headwaters, due north to the 42nd parallel and due west to its previous boundary. 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.. Earlier in 1803, Francis Baring and Company of London had become the U.S. government's official banking agent in London following the failure of Bird, Savage & Bird. When Monroe and Livingston were offered the opportunity to buy the entire territory, they could not help but be excited. True False. [4] New Orleans was already important for shipping agricultural goods to and from the areas of the United States west of the Appalachian Mountains. 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. [42] Barings had a close relationship with Hope & Co. of Amsterdam, and the two banking houses worked together to facilitate and underwrite the purchase. This created an unstable situation at the western border which could draw his young country into the Napoleonic Wars. As the United States spread across the Appalachians, the Mississippi River became an increasingly important conduit for the produce of America's West (which at that time referred to the . The U.S. claimed that Louisiana included the entire western portion of the Mississippi River drainage basin to the crest of the Rocky Mountains and land extending to the Rio Grande and West Florida. Ultimately, the French need for more money was a significant factor in Napoleons decision to sell Louisiana. Louisiana had never been considered one of New Spain's internal provinces. 4 and 7. successful French demand for an indemnity, Indian Territory Indian Reserve and Louisiana Purchase, Foreign affairs of the Jefferson administration, Territorial evolution of the United States, Territories of the United States on stamps, "The True Cost of the Louisiana Purchase", "Congressional series of United States public documents", "Milestones: 18011829 Office of the Historian", "3 Of The Most Lucrative Land Deals In History", "Primary Documents of American History: Louisiana Purchase", "America's Louisiana Purchase: Noble Bargain, Difficult Journey", "The Louisiana Purchase: Jefferson's constitutional gamble", National Archives and Records Administration, "Aspecten van de Geschiedenis van Hope & Co en van Gelieerde Ondernemingen", "Convention Between the United States of America and the French Republic (Article III)", "Statutes & Constitution :Constitution: Online Sunshine", "Slave Freedom Suits before Dred Scott: The Case of Marie Jean Scypion's Descendants", Case and Controversies in U.S. History, Page 42, Territorial expansion of the United States, Acquisition of the Northern Mariana Islands (1986), A Summary View of the Rights of British America, Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms, Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, 1777 draft and 1786 passage, Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, Plan for Establishing Uniformity in the Coinage, Weights, and Measures of the United States, Proposals for concerted operation among the powers at war with the Pyratical states of Barbary, Jefferson manuscript collection at the Massachusetts Historical Society, Member, Virginia Committee of Correspondence, Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression, Thomas Jefferson Star for Foreign Service, Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Louisiana Purchase Exposition gold dollar, Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence, Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787, Constitution drafting and ratification timeline, Co-author, George Washington's Farewell Address, 1789 Virginia's 5th congressional district election, James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation, James Madison Freedom of Information Award, James Monroe Law Office, Museum, and Memorial Library, The Capture of the Hessians at Trenton, December 26, 1776, United States Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Jefferson Memorial Committee of Five pediment, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Louisiana_Purchase&oldid=1137551974, States and territories established in 1803, States and territories disestablished in 1804, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from February 2015, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2021, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2022, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Gleijeses, Piero. [42], Although the War of the Third Coalition, which brought France into a war with the United Kingdom, began before the purchase was completed, the British government initially allowed the deal to proceed as it was better for the neutral Americans to own the territory than the hostile French. 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). With war in Europe likely, the French did not have the resources to defend and maintain the Louisiana territory. Washington set a precedent by serving ______ terms as President. What was one reason the napoleon sold the Louisiana territory to the united states 2 See answers Advertisement JaxonA One reason Napoleon sold it because he needed the money. [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. The House called for a vote to deny the request for the purchase, but it failed by two votes, 5957. To read more on what we're all about, learn more about us here. While the United States kept Napoleon at arms length and enacted the Embargo Act of 1807 against both Britain and France, the issue of British impressment led directly to the important War of 1812, thereby indirectly helping Napoleons cause by diverting British resources from Europe. [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 tensions in Europe continued to grow, the unprofitable territory seemed to be more of a liability than asset. In 1803, the United States nearly doubled in size when it bought the Louisiana Territory in a deal that shaped history. 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. [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. At the time French leaders were preoccupied with the French Revolution and failed to suppress the rebellion quickly enough. The treaty also recognized American rights to navigate the entire Mississippi, which had become vital to the growing trade of the western territories. 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. Though Jefferson urged moderation, Federalists sought to use this against Jefferson and called for hostilities against France. 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. History in Charts is a website dedicated to writing about historical topics and diving deeper into the data behind different events, time periods, places, and people. Louisiana under Spanish control fared little better. "Napoleon, Jefferson, and the Louisiana Purchase. As part of the deal, the U.S. assumed responsibility for 20 million francs ($3.75 million) of French debts owed to U.S. citizens. True False, The War of 1812 was between France and the United States. . How did Jefferson acquire Louisiana Territory? Of 176 electoral votes cast, all but 14 were in his favor. [12], Although the foreign minister Talleyrand opposed the plan, on April 10, 1803, Napoleon told the Treasury Minister Franois Barb-Marbois that he was considering selling the entire Louisiana Territory to the United States. The Louisiana Purchase was a significant event of monumental proportions in the history of the United States. This respite gave Napoleon breathing room in his failed attempt to recover Saint-Domingue. The Northerners were not enthusiastic about Western farmers gaining another outlet for their crops that did not require the use of New England ports. Britain and France renewed hostilities on May 18, 1803, shortly after the deal was finalized. The Significance and Purpose of the Treaty of Tordesillas. The first Europeans to reach. Thomas Jefferson 4. Spain Originally governed New Orleans and the Louisiana Territory up until 1802, but then transferred ownership to France under a secret treaty. The AdamsOns Treaty with Spain resolved the issue upon ratification in 1821. The Constitution specifically grants the president the power to negotiate treaties (Art. The territory also was only loosely under French control having just been transferred from Spain in 1800. How many amendments make up the Bill of Rights? 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. The Significance of the Zimmermann Telegram. True False, Federalists believed in a strict following of the Constitution exactly as it was worded. How was the Louisiana Territory acquired? The Louisiana purchase doubled the size of America. Without that, the United States' international influence would be less, as would its influence over the development of democracies. Napoleon dreamed and yearned for a French colonial empire to rival the British. In 1763, Louis XV gave Louisiana to his cousin, Charles III of Spain. He engaged in back-channel diplomacy with Napoleon on Jefferson's behalf during a visit to France and originated the idea of the much larger Louisiana Purchase as a way to defuse potential conflict between the United States and Napoleon over North America.[11]. As the lands were being gradually settled by American migrants, many Americans, including Jefferson, assumed that the territory would be acquired "piece by piece." All four started from the Mississippi River. Because of this favored position, the U.S. asked Barings to handle the transaction. 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. 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. Many members of the House of Representatives opposed the purchase. Ambitions ruined, the French forces admitted defeat and returned home. "[19] On July 4, 1803, the treaty was announced,[20] but the documents did not arrive in Washington, D.C. until July 14. The territory utterly transformed the nation over the next decades, in both good and bad ways. If Napoleon's designs had succeeded, perhaps his decision to abandon Louisiana would be looked at in history as a bit more shrewd than it seemed at first blush. ", The Historic New Orleans Collection provides more nuance to the negotiations of the Louisiana Purchase. 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. The purchase originally extended just beyond the 50th parallel. 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. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million and nearly doubled the size of the U.S. He bought the Louisiana territory from France, which was being led by Napoleon Bonaparte at the time, for 15,000,000 USD. [3] The western borders of the purchase were later settled by the 1819 AdamsOns Treaty with Spain, while the northern borders of the purchase were adjusted by the Treaty of 1818 with Britain. 1, 1967, pp. Vente de la Louisiane Expansion of the United States 1803-1804 Modern map of the United States overlapped with territory bought in the Louisiana Purchase (in white) History History Established July 4, 1803 Disestablished October 1, 1804 Preceded by Succeeded by Louisiana (New France) District of Louisiana Territory of Orleans Today part of I renounce Louisiana. [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. In order to lessen the strain of direct taxes on the populace, the French government simply needed more money from other sources. Despite the implications of the Louisiana Purchase for both France and the United States, Native Americans were unquestionably the biggest losers in the arrangement. 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. Acquiring the territory doubled the size of the United States. France turned over New Orleans, the historic colonial capital, on December 20, 1803, at the Cabildo, with a flag-raising ceremony in the Plaza de Armas, now Jackson Square. The Haitian Revolution began in 1791 and lasted for over a decade. As it turns out, France, or more accurately its ruler Napoleon Bonaparte, had some good reasons for doing it. In January 1802, France sent General Charles Leclerc on an expedition to Saint-Domingue to reassert French control over a colony that had become essentially autonomous under Louverture. As a result, Thomas Jefferson instructed James Monroe and Robert Livingston to purchase New Orleans in 1802. Napoleon reported told his Minister of Finance Barbe-Marbois in reference to the Louisiana territory: Second, selling the Louisiana territory to the United States could strengthen the nation and thus provide a counterweight against their British foes. Jefferson's philosophical consistency was in question because of his strict interpretation of the Constitution. Its European peoples, of ethnic French, Spanish and Mexican descent, were largely Catholic; in addition, there was a large population of enslaved Africans made up of a high proportion of recent arrivals, as Spain had continued the transatlantic slave trade. Interested in reaching out? While 3-4 cents an acre was not a massive deal, from Napoleon's perspective he received a large sum of money for land he had just received and had virtually no control over. (land, gold, and to start a new life). Why Was Washingtons Farewell Address Important? At the time of the purchase, the territory of Louisiana's non-native population was around 60,000 inhabitants, of whom half were enslaved Africans. In the end, Barings and Hopes acquired the $11.25 million in bonds for just $9.44 million. The French ruler was just about to embark on a series of devastating wars. To recap, Napoleon ultimately sold the Louisiana territory for the following reasons: In hindsight it is easy for historians to criticize Napoleons decision. Felix S. Cohen, Interior Department Lawyer who helped pass ICCA, is often quoted as saying, "practically all of the real estate acquired by the United States since 1776 was purchased not from Napoleon or any other emperor or czar but from its original Indian owners", roughly estimating that Indians had received twenty times as much as France had for the territory bought by the United States, "somewhat in excess of 800 million dollars". 50721. all of the above As a result, the State Department describes how the president began military preparations along the Mississippi and sent James Monroe to France with authorization to buy New Orleans and West Florida for up to $10 million. There was no arguing with Napoleon, who would, after all,crown himself Emperor in 1804. It cannot be understated just how important the Louisiana Purchase was to the United States. France ceded the territory to Spain in 1762 in the secret Treaty of Fontainebleau. Without sufficient revenues from sugar colonies in the Caribbean, Louisiana had little value to him. When Napoleon rose to power in 1799, the French governments finances were in disarray due to the effects of the French Revolution. What's more, as described by Medium, the French ruler believed that a more powerful United States was better for France. On March 11, 1803, Napoleon began preparing to invade Great Britain. At the time of the Louisiana Purchase Europe was held under a temporary peace as a result of the 1802 Treaty of Amiens. Otherwise, Louisiana would be an easy prey for a potential invasion from Britain or the U.S. 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. 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. American diplomats Robert Livingston and James Monroepurchased the Louisiana Territory from the French for $15 million dollars, or four cents an acre, in 1803. 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? Your email address will not be published. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson bought the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million and nearly doubled the size of the U.S. Who sold the Louisiana Territory to the Jefferson? The Louisiana territory was now worthless to him, and he immediately sought to offload the territory to the United States. Napoleon needed peace with Britain to take possession of Louisiana. In November 1803, France withdrew its 7,000 surviving troops from Saint-Domingue (more than two-thirds of its troops died there) and gave up its ambitions in the Western Hemisphere. [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. B. felt that the United States would be the best country to manage the land. The American representatives were prepared to pay up to $10million for New Orleans and its environs but were dumbfounded when the vastly larger territory was offered for $15million. 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? Jefferson considered a constitutional amendment to justify the purchase; however, his cabinet convinced him otherwise. 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? 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. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2123552. At the same time, this territorial expansion also allowed for the growth and expansion of slavery in the United States, which finally culminated in the American Civil War. [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 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. Spain, no longer a dominant European power, did little to develop Louisiana during the next three decades. Even more puzzling, the French had just reacquired the Louisiana territory and critical port city of New Orleans in the secret 1800 Treaty of San Ildefonso with Spain. Alain Chappet, Roger Martin, Alain Pigeard. Why did France sell Louisiana to the US? The scene caused a servant to faint, and when Lucien lingered to try to argue the point, Napoleon said to his brother that if he opposed him he would break him like a snuffbox which he smashed into the floor. 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. In addition, the DunbarHunter Expedition (18041805) explored the Ouachita River watershed. Napoleon foresaw the United States as a future ally that could one day match Britain in might. [39] New Orleans was the administrative capital of the Orleans Territory, and St. Louis was the capital of the Louisiana Territory. 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. According to the University of Kentucky, slaves outnumbered free people at least 10 to 1. To France, it was a backwater sort of like owning Mediterranean Avenue in Monopoly. 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. Knowing that war was imminent, Napoleon sensed two opportunities by selling the Louisiana territory. [18] After the signing Livingston famously stated, "We have lived long, but this is the noblest work of our whole lives From this day the United States take their place among the powers of the first rank. The . The Louisiana Purchase was the start of the United States' incredible expansion from a group of Eastern Seaboard states on the North American continent.