who sold the louisiana territory to the united statesfannie flagg grease
The key to opening the western goal was securing the Mississippi River and the Louisiana Territory. National Geographicpoints out that in modern dollars, the Louisiana Purchase would have cost $342 million. The Louisiana Territory was established, as described by Smithsonian Magazine, in 1682, when the French explorer Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, arrived at the mouth of the Mississippi River, put up a cross and column, and declared to a group of puzzled Native Americans that the entire river basin belonged to France. In order to lessen the strain of direct taxes on the populace, the French government simply needed more money from other sources. Britain and France renewed hostilities on May 18, 1803, shortly after the deal was finalized. 5057. Jefferson sent Livingston to Paris in 1801[9] with the authorization to purchase New Orleans. What Napoleon needed was a way to divest himself of the territory while at the same time preventing it from falling into British hands. Your email address will not be published. The U.S. adapted the former Spanish facility at Fort Bellefontaine as a fur trading post near St. Louis in 1804 for business with the Sauk and Fox. Francis Baring's son Alexander and Pierre Labouchre from Hopes arrived in Paris in April 1803 to assist with the negotiations. 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. In a way, this almost came to pass in the War of 1812. This exact scenario is what happened to Mexico with their province of Tejas during the Texan Revolution. Without Saint Domingue, Napoleons dreams of a French colonial empire in the Americas were dashed. Alain Chappet, Roger Martin, Alain Pigeard. 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. Knowing that war was imminent, Napoleon sensed two opportunities by selling the Louisiana territory. As told by Michigan State University, both of them were shocked when the French minister, Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand, asked how much they would pay for the entire territory. To recap, Napoleon ultimately sold the Louisiana territory for the following reasons: In hindsight it is easy for historians to criticize Napoleons decision. The Haitian Revolution began in 1791 and lasted for over a decade. From the French perspective, just why did Napoleon sell the Louisiana territory to the Americans? [14][15] The total of $15million is equivalent to about $337million in 2021 dollars, or 64 cents per acre. See Page 1. Spain, no longer a dominant European power, did little to develop Louisiana during the next three decades. Pakenham was ordered to conduct the New Orleans/Mobile campaign even in the middle of the peace negotiations in late 1814. Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin added that since the power to negotiate treaties was specifically granted to the president, the only way extending the country's territory by treaty could not be a presidential power would be if it were specifically excluded by the Constitution (which it was not). In return for fifteen million dollars, or approximately eighteen dollars per square mile, the United States nominally acquired a total of 828,000sqmi (2,140,000km2; 530,000,000 acres) in Middle America. The Constitution specifically grants the president the power to negotiate treaties (Art. While Napoleons reasons were valid, his decision to sell the Louisiana territory certainly came as a surprise. Barings relayed to order to Hopes, which declined to comply, allowing the final payments to be made to France in April 1804. In 1799, he had seized power in a coup d'tat in France and wanted to restore French glory in the Americas. How did Jefferson acquire Louisiana Territory? This was coupled with the importation of enslaved Africans. Upon word of the Louisiana territory transfer from Spain to France, some hot-headed members of Congress proposed a preemptive strike against New Orleans. [30], Other historians counter the above arguments regarding Jefferson's alleged hypocrisy by asserting that countries change their borders in two ways: (1) conquest, or (2) an agreement between nations, otherwise known as a treaty. miles of land for fifteen million dollars. With a $15 million investment, the United States acquired more than 800,000 acres, almost doubling the country's land holdings. Throughout the second half of the 18th century, the French colony of Louisiana became a pawn for European political intrigue. A watershed event in American history, the purchase of the Louisiana . The Federalists strongly opposed the purchase, favoring close relations with Britain over closer ties to Napoleon. [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. 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. Jefferson considered a constitutional amendment to justify the purchase; however, his cabinet convinced him otherwise. Napoleon needed peace with Britain to take possession of Louisiana. What was the famous thing Napoleon Bonaparte sold? According to the census of 1810, there were 20,845 Americans in the Territory of Louisiana, among whom were 3,011 slaves. True False, The War of 1812 was between France and the United States. [52] If the territory included all the tributaries of the Mississippi on its western bank, the northern reaches of the purchase extended into the equally ill-defined British possessionRupert's Land of British North America, now part of Canada. On the following day, October 21, 1803, the Senate authorized Jefferson to take possession of the territory and establish a temporary military government. [45] In 2021 dollars, the $15 million purchase price is equivalent to $336.92million. 'Sale of Louisiana') was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. This created an unstable situation at the western border which could draw his young country into the Napoleonic Wars. However, the territory, like a regifted picture frame, was swapped among European powers. The main issue for the Americans was free transit of the Mississippi out to sea. 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.". As the lands were being gradually settled by American migrants, many Americans, including Jefferson, assumed that the territory would be acquired "piece by piece." [10], In 1803, Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours, a French nobleman, began to help negotiate with France at the request of Jefferson. This was emphasized when in the memoir of Franois Barb-Marbois, Napoleon gave up his claim to the territory saying, "Irresolution and deliberation are no longer in season. Who sold the massive Louisiana Territory to the United States? When the United States found out that instead of Spain as their neighbor, it was to be France under Napoleon with imperial ambitions, the Americans feared that their access to the Mississippi would be cut off. [17] The signers were Robert Livingston, James Monroe, and Franois Barb-Marbois. 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. The formidable British navy could easily blockade the territory and seize it for themselves. 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. The great expansion of the United States achieved by the Louisiana Purchase did receive criticism, though . 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 . Which one of the following men was not a member of Washington's first Cabinet? Furthermore, the French had no administration over the territory and few French settlers lived on the land. Browman, David L (2018). The Similarities And Differences Between The Lewis And Clark Expedition. 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. [40], To pay for the land, the American government used a mix of sovereign bonds and the assumption of French debts. This made it difficult, when compared to Britain, to obtain the necessary money to wage large-scale wars. 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. To Napoleon's line of thinking, if the United States took control of Louisiana, then it would deny Britain the opportunity of conquering it. 53, no. ", This page was last edited on 5 February 2023, at 06:28. 22755. They wrote an enthusiasticletter to Secretary of State James Madison: "An acquisition of so great an extent was, we well Know, not contemplated by our appointment; but we are persuaded that the Circumstances and Considerations which induced us to make it, will justify us, in the measure, to our Government and Country.". 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. First, an empowered United States could effectively act as a formidable rival to Britain. According to the University of Kentucky, slaves outnumbered free people at least 10 to 1. 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. In a letter, Thomas Jefferson wrote that France's repossession of the territory "is the embryo of a tornado which will burst on the countries on both shores of the Atlantic and involve in it's effects their highest destinies.". 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." [61], During the War of 1812, Great Britain hoped to annex all or at least portions of the Louisiana Purchase should they successfully defeat the U.S. Aided by their Indian allies, the British defeated U.S. forces in the Upper Mississippi; the U.S. abandoned Forts Osage and Madison, as well as several other U.S. forts built during the war, including Fort Johnson and Fort Shelby. The question of what to do with the territory brought out deep divisions along sectional lines and ultimately helped lead to the Civil War. [34] The United States Senate advised and consented to ratification of the treaty with a vote of twenty-four to seven on October 20. [26] The Federalists also feared that the power of the Atlantic seaboard states would be threatened by the new citizens in the West, whose political and economic priorities were bound to conflict with those of the merchants and bankers of New England. The first westward surge of the settlement reached the: What did the South receive in the compromise over the war debts between Hamilton and Jefferson? Some of those other sources included the colonies and in this instance, the Louisiana territory. Your email address will not be published. Acquiring the territory doubled the size of the United States. 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. Answer and Explanation: Zebulon Pike What nickname were Americans given who wanted war with England? JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1833473. Some French leaders predicted that eventually the Louisiana territory would revolt in a bid for independence following the principles of the American Revolution. The Louisiana Purchase (French: Vente de la Louisiane, lit. When it came to profit and geopolitical importance, Napoleon was far more interested in the Caribbean. In the 1780s, it produced 60% of the world's coffee and supplied Britain and France with 40% of its sugar. Why Was Washingtons Farewell Address Important? 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. Pamela Martin In 1803, Napoleon Bonaparte surprised U.S. negotiators with an offer to sell the Louisiana Territory for approximately 4 cents per acre. 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 deal helped Jefferson win reelection in 1804 by a landslide. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was a temporary solution. The Louisiana Purchase extended United States sovereignty across the Mississippi River, nearly doubling the nominal size of the country. Livingston wrote to James Madison, "We shall do all we can to cheapen the purchase, but my present sentiment is that we shall buy.". [42] The first group of bonds were issued on January 16, 1804, but the banks had already provided a 10 million franc advance to France in July 1803. 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. He was assisted by James Monroe. On March 10, 1804, France officially transferred its claim to the Louisiana Territory to the United States. dollar. This was possible because the Louisiana territory did not only encompass Louisiana as the state that exists today. While Napoleon originally tried to sell the territory for $22 million, the two sides eventually agreed to a sale at $15 million. White House 3. Ambassador who was sent to France to negotiate the purchase of the Louisiana Territory. explored the Louisiana Territory and points west. Both present-day Arkansas and Missouri already had some slaveholders in the 18th and early 19th century. Why is France sold the Louisiana Purchase to the US? He could not or did not see the value in sending troops to defend worthless Louisiana, not with Saint-Domingue out of the equation. The French ruler was just about to embark on a series of devastating wars. This respite gave Napoleon breathing room in his failed attempt to recover Saint-Domingue. Furthermore, the Spanish prime minister had authorized the U.S. to negotiate with the French government "the acquisition of territories which may suit their interests." 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. The Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804) traveled up the Missouri River; the Red River Expedition (1806) explored the Red River basin; the Pike Expedition (1806) also started up the Missouri but turned south to explore the Arkansas River watershed. However, France's failure to suppress a revolt in Saint-Domingue, coupled with the prospect of renewed warfare with the United Kingdom, prompted Napoleon to consider selling Louisiana to the United States. Though viewed as of lesser importance than the colony of Saint Domingue (Haiti), Louisiana and its crucial port city of New Orleans was to play a large role in French colonial dominance.1. But although the Americans never asked for it, Napoleon dangled the entire territory in front of them on April 11, 1803. 1) Sloane, William M. The World Aspects of the Louisiana Purchase. The American Historical Review, vol. Napoleon dreamed and yearned for a French colonial empire to rival the British. Following French defeat in the Seven Years' War, Spain gained control of the territory west of the Mississippi, and the British received the territory to the east of the river. 2) White, Eugene Nelson. To read more on what we're all about, learn more about us here. 50721. PBS describes how by 1812, France had increased its army strength to 600,000 men, not to mention the thousands in the navy. Where Saint Domingue would be the crown jewel with its lucrative sugar plantations, Louisiana would be the bread basket supplying the empire with grains. [6] The territory nominally remained under Spanish control, until a transfer of power to France on November 30, 1803, just three weeks before the formal cession of the territory to the United States on December 20, 1803.[7]. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. [citation needed], After the early explorations, the U.S. government sought to establish control of the region, since trade along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers was still dominated by British and French traders from Canada and allied Indians, especially the Sauk and Fox. [58] The institutionalization of slavery under U.S. law in the Louisiana Territory contributed to the American Civil War a half century later. [47] However by December 1803, the British directed Barings to halt future payments to France. In legislation enacted on October 31, Congress made temporary provisions for local civil government to continue as it had under French and Spanish rule and authorized the President to use military forces to maintain order. President Jefferson's Secretary of State. 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. [25] The American purchase of the Louisiana territory was not accomplished without domestic opposition. When word got around that Napoleon was giving up Louisiana to the Americans, not everybody agreed. [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. In the end, Barings and Hopes acquired the $11.25 million in bonds for just $9.44 million. Part of his evolving strategy involved giving du Pont some information that was withheld from Livingston. The purchase doubled the size of the United States, greatly strengthened the country materially and strategically, provided a powerful impetus to . . Jefferson's philosophical consistency was in question because of his strict interpretation of the Constitution. [citation needed], In Saint-Domingue, Leclerc's forces took Louverture prisoner, but their expedition soon faltered in the face of fierce resistance and disease. . The answer fell into his lap. On April 11, 1803, just days before Monroe's arrival, Barb-Marbois offered Livingston all of Louisiana for $15million,[13] which averages to less than three cents per acre (7/ha). 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. John Adams 2. 1803. Negotiating with French Treasury Minister Franois Barb-Marbois, the American representatives quickly agreed to purchase the entire territory of Louisiana after it was offered. Perhaps the most important reason as to why Napoleon sold the Louisiana territory to the United States was the Haitian Revolution. II, Sec. Just three weeks earlier, on November 30, 1803, Spanish officials had formally conveyed the colonial lands and their administration to France. He also realized that with Britain's superior naval power, it would be relatively easy for them to take Louisiana at will. 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. When Monroe and Livingston were offered the opportunity to buy the entire territory, they could not help but be excited. was a self-trained military genius who won the battle of New Orleans from the British The Treaty of Ghent represented: a substantial victory for the United States a substantial victory for the British a return to conditions as they were prior to the war a diplomatic coup for Napoleon a return to conditions as they were prior to the war As explained by Medium, in 1803, even before final Haitian independence, it had dawned on Napoleon that his prospects for developing an American empire were growing increasingly faint. 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. Spain Originally governed New Orleans and the Louisiana Territory up until 1802, but then transferred ownership to France under a secret treaty. The territory made up all or part of fifteen modern U.S. states between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains. Washington set a precedent by serving ______ terms as President. Saint-Domingue was a powder keg, ready to explode. As it turns out, France, or more accurately its ruler Napoleon Bonaparte, had some good reasons for doing it. [28], Henry Adams claimed "The sale of Louisiana to the United States was trebly invalid; if it were French property, Bonaparte could not constitutionally alienate it without the consent of the French Chambers; if it were Spanish property, he could not alienate it at all; if Spain had a right of reclamation, his sale was worthless. Native Americans way of life was forever changed by the unrelenting encroachment of American 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. 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. However, Livingston was certain that the United States would accept the offer.[16]. Napoleon wanted its revenues and productivity for France restored. 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. "[29] The sale of course was not "worthless"the U.S. actually did take possession. The Louisiana Purchase was the start of the United States' incredible expansion from a group of Eastern Seaboard states on the North American continent. However, one has to question whether the French ruler considered the consequences of selling France's interest in Louisiana. In 1763, Louis XV gave Louisiana to his cousin, Charles III of Spain. American diplomats Robert Livingston and James Monroepurchased the Louisiana Territory from the French for $15 million dollars, or four cents an acre, in 1803. Napoleon informed his brothers of the sale and asked for their opinion. Besides, we may hereafter expect rivalries among the members of the Union. 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 detailed by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Americans believed that the acquisition and settlement of new lands to the west were critical to the future development of the country. [citation needed]. It cannot be understated just how important the Louisiana Purchase was to the United States. 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. Napoleon sold French Louisiana to the US in 1803 as the Louisiana Purchase. The asking price was $125 million. However, France only controlled a small fraction of this area, most of which was inhabited by Native Americans; effectively, for the majority of the area, the United States bought the "preemptive" right to obtain "Indian" lands by treaty or by conquest, to the exclusion of other colonial powers.[1][2]. [1][2] More recently, the total cost to the U.S. government of all subsequent treaties and financial settlements over the land has been estimated to be around 2.6 billion dollars.[1][2]. 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. 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. As for France, it never seriously established a colonial presence in the Americas again. The resources and land from theLouisiana territory considerably helped the United States become the global power it is today. Who was President at the time of the Embargo Act? Washington University in St. Louis Press. [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. Even in 1803, that was dirt cheap. 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 [] This gave Jefferson and his cabinet until October, when the treaty had to be ratified, to discuss the constitutionality of the purchase. As tensions in Europe continued to grow, the unprofitable territory seemed to be more of a liability than asset. Why did Napoleon Sell the Louisiana Territory? [44][42] With the bankers' help, the French and American negotiators settled on a price of 80 million francs ($15 million), down from an initial price of 100 million francs, a sum the Americans could not afford and the financers could not provide. 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. 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? 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. The Sac and the Fox lived on the northern Mississippi River, the Osage on the Missouri River and on the Arkansas River in present eastern Oklahoma, and the Quapaw at the . 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. Spain procrastinated until late 1802 in executing the treaty to transfer Louisiana to France, which allowed American hostility to build. Out of anger towards Spain and the unique opportunity to sell something that was useless and not truly his yet, Napoleon decided to sell the entire territory. The former slaves fought the French forces to a standstill while yellow fever and malaria outbreaks decimated the French invaders. 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.