Louisiana Purchase
On April 30, 1803, under Thomas Jefferson's presidency, the U.S gained 828,000 square miles of territory. This was enough land from France to double the existing amount. The land gained stretched from the Mississippi river to the Rocky mountains and from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border. From the Louisiana Purchase, 15 states were created. Not all of the land purchased created whole states. Some were just in large portions.
The states were: present day Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska; parts of Montana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Texas, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and most of South Dakota. The U.S paid in total about 15 million dollars, which meant that is cost them around 3 cents per acre. The 15 million dollars then would be equivalent to 283 million dollars today.
After the French and Indian War, the New Orleans port was given to Spain, though the French had owned it before hand. In 1800, the port was then turned back over to the control of French's leader Napoleon, who was very powerful. Nobody had known about this action because Napoleon kept it a secret in order to colonize the territory of America. War was very close.
A war broke out in 1802 between America and Spain and America and France over New Orleans being closed to the Americans and their shipping. Thomas Jefferson offered to buy New Orleans to settle the dispute, but when Napoleon answered him, they wanted to know if the U.S wanted to buy the whole Louisiana territory. Even though Jefferson wasn't sure on his right to buy the land because he was the president, he bought the land because he believed in the republic of small farmers and how they needed the land. The Mississippi River was one of the main reasons the U.S wanted the land that surrounds it. It would be a good place to earn money and to keep the economy going. French owned the territory in 1699 to 1762. In 1762, they gave it to the Spanish ally. Napoleon gave it back to the French and they then sold it to the U.S for different reasons.
The states were: present day Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska; parts of Montana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Texas, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and most of South Dakota. The U.S paid in total about 15 million dollars, which meant that is cost them around 3 cents per acre. The 15 million dollars then would be equivalent to 283 million dollars today.
After the French and Indian War, the New Orleans port was given to Spain, though the French had owned it before hand. In 1800, the port was then turned back over to the control of French's leader Napoleon, who was very powerful. Nobody had known about this action because Napoleon kept it a secret in order to colonize the territory of America. War was very close.
A war broke out in 1802 between America and Spain and America and France over New Orleans being closed to the Americans and their shipping. Thomas Jefferson offered to buy New Orleans to settle the dispute, but when Napoleon answered him, they wanted to know if the U.S wanted to buy the whole Louisiana territory. Even though Jefferson wasn't sure on his right to buy the land because he was the president, he bought the land because he believed in the republic of small farmers and how they needed the land. The Mississippi River was one of the main reasons the U.S wanted the land that surrounds it. It would be a good place to earn money and to keep the economy going. French owned the territory in 1699 to 1762. In 1762, they gave it to the Spanish ally. Napoleon gave it back to the French and they then sold it to the U.S for different reasons.
First, a French commander had just lost a battle in Saint- Domingue which is present day Haiti. This took up resources and had cut connection to the Southern coast of North America.
Second, the more the population of North America increased, the lesser chance Napoleon and the other French had of holding back American pioneers from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.
Third, France didn't have that strong of a navy needed to maintain the lands they owned that were so far away. They were, after all, separated by the Atlantic ocean.
Lastly, Napoleon wanted to keep his focus on conquering England and he wasn't going to be very successful with that if he had to worry about the port and all of the territory. So, in result, he sold the land to the U.S to raise France's money and the amount of funds they held.
After America had gained this land in 1803, Thomas Jefferson had decided to have an expedition to explore it since nobody knew anything about it. The young officers chosen for the job were Lieutenant Meriwether Lewis and Lieutenant William Clark. When they set out, the expedition was originally called the Corps of Discover, but was soon known as the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Louisiana Purchase — History.com Articles, Video, Pictures and Facts." 2010. 23 Oct. 2012 <http://www.history.com/topics/louisiana-purchase>
McDougal Littell American History book
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Purchase>
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Louisiana_Purchase_1904_Issue-10.jpg
<http://geography.about.com/od/historyofgeography/a/louisianapurcha.htm>
Second, the more the population of North America increased, the lesser chance Napoleon and the other French had of holding back American pioneers from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.
Third, France didn't have that strong of a navy needed to maintain the lands they owned that were so far away. They were, after all, separated by the Atlantic ocean.
Lastly, Napoleon wanted to keep his focus on conquering England and he wasn't going to be very successful with that if he had to worry about the port and all of the territory. So, in result, he sold the land to the U.S to raise France's money and the amount of funds they held.
After America had gained this land in 1803, Thomas Jefferson had decided to have an expedition to explore it since nobody knew anything about it. The young officers chosen for the job were Lieutenant Meriwether Lewis and Lieutenant William Clark. When they set out, the expedition was originally called the Corps of Discover, but was soon known as the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Louisiana Purchase — History.com Articles, Video, Pictures and Facts." 2010. 23 Oct. 2012 <http://www.history.com/topics/louisiana-purchase>
McDougal Littell American History book
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Purchase>
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Louisiana_Purchase_1904_Issue-10.jpg
<http://geography.about.com/od/historyofgeography/a/louisianapurcha.htm>
