30 Apr 1803 Jahr - Lousiana Purchase

Beschreibung:

Key Event: It is clear that the Louisiana Purchase is a key event in U.S. history as it had allowed for western expansion and provided the land necessary to support our population today.

Defined: A treaty signed by France and the United States (U.S.), which entails that the U.S. owns the land extending from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains (828,000 square miles) and from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The land was bought from France for $15,000,000.

Described: France had once actively explored the Mississippi River valley, developing small settlements throughout the region. However, after the French and Indian War, France had transferred nearly all of its remaining land in North America due to their incredible loss; the Louisiana Territory now belonged to Spain. However, in 1796, the land was returned to France in a treaty with Spain, causing unease amongst the U.S. Specifically, the U.S. government feared that France would want to dominate the Mississippi under the rule of Napoleon Bonaparte, which would be a problem for America’s western expansion. President Jefferson quickly ordered U.S. minister France Robert Livingston and James Monroe to negotiate with France for the ownership of New Orleans. Instead, France offered all of the Louisiana Territory because they were facing economic difficulty and were preparing for war with Great Britain.

Short Term: Through the Louisiana Purchase, the size of the U.S. doubled in size. Moreover, it had internationally demonstrated that the U.S. was open to peaceful methods to solve its problems; The U.S. chose not to fight France for the territory and bought it instead. The purchase also illustrated that a loose view of the Constitution can be appropriate because the Constitution did not have rules for buying land, but if Jefferson did not buy the land, the country’s farmers would not have the land they needed.

Long Term: Although the Lousiana Purchase brought many opportunities to the U.S, such as western expansion, the deal had also caused the destruction and genocide of Native Americans who had resided in the territories. Specifically, Andrew Jackson creates the Indian Removal Act to push the Natives into uncultivated land so there is more room for settlers and farmers. Moreover, by obtaining the new land, there is conflict over whether the new territory should allow for slavery, causing the creation of the Missouri Compromise.

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