Summary: The Louisiana Purchase

Words: 891
Pages: 4

Jonathan Vargas

Mr. Lewis

APUSH

16 December 2014

Louisiana Purchase

On April 30, 1803 what is know as the Louisiana Purchase was signed by diplomats Robert Livingston and James Montoe. The Louisiana Purchase is also referred as "the greatest real estate deal in history". Altought, the formal president Thomas Jefferson didn't support this purchase, Livingston and James Monroe completed the Louisiana Purchase. The Louisiana purchase consisted of two documents know as conventions which described the financial arangements. The land would of been sold for 60 million francs, which in dollars would be the amount of ($11.25 million).The United States also agreed on paying 3.75million to France for any money owed by American citenzs, which
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Once the purchase was acquired, no one really knew what all the land contained. Before Americas agreement with the French, the French had its own problem owning the land. In 1804, Napoleon Bonaparte, became the emperor of France. Once, Napoleon sold the Louisiana territory it had only belong to the French for a short period of time. Thanks to the treaty of San Ildefonso in 1800, France acquired Louisiana from Spain. Yet France had owned Louisiana ones before On April 9, 1682. This was so done thanks to two French explorers, Rene Robert Cavelier, and Sieur de La Salle. Who after traveling the full course of the Mississippi River, claimed all the lands the Mississippi drained, to his king Louis XIV of France. Louis XIV then named the new land acquired Louisiana. As, president Thomas Jefferson watched closely at Napoleons actions he kept in mind France was at that time a much difficult rival, then Spain At the time. Due to the fact the the signing of the Treaty of San Ildefonso had been done secretly , Jefferson did not expect to have to fight or come to an agreement for the territory. He instead expected America to move to the west naturally. Jefferson as american settlers move …show more content…
Once Jefferson found out France possessed the land, he feared France might oppose to American Expansion.Jefferson not only feared France as a superpower he also took into consideration British intentions of this lands. The United States, where in the middle of two big powers and feared they might be trapped in the middle between British forces to its West and North and its South and West. America who had just won its freedom, had three decisions. One was to come up with an agreement with France. go in, go into war for the land, or wait and see what happens. Luckly Jefferson did not have to make a decision instead Napoleon did. Napoleon made his decision on April 10, 1803, where he meet up with his most trusted advisor, Denis Decres and Francois de Barbe Marbois. His final decision was that he could no longer expand the French colony to Louisiana. As he had to go through British waters. French during this time was at peace with Britain, but thought it would be to risky as they still had some tensions going on between the two countries. After Napoleon discovered England was preparing for war with the French. he was desperate to sell Louisiana to the United States. The sell sell of the land would bring money to the French that they so desperately