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The Louisiana Purchase. By Ryan Bilger & Jarred Ring. Early Louisiana History. Originally colonized by France Given up to Spain after French and Indian War Treaty of Fontainebleau Americans still allowed to settle in Spanish Louisiana.
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The Louisiana Purchase By Ryan Bilger & Jarred Ring
Early Louisiana History • Originally colonized by France • Given up to Spain after French and Indian War • Treaty of Fontainebleau • Americans still allowed to settle in Spanish Louisiana
Quasi-War/XYZ Affair: Early Controversy Between United States and France • Quasi-War: Unofficial warwhere French ships attacked American ships in 1797 • XYZ Affair- French government bribing American government for an end to the quasi-war; 1797-1798 • Caused massive uproar among anti-French Americans
Treaty of San Ildefonso • September 30, 1800 • Louisiana given back to France from Spain • Spain supposed to get a French kingdom in Italy, but it was never handed over • Treaty supposed to be secret; still found out about by Americans, and the Senate was notified by Thomas Jefferson
Slave Rebellion in St. Domingue • St. Domingue- French colony in present-day Haiti • Led by Toussaint L’Overture • Napoleon sent over 40,000 soldiers to fight rebels • French soldiers decimated by yellow fever, forced troops to withdraw • Most French defeated in 1802
Napoleon’s Desire to Sell Louisiana • Loss of St. Domingue diminished Napoleon’s opinion of Louisiana • Thought it was useless without St. Domingue as a jumping-off point • Wanted to ease tension with United States after XYZ Affair • Prepared to offer territory to American diplomats in France
Jefferson Appoints Negotiators • Livingston appointed “Resident Minister at the Court of Napoleon” in 1801 • Monroe appointed “Envoy Extraordinary” in 1803 • Jefferson notified the Senate of these positions in a January 1803 message • Both would negotiate the treaty with Napoleon
The Offers for Louisiana • Monroe was to offer $9,375,000 to buy New Orleans and Florida • Napoleon offered entire Louisiana Territory for $22,500,000 • Monroe and Livingston counter-offer $8,000,000 • Napoleon offers $16,000,000, Americans offer $12,000,000
Louisiana Purchase Treaty • France agrees to sell Louisiana for $15,000,000; price confirmed in First Convention • Rate of 6 cents per acre • First signed by Livingston and Monroe for the United States in April 1803 • Louisiana Territory and all French public/government buildings included
Louisiana Purchase Treaty (cont.) • Over 800,000 acres of land added • Gave U.S. access to the Mississippi River, but France and Spain were still allowed to import; economy boost • Money for purchase loaned from a British bank • Treaty passed by Congress on October 20, 1803
Louisiana Purchase Immediate Aftermath • U.S. occupied Louisiana in December, 1803 after Spain gave it over to France days before • Napoleon’s North American empire was gone; he eventually lost his European empire as well • Spain angered by what France had done, but they had no power to change it
Louisiana Purchase Immediate Aftermath (cont.) • Lewis and Clark explored the territory from 1805-1806 • Development would displace many natives, as well as change the lives of French and Spanish in the area
Louisiana Purchase Today • Land is now home to many species of animals • New cities built/further developed in LA territory e.g. St. Louis, MO; Kansas City, MO; Omaha, NE • Land makes up all or parts of 15 states • Contains some of Yellowstone National Park
Thomas Jefferson- Did he overstep his bounds? • During negotiations, he didn’t have the power to buy the land • Nothing in the Constitution about land acquisitions • Jefferson himself said he didn’t have the authority; knew it was important acquisition, so he went through with it • Eventually given authority by Congress to acquire Louisiana Territory in Oct. 1803 • Lasting impact on Federal Power
Impact on Federal Power • Purchase seen as beginning of expansion of federal power • Strengthened federal government; gave them more power to do what they wanted • Constitution interpreted more loosely by future governments • Examples of growing federal power’s impact throughout history: • Federal power vs. states’ rights argument during Civil War • Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal • Barack Obama’s healthcare reform