The purchase of the Louisiana territory in 1803 “was the largest peaceful acquisition of territory in U.S.

history, and more than doubled the size of the nation” (Faragher, Buhle, Czitrom, & Armitage, 2009,
p. 218). This acquisition offered huge expansion opportunity to both the northern and southern states.

Spain gained the huge tract of land known as the Louisiana Territory, from the French at the conclusion
of the Seven Years War as part of the treaty of Fontainebleau in 1762. Although they held possession,
the Spanish declined to invest money or personnel in its development. As a result, the area remained
mostly French despite its new owners. New Orleans especially was heavily populated by the French and
Creoles.

In the Caribbean, the slaves of Saint-Domingue (Haiti), waged a successful revolt in 1791 led by
Toussaint L’Ouverture. Saint-Domingue was France’s richest colony and responsible for part of the 80-90
percent of Caribbean sugar consumed by Europe. It was no surprise that France would attempt to retake
this rebellious colony.

In 1799 France came under the power of General Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon began a series of
conquests around Europe which prompted Great Britain to declare war against the French. Napoleon
put into place plans to reclaim Haiti (Saint-Domingue) and put the sugar plantations back to work to
fund his campaigns. At the same time, he also considered other potential battlegrounds favorable to a
war with Great Britain. The former French colony of Louisiana posed two distinct advantages to the
French. Having been under the control of the French, the territory still had many loyalists’ citizens. The
territory also bordered the relatively new country of America who had no love for Britain following the
Revolutionary war. As such, Napoleon entered into secret negotiations with Spain to re-acquire the
former French colony in 1800.

Thomas Jefferson learned of the secret transfer of Louisiana in 1801 and was greatly concerned for the
fate of both the internal political fallout between Federalists and Jeffersonian Republicans, as well as the
fate of the Mississippi River trade business. When the port at New Orleans closed to Americans in 1802,
Jefferson ordered his ambassador in France to negotiate for the purchase of New Orleans. He authorized
Robert Livingston up to $10 million if necessary hoping to prevent a war for control of the port. The
early sale negotiations failed, but in 1803 Napoleon learned of the failure of his campaign to re-take
Haiti. With his army in Haiti nearly decimated and retreating, resumption of war with Britain eminent,
and his coffers nearly depleted, his European conquest would be doomed to fail. In a windfall decision,
Napoleon agreed to sell not only New Orleans, but the entire Louisiana territory to the U.S. for a mere
$15 million. Having been authorized to spend up to $10 million just for New Orleans, and knowing that
they could not wait the two months to travel to and from America for authorization, James Monroe and
Robert Livingston agreed.

Thomas Jefferson had always believed that the president had very limited executive power.
Furthermore, the constitution did not authorize him to purchase land. On the other hand, Jefferson had
already been working on plans for the western region and knew that he would find no shortage of
support for the immediate doubling of the nation.
The issue of slavery would become a major boiling point for the new territory and would eventually lead
to the Missouri Compromise which placed geographic boundaries for the southern slave states. The
Indians would also prove to be a hindrance to the westward migration of Americans, and would lead to
war. For the inhabitants of the newly acquired territory, legal issues were the main immediate concern.
With the majority of the population being French, or French-speaking they did not want their
institutions and rights taken away and replaced by American Laws. In 1808 Louisiana adopted its own
legal code which addressed issues such as free black rights, inheritance, contracts, and family property.

References:
Faragher, J., Buhle, M., Czitrom, D., & Armitage, S. (2009). Out of many: A History of the
American People (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.