Textbook Excerpt:
On October 20, 1803, the Senate ratified the Louisiana Purchase Treaty by a vote of twenty-four to seven. The agreement, which provided for the purchase of the western half of the Mississippi River basin from France at a price of $15 million, or approximately four cents per acre, doubled the size of the country and paved the way for westward expansion beyond the Mississippi.
Use the excerpt to answer the question.
Based on the excerpt, which of the following statements can be inferred about the effect the Louisiana Purchase would have on the United States?
Because of its ratification of the treaty, Congress confirmed that presidents had the power to purchase land.
Because of the purchase of the territory, Americans could now legally start settling regions in the West.
Because of the treaty, the French could no longer pose a threat against the United States.
Because of the high cost of the purchase, the United States would struggle even more with the public debt.
Based on the excerpt provided, the most directly supported inference about the effect the Louisiana Purchase would have on the United States is:
Because of the purchase of the territory, Americans could now legally start settling regions in the West.
The excerpt specifically mentions that the Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the country and paved the way for westward expansion beyond the Mississippi, which implies that Americans could legally move into and settle these new territories that had been acquired from France.
The other options are not as directly supported by the information in the excerpt:
- The excerpt does not mention anything about the precedent it set for presidential power regarding land purchases, although historically, the Louisiana Purchase did indeed raise questions about the extent of executive power.
- The treaty no longer having a French presence in North America removed a potential geopolitical and military threat, but the excerpt does not directly infer that the French could no longer pose any kind of threat to the United States.
- The excerpt does mention the cost of $15 million, but it does not provide any information on how this expense would impact the public debt. It does not imply that the United States would struggle with public debt as a result of this transaction; this would require additional economic context not given in the excerpt.