The Louisiana Purchase
The United States overcame a number of challenges in its early years, including creating a stable economic system, setting up the courts, and defining the authority of the central government.As the economy continued to grow, Americans needed to protect their economic interests. The Louisiana Territory became a key part of this effort. Geography Shapes Domestic and Foreign Policy A new development caused President Jefferson to pursue buying New Orleans in order to control this important port. By 1800, almost one million Americans lived between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. Most were farmers. With few roads west of the Appalachians, western farmers relied on the Mississippi River to ship their wheat and corn. First, they sent their produce down the river to the city of New Orleans. From there, oceangoing ships carried the produce across the Gulf of Mexico, around Florida, and up to ports along the Atlantic coast.Toussaint L'Ouverture led a revolt by enslaved Africans to win independence from France for Haiti. Spain, which controlled New Orleans, sometimes threatened to close the port to Americans. In 1795, President Washington sent Thomas Pinckney to find a way to keep the vital port open. In the Pinckney Treaty, Spain agreed to let Americans ship their goods down the Mississippi and store them in New Orleans. For a time, Americans shipped their goods through New Orleans peacefully. In 1800, however, Spain signed a new treaty giving Louisiana back to the French. President Jefferson was alarmed. He knew that the French ruler, Napoleon Bonaparte, had already set out to conquer Europe. Would he now try to build an empire in North America? Jefferson had reason to worry. Napoleon wanted to grow food in Louisiana and ship it to French islands in the West Indies. However, events in Haiti, a French colony in the Caribbean, soon ruined Napoleon's plan. Inspired by the French Revolution, enslaved Africans in Haiti decided to fight for their liberty. Toussaint L'Ouverture (too SAN loo vehr TYOOR) led the revolt. By 1801, Toussaint and his followers had nearly forced the French out of Haiti. Napoleon sent troops to retake Haiti. Although the French captured Toussaint, they did not regain control of the island. In 1804, Haitians declared their independence. Negotiations for Louisiana Jefferson sent Robert Livingston and James Monroe to buy New Orleans and West Florida from Napoleon. Jefferson said they could offer as much as $10 million. Livingston and Monroe negotiated with Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, the French foreign minister. At first, Talleyrand showed little interest in their offer. However, losing Haiti caused Napoleon to give up his plan for an empire in the Americas.He also needed money to pay for his costly wars in Europe. Suddenly, Talleyrand asked Livingston if the United States wanted to buy all of Louisiana, not just New Orleans.
The question surprised Livingston. He offered $4 million. “Too low,” replied Talleyrand. “Reflect and see me tomorrow.”
Livingston and Monroe carefully debated the matter. They had no authority to buy all of Louisiana. However, they knew that Jefferson wanted control of the Mississippi.
They agreed to pay the French $15 million for Louisiana. “This is the noblest work of our whole lives,” declared Livingston when he signed the treaty. “From this day the United States take their place among the powers of the first rank.”
The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 Jefferson hailed the news from France. Still, he was not sure whether the President had the power to purchase Louisiana. He had always insisted that the federal government had only those powers spelled out in the Constitution. The document said nothing about a President having the power to buy land.
In the end, Jefferson decided that he did have the authority to buy Louisiana. The Constitution, he reasoned, allowed the President to make treaties, and buying the Louisiana territory was part of a treaty. Federalists opposed the purchase as unconstitutional and feared it would weaken the other states. But the Democratic Republicans supported it and the Senate approved the treaty. The Louisiana Purchase went into effect. In 1803, the United States took control of the vast lands west of the Mississippi. With one stroke, the size of the nation had almost doubled.Exploring the Louisiana Territory
Few Americans knew anything about the Louisiana territory. In 1803, Congress provided money for a team of explorers to study the new lands. Jefferson chose Meriwether Lewis, his private secretary, to head the expedition, or long voyage of exploration. Lewis asked William Clark to go with him.
Jefferson asked Lewis and Clark to map a route to the Pacific Ocean. He also told them to study the geography of the territory, including:
… climate as characterized by the thermometer, by the proportion of rainy, cloudy, and clear days, by lightning, hail, snow, ice … the dates at which particular plants put forth or lose their flower, or leaf, times of appearance of particular birds, reptiles, or insects.
—Thomas Jefferson, letter to Meriwether Lewis, 1803
Jefferson also instructed Lewis and Clark to learn about the Native American nations who lived in the Louisiana Purchase. These Native Americans carried on a busy trade with English, French, and Spanish merchants. Jefferson hoped that the Indians might trade with American merchants instead. Therefore, he urged Lewis and Clark to tell the Indians of “our wish to be neighborly, friendly, and useful to them.” The Expedition Begins Dozens of adventurous young men eagerly competed to join the expedition. Lewis and Clark judged volunteers on the basis of their character, strength, hunting skills, and ability to survive in the wilderness. In the end, about 50 men made up the “Corps of Discovery.”
By reading this text tell me the answer to this question Identify the issues surrounding the Louisiana Purchase, and the immediate benefits it brought
The issues surrounding the Louisiana Purchase included the need for the United States to control the important port of New Orleans, which was threatened by Spain potentially closing the port to Americans. Additionally, there was concern about French ruler Napoleon Bonaparte potentially building an empire in North America. The immediate benefits of the Louisiana Purchase included securing control over the port of New Orleans and gaining access to the Mississippi River, allowing American farmers to ship their goods more easily. The purchase also doubled the size of the United States.
in bullet points please
- Need for control over the port of New Orleans
- Threat of Spain potentially closing the port to Americans
- Concern over Napoleon Bonaparte attempting to build an empire in North America
- Immediate benefits included securing control over New Orleans and access to the Mississippi River
- Eased the shipping of goods for American farmers
- Doubled the size of the United States.
did you answer the question
Yes, the issues surrounding the Louisiana Purchase included the need to control the port of New Orleans and concerns about potential threats from Spain and Napoleon Bonaparte. The immediate benefits of the Louisiana Purchase were securing control over New Orleans and gaining access to the Mississippi River, which aided American farmers in shipping their goods more easily. Additionally, the purchase doubled the size of the United States.
did you get your answer from the text
Yes, I derived the answer from the information provided in the text.
Lewis and Clark Cross the Plains Eventually the expedition reached the plains of the Midwest. Lewis and Clark marveled at the broad, grassy plains that stretched “as far as the eye can reach.” Everywhere, they saw “immense herds of buffalo, deer, elk, and antelope.”Lewis and Clark's expedition spent its first winter with the Mandan Indians, shown in this illustration crossing a stretch of ice with their sled dogs. As they traveled across the plains, the expedition met people of various Native American nations. Lewis and Clark had brought many gifts for Native Americans, such as “peace medals” stamped with the United States seal. They also brought mirrors, beads, knives, blankets, and thousands of sewing needles and fishhooks. During the first winter, Lewis and Clark stayed with the Mandans in present-day North Dakota. The explorers planned to continue up the Missouri in the spring. The members of the expedition built a fort to live in over the winter. They took the opportunity to repair equipment in preparation for spring's new challenges. The Mandans lived along the upper Missouri River. They grew corn, beans, and squash, and hunted buffalo. During the winter, they helped the explorers find food and hunt buffalo. They also traded with the expedition members. After building canoes, Lewis and Clark's party floated toward the Columbia River into the Pacific Northwest. Finally, on November 7, 1805, Clark wrote in his journal, “Great joy in camp. We are in view of the ocean, this great Pacific Ocean which we have been so long anxious to see.” Lewis and Clark had reached their goal. Viewing the Pacific from present-day Oregon, Lewis and Clark claimed the region for the United States by right of discovery. Not only did Lewis and Clark record their observations in words, they also drew maps and illustrations of the new things they encountered. The return trip to St. Louis took another year. In 1806, Americans celebrated the return of Lewis and Clark. Their journey had been difficult. Clark described some of the storms and high winds he faced as “the most disagreeable time I have experienced.” But the explorers brought back much useful information about the Louisiana Territory, the land now part of the United States. Before Lewis and Clark returned, another explorer set out from St. Louis. From 1805 to 1807, Zebulon Pike explored the upper Mississippi River, the Arkansas River, and parts of present-day Colorado and New Mexico. In November 1806, Pike viewed a mountain peak rising above the Colorado plains. Today, this mountain is known as Pikes Peak.
Continuing southward, Pike entered Spanish territory. Spanish troops soon arrested Pike and his men and took them into present-day Mexico. The Americans were later escorted through Texas back into the United States. The Spanish took Pike's maps and journals, but he was able to hide one map in the barrel of his gun. His report on the expedition greatly expanded Americans' knowledge about the Southwest. The journeys of Pike and Lewis and Clark excited Americans. However, settlers did not move into the rugged western lands for a number of years. As you will read, they first settled the region closest to the Mississippi River. Soon, the territory around New Orleans had a large enough population of American citizens for the settlers to apply for statehood. In 1812, this territory entered the Union as the state of Louisiana.
Reading this answer this question: Identify contributions of the Lewis and Clark expeditions
The contributions of the Lewis and Clark expeditions include:
- Exploration and mapping of the Louisiana Territory and the Western territories of the United States.
- Documentation of the geography, wildlife, and Native American nations encountered during the expeditions.
- Establishing friendly relations with Native American tribes and exchanging gifts of goodwill.
- Claiming the Pacific Northwest for the United States by right of discovery.
- Expanding Americans' knowledge about the vast western lands of the United States.
- Inspiring and exciting Americans about the possibilities and opportunities of the western territories.