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What Is The Louisiana Purchase

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Words 1209
Pages 5
Stephen Walsh
5 July 2015
Professor Allare
HST 111
The Procurement of the Louisiana Territory The Louisiana Purchase was a strategic and diplomatic land acquisition by the United States in 1803 from France. The United States paid $15 million to France in which $3.75 million of that was for a cancellation of debts the United States had with the French. The remaining $11.25 million was left for the actual acquisition of the land. Adjusting for inflation the purchase would’ve cost approximately $240 million in today’s dollars. This vast amount of land purchased was 883,000 square miles with each acre costing approximately three cents. Acquirement of this land left the United States with control of both sides of the entire Mississippi, the vital …show more content…
This disrupted peace along the Mississippi River especially at the vital seaport of New Orleans. This is further explained in an article, “Westward Expansion: The Louisiana Purchase”, in which the website states that, “when France regained control of Louisiana, Napoleon, who had now risen to power in the French Revolution, threatened to block American access to the important port of New Orleans on the Mississippi River.” The economies of the colonies along the Mississippi River depended on trading their goods freely along this major transportation route and France occupying this region severely disrupted that. The disruption was so severe that Thomas Jefferson nearly allied with Britain to force the French to respect their trading route. This possible alliance was extremely desperate because tensions between the United States and Britain were still lingering from the Revolutionary …show more content…
As United States Foreign Minister to France Livingston made minimal direct contact with the First Consul, Napoleon Bonaparte. Instead his negotiations were mainly with French Foreign Minister Charles Talleyrand. Talleyrand was extremely firm in his negotiations and made many rebuffs to Livingston’s propositions. Very little success and leverage with Talleyrand led Livingston to pursue negotiations with Joseph Bonaparte, the First Consul’s older brother. Through talks with Joseph, Livingston began to push the thought of returning the Louisiana Territory to Spain and granting the United States control of New Orleans and Florida. Joseph’s riposte to this proposition surprised Livingston and is elaborated on by author Thomas Fleming in which he states, “Joseph asked Livingston if the United States might prefer to buy Louisiana rather than the Floridas.” This was the first hint of France offering the entire Louisiana Territory to the United States. Fleming goes on to paraphrase how Livingston replies to this offer, “the United States had no desire ‘to extend our boundary’ across the Mississippi. America only sought security, not ‘extension of territory.’” Though Livingston’s negotiations with the First Consul’s brother were unsuccessful in striking a deal, he did get past Minister Talleyrand by informing the Bonaparte brothers of the United States intentions. Also, simultaneously to his discussions with

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