This, together with the successful French demand for an indemnity of 150 million francs in 1825, severely hampered Haiti's ability to repair its economy after decades of war. Also, Spain's refusal to cede Florida to France meant that Louisiana would be indefensible. The purchase included land from fifteen present U.S. states and two Canadian provinces, including the entirety of Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska; large portions of North Dakota and South Dakota; the area of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado east of the Continental Divide; the portion of Minnesota west of the Mississippi River; the northeastern section of New Mexico; northern portions of Texas; New Orleans and the portions of the present state of Louisiana west of the Mississippi River; and small portions of land within Alberta and Saskatchewan. This was emphasized when in the memoir of Franois Barb-Marbois, Napoleon gave up his claim to the territory saying, "Irresolution and deliberation are no longer in season. As a result, Napoleon's view of Louisiana transformed from that of an outpost to that of a poker chip, ready to cash in. "[19] On July 4, 1803, the treaty was announced,[20] but the documents did not arrive in Washington, D.C. until July 14. [3] The western borders of the purchase were later settled by the 1819 AdamsOns Treaty with Spain, while the northern borders of the purchase were adjusted by the Treaty of 1818 with Britain. . Intent on avoiding possible war with France, Jefferson sent James Monroe to Paris in 1803 to negotiate a settlement, with instructions to go to London to negotiate an alliance if the talks in Paris failed. France was slow in taking control of Louisiana, but in 1802 Spanish authorities, apparently acting under French orders, revoked a U.S.-Spanish treaty that granted Americans the right to store. The press joined the fray. Critics in Congress worried whether these "foreigners", unacquainted with democracy, could or should become citizens. Lucien said that the legislative chambers of the French government would not approve it, to which Napoleon replied that he would do it without their consent. If we had not made this purchase, it would have pinched off the possibility of our becoming a continental power, he says. Acquiring the territory doubled the size of the United States. As quoted by Smithsonian Magazine, historian Charles A. Cerami said, "If we had not made this purchase, it would have pinched off the possibility of our becoming a continental power." As farmers headed into the newly created Missouri territory with their slaves, lawmakers tussled over the issue of which parts should have slavery. 'Sale of Louisiana') was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. The French loss of Saint-Domingue sent a shudder through the world. France needed money to finance wars. It was even subject to a speculative bubble which ruined fortunes. But almost before Laussat had learned to appreciate a good gumbo and the relaxed Creole pace of life, Napolon Bonaparte had abruptly decided to sell the territory to the United States. The risk of another power taking it from a weakened Spain made a "profound reconsideration" of this policy necessary. As France and the United States negotiated the Louisiana purchase, Haiti became an independent country run by the victorious former slaves. [1][2] More recently, the total cost to the U.S. government of all subsequent treaties and financial settlements over the land has been estimated to be around 2.6 billion dollars. Her work has appeared in outlets like The Washington Post, National Geographic, The Atlantic, TIME, Smithsonian and more. A. i only B. i and iv only C. ii and iii only Livingston and Monroe were only authorized to spend up to $10 million for the purchase of New Orleans and West Florida. Acquisition of Louisiana was a long-term goal of President Thomas Jefferson, who was especially eager to gain control of the crucial Mississippi River port of New Orleans. Why did France want to sell the Louisiana Territory See answers Advertisement Advertisement countsbrycem countsbrycem Answer: to fund its European wars. I renounce it with the greatest regret. As Napolons foreign minister, Talleyrand customarily demanded outrageous bribes for diplomatic results. [5], Following the establishment of the United States, the Americans controlled the area east of the Mississippi and north of New Orleans. However, Livingston was certain that the United States would accept the offer.[16]. The bank then turned over ownership of the Louisiana Territory to the United States in return for bonds, which were repaid over 15 years at 6 percent interest, making the final purchase price around $27 million. A group of Northern Federalists led by Senator Timothy Pickering of Massachusetts went so far as to explore the idea of a separate northern confederacy. LA History Chapter 8 Test Review Flashcards | Quizlet He was compelled to do so primarily because France urgently needed funds for an imminent war with Britain. What's more, as described by Medium, the French ruler believed that a more powerful United States was better for France. All Rights Reserved. The First Consul happened to be sitting in his bath when his brothers arrived. Aside from the obvious drive for conquest by Napoleon, he knew that when war started between the two countries, Britain would attempt to take Louisiana. Why Did France Sell the Land - The Louisiana Purchase In order to finance his dreams of conquest, Napoleon needed money to finance his military operation, which had been growing in an arms race with Britain. If Napoleon's designs had succeeded, perhaps his decision to abandon Louisiana would be looked at in history as a bit more shrewd than it seemed at first blush. "Napoleon, Jefferson, and the Louisiana Purchase. See chapter iii, "Treaty Ceding Louisiana to the United States" (1803 ff.). Though the Americans then countered with $12.7 million, the deal was struck for $15 million on April 29. French policy makers had felt for some time that Frances possessions in the Antilles would inevitably be contaminated by Americas idea of freedom and would eventually take their own independence. The Louisiana Purchase was an incredible deal for the United States, the final cost totaling less than five cents per acre at $15 million (about $283 million in today's dollars). He could not or did not see the value in sending troops to defend worthless Louisiana, not with Saint-Domingue out of the equation. [61], During the War of 1812, Great Britain hoped to annex all or at least portions of the Louisiana Purchase should they successfully defeat the U.S. Aided by their Indian allies, the British defeated U.S. forces in the Upper Mississippi; the U.S. abandoned Forts Osage and Madison, as well as several other U.S. forts built during the war, including Fort Johnson and Fort Shelby. The American representatives were prepared to pay up to $10million for New Orleans and its environs but were dumbfounded when the vastly larger territory was offered for $15million. The confederations that are called perpetual, only last till one of the contracting parties finds it to its interest to break them, and it is to prevent the danger, to which the colossal power of England exposes us, that I would provide a remedy. A seascapeportrays the Marquis de Lafayettes ship La Victoire setting sail to carry him across the Atlantic in 1777 to fight in the American Revolution. While this strategy was successful at first, by 1803, disease and heavy casualties forced the French to withdraw. In 1802 Bonaparte forced Spain to return Louisiana to France in the secret Treaty of San Ildefonso. Without the profits from Saint-Domingue, it did not make sense to try to defend the sprawling Louisiana Territory, and Napoleon was worried about the British. The land which was bought from France, virtually doubled the area of the United States, cost only 15 million dollars and gave the US security against development by the French. The crunch came for Jefferson in October 1802. Why did France want to sell the Louisiana Territory? Privacy Statement [21] The Louisiana Territory was vast, stretching from the Gulf of Mexico in the south to Rupert's Land in the north, and from the Mississippi River in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west. Today, the 31st parallel is the northern boundary of the western half of the Florida Panhandle, and the Perdido is the western boundary of Florida. Twelve years before, he had returned from a five-year stint as American minister to Paris, shipping home 86 cases of furnishings and books he had picked up there. The many court cases and tribal suits in the 1930s for historical damages flowing from the Louisiana Purchase led to the Indian Claims Commission Act (ICCA) in 1946. With the failure to retake Saint-Domingue and the inevitability of renewed war between France and Britain, Napoleon refigured his political calculus. This was the key to our international influence., The bicentennial is being celebrated with yearlong activities in many of the states fashioned from the territory. Thomas Jefferson In 1800, Napoleon, the First Consul of the French Republic, regained ownership of Louisiana as part of a broader effort to re-establish a French colonial empire in North America. It would have seemed unthinkable for France to cede any of its colonial territories before 1791. The Louisiana Purchase (1803) was a land deal between the United States and France, in which the U.S. acquired approximately 827,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River for $15 million . Cookie Settings, Five Places Where You Can Still Find Gold in the United States, Scientists Taught Pet Parrots to Video Call Each Otherand the Birds Loved It, Balto's DNA Provides a New Look at the Intrepid Sled Dog, The Science of California's 'Super Bloom,' Visible From Space, What We're Still Learning About Rosalind Franklins Unheralded Brilliance. [24], The opposition of New England Federalists to the Louisiana Purchase was primarily economic self-interest, not any legitimate concern over constitutionality or whether France indeed owned Louisiana or was required to sell it back to Spain should it desire to dispose of the territory. It was all in a days work at the New Orleans, Louisiana slavemarket, the largest and most lucrative in the pre-Civil War United States. Why did France sell Louisiana ? - French Glimpses But when French forces invaded Haiti in an attempt to restore the original order, the slave rebellion refused to budge. 3 Reply frenchchevalierblanc 5 yr. ago France had lost Louisiana in the 1760s to Spain. Napoleon Bonaparte sold the land because he needed money for the Great French War. This gave Jefferson and his cabinet until October, when the treaty had to be ratified, to discuss the constitutionality of the purchase. The U.S. claimed that Louisiana included the entire western portion of the Mississippi River drainage basin to the crest of the Rocky Mountains and land extending to the Rio Grande and West Florida. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was a temporary solution. The scene caused a servant to faint, and when Lucien lingered to try to argue the point, Napoleon said to his brother that if he opposed him he would break him like a snuffbox which he smashed into the floor. A.to fund its European wars B.to create a North American empire C.to fund its war against Haitian revolutionaries . Answer (1 of 2): Napoleon Bonaparte sold the land because he needed money for the Great French War. By early 1803, Napoleon decided to abandon his plans to rebuild France's New World empire. France was worried Spain would take away the Caribbean. Louisiana Purchase of 1803 | Napoleon Bonaparte of France By early April, 1803, Napoleon Bonaparte had had a change of mind and decided to sell the entire Louisiana Territory. Laussat, standing on the balcony of the town hall, burst into tears. Why did France sell Louisiana : to finance the conquests. Who was president of the U.S. at the time of the Louisiana purchase? His soldiers died on the island and he knew he could not establish control there. By doubling the size of the U.S., the purchase added vast swaths of territory that, pro-slavery advocates argued, should be filled with slaves. In 1801, Spanish Governor Don Juan Manuel de Salcedo took over from the Marquess of Casa Calvo, and restored the American right to deposit goods. By 1860, there weremore than100,000 slaves in Missouri, and slaves were valued at over $44 million (about $112 billion today). Watch: Elon Musk Comes Clean on Why He Bought Twitter As for the ever-succinct Thomas Jefferson, he wasted little time on rhetoric. [43] Hopes brought to the transaction experience with issuing sovereign bonds and Barings brought its American connections.[42]. Another concern was whether it was proper to grant citizenship to the French, Spanish, and free black people living in New Orleans, as the treaty would dictate. The Louisiana Purchase: Why did Napoleon sell? | Bruce Kauffmann He wanted Saint-Domingue and its incredibly profitable sugar and coffee plantations restored and under French control, with the old system reinstated. However, one has to question whether the French ruler considered the consequences of selling France's interest in Louisiana. This respite gave Napoleon breathing room in his failed attempt to recover Saint-Domingue. When Monroe and Livingston were offered the opportunity to buy the entire territory, they could not help but be excited. Hed planned to send troops to Louisiana to take over the colony, which he had received from the Spanish through a secrettreatyin 1800, in the hopes ofusingthe territory as a trade venue for the commodities produced in Haiti. France turned over New Orleans, the historic colonial capital, on December 20, 1803, at the Cabildo, with a flag-raising ceremony in the Plaza de Armas, now Jackson Square. As told by Michigan State University, both of them were shocked when the French minister, Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand, asked how much they would pay for the entire territory. The British had re-entered the war and France was losing the Haitian Revolution and could not defend Louisiana. The sale of Louisiana was a FIRE SALE for France, and specifically, its self-appointed ruler, Napoleon Bonaparte, for these reasons: 1) France had gotten "burned" with her earlier misadventures in North America. There is no people, no legislature, no counselors. Louisiana Purchase Map, Significance & Causes | What Was the Louisiana He had contacts at Britains Baring & Co. Bank, which agreed, along with several other banks, to make the actual purchase and pay Napolon cash. The French government replied that these objections were baseless since the promise not to alienate Louisiana was not in the treaty of San Ildefonso itself and therefore had no legal force, and the Spanish government had ordered Louisiana to be transferred in October 1802 despite knowing for months that Britain had not recognized the King of Etruria in the Treaty of Amiens. The Library of Congress explains how President Thomas Jefferson realized the precariousness of having France as a neighbor. Overcoming the opposition of the Federalist Party, Jefferson and Secretary of State James Madison persuaded Congress to ratify and fund the Louisiana Purchase. We strive for accuracy and fairness. Barings relayed to order to Hopes, which declined to comply, allowing the final payments to be made to France in April 1804. According to Slavery and Remembrance, the French imported nearly 800,000 enslaved Africans to the colony for brutal plantation work in what was one of the most violent slavery systems in the Americas. As slaves killed their masters and occupied and burned their plantations, white people defended themselves, then fled. France worried about an alliance between America and England. Why did France leave Louisiana? "The district of Louisiana changed to the territory of Louisiana". Throughout this time, Jefferson had up-to-date intelligence on Napoleon's military activities and intentions in North America. The French ruler was just about to embark on a series of devastating wars. The rest was history. There is on the globe one single spot, Jefferson wrote, the possessor of which is our natural and habitual enemy. But though the victory eliminated slavery in Haiti, slavery increased in the country that purchased the land Haiti had spooked France into selling. New Orleans and Louisiana west of the Mississippi were transferred to Spain in 1762, and French territories east of the Mississippi, including Canada, were ceded to Britain the next year. UNDERSTANDABLY, Pierre Clment de Laussat was saddened by this unexpected turn of events. As a result of its defeat in the Seven Years' War, France was forced to cede the east part of the territory in 1763 to the victorious British, and the west part to Spain as compensation for Spain losing Florida. From March 10 to September 30, 1804, Upper Louisiana was supervised as a military district, under its first civil commandant, Amos Stoddard, who was appointed by the War Department. At the same time, this territorial expansion also allowed for the growth and expansion of slavery in the United States, which finally culminated in the American Civil War. The French and Indian war cost her Canada and all of her other possessions on the east bank of the Mississippi. But an elated Livingston was aware that nearly doubling the size of America would make it a major player on the world scene one day, and he permitted himself some verbal euphoria: We have lived long, but this is the noblest work of our whole lives, he said. In March 1802, he warned Madison that France intended to have a leading interest in the politics of our western country and was preparing to send 5,000 to 7,000 troops from its Caribbean colony of Saint Domingue (now Haiti) to occupy New Orleans. The money would also be immediately useful to finance his wars. Saint-Domingue was a powder keg, ready to explode. They burned cities, used guerrilla warfare and killed thousands. [51] The dispute was ultimately resolved by the AdamsOns Treaty of 1819, with the United States gaining most of what it had claimed in the west. At the time, Britain and France were at war in Europe, and if France had not sold Louisiana that war would most likely have spread to North America. Otherwise, Louisiana would be an easy prey for a potential invasion from Britain or the U.S. As for France, it never seriously established a colonial presence in the Americas again. Britain and France renewed hostilities on May 18, 1803, shortly after the deal was finalized. Why did France sell Louisiana? The entire economy of Americas Western territories was in jeopardy. Napoleon informed his brothers of the sale and asked for their opinion. i. France was promised control over Canada. [8] In 1801, Jefferson supported France in its plan to take back Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti), which was then under control of Toussaint Louverture after a slave rebellion. What kind of world were Jefferson and Napolon living and working in? This week (May 2) in 1803, the United States and France formally signed the treaty that transferred the Louisiana Territory, including the port city of New Orleans, to the United States for the paltry sum of $11,250,000. As Jefferson had written in April 1802 to the U.S. minister in Paris, Robert R. Livingston, it was crucial that the port of New Orleans remain open and free for American commerce, particularly the goods coming down the Mississippi River. What were some of the benefits of the Louisiana Purchase quizlet Many people believed that he and others, including James Madison, were doing something they surely would have argued against with Alexander Hamilton. Who Owned Louisiana First? - CLJ Children in pens. It hangs not far from a color engraving of the French Declaration of the Rights of Man, which was composed in 1789 by Lafayette with the advice of his American friend Thomas Jefferson. As a result, trappers pelts, agricultural produce and finished goods risked exposure and theft on open wharfs while awaiting shipment to the East Coast and beyond. Napoleon may have sought to liberate Quebec from British rule, attacking the British in Upper Canada (modern Ontario). Selling the Louisiana territory gave Napoleon a significant windfall from a territory he was probably going to lose anyway. There he confirmed Napolons desire to sell the territory for $22,500,000. The Federalists strongly opposed the purchase, favoring close relations with Britain over closer ties to Napoleon. Why did France want to sell the Louisiana Territory? The acquisition of the area would increase the size of the country two-fold; it was one of the largest property proceedings in history, involving more land than today's France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, and the British . [53][54], The eastern boundary of the Louisiana purchase was the Mississippi River, from its source to the 31st parallel, though the source of the Mississippi was, at the time, unknown. It takes a certain amount of chutzpah to think you can establish a global empire, and Napoleon Bonaparte is no exception. The Louisiana Purchase extended United States sovereignty across the Mississippi River, nearly doubling the nominal size of the country. The enlightened government of France saw, with just discernment, he told Congress, with typical tact, on October 17, 1803, the importance to both nations of such liberal arrangements as might best and permanently promote the peace, friendship, and interests of both. But, excited by the commercial opportunities in the West, Jefferson, even before official notice of the treaty reached him, had already dispatched Meriwether Lewis to lead an expedition to explore the territory and the lands beyond. Du Pont was living in the United States at the time and had close ties to Jefferson as well as the prominent politicians in France. The Louisiana Purchase is perhaps the most famous real estate deal in American history. On April 11, 1803, just days before Monroe's arrival, Barb-Marbois offered Livingston all of Louisiana for $15million,[13] which averages to less than three cents per acre (7/ha). That leads to the question as to why on Earth would France sell so much land, or at least the rights to it 828,000 acres for what amounted to 4 cents an acre? Why Did France Sell Louisiana? - CLJ Start your free trial today. You have come to a very corrupt world, Napolon told him frankly, adding roguishly that Talleyrand was the right man to explain what he meant by corruption. [6] The territory nominally remained under Spanish control, until a transfer of power to France on November 30, 1803, just three weeks before the formal cession of the territory to the United States on December 20, 1803.[7]. Thus, the correct answer is option A. With Congress and a vociferous press calling for action, Jefferson faced the nations most serious crisis since the American Revolution. On April 15, Monroe and Livingston proposed $8 million. The lack of instructions and the necessity of consulting ones government are always legitimate excuses in order to obtain delays in political affairs, he once wrote. Why did France sell Louisiana to the US? Napoleon needed peace with Britain to take possession of Louisiana. Barb-Marbois received his orders on April 11, 1803, when Napolon summoned him. As the Library of Congress describes, Saint-Domingue was incredibly valuable. 2), which is just what Jefferson did. How the Louisiana Purchase Changed the World | History| Smithsonian Spain procrastinated until late 1802 in executing the treaty to transfer Louisiana to France, which allowed American hostility to build. The territory's boundaries had not been defined in the 1762 Treaty of Fontainebleau that ceded it from France to Spain, nor in the 1801 Third Treaty of San Ildefonso ceding it back to France, nor the 1803 Louisiana Purchase agreement ceding it to the United States.[49]. Meanwhile, Haitis free black people were organizing. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! In 1796, Spain allied itself with France, leading Britain to use its powerful navy to cut off Spain from America. Her book, The Heroine's Bookshelf (Harper), won the Colorado Book Award for nonfiction. By any measure, it was one of the most colossal land transactions in history, involving an area larger than todays France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Holland, Switzerland and the British Isles combined. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. . Besides, we may hereafter expect rivalries among the members of the Union. Following French defeat in the Seven Years' War, Spain gained control of the territory west of the Mississippi, and the British received the territory to the east of the river. When Jefferson heard rumors of Napolons secret deal, he immediately saw the threat to Americas Western settlements and its vital outlet to the Gulf of Mexico. When it came to profit and geopolitical importance, Napoleon was far more interested in the Caribbean. Why Was The Louisiana Purchase Important - 534 Words | Bartleby France regained sovereignty of the western territory in the secret Third Treaty of San Ildefonso . Explanation: Dont worry about it sweatheart. Why did France agree to sell the Louisiana Territory to the United But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! What did the French call the Louisiana Territory? - 2023 [62] The U.S. later built or expanded forts along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, including adding to Fort Bellefontaine, and constructing Fort Armstrong (1816) and Fort Edwards (1816) in Illinois, Fort Crawford (1816) in Wisconsin, Fort Snelling (1819) in Minnesota, and Fort Atkinson (1819) in Nebraska. This success stuck in Napoleon's craw. Napoleon Bonaparte sold the land because he needed money for the Great French War. ii. Jefferson justified the purchase by rationalizing, "it is the case of a guardian, investing the money of his ward in purchasing an important adjacent territory; & saying to him when of age, I did this for your good." Both present-day Arkansas and Missouri already had some slaveholders in the 18th and early 19th century. On January 1, 1804, Haiti declared its independence. (There is also a portrait of the marquis himself and a 1784 painting by French artist Jean Suau, Allegory of France Liberating America.) Would that make the United States too powerful? Thomas Jeffersonand his cabinet, themselves terrified of a French presence so close to the United States, used this conundrum as an opening.
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