He planned on using that money to build a better army and navy. They approached the French with the offer to buy New Orleans, a port city of vital significance to American trade that they worried about France owning. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for SIGNED Roughneck Daddy: A Memoir by Donna F. Orchard, Paperback Louisiana Oil at the best online prices at eBay! The soldiers there were untrained and undisciplined, he lamented, and the whole colony was not worth a straw at the present time. Concluding that the area was valueless, Louis XV gave the territory to his Bourbon cousin Charles III of Spain in 1763. Spain had not yet completed the transfer of Louisiana to France, and war between France and the UK was imminent. . iii. In his initial meeting with Napolon after taking up his Paris post in 1801, Livingston had been warned about Old World ways. [10], In 1803, Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours, a French nobleman, began to help negotiate with France at the request of Jefferson. The British had re-entered the war and France was losing the Haitian Revolution and could not defend Louisiana. Louverture, as a French general, had fended off incursions from other European powers, but had also begun to consolidate power for himself on the island. Why did France want to sell the Louisiana Territory See answers Advertisement Advertisement countsbrycem countsbrycem Answer: to fund its European wars. France had just re-taken control of the Louisiana Territory. The Kingdom of France had controlled the Louisiana territory from 1699 until it was ceded to Spain in 1762. 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. [64], The purchase of the Louisiana Territory led to debates over the idea of indigenous land rights that persisted into the mid 20th century. In 1718, the French established New Orleans, and scant groups of colonists moved in. Livingston wrote to James Madison, "We shall do all we can to cheapen the purchase, but my present sentiment is that we shall buy.". In 1799, he had seized power in a coup d'tat in France and wanted to restore French glory in the Americas. This could weaken Britain's war effort against France and give Napoleon victory. For another, Britain had unofficially offered Joseph a bribe of 100,000 to persuade Napolon not to let the Americans have Louisiana. But the official view was summed up by Antoine de La Mothe Cadillac, whom Louis XIV named governor of the territory in 1710: The people are aheap of the dregs of Canada, he sniffed in a 42-page report to the king written soon after he arrived. Why Did france sell the land Money for War France was currently engaged in a war with Britain. This must have been a wrenching moment for Jefferson, who had long been a Francophile. Barb-Marbois received his orders on April 11, 1803, when Napolon summoned him. Pinckney's Treaty, signed with Spain on October 27, 1795, gave American merchants "right of deposit" in New Orleans, granting them use of the port to store goods for export. When Joseph continued to object, Napoleon shouted, "You are insolent!" 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. On the following day, October 21, 1803, the Senate authorized Jefferson to take possession of the territory and establish a temporary military government. Napoleon's goal: an American empire. This was coupled with the importation of enslaved Africans. [37][38], Effective October 1, 1804, the purchased territory was organized into the Territory of Orleans (most of which would become the state of Louisiana) and the District of Louisiana, which was temporarily under control of the governor and judicial system of the Indiana Territory. 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. [17] The signers were Robert Livingston, James Monroe, and Franois Barb-Marbois. There he confirmed Napolons desire to sell the territory for $22,500,000. But he did manage to sell something that he didnt really have any control overthere were few French settlers and no French administration over the territoryexcept on paper. As for Jefferson, notes historian Cerami, he actually wasnt out to make this big a purchase. According to the Library of Congress, Napoleon did not have enough troops to occupy Louisiana while simultaneously subduing Saint-Domingue. 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. 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 no longer needed Louisiana as a supply depot for the Island of Saint-Domingue. 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. [43] Hopes brought to the transaction experience with issuing sovereign bonds and Barings brought its American connections.[42]. It is the Hudson, the Delaware, the Potomac, and all the navigable rivers of the Atlantic States, formed into one stream.. According to the memoirs of Franois Barb-Marbois, in what was a prophetic statement foreshadowing the American Civil War, Napoleon said, "Perhaps it will also be objected to me, that the Americans may be found too powerful for Europe in two or three centuries: but my foresight does not embrace such remote fears. In mid-April 1803, shortly before Monroes arrival, the French asked a surprised Livingston if the United States was interested in purchasing all of Louisiana Territory. And in 1801, Spain signed a secret treaty with France to return the Louisiana Territory to France. 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. By Edmund Duncan May 31, 2022. The Library of Congress explains how President Thomas Jefferson realized the precariousness of having France as a neighbor. Get the latest History stories in your inbox? The Kingdom of France had controlled the Louisiana territory from 1699 until it was ceded to Spain in 1762. [24], Henry Adams and other historians have argued that Jefferson acted hypocritically with the Louisiana Purchase, because of his position as a strict constructionist regarding the Constitution since he stretched the intent of that document to justify his purchase. Also, Spain's refusal to cede Florida to France meant that Louisiana would be indefensible. Overcoming the opposition of the Federalist Party, Jefferson and Secretary of State James Madison persuaded Congress to ratify and fund the Louisiana Purchase. Why did France agree to sell the Louisiana Territory to the United States? By the time Monroe arrived in Paris on April 12, the situation had, unknown to him, radically altered: Napolon had suddenly decided to sell the entire Louisiana Territory to the United States. Selling the Louisiana territory gave Napoleon a significant windfall from a territory he was probably going to lose anyway. The key to opening the western goal was securing the Mississippi River and the Louisiana Territory. They wrote an enthusiasticletter to Secretary of State James Madison: "An acquisition of so great an extent was, we well Know, not contemplated by our appointment; but we are persuaded that the Circumstances and Considerations which induced us to make it, will justify us, in the measure, to our Government and Country.". Meanwhile, Louisiana, which also became a state after the purchase, remained a slave state, and New Orleans remained a critical hub of the slave trade. When it came to profit and geopolitical importance, Napoleon was far more interested in the Caribbean. In November 1803, France withdrew its 7,000 surviving troops from Saint-Domingue (more than two-thirds of its troops died there) and gave up its ambitions in the Western Hemisphere. Otherwise, Louisiana would be an easy prey for a potential invasion from Britain or the U.S. The Northerners were not enthusiastic about Western farmers gaining another outlet for their crops that did not require the use of New England ports. On April 15, Monroe and Livingston proposed $8 million. 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. [27], Spain protested the transfer on two grounds: First, France had previously promised in a note not to alienate Louisiana to a third party and second, France had not fulfilled the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso by having the King of Etruria recognized by all European powers. Why did the French leave Louisiana? UNDERSTANDABLY, Pierre Clment de Laussat was saddened by this unexpected turn of events. Even in 1803, that was dirt cheap. A picturesque assemblage of French and Spanish colonial architecture and Creole cottages, New Orleans boasted a thriving economy based largely on agricultural exports. Alarmed over the French actions and its intention to re-establish an empire in North America, Jefferson declared neutrality in relation to the Caribbean, refusing credit and other assistance to the French, but allowing war contraband to get through to the rebels to prevent France from regaining a foothold. The Louisiana Purchase is considered one America's most important and prosperous investments. Negotiating with French Treasury Minister Franois Barb-Marbois, the American representatives quickly agreed to purchase the entire territory of Louisiana after it was offered. The main issue for the Americans was free transit of the Mississippi out to sea. Reports of the retrocession caused considerable unease in the United States. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.. 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. . WATCH: Full episodes of The American Presidency with Bill Clinton online now. Livingston replied that hewould be ready to purchase provided the sum was reduced to reasonable limits. Then he rushed home and worked until 3 a.m. writing a memorandum to Secretary of State Madison, concluding: We shall do all we can to cheapen the purchase; but my present sentiment is that we shall buy.. [45] In 2021 dollars, the $15 million purchase price is equivalent to $336.92million. 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. [48], A dispute soon arose between Spain and the United States regarding the extent of Louisiana. The split-screen messaging of Ohio's . [31], Madison (the "Father of the Constitution") assured Jefferson that the Louisiana Purchase was well within even the strictest interpretation of the Constitution. (Louisiana Shaping) That, in turn, would have meant our ideas on freedom and democracy would have carried less weight with the rest of the world. [5], In 1798, Spain revoked the treaty allowing American use of New Orleans, greatly upsetting Americans. (Livingston) Napoleon intended to gain money by selling Louisiana. The treaty also recognized American rights to navigate the entire Mississippi, which had become vital to the growing trade of the western territories. [26] The Federalists also feared that the power of the Atlantic seaboard states would be threatened by the new citizens in the West, whose political and economic priorities were bound to conflict with those of the merchants and bankers of New England. The Louisiana Purchase was one of history's greatest bargains, a chance for the United States to buy what promised to be one of France's largest and wealthiest territories and eliminate a. Jefferson considered a constitutional amendment to justify the purchase; however, his cabinet convinced him otherwise. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), ordered to negotiate with French Finance Minister Barb-Marbois, https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/louisiana-purchase. [40], To pay for the land, the American government used a mix of sovereign bonds and the assumption of French debts. But by the time Victor assembled enough men and ships in January 1803, ice blocked the Dutchport, making it impossible for him to set sail. Yet each also is navigating a fine line on how to address election fraud conspiracies as they gear up campaigns for U.S. Senate or governor in 2024. [30], Other historians counter the above arguments regarding Jefferson's alleged hypocrisy by asserting that countries change their borders in two ways: (1) conquest, or (2) an agreement between nations, otherwise known as a treaty. [22] In 1804 Haiti declared its independence; but fearing a slave revolt at home, Jefferson and the rest of Congress refused to recognize the new republic, the second in the Western Hemisphere, and imposed a trade embargo against it. France had surrendered its North American possessions at the end of the French and Indian War. 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. [46], Because Napoleon wanted to receive his money as quickly as possible, Barings and Hopes purchased the bonds for 52 million francs, agreeing to an initial 6 million franc payment upon issuance of the bonds followed by 23 monthly payments of 2 million francs each. French historians point out that Napolon had several reasons for this decision. In the end, Barings and Hopes acquired the $11.25 million in bonds for just $9.44 million. If we had not made this purchase, it would have pinched off the possibility of our becoming a continental power, he says. Jefferson, as a strict constructionist, was right to be concerned about staying within the bounds of the Constitution, but felt the power of these arguments and was willing to "acquiesce with satisfaction" if the Congress approved the treaty. 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 .The emergence of a vastly larger British North America might also have made it easier to confine slavery within the southern states. But the focal point of the celebrations is Louisiana itself. To Napoleon's line of thinking, if the United States took control of Louisiana, then it would deny Britain the opportunity of conquering it. Monroe, along with the minister to France, Robert Livingston, made the inquiry. Everybody who has taken grade-school history knows the story. The Louisiana Purchase had major consequences for the United States. All these soldiers needed to be fed, housed, and paid. Both present-day Arkansas and Missouri already had some slaveholders in the 18th and early 19th century. 3 Reply frenchchevalierblanc 5 yr. ago France had lost Louisiana in the 1760s to Spain. He took possession of the whole Mississippi River basin, he avowed, in the name of the most high, mighty, invincible and victorious Prince, Louis the Great, by Grace of God king of France and Navarre, 14th of that name. And it was in honor of Louis XIV that he named the land Louisiana. As detailed by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Americans believed that the acquisition and settlement of new lands to the west were critical to the future development of the country. In January 1802, France sent General Charles Leclerc on an expedition to Saint-Domingue to reassert French control over a colony that had become essentially autonomous under Louverture. But if Haiti was under the control of the slaves, his plan was for naught. A slaves life in Haiti was usually short and miserable. Napoleon wanted its revenues and productivity for France restored. Louisiana had never been considered one of New Spain's internal provinces. There is on the globe one single spot, Jefferson wrote, the possessor of which is our natural and habitual enemy. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! The Real Reason France Sold The Louisiana Territory To The United States, National Museum of American History/Wikimedia Commons, National Archives and Records Administration/Wikimedia Commons. Out of anger towards Spain and the unique opportunity to sell something that was useless and not truly his yet, Napoleon decided to sell the entire territory. In fact, Talleyrand was intruding on a deal that Napolon had assigned to the French finance minister, Franois de Barb-Marbois. They also feared that this would lead to Western states being formed, which would likely be Republican, and dilute the political power of New England Federalists. The Louisiana Territory, in Napolons view, was useful mainly as a granary for Saint Domingue. 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. On April 12, 1803, Franois Barb-Marbois met with the Americans. COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) The Republican secretaries of state in Ohio, West Virginia and Missouri have promoted their states' elections as fair and secure. Slavery was now legal in Missouri, and the new state added pro-slave members to Congress. 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. He also realized that with Britain's superior naval power, it would be relatively easy for them to take Louisiana at will. I renounce Louisiana. Both Federalists and Jeffersonians were concerned over the purchase's constitutionality. Slaves were routinely terrorized in a race-based social order. To France, it was a backwater sort of like owning Mediterranean Avenue in Monopoly. In 1802 Bonaparte forced Spain to return Louisiana to France in the secret Treaty of San Ildefonso. Bruce Kauffmann is a historian, syndicated columnist, author, and speaker. Charles A. Cerami, author of Jeffersons Great Gamble, agrees. Manifest destiny was in full effect. He argued that the three-year term of the 1795 treaty that had granted America this right and free passage through Spanish territory on the Mississippi had expired. Napoleon Bonaparte sold the land because he needed money for the Great French War. U.S. officials feared that France, resurgent under the leadership of Napoleon Bonaparte, would soon seek to dominate the Mississippi River and access to the Gulf of Mexico. But the resourceful Barb-Marbois had an answer for that too. Laussat, standing on the balcony of the town hall, burst into tears. Also, many Federalists were speculators in lands in upstate New York and New England and were hoping to sell these lands to farmers, who might go west instead, if the Louisiana Purchase went through. What was known at the time as the Louisiana Territory stretched from the Mississippi River in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west and from the Gulf of Mexico in the south to the Canadian border in the north. One man is everything.. It was the first and only time that a slave revolt had seen such success, and this epochal event in San-Domingue is linked with the Louisiana Purchase. are incalculable, warned the U.S. vice-consul in New Orleans, Williams E. Hulings, in a dispatch to Secretary of State James Madison. Why did France sell Louisiana to the US? For more than a century after La Salle took possession of it, the Louisiana Territory, with its scattered French, Spanish, Acadian and German settlements, along with those of Native Americans and American-born frontiersmen, was traded among European royalty at their whim. Thomas Jeffersonand his cabinet, themselves terrified of a French presence so close to the United States, used this conundrum as an opening. The money would also be immediately useful to finance his wars. Gentlemen, he announced, think what you please about it. Start your free trial today. As for the ever-succinct Thomas Jefferson, he wasted little time on rhetoric. By the middle of the 18th century, France controlled more of the present-day United States than any other European power: from New Orleans northeast to the Great Lakes and northwest to modern-day Montana. [28], Henry Adams claimed "The sale of Louisiana to the United States was trebly invalid; if it were French property, Bonaparte could not constitutionally alienate it without the consent of the French Chambers; if it were Spanish property, he could not alienate it at all; if Spain had a right of reclamation, his sale was worthless. 20 Why did France no longer need Louisiana quizlet? All the way to the Pacific. The French loss of Saint-Domingue sent a shudder through the world. Southern Quarterlynotes, "What is often remembered as a remarkably 'peaceful' transfer of land was in fact predicated on events of enormous violence that took place in the Caribbean.". The Lewis and Clark expedition followed shortly thereafter. From this day the United States take their place among the powers of the first rank., It wasnt until July 3 that news of the purchase reached U.S. shores, just in time for Americans to celebrate it on Independence Day. Acquiring the territory doubled the size of the United States. Napoleon may have sought to liberate Quebec from British rule, attacking the British in Upper Canada (modern Ontario). Why did France sell Louisiana : to finance the conquests. As it turns out, France, or more accurately its ruler Napoleon Bonaparte, had some good reasons for doing it. But if it werent for a slave rebellion, Louisiana wouldnt be part of the United States at all. Throughout the second half of the 18th century, the French colony of Louisiana became a pawn for European political intrigue. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. When Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from France, he altered the shape of a nation and the course of history. So many slaves died of yellow feverand ill treatment that the entire slave population turned overevery 20 years, and slaves were held in subjugation through a strict caste system. Joseph A. Harriss But by April 27, he was saying that $15 million was as low as Napolon would go. Recent post: Does Cu Sell Alcohol? Thomas Jefferson [60] With tensions increasing with Great Britain, in 1809 Fort Bellefontaine was converted to a U.S. military fort and was used for that purpose until 1826.
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