Louisiana Purchase

Quick Facts: Who was Louisiana Purchase?

Subject:

Louisiana Purchase

Known for:

The 1803 acquisition of vast American territory from France, doubling the US size.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Louisiana Purchase (French: Vente de la Louisiane, lit. 'Sale of Louisiana') was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. This consisted of most of the land in the Mississippi River's drainage basin west of the river. In return for $15 million, or approximately $18 per square mile ($7/km2), the United States nominally acquired a total of 828,000 sq mi (2,140,000 km2; 530,000,000 acres) of land now in the Central United States. However, France only controlled a small fraction of this area, most of which was inhabited by Native Americans; effectively, for the majority of the area, the United States bought the preemptive right to obtain Indian lands by treaty or by conquest, to the exclusion of other colonial powers.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

The Kingdom of France had controlled the Louisiana territory from 1682 until it was ceded to Spain in 1762. In 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte, the First Consul of the French Republic, regained ownership of Louisiana in exchange for territories in Tuscany as part of a broader effort to re-establish a French colonial empire in North America. However, France's failure to suppress a revolt in Saint-Domingue in the Caribbean, coupled with the prospect of renewed warfare with the United Kingdom, prompted Napoleon to consider selling Louisiana to the United States. 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. Jefferson tasked James Monroe and Robert R. Livingston with purchasing New Orleans.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Negotiating with French Treasury Minister François Barbé-Marbois, the U.S. representatives quickly agreed to purchase the entire territory of Louisiana after it was offered. Overcoming the opposition of the Federalist Party, Jefferson and Secretary of State James Madison persuaded Congress to ratify and fund the Louisiana Purchase. The Louisiana Purchase extended United States sovereignty across the Mississippi River, nearly doubling the nominal size of the country. 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. At the time of the purchase, the territory of Louisiana's non-native population was around 60,000 inhabitants, of whom half were enslaved Africans.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1682: 1682 Milestone — The Kingdom of France had controlled the Louisiana territory from 1682 until it was ceded to Spain in 1762.
2. 1800: 1800 Milestone — In 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte, the First Consul of the French Republic, regained ownership of Louisiana in exchange for territories in Tuscany as part of a broader effort to re-establish a French colonial empire in North America.
3. 1803: 1803 Milestone — 'Sale of Louisiana') was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Louisiana Purchase

True or False: “The Louisiana Purchase immediately granted the United States full sovereignty over all Native American lands within the acquired territory.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): For the majority of the area purchased, the U.S. effectively bought the preemptive right to obtain Indian lands through treaty or conquest.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abdulaziz bin Muhammad Al Saud — Historical peer (Died in 1803) (1803): Second ruler of the Emirate of Diriyah and founder of the First Saudi State.
• Albrecht von Roon — Historical peer (Born in 1803) (1803): Prussian general and statesman instrumental in German unification under Prussian leadership.
• 5th Dalai Lama — Historical peer (Died in 1682) (1682): Spiritual and political leader of Tibet, unifying the region under the Ganden Phodrang.
• Bartholomew Roberts — Historical peer (Born in 1682) (1682): Most successful pirate of the Golden Age, known for capturing over 400 prize ships.
• André Chénier — Historical peer (Born in 1762) (1762): Emotive French poet, precursor to Romanticism, tragically linked to the French Revolution.
• Elizabeth of Russia — Historical peer (Died in 1762) (1762): Empress of Russia, known for her construction and opposition to Prussia.
• Alexander Suvorov — Historical peer (Died in 1800) (1800): Brilliant Russian general whose victories defined military prowess in the late 18th century.
• Dutty Boukman — Historical peer (Born in 1800) (1800): Key leader in the Haitian Revolution, formerly enslaved from Senegambia.

Frequently Asked Questions about Louisiana Purchase