THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE

The Louisiana purchase resulted from the fear that the United States would lose its free trade rights in the Louisiana territory. America had an agreementwith Spain for free trade rights that resulted from Pickney’s treaty of 1795which granted American farmers the right to ship cargoes without payingtolls. Spain granted American merchants the right to transport goods fromNew Orleans to Atlantic ports without paying export duties. Since trading theLouisiana territory to France for land in Europe, Spain no longer controlledthe area there for it voided all agreements for the free trade of America in theLouisiana area. With the fear of losing these rights weighing heavily on theshoulders of the Americans, president Thomas Jefferson sent James Monroeto Europe to try to persuade the British to accept a military alliance should theAmericans need help in the event of war with France over their trade rights. He also sent American minister Robert Livingston to France, he gaveLivingston permission to spend as much as two million dollars to obtain asmuch of the Louisiana territory as he could. Though Livingston was onlygranted two million for this project he spent fifteen million, but he acquiredthe entire Louisiana territory for that price. When he returned to report thedeal to President Jefferson, he was overjoyed at the progress that Livingstonhad reported to him. The Louisiana Purchase did three things, first of all iteliminated an European power from the continent, and it also preventedJefferson from having to form a military alliance with Britain. The purchasealso secured the Mississippi River for free use to transport goods to markets. Finally the Louisiana Purchase literally doubled the size of the United States. There was opposition to the purchase from certain individuals that said thatthe purchase was unconstitutional, this debate kept party lines split. Ignoringthe constitutionality debate Jefferson submitted the purcha...