The Purchase of Louisiana - Research Paper Example

?Louisiana Purchase Louisiana was a territory in central United s that remained under the control of Europeans powers even after the United s gained its independent from the British. The territory was initially under the Spanish control before it came under the French control. The purchase of Louisiana was vital to the United States economic integration since it separated the western states from the eastern states. By the year 1803, France claimed 828, 000 square miles that formed the controversial Louisiana. To obtain the territory from the French, the US had to pay nearly 60 million francs, which is equivalent to $11, 250, 000. In addition, the US government had to cancel a $ 3,650, 000 owed by France. Louisiana had become a major issue in the European history following the defeat of the Britain by France. This essay will therefore analyze the acquisition of Louisiana by the United States and its implication on the European political history. The city of Orleans was strategically located on river Mississippi and, hence it provided a good control point for activities that took place in the waterways. It acquisition was therefore significant to the US economy during that time. The main reason why the United States needed to acquire the territory is that, it was the easiest channel to the Gulf of Mexico. River Mississippi was vital to the United States economy since it served as an entry point for goods leaving United States and goods coming into the country (Ziegler 1988, 85). During that time, the country heavily depended on water transport, as it did not have access to other transport system. The US depended on the Mississippi waterway to transport most agricultural products such as tobacco and cotton from the upper states. The rights to be able to navigate through rivers Mississippi and Ohio were therefore significant the United States (United States. Dept. of State, 1905, 122-125). The United States also needed to control the region in order to reduce the financial cost that it was incurring due to the French and Spanish control over the area. Initially US merchants had to pay hefty sums of money as tax in order to use the Mississippi and Ohio waterways. The US government therefore needed to gain control over the city in order to boost its trade balance by reducing the operation cost incurred by merchants from the country. Other than trade, the US population was expanding rapidly due to the large number of immigrants who were settling into the country from Europe. The US therefore, needed to expand its territory in order to achieve its expansion ambitions. The high population growth also had a direct influence on the United States’ economy. The US government therefore needed to be aggressive in the acquisition of land for its citizens. The acquisition of Orleans proved to the world that the United States had become fully independent from European powers. The Spanish and French forces that controlled the region posed a major threat for the expansion of the United States; the US needed to acquire the territory in order to end their control over the region. The acquisition marked the end of the western frontier enabling the country’s expansion to the west coast. France entered into war with other European powers from 1792 to 1795 under the leadership of Napoleon. The French forces were fighting in both the European and American frontiers. During the war, France incurred heavy costs that may have pushed Napoleon to sell off Louisiana to the Americans. The French army also suffered heavy casualties and this forced Napoleon to sell the territory to the Americans. The sale of Louisiana came at a time when the French army was preparing for war against the British in the northern frontier. To maintain the war Napoleon needed finances to pay the army and to provide essential supplies to the French soldiers. The French army also lacked appropriate military hardware that the government needed to acquire in order to maintain the war. During the war, Napoleon needed to control his army and the newly acquired control over Europe. This indicates that he had to take good care of his military by availing the required funds. Although European powers had to struggle in order to acquire territories in the newfound land, it was difficult to maintain such territories. This indicates that France was in a major dilemma over Louisiana due to the efforts they had applied in order to acquire the territory. The French army had also suffered heavy casualties and therefore Napoleon lacked enough troops to deploy in Louisiana. In addition, Napoleon considered Louisiana as a risk. This is because he could not resist the British navy from taking the territory following the effects that previous wars had on his army. The ever-expanding American army also posed a major threat to the already weakened French army (Tim 1995, 159). Selling the territory to the Americans was therefore the easiest way-out for Napoleon. The sale of Louisiana did not end the French domination over new world since France was still controlling Mexico and some territories in the Latin America (Purchas 1996, 124). Theses territories were more significant to the French than Louisiana was. The sale of Louisiana seemed as an easy way of generating the money needed by Napoleon to maintain other territories in the new world. Of these territories, Mexico was the most important to Napoleon. Thomas Jefferson was the leader behind the acquisition of Louisiana from the French. The Louisiana deal is considered as the biggest land deal that has ever been executed throughout the world’s history. The issue of whether Jefferson acquired Louisiana through his tactical negotiation skills or he was lucky has remained to a controversial issue. This is because the deal was significant to both France and the United States. The deal was also significant to other allies of the two powers such as Spain and Britain. The sale of Louisiana to the United States came at a time when the French government was experiencing a financial crisis. France therefore needed quick money in order to solve the financial crisis affecting the country. This indicates a luck factor that promoted the acquisition of Louisiana by the US. The French were also experiencing military inadequacy following their involvement with the Napoleon led French war. This meant that Napoleon was unable to sustain Louisiana both financially and militarily. This presented an opportunity to Jefferson for the acquisition of Louisiana. In addition, Napoleon had long declared his interests to disposes off Louisiana. This was mainly because Britain their main rival had forced them from most of their profitable land in Canada and Newfoundland. The Louisiana territory was the only critical territory that was still under French authority. Napoleon believed that the British had interests in Louisiana in order to increase their control over the Americas. These factors presented an opportunity to Jefferson for acquiring Louisiana from the French. Acquisition of Louisiana from France did not entirety depend on luck but also Jefferson’s negotiation tactics. According to the total price paid for the territory, Jefferson acquired Louisiana for only 42 cents per acre. In addition, the Americans used part of the debt that they were owed by France as a settlement for the total price they needed to pay for the territory (Herring 2008, 78). This proves that Jefferson had good negotiation skills that enabled him to acquire the territory for the United States. In 1801, Jefferson sent his envoy to France to negotiate their interest over Louisiana. During this negotiations, American diplomats heavily relied on the fact that the US would be forced to form an alliance with the French enemies if Napoleon was unwilling to sell off the territory. Jefferson used the threat as a critical negotiation tactic to enhance their interest over Louisiana. This was critical to the United States since France had previously signed a secret treaty with Spain over Louisiana ownership. The Haitian slave revolt is considered as the biggest conflict between slaves and their masters throughout the world history. The Haitian slave revolts were significant to the US acquisition of Louisiana. Initially Louisiana was under the leadership of Spain. The Spanish merchants were the main dealers in slave trade. This made Louisiana to have the highest number of slaves in the US (Thomas 2003, 67). Following the Haitian slave revolts, the French feared that Louisiana would also experience similar revolts. In addition, the number of slaves greatly outnumbered the French settlers who lived in the region. The weakened French army was also incapable of handling a slave uprising. Their lack of capacity to contain any slave uprising promoted the French to dispose off the territory to the US. Conclusion The purchase of Louisiana was significant to the economic and political history of the United States. This is because the US would only control Orleans if it possessed the territory from the French. Orleans was critical since it connected the US to the rest of the world through the Mississippi and Ohio waterways. The acquisition of Louisiana from the French was realized through Jefferson’s tactical negotiation skill and due to the French financial position. Napoleon decided to dispose the territory to the US government in order to protect the country’s interest against British invasion. Napoleon also needed money to finance his military activities. The Haitian slave rebellion also promoted the French to sell Louisianan to the US government due to their lack of capacity to contain such rebellion. Bibliography Herring, George. 2008. From Colony to Superpower: U.S. Foreign Relations since 1776. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Purchas, Francis. 1969. The Sword of the Republic: The United States Army on the Frontier 1783–1846. New York: Macmillan. Thomas, Fleming. 2003. The Louisiana Purchase. New York: John Wiley and Sons. Tim, Matthewson. 1995. Jefferson and Haiti: The Southern History. New York: Pocket Books. United States. Dept. of State. 1903. State papers and correspondence bearing upon the purchase of the territory of Louisiana. New York: Govt. Print. Office. Ziegler, Philip. 1988. The Sixth Great Power: Barings 1762–1929. London: Collins. Read More