SanJaya Reed
Mr. McCormick
AP US History 4A
January 19, 2015
Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase was a very imperative moment during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency. He concluded that he would buy all 827,000 square miles of Louisiana, land west of the Mississippi River, for approximately 15 million dollars in 1803. Jefferson knew about the rights of the federal government and the strict interpretation in the Constitution, but regardless he still continued on with the Purchase of Louisiana. During that time, it was said to be unconstitutional. Even though having felt that The Constitution didn’t include any provisions for obtaining territory, Jefferson wanted to purchase Louisiana because he felt troubled over
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Yet, Jefferson violated the acts of Sedition and the federalist’s Alien. By accomplishing the Louisiana Purchase, Jefferson, overturned his principles against strict interpretation of powers. The agreement was not precisely listed as a direct right of the federal government in the Constitution. Violating his constitutional principles, Jefferson indicated that the Constitution would accept the purchase of new territories, and the creation of newly acquired territories as conclusive states, and he also used a certain perspective of the executive branches powers by using the President and the Senate’s power to accept the deal together without the need of Congress’s approval. Also, powers that aren’t authorized to the United States in the Constitution, constrained by it to the States, are subsequently for the people or the States. Since the power of buying land isn’t directly admitted to the Federal Government in the Constitution, the tenth amendment states that the Federal Government doesn’t have the power to purchase land. Jefferson also believed that the Federal government shouldn’t spend money if they did not have it, and the Louisiana Purchase very much contributed to the insufficiency. Thus violating at his own risk, he purchased Louisiana
One of the most influential decisions made in the history of The United States was the infamous Louisiana Purchase. The Louisiana Purchase was a deal made in 1803 between Napoleon, a French emperor and Thomas Jefferson, the current leader of America, in acquiring a whopping 825,000 square acres of land. This investment would double the amount of land and profit America would hold. 15 states were eventually created from the land deal and became one of the few greatest occurrences during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency. Although this opportunity seemed undeniably beneficial, many other citizens at the time, most often Federalists, exposed the numerous flaws that came with this transaction.
The Federalists opposed the Louisiana Purchase due to political reasons. In document B it states, “The cowardly wretch at their head [Jefferson]”. This quote displays how low the Federalists thought of Jefferson. The document also states, “an infernal pleasure in the utter destruction of his opponents”, showing that Jefferson is thought of as a man with demonic pleasures against the Federalists. Further reasoning is that if they denied him an amendment to buy Louisiana, he would be stuck in a dilemma.
I agree that Jefferson feared all southern states would be at Napoleon’s mercy if he settled in New Orleans. However, Napoleon’s intentions of the New World backfired as yellow fever, other diseases, and rebels revolting assisted in Napoleons decision to cut his losses. Furthermore, I also want to add that another reason the Louisiana Purchase came about was because Jefferson envisioned a country large enough for all descendants and felt the land of America allowed this, but Jefferson realized the nation’s current condition was too small. Therefore, he knew if he could somehow acquire rights to the land west of the Mississippi, it would provide people with enough land to prosper forever.
"I confess I look to this duplication of area for the extending of a government so free and economical as ours, as a great achievement to the mass of happiness which is to ensue” Jefferson stated after the purchase. Jefferson’s attempts during his Presidency to lower government spending did not align with this huge government purchase. Yet, this was an undeniably good deal and now Jefferson needed Congressional approval and funding. Fisher Ames, a former Federalist Congressman said, “we are to give money of which we have too little for land of which we already have too much.” Only one Federalist supported ratification, but on October 20, 1803, the Senate passed the treaty to approve the Louisiana Purchase and the House authorized the funding, doubling the size of the United States and securing America’s future expansion westward.
Also they could build many factory's and things on the land. -Thomas Jefferson's role in the Louisiana purchase was that he doubled the size of thee United States because of his political beliefs. 3. What is sectionalism and how did it hurt the United States?
Hello Mr. President Can I hear how you felt about this offer! “Yes!.... When I got word that James and Robert had bought the Louisiana territory I was pleased because the size of the country had doubled”. That 's good...right. “Well yes I had overlooked the constitution and it never said I couldn 't buy the land from France, but the I knew that the purchase would change the nation, I overcame the thought though and knew I did have the authority to buy the land from France”.
Jefferson worked effectively with Congress, unlike Jackson who had a turbulence relationship with them. Jefferson restored freedom of the press through expiration of the Alien and Sedition Act and drastically cut the federal government, giving more individual self-government. He reduced the national debt about 25%. He purchased the Louisiana territory from France in 1803, known as the Louisiana Purchase, and doubled the size of the United States. Jackson idealized an economy of the small farmers, and by killing the Second Bank of the United States, a private institution that held Federal funds, he put in power the state and local banks.
As president of a new country, Thomas Jefferson was forced to assert his authority and make difficult decisions he felt necessary to promote a strong and unified nation. In 1803, he made a decision that created much philosophical controversy at the time, but is said to be one of his greatest achievements as president. Though Jefferson was criticized for abandoning his strict Republican beliefs in purchasing the Louisiana territory, he did not actually desert his political ideals because he took into account his notions of individualism’s necessity to a nation, an agrarian-based society, and the Constitution’s allowance for acquiring new territory. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States which was an essential aspect to the individualism of the country. Jefferson believed vast amounts property was critical to develop Republican citizens because with more land came more independence and responsibility.
While the supporters of Thomas Jefferson believe that buying foreign land was necessary, those who are against him feel that what he did was unconstitutional. In the source, “Thomas Jefferson to John Breckinridge, 12 August 1803”, the text explains that what Jefferson did was allowed, as it had not mentioned that he couldn’t in the constitution. This controversy is huge, because some people believe that he did not have the right to do so. Jefferson made a point that it wasn’t mentioned in the constitution, so he decided to ratify it and pay for it. Some believe congress did not have the right to authorize this decision.
The Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase was land in North America owned by the French and bought by the United States. Thomas Jefferson the current president in 1803 along with other U.S. ministers, negotiated with France for the purchase of the Louisiana territory. Not everyone agreed with the purchase since the U.S. was already in national debt; yet the buying of the Louisiana territory had more pros than cons. Once the territory joined the U.S., it would expand the USA land by twice its original size.
The Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana purchase was one of the biggest land purchases in history. In 1803, the United States paid around $15 million dollars for around 800,000 square miles of land. This was arguably the greatest achievement of thomas jefferson’s presidency. The louisiana territory was a wild card in the european game of imperialism.
The Federalists obviously opposed the Louisiana Purchase for political reasons, not practical because they hated Thomas Jefferson. "I am disgusted with the men who now rule us. The coward at the head [Jefferson] is like a French Revolutionary," (Pickering, 1803) stated Timothy Pickering in a letter to Rufus King. This shows, clearly, that federalists only care about opposing Thomas Jefferson, not opposing the Louisiana Purchase. Most federalists, although some had very good reasons for opposing the constitution, only cared about hatred for Mr. Jefferson and with that hatred for all of his ideas.
When Jefferson was president, he bought the Louisiana Territory, even though he believed in a
The Louisiana Purchase was the purchase of the Louisiana territory by the United States from France in 1803. The U.S. paid fifty million dollars and a cancellation of debts worth eighteen million dollars which averages to less than three cents per acre. The Louisiana territory included land from fifteen present U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. The territory contained land that forms Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska, portions of Minnesota, large portions of North Dakota; large portions of South Dakota, parts of New Mexico, the northern portion of Texas, the area of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado. The Louisiana Purchase was smart move by the United States.
Jefferson’s dilemma in the Louisiana Purchase In April of 1803 Thomas Jefferson was faced with many moral dilemmas in the process of buying the Louisiana territory. Though the price for the territory was beyond generous, Jefferson felt that by purchasing the territory he would be going against his beliefs that the constitution should be followed word for word. The constitution said nothing of the president having the power to purchase land from another government, or to use money of the states for the same purpose (“the moral dilemma”). Another problem was once the land was purchased, there was a fear that it could have been a waste since they had no way to know the layout of the land, and what it would be useful for.