Research Paper On Louisiana Purchase

The Louisiana Purchase set a dangerous precedent as the President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, and Congress ignored the constitution when agreeing to purchase the territory. This purchase of land violated the limitations that Thomas Jefferson and Republicans had fought for while the Federalist party was in control of the Presidency and Congress. However, the political climate of France, Spain and the United States set the stage for Jefferson to violate his strict constructionist beliefs, which allowed the Louisiana Purchase.

Thomas Jefferson during his time in office faced many challenges with the new country. One major challenge and one of the biggest accomplishments during his presidency was the Louisiana Purchase. This turned out to be a huge issue for Jefferson because of the ordeals and the way he wanted to run the government. This was a major conflict in interest for Jefferson because he was a strict constitutionalist and followed it word for word. In the end what he did was completely overstep his powers as president doing what he feared would happen by purchasing the Louisiana territory without any approval from congress for 15 million dollars.

In my personal opinion, the moral dilemma that Jefferson faced resided in political reality. Jefferson had always advocated a very strict platform of Republican values up until this point. This position had been seen early on in his disagreements with Alexander Hamilton in President Washington's cabinet. In the election of 1800, Jefferson was able to articulate a new type of government that was filled with Republicanism. Jefferson took office and acted as if he was the epitome of Republican values. Republicans believed that the role of government needed to decrease. Jefferson tried to minimize federal control through reducing its reach and scope. He pursued a laissez- faire approach to governance in his time as President, which meant that

There were both positive and negative components of westward expansion from 1800 to 1875. By the late of 1800s, the land of the United States was mostly purchased. In seventy five years, the United States continuously expanded westward, which was encouraged by the idea of Manifest Destiny. New land in the United States led to more economic, social, and political opportunities. Gaining more land also led to disputes between the states and wars with other countries. Between 1800 and 1875, America continuously expanded westward through the acquisition of new land; there were both favorable and unfavorable consequences and outcomes of westward expansion.

Our third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, had great intentions when he was elected into the presidency. The actions that took place during his eight years in office reflect the principles that Jefferson believed in, and that is what he wanted to achieve.

In America’s history there have been many events or times that have in a way changed and shaped how we live today. The Louisiana Purchase could be recognized as one of the best and most impressive real estate purchases of Thomas Jefferson’s past. Also, this purchase could be looked at as one of the most important events in America’s past. Many historians would agree on this, but many opinions would be different on the fact if this purchase was actually worth the buy or not. Even Jefferson himself would have some doubts about the purchase.

The Conflict with that was that France claimed the Mississippi Valley and the Ohio River Valley. They gained control over this land by the exploration of the French explorer Rene Robert Cavalier and Sieur de la Salle. From Canada La Salle moved through an area called the Great Lakes and then after descending the Mississippi River in the year 1682. They took the possession of the land by the name of the king of France and all of the lands that was drained by the river and all of its tributaries.

Thomas Jefferson faced a moral dilemma and had to contemplate many factors when deciding whether to execute the deal for the expansion of the newly formed country by the Louisiana Purchase. These factors include the cost of buying into the Louisiana Purchase and associated debt, funding a foreign country overseen by a dictator, and differing opinions and concerns from the American people about the potential purchase.

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. Beginning in the 17th century, France discovered the Mississippi River valley and established scattered settlements in

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.

George Washington’s presidency did couple key things. First, it established the unwritten rule that a President was only supposed to serve two terms in office. This unwritten rule was only ever broken by Franklin Roosevelt during WW II, and it later became an Amendment to the Constitution. Second, Washington talked at great length about isolationism in his farewell address, specifically citing that America should avoid foreign entanglements in Europe.

The Louisiana Purchase was a purchase of the Louisiana Territory bought by President Thomas Jefferson from France without saying anything to anyone except he had the help of Robert R. Livingston, and James Monroe, who went to France to make the deal for Louisiana Territory. Jefferson bought approximately 827,000 square miles of land for $15 million dollars. This was the biggest purchase that had been ever made. He thought this was the best decision for the future growth of the United States. This purchase of the Louisiana Territory seemed like a good thing for the United States, but not everyone was happy about it. They didn’t like that Jefferson bought this much land for this much money without consulting anyone. Jefferson wasn’t surprised by the people’s anger, and knew that there was a rule in the Constitution that he had broken. Despite the people’s backlash at Jefferson, he never doubted his actions to purchase the Louisiana Territory.

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. What's more

The territory of Louisiana was purchased from France for fifteen million dollars during Thomas Jefferson’s presidency in 1803. The Louisiana territory “stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada and from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains” (Give Me Liberty, Eric Foner, pg 310). This purchase “doubled the size of the United States…and Federalists were appalled” because the United States gave money

* On April 14th 1743, Thomas Jefferson was born in Albemarle County Virginia. [TheWhiteHouse] *Thomas Jefferson wrote the declaration of independence [Bober 114] * On July 4, 1776 the Declaration of independence was signed by all of the colonies except New York. On July 9 New York agreed to adopt the Declaration