Among Eurocentric circles, the Louisiana Purchase was seen as one of the greatest land deals in history. In 1800, Napoleon, the First Consul of the French Republic, regained ownership of Louisiana as part of a broader effort to re-establish a French colonial empire in North America. It remained in Spanish hands until 1800, when Napoleon Bonaparte negotiated a secret treaty with Spain and took the vast holding back in exchange for tiny Etruria in Northern Italy. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. Why did France decide to sell Louisiana to the U.S.? Many people believed that he and others, including James Madison, were doing something they surely would have argued against with Alexander Hamilton. When the United States found out that instead of Spain as their neighbor, it was to be France under Napoleon with imperial ambitions, the Americans feared that their access to the Mississippi would be cut off. Plans were also set forth for several missions to explore and chart the territory, the most famous being the Lewis and Clark Expedition. But if it werent for a slave rebellion, Louisiana wouldnt be part of the United States at all. Would that make the United States too powerful? Napoleon Bonaparte sold the land because he needed money for the Great French War. The Louisiana Territory was established, as described by Smithsonian Magazine, in 1682, when the French explorer Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, arrived at the mouth of the Mississippi River, put up a cross and column, and declared to a group of puzzled Native Americans that the entire river basin belonged to France. Out of anger towards Spain and the unique opportunity to sell something that was useless and not truly his yet, Napoleon decided to sell the entire territory. Why did France sell the Louisiana Territory to the U.S in 1803? The answer fell into his lap. At the same time, this territorial expansion also allowed for the growth and expansion of slavery in the United States, which finally culminated in the American Civil War. In 1802 Bonaparte forced Spain to return Louisiana to France in the secret Treaty of San Ildefonso. Joseph A. Harriss Advertisement Advertisement mira11111 mira11111 Answer: he needed money for the French War. The problem with Saint-Domingue was that its entire economy was supported by and depended entirely upon slavery. The enlightened government of France saw, with just discernment, he told Congress, with typical tact, on October 17, 1803, the importance to both nations of such liberal arrangements as might best and permanently promote the peace, friendship, and interests of both. But, excited by the commercial opportunities in the West, Jefferson, even before official notice of the treaty reached him, had already dispatched Meriwether Lewis to lead an expedition to explore the territory and the lands beyond. Napoleonic France Acquires Louisiana Why did . The Kingdom of France had controlled the Louisiana territory from 1699 until it was ceded to Spain in 1762. [citation needed], In Saint-Domingue, Leclerc's forces took Louverture prisoner, but their expedition soon faltered in the face of fierce resistance and disease. Francis Baring's son Alexander and Pierre Labouchre from Hopes arrived in Paris in April 1803 to assist with the negotiations. [17] The signers were Robert Livingston, James Monroe, and Franois Barb-Marbois. The Lewis and Clark expedition followed shortly thereafter. The money would also be immediately useful to finance his wars. Louverture, as a French general, had fended off incursions from other European powers, but had also begun to consolidate power for himself on the island. Why Did Spain Give Louisiana Back To France? - CLJ Napoleon wanted its revenues and productivity for France restored. 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. However, one has to question whether the French ruler considered the consequences of selling France's interest in Louisiana. [39] New Orleans was the administrative capital of the Orleans Territory, and St. Louis was the capital of the Louisiana Territory. [37][38], Effective October 1, 1804, the purchased territory was organized into the Territory of Orleans (most of which would become the state of Louisiana) and the District of Louisiana, which was temporarily under control of the governor and judicial system of the Indiana Territory. With the failure to retake Saint-Domingue and the inevitability of renewed war between France and Britain, Napoleon refigured his political calculus. Federalists tried to block the purchase by claiming the land belonged to Spain and not France. [citation needed], Governing the Louisiana Territory was more difficult than acquiring it. As it turns out, France, or more accurately its ruler Napoleon Bonaparte, had some good reasons for doing it. Despite a clubfoot and what contemporaries called his dead eyes, he could be charming and witty when he wantedwhich helped camouflage his basic negotiating tactic of delay. This was the key to our international influence., The bicentennial is being celebrated with yearlong activities in many of the states fashioned from the territory. [53][54], The eastern boundary of the Louisiana purchase was the Mississippi River, from its source to the 31st parallel, though the source of the Mississippi was, at the time, unknown. The entire economy of Americas Western territories was in jeopardy. . It takes a certain amount of chutzpah to think you can establish a global empire, and Napoleon Bonaparte is no exception. This week (May 2) in 1803, the United States and France formally signed the treaty that transferred the Louisiana Territory, including the port city of New Orleans, to the United States for the paltry sum of $11,250,000. Intent on avoiding possible war with France, Jefferson sent James Monroe to Paris in 1803 to negotiate a settlement, with instructions to go to London to negotiate an alliance if the talks in Paris failed. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.. It would have seemed unthinkable for France to cede any of its colonial territories before 1791. French policy makers had felt for some time that Frances possessions in the Antilles would inevitably be contaminated by Americas idea of freedom and would eventually take their own independence. In 1796, Spain allied itself with France, leading Britain to use its powerful navy to cut off Spain from America. The Northerners were not enthusiastic about Western farmers gaining another outlet for their crops that did not require the use of New England ports. But by April 27, he was saying that $15 million was as low as Napolon would go. Alarmed over the French actions and its intention to re-establish an empire in North America, Jefferson declared neutrality in relation to the Caribbean, refusing credit and other assistance to the French, but allowing war contraband to get through to the rebels to prevent France from regaining a foothold. Part or all of 15 states were eventually created from the land deal, which is considered one of the most important achievements of Thomas Jeffersons presidency. "Napoleon, Jefferson, and the Louisiana Purchase. France needed money to finance wars. Slavery was now legal in Missouri, and the new state added pro-slave members to Congress. The History of the Louisiana Purchase - ThoughtCo And the price, $15 million, or about four cents an acre, was a breathtaking bargain. He also realized that with Britain's superior naval power, it would be relatively easy for them to take Louisiana at will. The Louisiana Purchase: Why did Napoleon sell? | Bruce Kauffmann