Louisiana Purchase was one of the biggest land transaction in our antiquity. In the year 1803, United States compensated around the ballpark figure of fifteen million dollars for over eight hundred thousand miles of estate. This purchase was one of his most glorified deal that he ever made but also posed a major philosophical dilemma
for Jefferson.
He was against the strong, central government but felt it
was necessary in terms of abroad affairs. When the National Bank was created he totally departed from it.
They used the elasticity of the clause (Art 1, sec. 8, Clause 18). He felt that all the aptitude given to the
National Bank was not declared in the constitution. He strongly concluded if it were not declared in the Constitution
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Jefferson believed in a very
strict and rigid interpretation towards the Constitution. Like his Republic principles, Jefferson believed
that government must act within the stated boundaries of the Constitution. He believed whole
heartedly that the Constitution should be honored and not violated. Jefferson believed that it had to
be rigorously interpreted.
Why did Jefferson feel this deal was so necessary, because in 1801, Spain and France signed a classified
treaty ceding Louisiana to France? France suddenly posed a potential threat to America. There was fear
that if America did not purchase New Orleans from France, it could lead to a conflict. He believed it would
help America secure the water way passage to the Gulf of Mexico. Jefferson also believed that it would double
the body of America and become the predominant force to contend with.
Therefore, Jefferson sent envoys to France to try and secure its purchase for two million dollars. Instead, they
returned with an agreement to buy the entire Louisiana territory. In the document Jefferson sent to
Robert R Livingston 0n 18th April, 1802. He clearly states that the territories while it belonged to
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In another letter Jefferson sends to John C. Breckinridge on 12 August 1803 clearly states that he was
fully aware that he used the Executive powers casting the Legislature behind. Again in his words “it is a
case of a guardian investing the money of his ward in purchasing an important adjacent territory and
saying to him when of age, I did this for your good”. Jefferson fully agrees that he has crossed his line
but at the same time recapitulates that “their act will confirm and not weaken the Constitution”. The Louisiana Purchase seems to have strained his belief in circumscribed government. The Legislative Branch did
not accommodate with the French Government. It did not endorse the sale. The treaty and understanding to
purchase Louisiana was decided by the Executive Branch alone. It was evident to Jefferson though that the
purchase of the Louisiana Territory was crucial for peace and prosperity of United States. It is here
where the political dilemma might have caused a moral hesitancy in Jefferson. Luckily, the people of the
United States basically agreed that this was an excellent deal for the country. With the acquisition of this new
Jefferson’s election in 1800 marked the first peaceful transfer of power between political parties in U.S. history. This showed that the country could transition power without getting into violence or conflict. Jefferson believed in limited government and states rights, which means that he thought the federal government should have less power and the states should have more. Jefferson's purchase of the Louisiana land in 1803 doubled the size of the United States and expanded executive power by allowing the President to make large land purchases without approval from Congress.
War was Jefferson's last resort as he hated conflict and moving eastward would almost guarantee bringing about it. Although Thomas Jefferson went into his presidency in 1800 with these strong ideas, he ended up pursuing many Federalist beliefs similar to those of Alexander Hamilton, his opponent of the opposing party during the election, due to certain circumstances that arose during his term. For example, he sent a naval fleet to Tripoli and also repealed the Embargo Act with France and Britain which were both against his ideals. He also kept many Federalist officials in office and even used a Federalist tax plan. On a much larger scale, Jefferson bought Louisiana and all the territory west of it from Napoleon.
John Quincy Adams’ decision to support the Louisiana Purchase put him at odds with the Federalist party and his colleagues in the Senate. His religious faith and faith in the future prosperity of the country (westward expansion) inspired his decision to vote “yes” on the Louisiana Purchase—a controversial proposition as the only Federalist that supported the acquisition. “His guiding star was the principle of Puritan statesmanship his father had laid down many years before: ‘The magistrate is a servant not of his own desires, not even of the people, but of his God’”. Nevertheless, the Puritan principle drove Adams to vote for the Embargo Act of 1807 as well, ultimately costing him his seat in the Senate. “The country is so totally given
Also, Jefferson completely ignored his original views when confronted with the purchase of the Louisiana Territory. The Louisiana Territory was a large mass of land acquired from France in 1803. Napoleon wanted to sell the land due to the fact that he no longer saw the possibility of a French Empire in North America, so he planned on selling it to the United States. Jefferson completely agreed to the purchase. However, many saw this as unconstitutional as the Constitution does not explicitly allow the government to purchase foreign
Jefferson was now able to get Congress’s approval of the Louisiana Purchase, at least through the eyes of the people.
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.
Barry Balleck says Jefferson believed people could be more easily influenced or manipulated by higher class members when large cities developed, which would soon happen if he did not expand the country. Jefferson firmly believed the decency of people
The Louisiana purchase was almost denied with the vote being 59-57. The Louisiana
Jefferson was shameful when submitting the treaty to the Senate and admitted the purchase was
Jefferson had bought it without knowing what is out there that is why he sent Lewis and Clark to explore the land or
Neglecting the fact that there is no article within the Constitution authorizing him to acquire land, Jefferson used Napoleon’s distraction (which was the conquest of Europe) to buy the Louisiana territory. It helped Napoleon to get rid of his New World worries. Napoleon compared this settlement to saying to your child when they are of age, “I did this for your good. I pretend to no right to bind you, you may disavow me, and I must get out of the scrape as I can. I thought it my duty to risk myself for you” which is a quote found in Document
Thomas Jefferson had made decisions in order to find a way to make foreign policies with the interaction of America and the rest of the world
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 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.
France came back with the counter offer of the whole Louisiana territory for a little more than a nickle a square mile (“background”). This was an offer that would be very beneficial to capitalize on, yet it went against Thomas Jefferson’s beliefs in the