Louisiana Purchase?

Question

1) Why did the Louisiana Purchase match Jefferson's vision for America?
2) Originally, what did he want to purchase and what did Napoleon offer him in the negotiations with our ambassadors?
3) How was the Lewis and Clark expedition that followed both a scientific and a political foray into unchartered territory?

Answer 1

1) Jefferson had a goal of a coast to coast world power. The Louisiana Purchase was a cheap way to cut the needed land to achieve that goal in half. He also agreed wholeheartedly with Monroe's idea that European powers in the western hemisphere did not bode well for America. The purchase effectively removed a very powerful France from the Americas.
2)Originally, Jefferson wanted to purchase New Orleans and as much land from there east along the southern seaboard as possible. Napoleon's counter-offer was for more money, but for far more land stretching far north to present day Canada and even further west. He did so to fund his expansionist wars in Europe.
3) Lewis and Clark's scientific achievements were mostly in the area of finding new plant and animal life that didn't exist back east, but they also created a lot of hype for settlement as far west as possible. This was a great political victory for the country because it contributed to Jefferson's goal for a coast to coast nation.

Answer 2

On question 3, political foray into uncharted territory. Some of the real estate that L&C crossed was claimed by Spain. In fact Spainish soldiers tried to intercept L&C as they were crossing said territory. L&C and Jefferson were anticipating possible Spanish interferance. But the 2 parties,(L&C and Spanish patrols sent to find them) never ran into each other. 30 years later, America went to war with Mexico over land that Mexico had inherited from Spain after the Mexican Revolution 1820 or so. The U.S. wanted the land Mexico had in order to bring Jefferson's vision of an ocean to ocean America. Jefferson of course was dead and buried by then.

Answer 3

1. Jefferson wanted to expand as much of America as possible

2. Livingston was sent to purchase the port of New Orleans,but Napoleon was losing the war and needed funds so he offered 530,000,000 acres at the cost of about 3¢ per acre (7¢ per ha); totaling US$15 million or ₣80 million. Including interest, America finally paid $23,213,568 for the Louisiana territory


3. many thought that Jefferson was a fool and that all he had purchased was a vast waste land and lewis and clck proved that it wasn't proving that jefferson had made a brilliant buy

Answer 4

You should be looking this up in your history book but :
1) Thomas Jefforson wished to expand America and when given the oppurtunity, he took it.

2) They were at first going to buy a much smaller land, but when offered more land, they accepted.

3) Scientifically they recieved much data and information about the animals, plants, land. Politically, it disproved the "Great American Desert"....

These are out of memory, so I'm sorry if they are partially wrong.

Answer 5

Wheres louisiana?