why did france sell louisiana

I renounce it with the greatest regret. The Louisiana Purchase opened up a new can of worms in the United Stateshow much of the new territory should be open to slavery? Or, as Jefferson put it in his usual understated way, The fertility of thecountry, its climate and extent, promise in due season importantaids to our treasury, an ample provision for our posterity, and a wide-spread field for the blessings of freedom., American historians today are more outspoken in their enthusiasm for the acquisition. I require a great deal of money for this war [with Britain]., Thierry Lentz, a Napolon historian and director of the Fondation Napolon in Paris, contends that, for Napolon, It was basically just a big real estate deal. In addition, the DunbarHunter Expedition (18041805) explored the Ouachita River watershed. By the sale, Napolon hoped to create a huge country in the Western Hemisphere to serve as a counterweight to Britain and maybe make trouble for it., On April 11, when Livingston called on Talleyrand for what he thought was yet another futile attempt to deal, the foreign minister, after the de rigueur small talk, suddenly asked whether the United States would perchance wish to buy the whole of the Louisiana Territory. We strive for accuracy and fairness. But the resourceful Barb-Marbois had an answer for that too. New Orleans and Louisiana west of the Mississippi were transferred to Spain in 1762, and French territories east of the Mississippi, including Canada, were ceded to Britain the next year. As detailed by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Americans believed that the acquisition and settlement of new lands to the west were critical to the future development of the country. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. As a result, Thomas Jefferson instructed James Monroe and Robert Livingston to purchase New Orleans in 1802. The Real Reason France Sold The Louisiana Territory To The United While this was just a rumor, he had made up his mind to sell the territory. He was in a hurry to get some money for the depleted French treasury, although the relatively modest price shows that he was had in that deal. This made it difficult, when compared to Britain, to obtain the necessary money to wage large-scale wars. The British would have likely garrisoned New Orleans and would have occupied it for a very long time because they and their ally Spain did not recognize any treaties and land deals conducted by Napoleon since 1800, especially the Louisiana Purchase. The eastern boundary below the 31st parallel was unclear. [4] New Orleans was already important for shipping agricultural goods to and from the areas of the United States west of the Appalachian Mountains. 3 Reply frenchchevalierblanc 5 yr. ago France had lost Louisiana in the 1760s to Spain. A slaves life in Haiti was usually short and miserable. Barings relayed to order to Hopes, which declined to comply, allowing the final payments to be made to France in April 1804. High around 75F. What kind of world were Jefferson and Napolon living and working in? In legislation enacted on October 31, Congress made temporary provisions for local civil government to continue as it had under French and Spanish rule and authorized the President to use military forces to maintain order. On the following day, October 21, 1803, the Senate authorized Jefferson to take possession of the territory and establish a temporary military government. While this strategy was successful at first, by 1803, disease and heavy casualties forced the French to withdraw. When Joseph continued to object, Napoleon shouted, "You are insolent!" 8 Things You May Not Know About the Louisiana Purchase - History First, an empowered United States could effectively act as a formidable rival to Britain. [58] In a freedom suit that went from Missouri to the U.S. Supreme Court, slavery of Native Americans was finally ended in 1836. 20 Why did France no longer need Louisiana quizlet? There was no arguing with Napoleon, who would, after all,crown himself Emperor in 1804. "Napoleon, Jefferson, and the Louisiana Purchase. France worried about an alliance between America and England. [citation needed], After the early explorations, the U.S. government sought to establish control of the region, since trade along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers was still dominated by British and French traders from Canada and allied Indians, especially the Sauk and Fox. The Lewis and Clark expedition followed shortly thereafter. According to the Library of Congress, the Louisiana Territory was mainly ignored by the French government and remained unprofitable. [31], Madison (the "Father of the Constitution") assured Jefferson that the Louisiana Purchase was well within even the strictest interpretation of the Constitution. France turned over New Orleans, the historic colonial capital, on December 20, 1803, at the Cabildo, with a flag-raising ceremony in the Plaza de Armas, now Jackson Square. Browman, David L (2018). [3] The western borders of the purchase were later settled by the 1819 AdamsOns Treaty with Spain, while the northern borders of the purchase were adjusted by the Treaty of 1818 with Britain. Laussat, standing on the balcony of the town hall, burst into tears. According to the Library of Congress, Napoleon did not have enough troops to occupy Louisiana while simultaneously subduing Saint-Domingue. Napoleon Bonaparte sold the land because he needed money for the Great French War. Spains King Charles IV finally got around to signing the royal decree officially transferring the territory to France, and on October 16, the Spanish administrator in New Orleans, Juan Ventura Morales, who had agreed to administer the colony until his French replacement, Laussat, could arrive, arbitrarily ended the American right to deposit cargo in the city duty-free. Jefferson ultimately came to the conclusion before the ratification of the treaty that the purchase was to protect the citizens of the United States therefore making it constitutional. [8] In 1801, Jefferson supported France in its plan to take back Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti), which was then under control of Toussaint Louverture after a slave rebellion. Washington University in St. Louis Press. Even though Europeans had ostensibly laid claim to Louisiana for centuries, it remained largely undeveloped, with few wanting to move there. The problem with Saint-Domingue was that its entire economy was supported by and depended entirely upon slavery. France wanted to sell the Louisiana Territory to raise funds for Napoleon Bonaparte's war effortsin Europe and to cut its losses in the Americas after losing its colony of Saint-Domingue (Haiti).

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