Louisiana Purchase
(1803)
Louisiana Territory
French owned
 Wanted port city
of New Orleans so
frontier farmers
could get crops to
market (by the
Mississippi River).

“A Noble
Bargain”
Jefferson offered to buy New Orleans
from France.
 France no longer interested/worried
about war with Britain over territory
 France sells ALL to Jefferson
 The purchase doubled the size of U.S.

The Purchase Debate
 Some
worried larger country, harder
to govern.
 Politicians worried eastern states
would be outvoted by newly formed
western states.
 Others mad at Jefferson; said buying
territory was unconstitutional.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMh8RCqJf9U