LA Purchase Document Analysis exercise
1. What was Jefferson requesting from members of Congress in his January 18, 1803 message?
Was his request met? Be specific.
In this secret message of January 18, 1803, President Jefferson asked Congress for $2,500 to
explore the West-all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
“The river Missouri, and the Indians inhabiting it, are not as well-known as is rendered desirable by their
connexion [sic.] with the Mississippi, and consequently with us. It is, however, understood, that the country
on that river is inhabited by numerous tribes, who furnish great supplies of furs and peltry to the trade of
another nation, carried on in a high latitude, through an infinite number of portages and lakes, shut up by ice
through a long season. The commerce on that line could bear no competition with that of the Missouri,
traversing a moderate climate, offering according to the best accounts, a continued navigation from its
source, and possibly with a single portage, from the Western Ocean, and finding to the Atlantic a choice of
channels through the Illinois or Wabash, the lakes and Hudson, through the Ohio and Susquehanna, or
Potomac or James rivers, and through the Tennessee and Savannah, rivers. An intelligent officer, with ten
or twelve chosen men, fit for the enterprise, and willing to undertake it, taken from our posts, where they
may be spared without inconvenience, might explore the whole line, even to the Western Ocean, have
conferences with the natives on the subject of commercial intercourse, get admission among them for our
traders, as others are admitted, agree on convenient deposits for an interchange of articles, and return with
the information acquired, in the course of two summers. Their arms and accoutrements, some instruments
of observation, and light and cheap presents for the Indians, would be all the apparatus they could carry,
and with an expectation of a soldier's portion of land on their return, would constitute the whole
expense….While other civilized nations have encountered great expense to enlarge the boundaries of
knowledge by undertaking voyages of discovery, and for other literary purposes, in various parts and
directions, our nation seems to owe to the same object, as well as to its own interests, to explore this, the
only line of easy communication across the continent, and so directly traversing our own part of it. The
interests of commerce place the principal object within the constitutional powers and care of Congress, and
that it should incidentally advance the geographical knowledge of our own continent, cannot be but an
additional gratification. The nation claiming the territory, regarding this as a literary pursuit….The
appropriation of two thousand five hundred dollars, "for the purpose of extending the external commerce of
the United States," while understood and considered by the Executive as giving the legislative sanction,
would cover the undertaking….”
Congress agreed to fund the expedition that would be led by Meriwether Lewis and William
Clark.
2. Why do you think Jefferson’s January 18, 1803 message to Congress had to be confidential?
Explain your answer.
At the time, the territory did not belong to the United States—thus, the Lewis and Clark
expedition was of a questionable/illegal character.
3. According to Jefferson what was the purported purpose of Lewis and Clark’s expedition?
In order to disguise the questionable (illegal) character of the Lewis and Clark expedition,
Jefferson obtained authorization from Congress under the pretense that it was merely a
scientific exploration and, as he described it, “a literary pursuit”.
4. What was the purpose of Jefferson’s special message to the Senate on 10/17/1803? In other words, what
“matters of great public concernment have rendered [Jefferson’s calling the Senate into an extraordinary
session] necessary”?
Jefferson was laying before the Senate the conventions with France for the cession of the province of
Louisiana to the United States.
Jefferson:
“The enlightened Government of France saw with just discernment the importance to both nations of such
liberal arrangements as might best and permanently promote the peace, friendship, and interests of both,
and the property and sovereignty of all Louisiana which had been restored to them have on certain
conditions been transferred to the United States by instruments bearing date the 30th of April last. When
these shall have received the constitutional sanction of the Senate, they will without delay be communicated
to the Representatives also for the exercise of their functions as to those conditions which are within the
powers vested by the Constitution in Congress.”
The Senate needed to ratify the agreements.
The House had to authorize/appropriate the additional $13million to fund the purchase
Jefferson:
“With the wisdom of Congress it will rest to take those ulterior measures which may be necessary for the
immediate occupation and temporary government of the country; for its incorporation into our Union; for
rendering the change of government a blessing to our newly adopted brethren; for securing to them the
rights of conscience and of property; for confirming to the Indian inhabitants their occupancy and self–
government, establishing friendly and commercial relations with them, and for ascertaining the geography of
the country acquired. Such materials, for your information, relative to its affairs in general as the short space
of time has permitted me to collect will be laid before you when the subject shall be in a state for your
consideration….”
“Should the acquisition of Louisiana be constitutionally confirmed and carried into effect, a sum of nearly
$13M will then be added to our public debt…. I cannot but hope that Congress in reviewing their resources
will find means to meet the intermediate interest of this additional debt without recurring to new taxes, and
applying to this object only the ordinary progression of our revenue. “
The Senate eventually ratified the treaty by a vote of 26 - 5.
5. What was the purpose of the “provisional appropriation” of $2 million according to Jefferson in
his 10/17 message?
“the provisional appropriation of $2M…, intended as part of the price, was considered as conveying the
sanction of Congress to the acquisition proposed.”
6. What was the purpose of Jefferson’s message to the Senate on 10/21/1803?
To inform the members that “Conventions had been entered into with the Government of
France for the cession of Louisiana to the United States” and to draw their attention to the
fact “that some important conditions cannot be carried into execution but with the aid of the
Legislature, and that time presses a decision on them without delay.”
Jefferson sought to draw the attention of Congress to the fact that, with the treaty going into
effect, they needed to make provisions for “the occupation and government of the country”
and to “make such temporary provisions for the preservation in the meanwhile of order and
tranquillity in the country as the case may require,” at least until permanent arrangements for
such could be made.
7. What was the purpose of Clairborne’s proclamation to the people of Louisiana?
SEE #8 (UNDERLINED)
8. Which documents actually made up the “Louisiana Purchase”?
The Louisiana Purchase Agreement is made up of the Treaty of Cession and the two conventions regarding the
financial aspects of the transaction.
One convention had the US Government agree to pay France $12 million (or 60 million francs)
The other Convention fixed the payment of the debts due by France to citizens of the United States.
Treaty of Cession: France ceded/transferred to the US its title to the domain and possession of
(that is full and perpetual sovereignty) to the LA Territory with all the rights that come with such titlel
and possession.
US gained possession of public lots and Squares, vacant lands and all public buildings,
fortifications, barracks and other edifices which are not private property as well as all the
archives, papers & documents relative to the domain and Sovereignty of Louisiana and
its dependances.
French/Spanish troops would evacuate military posts with the Territory and US
would occupy them.
In addition, The inhabitants of the ceded territory shall be incorporated in the Union of the
United States and admitted as soon as possible according to the principles of the federal
Constitution to the enjoyment of all these rights, advantages and immunities of citizens of
the United States, and in the mean time they shall be maintained and protected in the
free enjoyment of their liberty, property and the Religion which they profess.
US had to honor all treaties and agreements entered into between France/Spain and the Amerindians
inhabiting the territory.
Port of New Orleans was open to France/Spain and France was granted “most favored nation” status
within the territory.
9. How did the U.S. actually pay for the Louisiana Territory?
The U.S. paid between 50-60 million francs at 1:5 (franc: dollar ratio) amounting to between $1012 million ($11,250,000) through the sale/issuance of stock at 6% return, plus cancellation of
debts worth 18 million francs ($3,750,000), for a total sum of 15 million dollars (less than 3 cents
per acre) for the Louisiana territory ($233 million in 2011 dollars, less than 42 cents per acre).
“The debts due by France to citizens of the United States…Shall be paid according to the following
regulations [at 6% interest rate]…. The debts….annexed to the present Convention….The principal
and interests of the Said debts Shall be discharged by the United States….debts…due to citizens
of the United States who have been and are yet creditors of France for Supplies for embargoes and
prizes made at Sea, in which the appeal has been properly lodged….”
The United States acquired between 529,911,680-529,920,000 acres (828,000 square miles)
10. Compare the interpretive accounts written by Earle and Zinn.