The Louisiana Purchase
The Greatest Land Deal
in the History of the United States!
Where Was the Original
Louisiana Territory?
The Order of Claiming the Louisiana
Territory!
• First: Native Americans
• Second: French
• Third: British
• Third: Spanish
• Fifth and Final: Americans
Native Americans
• 14,000 years ago —
Native Americans
began to occupy the
lower Mississippi
Valley.
Mississippi mound builders
Shape Shifting
France held claim for 80 years.
Shape Shifting
Spain held claim for 38 years.
Napoleon Bonaparte
• Napoleon wanted control
over the Louisiana
Territory.
• This would halt the
westward expansion of the
United States and would
supply French colonies in
the West Indies with the
goods they needed.
The BIG Secret
• 1800 — Secretly, King
Charles IV of Spain, sells
ALL of Louisiana,
including New Orleans,
back to France
Shape Shifting
France held claim for 3 years.
Thomas Jefferson
Meanwhile….back in the
U.S.A.
1801
• The U.S. ended on the
eastern banks of the
Mississippi River.
Mississippi River
Allegheny Mountains
• Florida was governed by
Spain
• Americans felt they could
trade more by following the
Ohio and Mississippi rivers
down to the Gulf of Mexico.
Ohio River
Spanish
Florida
Jefferson’s Plan
• He was determined to
obtain the vital trading port
of New Orleans
• After discovering the sale
of Louisiana to France,
Jefferson decides to buy
New Orleans and Florida.
• Jefferson sent Minister to
France Robert Livingston
to purchase the land
• The French said, “No!” the
first time.
Port of New Orleans (1870)
Toussaint L’Overture
Florida
Haiti
The
West
Indies
He’s leading a rebellion in Haiti with the French.
War’s cost money!
Jefferson Persists
• Jefferson send James
Monroe to make a deal
for Florida and New
Orleans. $2 Million.
• French Minister
Talleyrand declines
• Napoleon later changes
his mind because
France needs $$$$.
He says, “How about all
of Louisiana?”
James Monroe, Minister
to Spain and France
Jefferson Acts Quickly
President Thomas Jefferson
• Jefferson asks
Congress for $10
million.
• James Monroe offers
the money to
Talleyrand, he
counteroffers $15
Million.
• Jefferson agrees
without receiving
permission from
Congress
What Jefferson Got
$15,000,000!
• April 30, 1803 -The
United States is now
one of the largest
Nations in the world for
$15 million
A Sweet Deal!
The sale included over
600 million acres at a
cost of less than 3
cents an acre. Today
that’s the better part of
13 states!
- No blood shed and it
opened up the land
west of the Mississippi
River.
The Heart of America:
New Lands to Explore
The Lewis and Clark Expedition 1804-1806