The Louisianna Purchase
...s port.(www.lsm.crt.state.la.us/cabildo) The United States needed New Orleans to make sure its’ right to sail vessels down the Mississippi River, through Spanish land to unload goods at New Orleans port for shipment to Atlantic Coast and Europe. Mainly, this territory extended all of our necessary trading routes. In April 1803 , days before James Monroe was to be in Paris Napoleon made an offer America could not refuse. By selling the entire Louisiana territory it doubled the United States’ size and Robert Livingston and James Monroe accepted the deal for $15 million, only 4 cents an acre. Pierre Clement de Laussat was told by Spain on November 30, 1803 to transfer the territory the next day in the Sala Capitular in the Cabildo. Laussat became governor of Louisiana twenty days later and made a new town council.(www.lsm.crt.state.la.us/cabildo) On December 20,1803 William Charles Claiborne and General James Wilkinson signed the transfer document with Laussat, officially handing over the whole Louisiana territory to America. The Untied States then realized they had no idea as to what existed on the land they bought, which extended from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and from the Mississippi River to Handlin,3 the Rocky Mountains. America had definitely expanded and increased their land a huge amount. President Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the vast territory in 1804. This exploration became legendary to the United States as the famous Lewis and Clark expedition.(www.sec.state.la.us/purchase.worldview.htm) The Purchase of Louisiana was named “the most important real estate deal in history”. Thomas Jefferson had chosen James Monroe because he was an officer in the Continental Army, Virginia legislator, a congressman and political ally of Jefferson, who knew Monroe would make the right decision. Robert Livingston was actually handicapped as he had a hearing disorder and his “imperfect command” if the French language continually played his skills and foresight. Livingston’s brother, Edward, would later become a representative of Louisiana in Congress. There were some legal issues in President Jefferson’s mind because it was “such an extensive territorial acquisition.” Barbe Marbois was banned from France, but Bonaparte brought him back as first minister of the Treasury in 1801. Marbois made the sale to America, accepting Jefferson’s bonds as the $15 million.(www.sec.stae.la.us/purchase/worldview.htm) In April 15, 1803 Lewis makes statements about soup, “portable soups in my opinion forms one of the most intriguing articles in this preparation, and fearing that it can not be procured readily in such quantity as is requisite, I have in order to save time.” He felt deeply about having food during his expedition that would last long and save time. He ordered 200 pounds of canned soup , each can only costing a dollar. Thomas Jefferson wrote Captain Lewis on July 6th, 1803 “your party being small, it is expected that you will encounter considerable dangers from the Indian inhabitants. Should you escape those dangers and reach the Pacific Ocean you may find it imprudent to return the same way and be forced to speak a passage round Handlin,4 by Sea.”(Lewis & Clark expedition 1804-1806) On the day we bought Louisiana Livingston remarks to President Jefferson, “We have lived long, but this is the noblest work of our whole lives. From this day the United States take their place among the powers of first rank.” The American flag was placed in the front of the Cabildo. Before the Louisiana purchase was made Jefferson had requested $2,500 from congress to send Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the vast western land. Congress agreed to pay for air rifles, the medical equipment, cheap Indian trading goods and the soup, which was the estimated $2,500. Lewis was the one to ask Clark to accompany him on the expedition, writing him a letter explaining how they’d be traveling from Ohio all the way to the Pacific.(Lewis & Clark expedition) The exact date of the expedition began on August 31, 1803 , not May 14, 1804. This day Lewis and Clark left St. Louis and on the 31st Lewis transported everything down the Ohio River. On October 14, Lewis’ crew reached Clarksville, Kentucky where he met Clark. They stopped for two weeks and then set off for Fort Masac, where they arrived on November 11. They had with them three boats, a 55 foot keel boat, 2 canoes or pirogues that could hold seven men. Lewis left at Fort Kaskaskia on the Illinois side of the river, where he crossed the Mississippi River to see Spanish Lieutenant Governor in St. Louis, who wouldn’t let Lewis proceed on because he saw no notification. Lewis wrote Jefferson in April,1803 explaining how he had to camp until next spring.(Don’t Know Much About History, Lewis and Clark expedition) The entire territory was 900,000 square miles, all of which Lewis and Clark explored for two and a half years on foot and by horse. Clark left Lewis in May, 1804 and then met up in St. Charles two days after. The expedition now had forty two men, including nine French engages, Handlin,5 Clark’s slave York, and seven U.S. soldiers who left St. Charles on May 21st. They went up the Missouri and in mid August they were all the way up the river where Iowa and Nebraska divide. Charles Floyd was the only man to die from appendicitis during the entire journey...