The Louisiana Purchase (1803) was a land deal between the United States and France, in which the U.S. acquired approximately 827,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River for $15 million.
Thomas Jefferson purchased the land from Napoleon, leader of France.
Why did Napoleon want to sell the Louisiana Territory to the United States? Tension was building between Britain and France. Napoleon knew that a lot of money would be needed for an upcoming war with Britain. Napoleon decided to sell the Louisiana territory and put his dream of a New World Empire on hold.
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Questions:
1.What instructions did President Jefferson give to Monroe and Livingston?
2. What happened when the two men began negotiations?
3. Why did Jefferson have concerns about the constitutionality of the Louisiana Purchase?
4. Should Jefferson have continued to insist that a retroactive amendment was needed? Why or why not?
Document: Louisiana Purchase
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