10 Facts About the Louisiana Purchase

The Louisiana Purchase was a land deal between the United States and France in which the United States paid $15 million for approximately 827,000 square miles of property west of the Mississippi River.

Louisiana territory extended from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada, encompassing all or a portion of 15 modern U.S. states. On April 30, 1803, the agreement was signed, thus doubling the size of the United States at the moment.

The Louisiana Purchase was a watershed moment in American history because it supplied the United States with large new territory for westward development and served to establish the country’s position as a rising world power.

The purchase of this land was also important in establishing the country’s territorial and economic future, as it offered up new prospects for agriculture, commerce, and habitation.

Also Read: Why was the Louisiana Purchase Important?

The Louisiana Purchase was especially notable since it was the first time the US purchased territory through contract with another country.

This incident established an important precedent for future US territorial expansion and acquisitions, such as the Mexican-American War and the annexation of Texas.

Louisiana Purchase Facts

1. It covered an area of approximately 827,000 square miles.

The territory acquired in the Louisiana Purchase extended from the Gulf of Mexico in the south to the northernmost part of Canada, beginning at the Mississippi River in the east and ending in the Rocky Mountains in the west.

Also Read: Timeline of the Louisiana Purchase

The Louisiana territory encompassed a land area of approximately 827,000 square miles and included all or a portion of 15 states that are now part of the United States of America. These states included all or a portion of:

  • Arkansas
  • Missouri
  • Iowa
  • Minnesota
  • North Dakota
  • South Dakota
  • Nebraska
  • Kansas
  • Oklahoma
  • Texas
  • Montana
  • Wyoming
  • Colorado
  • Louisiana

2. It doubled the size of the United States.

The United States became one of the largest countries in the world at the time as a result of the Louisiana Purchase, which effectively doubled the size of the country.

The United States reached a significant new milestone in its history when it acquired a massive amount of land, and this event played an important role in establishing the nation’s standing as a rising global power.

Also Read: Facts About the Transcontinental Railroad

The United States was able to gain control over vital waterways, such as the Mississippi River, thanks to their acquisition of the territory of Louisiana. This made it easier for them to engage in trade and commerce.

3. It marked the first time the United States had acquired territory by treaty with another nation.

Thomas Jefferson, then president of the United States, and Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, then the French minister of foreign affairs, collaborated to broker the Louisiana Purchase.

Jefferson was a strong supporter of the deal because he saw the acquisition of this vast new territory as an opportunity to expand the United States and solidify its position as a growing world power.

Jefferson was a strong advocate for the deal because he saw the acquisition of this vast new territory as an opportunity to expand the United States.

Also Read: Lewis and Clark Facts

He collaborated closely with Talleyrand in order to negotiate the conditions of the deal, and the two influential figures were able to come to an agreement that was advantageous to all parties.

The signing of the Louisiana Purchase on April 30, 1803, marked the first time the United States had acquired territory through a treaty with another nation. This event was significant because it established an important precedent for future territorial expansion and acquisitions by the United States.

4. Some leaders in the United States were against the Louisiana Purchase.

While the Louisiana Purchase was not without controversy, the majority of leaders in the United States supported the agreement.

Many saw the acquisition of this huge new region as a major victory for the newborn United States, and it was warmly welcomed as proof of the country’s growing power and influence on the world stage.

However, certain officials and individuals were opposed to the Louisiana Purchase.

Some people argued that the federal government did not have the authority to make such a big land acquisition, and they were concerned about the long-term repercussions of such a deal for the country.

Others were concerned about the purchase’s cost and the impact it would have on the national debt.

Despite these reservations, the Louisiana Purchase was approved by the United States Congress and signed into law by President Thomas Jefferson.

The purchase of this land was widely regarded as a watershed moment in American history, and it had a critical part in molding the country’s destiny.

5. The price of the Louisiana Purchase was considered good value.

The overall price of the Louisiana Purchase was $15 million, which is equivalent to less than 3 cents being paid for each acre of land.

At the time, this was regarded as an extremely advantageous price since it allowed the United States to acquire a huge quantity of land for a sum of money that was on the lower end of the spectrum.

6. Napoleon’s primary motivation for selling the Louisiana territory was to raise funds for his ongoing military campaigns in Europe.

The primary reason Napoleon sold the Louisiana region was to acquire finances for his continuing military wars in Europe. France was in financial trouble, and Napoleon saw the sale of Louisiana as a chance to obtain desperately needed funds.

Furthermore, France was facing increasing political and military challenges in its Caribbean territories, and Napoleon may have reasoned that preserving Louisiana would place additional burden on French resources.

While Napoleon had ambitions to expand French colonial possessions in the Americas, the sale of Louisiana was driven primarily by financial and strategic concerns, rather than a hidden strategy to rebuild a huge colonial empire in the Americas.

7. Livingston was only authorized to buy New Orleans.

One of the American diplomats dispatched to negotiate the Louisiana Purchase, Robert R. Livingston, was initially only allowed to purchase the city of New Orleans and its surroundings.

New Orleans was an important port city, and control of the Mississippi River was considered as key to the United States’ economic growth and prosperity. The United States believed that capturing New Orleans would help to protect American interests in the region while also facilitating trade and commerce.

During the discussions, however, the French administration proposed to sell the entire Louisiana region to the US. This was a surprising event, and it gave the United States with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire a large quantity of land for a tiny fee.

Livingston consented to the transaction after consulting with President Thomas Jefferson, and the Louisiana Purchase was signed on April 30, 1803.

8. The Louisiana Purchase Treaty was ratified by the United States Senate with a vote of 24 to 7.

The Senate of the United States voted in favor of ratifying the Louisiana Purchase Treaty.

The signing of the treaty took place on April 30, 1803, and it confirmed the United States’ purchase of approximately 827,000 square miles of land from France in exchange for $15 million.

The Senate was then tasked with the ratification process for the treaty, and following a period of debate and discussion, the Senate voted to adopt the treaty with a score of 24 to 7.

9. Some believed that the Constitution did not give the federal government the power to make such a large acquisition of land.

The Louisiana Purchase was not without controversy, with some believing that the Constitution did not grant the federal government the authority to conduct such a vast land acquisition.

These worries stemmed from a belief in strict construction of the Constitution, which maintained that the federal government should have only the powers expressly delegated to it by the Constitution.

Opponents of the Louisiana Purchase contended that the Constitution did not grant the federal government the authority to acquire territory in this manner, and that such a significant land acquisition should have required a constitutional amendment.

However, advocates of the agreement contended that acquiring land was important for the expansion and security of the United States, and that the Constitution granted the federal government the authority to do so.

Despite these reservations, the Louisiana Purchase was approved by the United States Congress and signed into law by President Thomas Jefferson.

10. The Lewis and Clark Expedition aided in the establishment of the United States’ presence in newly gained territory.

The Corps of Discovery Expedition, popularly known as the Lewis and Clark Expedition, was an important aspect of the United States’ efforts to establish a presence in recently acquired Louisiana territory.

President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the expedition, commanded by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, to explore the Louisiana area and build contacts with Native American tribes in the region.