LOUISIANA PURCHASE

1796

LOUISIANA PURCHASE1) Why did France give Louisiana to Spain after the French and Indian War? – France pawns Louisiana off on their ally as a token of

gratitude (territory was thought of as worthless) – Louis XV of France even apologized for it being such

a measly gift – Was a swampy land filled with “savages”

LOUISIANA PURCHASE2) How did Louisiana serve as a “buffer” for Spanish colonies in Central and South America? – Serves as a buffer zone for the silver mines in Mexico

– The invaders King Carlos feared most were the British, until the Americans won independence and were land hungry (dynamic and aggressive, commercially active, growing in population)

– Settlers are moving “west” and settling along the Mississippi and into Spanish Louisiana

LOUISIANA PURCHASE3) How was the Mississippi the “lifeblood of American commerce”?– Economically important – Nearly half of produce comes from frontier farms – Easy transport – Who controls New Orleans becomes very important

LOUISIANA PURCHASE4) How did Spain plan to use their control of New Orleans to discourage Americans from spilling over their border?• Spanish hope that by securing the port they can discourage Americans from

spilling over the border. In 1784 they closed the lower Mississippi to foreigners

How did American frontier farmers respond to Spain’s closure of the port of New Orleans? – A sentiment that we’re being abandoned by our own govt, that our basic

rights are not secure, so maybe we should look around and see what kind of deal we can get from the Spanish/ Some in the west threatened to secede

LOUISIANA PURCHASE5) Why did some American states come to see their interests better served through loyalty to Spain than to their own government? – Revolution had bound everyone together, but quickly after,

unity was unraveling – Stability of the republic was fragile– Local interests were above national interests (states’ rights) – Some would rather become colonists of Spain so their goods

could pass through New Orleans

LOUISIANA PURCHASE6) What was Genet’s secret mission in the U.S.? – Regain the glory that France’s monarchy had squandered and

reclaim Louisiana from Spain– Strategy is to stir up the Americans out west who want access

to New Orleans – Plan is to get word to Kentuckians that a French-Louisiana

would be open to Americans – Meets with Jefferson to “assist” with plan (goes against our

neutrality) – Genet’s mission has to be secret, but it was found out

LOUISIANA PURCHASE7) Why did Spain restore access to the port of New Orleans for American farmers and traders? – Soon after the Genet affair and Jay’s Treaty, Spain

recognizes a need to improve relations with America and access is restored

– Pinckney's Treaty

LOUISIANA PURCHASE8) Why did Spain sign a secret treaty ceding control of Louisiana to Napoleonic France? – France’s arch enemy is England, but Napoleon’s quest is to

dominate the world

– He casts his gaze to North American (Louisiana in particular)

– Spanish feel it’s too costly to maintain forces and Spain has grown weak under a new king

– Napoleon puts pressure on Spain to give Louisiana back (keep secret from the U.S.)

LOUISIANA PURCHASE9) Why was Saint Domingue (Haiti) regarded as the “Jewel of France”? – The French ruler doesn’t value Louisiana for itself

– Napoleon wanted Haiti

– Needs Louisiana only to realize his grander goal

– It provides 2/3 of France’s trade

– Richest colony in the world

– Sugar cane and sugar production

– Imported African slaves (50,000/year)

LOUISIANA PURCHASE10) How was it ironic that Haitian slaves revolted against French control in 1791? – The slaves were inspired by the ideals of the French

Revolution (and, in turn, the American Revolution)

– Rebellion was very violent

– Toussaint L’Ouverture (“black Napoleon”)

– 30,000 men sent over to Haiti to crush the rebellion

– Haitians are successful and become the 2nd nation to achieve independence from their mother country

LOUISIANA PURCHASE11) Why was it so important for Napoleon to control both Haiti and Louisiana? – The vast and fertile Mississippi River valley would

provide the work force of Haiti with its lumber and goods – That way, all the islands’ arable land could be donated to

sugarcane production and other valuable crops

LOUISIANA PURCHASE12) How did Jefferson attempt to bluff Napoleon into reconsidering his plan to capture the port of New Orleans? – Jefferson wrote a letter not in code because he wanted

it leaked to Napoleon – Jefferson vowed to create an alliance with British if

Napoleon took possession of New Orleans – Wants to present an ultimatum

LOUISIANA PURCHASE13) What three factors ultimately barred Napoleon from invading Louisiana? – Lost control of Haiti – Yellow fever– Ice storm prevented 3000 French troops from going to

Louisiana

LOUISIANA PURCHASE14) What made Napoleon decide to not only sell New Orleans, but also the rest of Louisiana?– Renewed war with England was inevitable and

France needed the funds– With Haiti a lost cause, so is the Louisiana Territory– We only wanted New Orleans and Florida

LOUISIANA PURCHASE15) Who loaned the U.S. the money for the Louisiana Purchase? Why? – $15M purchase – A British bank (Baring and Company)• They want to keep their enemy (France) out of America

– 6% loan on a 15 year term – We finally had it all repaid by 1823 (ending up paying

altogether $23M)

LOUISIANA PURCHASE16) What did Jefferson intend to do with the most of the Louisiana Purchase? – He had already commissioned the Lewis and Clark

expedition for purely scientific purposes – Proposal—put aside as a preserve for Native

Americans. Ask the people of St. Louis to give up their land west of the river and relocate to east of the river

Advantages• Increases size

• Gain full control of New Orleans and the Mississippi River

• Remove French influence from N. America

Disadvantages• Had to defend more land

• Manage how Americans explored land

• Improve ways of travel

• Native Americans

Jefferson’s Problem • Was the purchase legal? – The Constitution said nothing about acquiring

new territory

Jefferson’s Solution• Used the “treaty making” section of the

Constitution to justify purchase

Lewis and Clark • Very little was known about the area

• T.J sent out an expedition to explore–Lewis (TJs private secretary)

–Clark (amateur scientist)