The Politics of the Louisiana Purchase Essay - 2364 Words

Before Thomas Jefferson ever entered the presidency, he believed in the â€Å"Empire of Liberty.† He wrote in a letter to a friend that â€Å"Our confederacy must be viewed as the nest from which all America, North or South, is to be peopled.† His motives for the intense eye on American expansion were greatness for his country, as well as for himself. He was disgusted with the idea of North America being divided into nation-states like Europe. His goal was for the ideals of the American Revolution to spread over the whole continent. He passed and helped pass some of the legislation that helped early America expand. He co-authored the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which allowed for states to be made from the territory east of the Mississippi and†¦show more content†¦In the second part of his letter to Harrison, Jefferson wrote, â€Å"The crisis is pressing. Whatever can now be obtained must be obtained quickly. The occupation of New Orleans, hourly expec ted, by the French, is already felt like a light breeze by the Indians.† This excerpt shows Jefferson’s fear of the Indians becoming bold and attacking Americans under the guise of French protection. He knew that after France repossessed Louisiana, that the Indians would be even less likely to move off their lands. Of course, it takes time and effort to achieve ones dream. Jefferson’s road to acquiring Louisiana had a lot more in its way than the average person. He had to contend with powerful forces both foreign and domestic. The political problems for Thomas Jefferson in acquiring the Louisiana Territory were an international issue and not a distinct domestic one. The biggest component of the situation was Napoleon, and his dreams. Napoleon came to power in France in 1799, when he became the first consul, and shortly after that the emperor of France. The first issue he caused for the Americans was his reacquisition of the Floridas and New Orleans from Spain. Spain allowed the Americans to sail out of the port at New Orleans, but with NapoleonShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of A Wilderness So Immense By John Kukla1487 Words   |  6 PagesImmense by John Kukla explores the events leading up to and the enduring effects of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Kukla begins his story almost twenty years before Jefferson bought the Louisiana territory from France and analyzes how factors ranging from major revolutions to personal relationships all culminated to make the most famous land acquisition in American history possible. He argues that the Louisiana Purchase was not only a case a good luck on Jefferson’s part or solely the result of Napoleon’sRead MoreDid Thomas Jefferson Abandon His Ethics for the Lousi ana Purchase1020 Words   |  5 Pagesorder to purchase the Louisiana Territory from the French (P. 2)? This is the major question that has led to much debate within the early history of America (P. 1). Some historians argue that Thomas Jefferson did, in fact, throw away his commitment to states’ rights and constructionism by the large purchase of Louisiana for the U.S. (P.1). On the other hand, some believe that President Jefferson supported his political beliefs, the fortification of the republican government, with the Louisiana PurchaseRead MoreControversial Issues in the United States Essay873 Words   |  4 PagesDemocratic Republicans and the Federalists. Democratic Republicans believed in a strong state government. The Federalist believed in a strong central government. Some of the issues they disagreed on were ratification of the Constitution and the purchase of the Louisiana Territory. Before the Constitution came to be, the United States had a set of laws called the Articles of Confederation, which were approved in 1781. The Articles of Confederation gave a lot of power to the states and not very much to theRead MoreThe United States Essay1243 Words   |  5 Pagesthe United States acquired a vast amount of territory through wars, annexation, and purchases. Beginning with Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana purchase in 1803, the United States began a campaign to acquire all the territory west of the Mississippi River and reach the coast of the Pacific Ocean. This time period would become known as Manifest Destiny. Over the five decades that Manifest Destiny lasted politics and the government changed along with the geographic face of the United States whileRead MoreThe European Colonization Of Americas 1620-900 Words   |  4 Pagesforefront in American politics. PARAGRAPH 3(Unit 3: Westward Expansion 1803-1861) The Unites States grew tremendously in power and size during the beginning of the 19th century. The rapid expansion of American society in the first half of the 19th century put new demands on the political system. Having Jefferson as president and the War of 1812 helped establish the United States as a secure democracy in control of a large portion of North America. The purchase of the Louisiana territory not onlyRead MoreHistory of Early America Essay797 Words   |  4 Pageswith George Wythe. Jefferson was elected into the Continental Congress on March 27, 1775. A year later, in 1776 he was chosen to help four other men write the Declaration of Independents. Thomas Jefferson was involved in things such as; law, and politics. He also was a statesman. He was elected Vice President under John Adams, which made him be the second in the history of the United States, in the year of 1797. He served as Vice President from 1797 to 1801. When Jefferson was elected President,Read MoreThe B irth Of America Is Well, The Biggest And Greatest1228 Words   |  5 PagesThe birth of America is well, the biggest and greatest thing to ever happen to us. There are many things that led up to the 1865 era such as salutary neglect, the Constitution, the Louisiana Purchase, Manifest Destiny, and Slavery. Those are just a few things that America powered through to get where we are today. Our Forefathers attempted to rectify what some would consider harsh actions made by the kingdom of Britain in the mid 1700’s. The British didn’t take the American territoriesRead More Thomas Jefferson Essay1561 Words   |  7 Pagesthe history, culture, institutions, and morals of people. After two years of college, Jefferson was admitted to the bar in 1767. He was then elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses in the year 1769, which was the beginning in his long career in politics. amp;#9;During Jeffersons years from 1769 to the year 1775, he was been a leader of the patriot faction in the colonial house of burgesses. He helped form and was a member of the Virginia Committee of correspondence. During the First VirginiaRead MoreTaking a Look at the Missouri Compromise766 Words   |  3 Pagesof this nation. But the big question was at what cost it should be. When President Thomas Jefferson made the Louisiana Purchase from the French he was very happy with the thought of gaining the mighty Mississippi river and the port in New Orleans for America interest but if he could only see the can of worms it would open for the newly forming United States. Like many modern day purchase there is always some gray areas that get over looked from time to time. For President Jefferson and CongressRead MoreDbq #3 Thomas Jefferson and Philosophical Consistency Essay685 Words   |  3 PagesCommander in Chief he changed his tune towards these issues. The three largest contradictions that stand out amongst his actions were his war with the Barbary pirates, using restrictive economic policies to achieve his goals, and his acquiring of Louisiana. Although these contradictions were for the good of the country, he still went against the convictions that got him elected. Critically, Thomas Jefferson went against his views of having unnecessarily large military that would intimidate