An Essay on the Louisiana Purchase

Did you ever think that the biggest real estate deal ever happened here in our country, years ago? That deal is known as the Louisiana Purchase, which gave us the whole Louisiana territory, an unimaginably huge chunk of land just east of our growing Union. Bought by President Thomas Jefferson, the Louisiana territory doubled the size of our small yet powerful nation. The purchase of that land cost Jefferson 15 million dollars, but at the same time, put us in a very good position. If it wasn't for Jefferson buying all of that land, there might not of even been a westward expansion!

The whole Louisiana territory was amazingly huge, 828,000 square miles to be exact! All of the land that was bought from Napoleon Bonaparte was bigger than Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Portugal combined! All of that land led our growing nation to many great historical events, including the westward expansion. As ground-breaking as all of this may sound, the Louisiana Purchase did even better things, after it was explored and inhabited by the people of that time though, which was a while after it was bought.

Even though the Louisiana territory cost Thomas Jefferson 15 million dollars, the position that it put his young nation in was worth it all. Since it was a time of war in France, we gave them the money that they needed by buying the Louisiana territory. This helped both sides, because now the French had more money to fight their enemies and we had more land to live on. With an ever-expanding population, a lot of land like that is extremely helpful. If only all deals were as good as this one!

If the Louisiana territory was not bought by Thomas Jefferson, then there might not ever have been a westward expansion or a manifest destiny. Imagine if our nation stayed that small forever; some people may not even be here today if it wasn't for the Louisiana Purchase! The land bought from France gave us a lot of extra farmland and let many other people follow their dreams that were impossible to follow while in the smaller United States of America. The positive effects of the Louisiana Purchase range much farther than the few I just provided you with.

Few negative effects if any at all came from purchasing the Louisiana territory from the French. Imagine all of the good things that would have never happened if Louisiana was never bought. Where would we be today? Would we have settled our ties with the French another way, like possibly by having a war? Let us thank Jefferson for being such a wise president and buying Louisiana.

Timeline of Events: Louisiana Purchase

Note: This timeline is based on the one that I found from Jefferson's West. I also added extra information that I found before this, so I do not totally depend on one site only.

1618: The territory of Louisiana is discovered by René-Robert Cavelier and claims it for the ruler of France. It is named after King Louis.

1799: Napoleon Bonaparte becomes the ruler of France.

1801: Robert Livingston is named minister to France by president Thomas Jefferson.

1803 January: James Monroe is sent to France by Thomas Jefferson to join Robert Livingston.

1803 April 11: A foreign minister by the name of Talleyrand informs Robert Livingston that France wants to sell the Louisiana Territory.

1803 April 12: James Monroe arrives in France and together with Robert Livingston negotiates with Minister Barbé-Marbois, who is in charge of finance.

1803 July 4: The news that the Louisiana territory was bought is first announced in America.

1803 October 17: President Thomas Jefferson speaks to the Congress for his third time annually and discusses the topic of the Louisiana Purchase.

1803 October 20: By majority rules, (24 yes to 7 no) the Louisiana Purchase is approved.

1803 October 24 and 25: The House of Representatives debates about the Louisiana Purchase, and whether to cancel it.

1803 November 14: The Congress obtains a message from Thomas Jefferson about the description of Louisiana. It discusses many topics, including important things such as population and farming.

1803 November 30: The Louisiana territory is transferred from Spain to France.

1803 December 20: The territory of Louisiana is transferred from France to America.

1803 December 30: America gains possession of the Louisiana territory.

6/30/1903

Dear Journal,

I believe that with the help of Robert Livingston and James Monroe, I have done my country the greatest thing that I could have possibly done it. Recently, I sent both Livingston and Monroe to offer the French 10 million dollars for the ports of New Orleans and the Floridas. They did not come back with that, but rather with something much better. What they returned with was land of huge and unimaginable proportions; the whole territory of Louisiana! The Louisiana territory doubled the size of our country, giving us and additional 828,000 square miles! You can imagine how happy I was when they returned and told me of this amazing news!

At first I had some doubts about whether what I did was correct or not, especially since nowhere in the Constitution that I myself drafted does it say anything about the government having rights to expand the size of the Union itself. Even though I my doubts at the beginning, I envision the day that I have stretched the great land of America to the widths of the whole continent, and maybe even farther! However, after the treaty of the Louisiana Purchase was signed, there was no turning back. Another thing that pushed me to buy all of that land was the fact the Napoleon threatened to take back his amazing offer.

When I was warned that Napoleon might take back that great offer, I shook off all of the doubts that I had and sent Livingston and Madison to sign the deal. I was under a lot of stress, as any person negotiating whether to expand his country or not would have had been under. Even after the land of Louisiana was bought, some people still thought that what I did was "unconstitutional," but as long as I am happy at the end of the day with what I did, and I know what I did was right, I feel better. Soon, people will realize that what I did was for the best of our country, they will find out that I would never do something that would hurt my nation.

The money that I spent will be no problem at all, I am sure that all of it will be remade by all of the new farmland and possible expansions that can be made from all of the Louisiana territory. Plus, I am now one step closer to completing my dream of expanding this country from sea to shining sea! Things like these make, me happy. That is it for now.

-Thomas Jefferson

A Man with A Dream

Thomas Jefferson- Gentlemen, as you may know, I have a dream of expanding my great country from sea to shining sea. As you all know, during 1801, I sent Robert Livingston to France, to negotiate for land. He needs some help negotiating with Minister Barbé-Marbois. That is why today, January 1803, I have decided to send the honorable James Monroe to France.

*People chatter and cheer for their friend James Madison.*

James Monroe- Thank you very much Mr. Jefferson. Do not worry, I will make sure that Mr. Livingston and I return with all of the land you want, if not more.

Thomas Jefferson- I'll hold you to that. In the meantime though, you should prepare to depart for your long journey to France.

James Monroe- Just out of curiosity sir, about how long does it take to reach France by boat?

Thomas Jefferson- Hopefully, you shall arrive there by the twelfth of April.

James Monroe- Thank you very much. I will get what I need now, so good day to you all.

*Everyone cheers and wishes Monroe good luck, and to arrive and return safely.*

James Monroe- I sure am excited about going to France. The thought of expanding the nation that I live in will make me feel as if I have done well. I must get ready quickly though, for I cannot be late for something as important as this. Jefferson will be proud!

*April 12Th 1803*

James Monroe- I cannot believe that I am finally here, in the land of the French! I will fulfill my promise and make my nation proud!

Robert Livingston- Well hello there James!

James Monroe- Hello Mr. Livingston!

Robert Livingston- Just follow me and I will take you to the building in which we will negotiate with Minister Barbé-Marbois.

James Monroe- Very well then.

*Along the way, Mr. Livingston informs James Monroe of what has happened so far. He tells him the great news, the France has decided to enlarge their offer to the whole territory of Louisiana. James Monroe is filled with anticipation, but calms down quickly, because he knows that he should not get too giddy at an important time like this. After a short amount of walking, Robert Livingston, followed by Mr. Monroe, makes his way into a building and finds himself next to Minister Barbé-Marbois.*

Minister Barbé-Marbois- Well hello there, I am assuming that you are Mr. Monroe.

James Monroe- Yes, you have heard correctly my good fellow, but let us not forget the reason that we are here.

Minister Barbé-Marbois- Very well, let us begin with the price of the Louisiana territory. My lord, Napoleon Bonaparte has set the price of 15 million dollars for the whole territory of Louisiana.

Robert Livingston- Fifteen million, isn't that rather expensive?

Minister Barbé-Marbois- My lord has a short temper, so it would be wise to take this great offer while you can. You will never get another offer as good as this one, of that I assure you.

James Monroe- *Whispering to Robert Livingston* Hey Robert, I think that we should take deal while we can. If we mess up, Thomas Jefferson will be really mad. Expanding this country is his dream, and he would be very angry if we didn't help him accomplish that. Besides, Minister Barbé-Marbois has a point, this offer is amazing.

Robert Livingston- *Still whispering with Monroe* Well, you do make a good point, but I still have a feeling that we could get him to offer us a lower price.

Minister Barbé-Marbois- Well, have you decided on anything?

Robert Livingston- We would like a lower price.

*Minister Barbé-Marbois and the others discuss for quite a while. Due to all of their arguments, Napoleon Bonaparte threatened to take back his offer. Out of the fear of losing a great deal, they quickly settled for the price of 15 million dollars.*

*Some months later...*

Thomas Jefferson- Great job you two, I commend you for helping me get one step closer to achieving my dream! You two really did well!

Robert Livingston & James Monroe- Thank you very much Mr. Jefferson.

*Needless to say, many great things happened after the Louisiana Purchase. Many people disagreed with what happened, but many more were pleased. After time, everything settled in and our great nation was formed. Be thankful to Jefferson, because if he didn't buy all of that land, some of us might not be here today, but rather some other part of the world!*

Jefferson's Great Purchase Opens Up Possibilities

By Jonathan P.

Recently, President Thomas Jefferson, with the help of Robert Livingston and James Monroe bought the whole Louisiana Territory from ruler of France, Napoleon Bonaparte. What originally started out as Jefferson asking for two small states to expand sailing options turned into something that may change lives.

Livingston and Monroe were told by President Thomas Jefferson to pay France $10,000,000 for the ports of New Orleans and Florida. It was going to be a good deal, especially since that would allow us to use those ports for sailing and trading, but when they were offered the whole Louisiana Territory, they couldn't refuse!

This was the biggest purchase of land ever made in our history as a nation, and it was definitely worth the money! The Louisiana Purchase is the treaty that was signed by Robert Livingston and James Monroe, giving us complete control of the Louisiana Territory, a huge piece of land that is about 800,000 square miles long! The question is, now that we have all that land, what are we going to do with it?

Financially, we now have much more farmland to grow diverse crops found only in the west, and, the wide, open spaces give much more room for growing cattle. There are even rumors that many pieces of gold lie scattered far out in the west! Treasure hunters, farmers, and explorers alike, heed this call and explore!

Probably one of the greatest things about the Louisiana Purchase is that there was no fighting over the land between Jefferson and Bonaparte, we bought the land peacefully. This really proves that Thomas Jefferson has the skills required to lead our nation. Expect more on this topic soon!

Dear Martha,

As you may have already heard, I have recently bought the whole Louisiana Territory from the French. I have received a lot of grief from people telling me that what I did was "unconstitutional," especially since nowhere in the Constitution does it speak about expanding the size of the Union. Even so, I believe that what I did is for the best of our nation, for there are many new possibilities in the west. Many people have already started going westward, surveying the land to see if they will find any treasures out there. I have not heard much good news about the land, but I believe that there is something out there for this country to use!

People that explored the land told me that there is nothing out there other than a giant desert, spanning for a huge distance. Even if that is true, which I do not believe, we could still use that land to assist us in times of war. There could be many new forts put out there in case of an emergency, but I do not believe that we will have a war any time soon. Buying the land from Napoleon helped us settle ties with the French, because they need extra money to support them in a war. If only there was peace all throughout the world, then my job as president would be so much easier, and the lives of others would become much more enjoyable.

Other than all of that, my job has been running pretty smoothly. I enjoy leading the Union, because I believe that all of the education that I received will allow me to make this country shine as brightly as it can, making it even better than it already as it is. With the help from you and the other people of this country, I will make my dreams come true. I hope that everything is well back home.

With love and care,

Thomas Jefferson

Glossary of Important Terms

As you read my blog, you may be wondering things like "What is the Union?" so I created this glossary to clear some things up for you. I will update it whenever I feel that there are some terms that you may not understand. I hope this helps!

Louisiana Territory: Noun The land bought from Napoleon Bonaparte. Relevance/Importance to blog: The Louisiana Territory is the land that was bought from Napoleon Bonaparte with the Louisiana Purchase.
The Union: Noun Another word for the United States at that time.
Relevance/Importance to blog: It is the United States of America. Thanks to the Louisiana Purchase, its size nearly doubled in 1803.
Napoleon Bonaparte: Noun The ruler of France as well as the person who sold Thomas Jefferson the Louisiana Territory.
Relevance/Importance to blog: Napoleon Bonaparte is the person who sold Thomas Jefferson the Louisiana Territory. Without him, there would not have been a "Louisiana Purchase."
Proportions: Noun A comparative relation between two things or magnitudes as to size or quantity.
Relevance/Importance to blog: It appeared in places like my essay. It emphasizes just how large the Louisiana Territory was.
Commend: Verb used with object To present, mention, or praise as worthy of confidence.
Relevance/Importance to blog: It is said by Thomas Jefferson in my skit to show how pleased he was with Robert Livingston and James Monroe.

Thomas Jefferson's Background and Relevance to the Louisiana Purchase

Image courtesy of Google Images at http://www.google.com/images also at http://www.idea-sandbox.com/blog/blog_images/thomas_jefferson.jpg



Born: April 13th 1743 in Albemarle County, Virginia, as the 3rd of ten children.

Died: July 4th, 1826 Monticello, Virginia

Parents: Jane Randolph and Peter Jefferson

Children: Martha, Jane Randolph, Mary, Lucy Elizabeth, Lucy Elizabeth (There were two of them.)

Also Known as: "Man of the People" and "Sage of Monticello"

Accomplishments: Drafted the Declaration of Independence, was vice president as well as president for two terms, cut tax on whisky, yet still managed to reduce the money that the Union owned by 1/3, bought the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon Bonaparte.

Characteristics: Silent, very intelligent, an excellent writer, freckled, sandy-haired.

Education: Very well educated. Went to school and later on attended William and Mary College, later also reading law.

Spouse: Martha Wayles Skelton

Political Party: Republican

Relevance to the Louisiana Purchase: He bought the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon Bonaparte during his second term as president in 1803. Many people say that this was Jefferson's best move as a president, mainly because it doubled the size of our country, led to the westward expansion, and helped us evade war with the French.

Some Trivia on the Topic of the Louisiana Purchase

If you look on the right side of this blog, right above the picture of the signing of the Louisiana Purchase, you will see some polls. The answers to these polls will be placed on the blog later or already are on the blog. After 6/6, the date the project is due, I will post the answers to the questions onto this blog. Enjoy!

A Once In A Lifetime Offer!

Tired of seeing the same old land every day? Hoping your country will soon expand? Well by purchasing the Louisiana Territory, your nation definitely will! The addition of the Louisiana Territory will double the size of any growing nation, while giving you access to more farming land! Whether you want to explore the land, lose that feeling of nostalgia, or just go on a great trip with your family, Louisiana is the land for you! This is a once in a lifetime offer, so buy it now before you lose your chance! Yours today for one payment of $15,000,000!

Call 1-800-new-land to buy today

Works Cited/Bibliography

Pemberton, Anne. "The Louisiana Purchase" Educational Synthesis 5/20/08 http://www.educationalsynthesis.org/books/History/images/LP-Signing.gif
Wilson, Gaye. "The Louisiana Purchase" Monticello March 2003 http://www.monticello.org/jefferson/lewisandclark/louisiana.html
"The Louisiana Purchase" The Cabildo Date not found http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/cabildo/cab4.htm
"The Treaty of the Louisiana Purchase" Archiving Early America http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/milestones/louisiana/
"Thomas Jefferson - Message to the Senate of October 17, 1803 Regarding the Louisiana Purchase" The Avalon Project At Yale Law School 5/9/08 http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/presiden/messages/tj004.htm
"Thomas Jefferson - Message to the Senate and House of October 21, 1803" The Avalon Project at Yale Law School 5/12/08 http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/presiden/messages/tj005.htm
"Thomas Jefferson - Message to the Senate and House of January 16, 1804" The Avalon Project at Yale Law School 5/9/08 http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/presiden/messages/tj006.htm
Hakim, Joy. "A History of US Revised Third Edition Liberty for All? 1820 - 1860" Oxford. 2005. Oxford University Inc. Pages 13, 62, and 181
Hitchcock, Ripley. "The Louisiana Purchase and the Exploration Early History and Building of the West" Boston U.S.A. 1903. Ginn and Companies
Lewis, Ralph H. "The Lewis and Clark Journey of Discovery" JNEM March 1946 http://www.nps.gov/archive/jeff/LewisClark2/TheBicentennial/Symposium2002/Papers/Lewis_Ralph.htm “Thomas Jefferson” The White House Date not found http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/tj3.html
"Thomas Jefferson" http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/tj3.html
"Thomas Jefferson In-Depth" IMA Hero Reading Program 2003
http://www.imahero.com/readingprogram/thomasjefferson.html
"Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826)" University of Virginia 2008
http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/jefferson
Bredhoff, Stacey. "Louisiana Purchase Treaty 1803" The University of Washington Press 2001
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=18
"Timeline of Louisiana Purchase" Jefferson's West Date not found http://www.monticello.org/jefferson/lewisandclark/louisianatimeline.html
"Dictionary.com" Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. 2008 http://dictionary.reference.com/

Broadening Our Horizons

Bought from Napoleon Bonaparte
What a rare feat
I must say!
Nearly doubling the size of our country
All that land must be hard to portray!

Someone will need
A big imagination
To make something better
Of our nation
Don't get to excited
And lose respiration!

Our quiet little nation
Wanted to expand
So president Thomas Jefferson
Bought some new land
Whatever journeys lie ahead
Are sure to be grand!

So much new land in the west
So much to explore
Someone may soon traverse
From shore to shore
It is too much of
A great adventure to ignore!
Get up and get ready
What are you waiting for?

Reflection: This would be my song poem. You can probably tell by the rhythm and happy tone of this song that the Louisiana Purchase was something very good for our country. In the first stanza of my poem, the line "So much land to portray" really fits in, because about 800,000 square miles of land were bought. I had a lot of fun creating this song, especially since I received the experience of songwriting from the poetry project. The rhyme scheme also gives away that it's a song, even though songs have to rhyme. I am very happy with how this poem turned out.