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The Louisiana Purchase

The Louisiana Purchase and Thomas Jefferson

The Louisiana Purchase involved the U .S . acquisition of more than 800 ,000 square miles of land from France for the amount of 15 million dollars (LSU Library . The deal was carried out during the term of Thomas Jefferson , involving a loan granted by Great Britain . For Jefferson , the Louisiana Purchase involved both an opportunity and a problem

Jefferson opposed federalism , putting primacy on the independence of states over consolidation under a centralized federal government Further , he believed that the mandate of the Executive Branch

and all other branches of government are specified in the United States Constitution (LSU Library . In the instance that circumstances present no clear , constitutionally defined action , Jefferson was firm in that the central government should allow the states to make the decision

The purchase was preceded by the U .S . navigation dispute with Spain over the Mississippi River , an important trade route for American merchants . At the same time France was also eyeing a foothold in the Americas which included control over New Orleans where the major port for the Mississippi River trade was located (LSU Library . In to protect U .S . interests , Jefferson instigated talks with France regarding the sale of Louisiana

For Jefferson , making this decision involved a contradiction between adhering to his personal principles or interpretation of the law and upholding national interest . There was no explicit law in the Constitution dealing with the power of government to purchase land (LSU Library . Hence , he feared that public opinion would judge his actions as unconstitutional . Amending the Constitution regarding this issue would take time

At the same time , U .S . domestic trade , so vital to the economy , were at stake . Jefferson chose to act for the public good . Using Article 1 Section 8 , Clause 18 of the Constitution , he initiated a legislation of the Louisiana Purchase (LSU Library . This secured U .S . economic interests , albeit at the expense of his personal doctrine . He earned the respect of the public in the process Why was the Louisiana Purchase both a great opportunity and a significant problem for Thomas Jefferson...

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