Louisiana Purchase Research Paper

The Louisiana Purchase is the doing of Thomas Jefferson acquiring the territory of Louisiana from France in 1803 for about $15,000,000 which is approximately $236 million ("Louisiana Purchase, 1803"). The payment for the land was given with two million dollars up front, eleven million dollars over the course of a twenty year loan, and a French debt of almost four million dollars was forgiven by the United States ("How the Louisiana Purchase"). Originally the only interest of the purchase was the port city known as New Orleans but seeing that the French where in a slightly tight spot financially it was a very good deal for the United States.
Before the purchase was final the Federalist Party said that it was unconstitutional to purchase any
Members in Congress worried whether these people unacquainted with democracy, could or should become citizens. James Madison assured Jefferson that the Louisiana Purchase was well within the boundaries of the Constitution ("Louisiana Purchase Treaty"). The mingling of slaves, free African Americans, and whites was so prominent that the very diverse culture worried citizens of the United States ("How the Louisiana Purchase"). Not only was race a big issue with the United States but also religion in the sense that many feared that the Catholics in the area would only listen to the Pope regardless if they were American citizens("How the Louisiana Purchase"). Since the power to negotiate treaties was given to the president as the only way extending the country's territory by treaty could not be a presidential power would be if it were conflicting with the Constitution ("Louisiana Purchase
With the various areas that were acquired it opened up new forms of trade and led to much more in economic endeavors, which was one of the primary reasons for obtaining the