The Louisiana Purchase

The greatest success of Thomas Jefferson's Presidency was, in fact, the Louisiana Purchase. His tour de force granted him land that doubled the size of the United States, thus undermining Spain's control in America. This all began when, in 1800, Jefferson sent the Robert R. Livingston , the U.S. minister to France to recover lands in the west, with high desire to prevent French control of the Mississippi Valley. In October, 1802, the Spanish suspended once again the right of Americans to deposit goods for export at New Orleans. The Americans thought, incorrectly, that Napoleon was behind this ban. In response to Livingston's overtures Napoleon decided to sell the entire Louisiana Territory to the United States. Jefferson ignored the Spanish objections, but worried that the Louisiana purchase was unconstitutional. The Louisiana Purchase, Jefferson believed, wouldn't the life of the republic by providing space for generations of ordinary planters. Beyond Spain's objection to the U.S. purchase of Louisiana, the two nations also disputed territory boundaries. Jefferson pushed for West Florida, with an eastern boundary at the Puerdo River, in the southwest to the Rio Grande, in the Northwest to the Rocky Mountains and along the west bank of the Mississippi from Northern Missouri to the Gulf of Mexico. Jefferson sent troops as a threat but decided not to attack and tried to purchase what is now Florida with failed attempts. Several times since 1783, he had tried to organize expeditions for scientific knowledge, and to promote American interest in the region. In 1792 an American sea Captain named Robert Grey explored the Columbia River, and George Vancouver, a British Naval Officer, explored the Northwest coast.Even before buying Louisiana, Jefferson appointed his private secretary, Meriwether Lewis as captain of his expedition. Lewis choose William Clark to accompany him. Clark was his close friend and the two of the m actually fought in the Army together. This time, their task was to find the Northwest Passage and explore the west. Jefferson also hoped they would make peaceful contact with the Native Americans to expand commercial networks for fur trade. Lewis and Clark more than fulfilled their duty. Lewis and Clark received commissions as army officers to lead the Corps of Discovery of about 40 men who departed from St. Louis in may 1804. They traveled up the Missouri River and duirng that time several men deserted and one died. The arrived in the Manda and Hidtsa villages of what is North Dakota. The Lewis and Clark Expedition set out with Sacajawea a Shoshone woman and her French Husband and infant son. They went southeast along the Yellowstone River and returned to St. Louis by September 1806.