Chris E. answered • 09/27/19
History and Writing Tutor with J.D. & M.A.
During Thomas Jefferson's presidency, the U.S. population was growing and people were moving West. From 1800 to 1810, the U.S. grew by two million people. Jefferson was worried about French control of New Orleans and the Mississippi River, so he sent a delegation to France to negotiate the purchase of New Orleans. Napoleon wanted to sell all French territories in America to fund his war in Europe. In 1803, Congress approved the purchase of Louisiana from the French for $15 million. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the U.S. Americans were excited about gaining new western lands, but the Louisiana Purchase presented problems like whether the purchase was constitutional. Despite his belief in strict interpretation of the Constitution, Jefferson used the elastic clause to buy it. Furthermore, despite his belief in liberty, Jefferson did not grant the French and Spaniards living in New Orleans citizenship. One final note, no one knew what resources existed in the territory so Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to explore. Their findings revealed an abundance of natural resources, thus setting the stage for future western expansion.
