The Greatest Deal In American History: The Louisiana Purchase

The Greatest Deal in American History

The Louisiana Purchase was one of the greatest real estate deals in the world. About 827,000 square miles was purchased to increase the land size of the United States. As a result of the Louisiana Purchase, the United States doubled in the amount of land they owned. The Louisiana Purchase provided territory for the westward expansion. It also gave people land to grow crops and more land to live on.

The Louisiana Purchase happened in 1803. The United States purchased this territory from France while Thomas Jefferson was president. The U.S. purchased roughly 827,000 square miles for 15 million dollars. Americans wanted to buy this land because more people were moving west and they could utilize the Mississippi river to move goods up and down the river. At first, the purchase wasn’t going to happen because Napoleon Bonaparte refused to make a deal. Thomas Jefferson sent James Monroe to France to talk to Napoleon and he finally agreed to sell the land. Napoleon sold the land because he needed the money. In one transaction the United States doubled in size. Jefferson then sent Lewis and Clark to explore the newly gained land. The purchase shaped history for the United States during the 19th century. (www.History.com)

The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States. The Purchase made the United States borders stretch from the Mississippi River in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west and it also stretched from Canada in the north and to the Gulf of Mexico in the south. (ducksters.com) The new land that the American’s had purchased, provided the Mississippi River as a way to move goods up and down the river. The new land also gave control of the ports in New Orleans. Lewis and Clark explored the newly gained land and found a bunch of exciting things for people to use. They found black greasewood, blue fax, and Indian tobacco. By the Louisiana Purchase doubling in size it made the United States become one of the biggest nations in the world.

The Louisiana Purchase gave land for people to live and grow crops. Americans wanted Thomas Jefferson to buy the territory from Napoleon because Americans were moving west and at the time there wasn’t enough land for people to move west. ( History.com) America also needed more land because America kept on getting bigger and bigger and they need more space. The Purchase gave Americans the following states: Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, and Minnesota to grow crops and live there. The land also gave Americans roughly 827,000 square miles. People also needed more land for livestock. (ducksters.com)

The Louisiana Purchase provided territory for the westward expansion. The Louisiana Purchase provided fifteen states to move west. Seven million Americans went westward in hopes of securing land and started beginning settlements. From 1800 to 1900 the westward expansion increased the population of the United States from 5 million to 76 million. (softschools.com) The newly gained land provided land to farm and live and got land for livestock. The Louisiana Purchase allowed the United States to have free access without any other countries threatening them. (weebly.com)

In conclusion, after doing the research it is evident that the Louisiana Purchase is a huge part of history. The United States would not be what it is today had Thomas Jefferson not made a great deal. Buying the land for three pennies an acre, doubling the size of the US and giving people more land was a major turning point in history.

Works Cited

1. Editors. “Louisiana Purchase.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2 Dec. 2009, www.history.com/topics/westward-expansion/louisiana-purchase.
2. Westward Expansion.” Ducksters Educational Site, Technological Solutions, Inc., www.ducksters.com/history/westward_expansion/louisiana_purchase.php.
3. “A Map of The Louisiana Purchase In 1803.” Private Tutoring, Varsity Tutors, www.varsitytutors.com/earlyamerica/maps/maps/map-louisiana-purchase-1803.
4. “Westward Expansion Facts.” Math, www.softschools.com/facts/ushistory/westward_expansion_facts/1175/.
5. “Impact on Western Expansion.”Louisiana Purchase,la-purchase.weebly.com/impact-on-western-expansion.html.