In 1800 Napoleon forced Spain to cede Louisiana back to France, after
thirty-seven years of ownership. The idea of LaSalle, who had looked
forward to establishing here a new France, was long since forgotten,
but Napoleon, now in the zenith of his power, formed the brilliant
plan of colonizing this great country from the Mississippi to the
Rockies and from the Gulf to the British possessions in the North,
thereby hemming in the United States. Napoleon tried to subdue the
Island of San Domingo, with the idea of using it as an outside base
of supplies, but his troops were terribly slaughtered by the natives,
and the army that he intended to send to Louisiana never came. About
this time Napoleon was busy looking after England, and as after events
proved needed all of his troops at home. He succeeded, however, in
creating great alarm in America. The settlers west of the Alleghenies
were especially disturbed. The Mississippi was practically closed for
navigation, as the Spaniards, who held possession of New Orleans, would
not allow them to bring their products down the river and reship, as
had long been the custom.
President Jefferson appointed James Monroe and Livingston, then our
minister at Paris, to call on Napoleon, and, if possible, purchase West
Florida and New Orleans, the amount to be paid not to exceed $3,000,000.
Napoleon was very much in need of money to conduct his war against
England, and his disastrous attempt to subdue the natives of San
Domingo probably made him decide to offer the whole of Louisiana, which
he did for $15,000,000. This great purchase was consummated by Monroe
in 1803. This was the greatest act of Jefferson’s administration, but
the people bitterly opposed it, claiming that we had no use for the
additional territory. Napoleon said that in selling Louisiana to the
United States “he had placed a thorn where England would some day
feel it.” The acquisition of Louisiana more than doubled the area of
the United States, which was 827,844 square miles, increasing it to
1,999,775 square miles. It constitutes about ten of our largest States
to-day.