Friend or Foe?
America's Louisiana Purchase: Noble Bargain, Difficult Journey
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In her early years, America effectively and cleverly formed alliances with various powerful European countries, while at times opposing those very same nations. She always seemed to be on the winning side. At differing moments of the late 18th century and early 19th century, America found herself teetering to survive between powerful conquering empires like that of France and England. But, whenever there was a choice to made, the new country, for the most part, seemed to make brilliant decisions.
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| 1756-1763 |
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During the French and Indian War (the North American component of the Seven Year's War between France and Great Britain), the British colonists in America sided with Great Britain- their mother country. France began to attack the British colonial fighting ships and merchant ships along the Atlantic coast. Great Britain eventually won the war (but not before France had transferred the Louisiana Territory to Spain) and captured Canada and the Floridas. |
| 1775-1783 |
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The United States declares war on Great Britain. France helps America defeat Great Britain in the Revolutionary War. |
| 1795-1802 |
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Throughout this entire course of events, the young American Republic cast a nervous and constantly vigilant eye toward the port of New Orleans where American farmers, trappers, and frontiersman had, for the most part, been able to ship their goods en route to the Atlantic coast. Their products accounted for three- eighths of America's trade, according to President Thomas Jefferson. At first, New Orleans and the entire Louisiana territory had belonged to France. Then, when France saw she was losing the French and Indian War, she had given this massive body of land to Spain. At one point, Spain revoked America's trading rights along the Mississippi River- specifically, at the all- important New Orleans. In 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of France, secretly took the territory back from Spain. Constantly, European empires had threatened American trade routes along the Mississippi River and through the Gulf of Mexico. The United States now, more than anything else, feared the powerful French military, but threatened to ally with Great Britain if France took over New Orleans and cut off trading privileges in New Orleans. |
| 1803 |
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Although France had made a binding agreement with Spain that the Louisiana Territory would not fall into the hands of a third party, Napoleon disregarded the agreement and decided to sell all the land West of the Mississippi River to America. It cost the United States of America a base amount of $15 million (not counting interest which brought the total to $23 million). Napoleon wanted to use the money to finance his newest war against Great Britain. Ironically, the bank that transferred money to Napoleon was a British institution. For all practical purposes, Great Britain was transferring America's loan to finance the purchase, so that France could then use the money to fight the very same Great Britain that had paid them. The British bank made interest from the transaction. France had money to fight Great Britain. And America now had over 800 million square miles of the North American heartland. |
| 1812-1815 |
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The United States declared war on Great Britain because of British continuing conflicts against the colonists. By 1815, Great Britain had already surrendered, but word had not yet reached American General Andrew Jackson, nor British General Sir Edward Pakenham as Great Britain made an assault on New Orleans. The Battle of 1815, also known as the Battle of New Orleans, was a disaster for Britain. Jackson's forces routed the former mother country and put an end to any future British attempts to overthrow America. It was also symbolic of a budding American nationalism- and a sense that America was destined for growth and success. |
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