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The Louisiana Purchase refers to the US’s acquisition of the territory of Louisiana under Thomas Jefferson in 1803. Louisiana belonged to France from 1699 to 1762, and then from 1800 to 1803. For the French leader, Napoleon Bonaparte, this deal was a tool to get more money for the needs of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe (Gleijeses, 2017). For President Jefferson, it was a way to make the US twice as large. Apart from this, the newly acquired territory of Louisiana increased not only the material wealth but also the strategic power of the US. The current paper argues that the acquisition of Louisiana’s land made the US think of itself as a state that might have the potential to become a great power.
Previous to the purchase of Louisiana, there was great American apprehension about the granting of citizenship to French and Spanish nationals. However, these issues were mitigated, and the Louisiana Purchase became the “greatest achievement of Thomas Jefferson’s presidency” (Balleck, 1992, p. 679). Before the acquisition of Louisiana, the US was vulnerable to having its access to the port of New Orleans interfered with by the French and Spanish powers. Therefore, American trade was at the mercy of Spain and France. The acquisition of Louisiana gave the US unrestricted control over the port, which contributed to the rise of exports (Doering & Outlaw, 2006). From a modern perspective, it could be argued that the purchase made by Jefferson was the first step towards US supremacy in North America.
To conclude, with the obtaining of Louisiana, America started to perceive itself as a strong power and the regional hegemon. The described enlargement of the US contributed to the growth of trade and, therefore, assisted in spreading its influence westwards. Most importantly, the Louisiana Purchase made the US an invulnerable country and granted them dominance over the continent.
Reference
Balleck, B. J. (1992). When the ends justify the means: Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana purchase. Presidential Studies Quarterly, 22(4), 679-696.
Doering, O., & Outlaw, J. L. (2006). The Evolution of the Rationale for Government Involvement in Agriculture. Choices, 21(4), 221-224.
Gleijeses, P. (2017). Napoleon, Jefferson, and the Louisiana Purchase. The International History Review, 39(2), 237-255.
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