United States Expansion : The Louisiana Purchase (1957)

[Music] from the Mississippi River 1500 kilm West to the Rocky Mountains from Canada 2400 km South to the Gulf of Mexico the Louisiana Territory [Music] [Music] it's 1801 Thomas Jefferson begins his first term as president of the United States the Mississippi River is the western boundary of the country American farmers have crossed the Appalachian Mountains to settle in Ohio Tennessee and Kentucky good rich soil worth working hard it's our land now me and my wives and my children's after me and maybe this year or next year when the crops come in we'll have enough left over Lord willing it's going to work we'll keep come and sell the rats but it's difficult to transport produce and goods across the eastern mountains often a pack horse has to be used to get Goods to market the forests are dense broken only by trails and traces the rivers can only be crossed at shallows the Overland journey to Eastern markets is too difficult for the small farmer to make a profit but the waterways are clear the French and the Spaniards have already explored America's Inland Rivers France establishes settlements South at New Orleans while up north along the Mississippi settlements are founded at St Louis the Spaniards hold trading posts west of the Mississippi for Trappers Traders hunters and American Indians boats of all kinds carry Goods to the Mississippi River and South down river to the port of New Orleans founded by the French now a part of the Spanish Empire New Orleans has become the key to all Inland trade and River traffic the Spanish they let us bring our Goods here to New Orleans and let us ship them out without paying duties they call it the right of deposit I heard tell that the French were going to take over from the Spanish nothing to it I hope cuz if we ever lost the right of deposit here just no way Napoleon bonapart of France in 1800 by threat of arms and the promise of territory has forced King Carlos IV of Spain to return the Louisiana territory to France to avoid American and British interference this is done by a secret treaty Napoleon dreams of extending the French Empire into the Louisiana Territory 1801 President Jefferson receives dispatches regarding the secret French takeover of Louisiana by the spring of 1802 he has seen proof of Napoleon's Imperial designs dear louisianians by a treaty made between the French government and His Majesty the king of Spain Louisiana has become a property of the French Republic Jefferson writes to Robert Livingston the American minister in Paris there is on the globe one single spot the possessor of which is our natural and habitual enemy it is New Orleans through which the produce of 38s of our territory must pass to Market and from its fertility it will airong yield more than half our whole produce in May 1802 Livingston is instructed to negotiate for the purchase of New Orleans and the floridas but he is met with evasions and delays by tan Napoleon's foreign secretary a master of intrigue Napoleon knows the United States has a weak bargaining position Great Britain is not likely to form an alliance with the United States the war of independence is still too recent a memory for political reasons Jefferson reduces taxes and cuts the military budget the ship building industry is impaired the American Navy isn't strong enough to defeat the French if the Louisiana situation leads to war Jefferson writes peace is our passion and Wrongs might drive us from it we prefer trying every other just principle right and safety before we would recur to war Napoleon has has no desire for peace he knows the American Army poses no threat to his ambition for a new world Empire the British Navy does pose a formidable threat to Napoleon's plans but this is a military problem for the future for now only an apparently minor problem remains toussant lure and the slave rebellion on the Caribbean island of Santo Domingo proud blacks fighting against Napoleon's immense Fleet and an army of 10,000 by the fall of 1802 battle losses and an epidemic of yellow fever have decimated the French forces Napoleon orders his Commander lir rid us of these Africans and we shall have nothing more to wish the struggle continues throughout 1802 Jefferson is aware that the ex-slaves of Santo Domingo are buying time for the United States but is there enough time for for negotiations he writes to Livingston we must know at once whether we can acquire New Orleans we are satisfied nothing else will secure us against War the Louisiana situation changes for the worse in anticipation of the French takeover Spain closes New Orleans to the Mississippi River trade armed Spanish soldiers meet the produce Laden flatboats Pioneer Americans feel that the right to deposit is a As Natural as the right to use the river Jefferson better get it back or we'll fight for it [Music] ourselves to quiet the agitation for war in January 1803 Jefferson nominates James Monroe as Minister extraordinary to France and Spain and Congress approves Monroe sales with secret instructions he has permission to offer $6 million for New Orleans or for any access to the Gulf of Mexico from the Mississippi if the French refuse Monroe is to seek an alliance with Great Britain and if necessary Congress will declare war against Napoleon before Monroe arrives Napoleon realizes he has lost Santo Domingo and that a European war with Great Britain is coming soon suddenly foreign min Mr Tan becomes cordial he offers to sell not only New Orleans but the whole Louisiana Territory for 100 million auu $15 million Livingston and Monroe accept on April 30th 1803 irresolution and deliberation are no longer in season I renounce Louisiana it is not only new orans that I seed it is the whole Colony without Reserve I know that the acquisition of Louisiana has been disapproved by some the treaty poses grave constitutional questions too no provision has been made for acquiring foreign territory and Jefferson has always believed in a strict adherence to the Constitution at first he wants an [Music] amendment but delay might cause Napoleon to renade a strict observance to the written laws is doubtless one of the high duties of a good citizen but it is not the highest the laws of necessity of self-preservation of saving our country when in danger are of a higher obligation in October 1803 Congress approves the treaty one of the early move some believe in the development of manifest destiny in America the American people are pleased to expand into the new [Applause] territory New Orleans December 20th [Music] 1803 the flag of the United States flies over the Louisiana Territory for the first time [Music] I