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On April 30, 1803, France sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States

April 30, 1803, was a very important day in United States history -- but not many Americans could tell you why without looking it up. That was the day that the United States made what been called "the most significant real estate transaction in the history of civilization." In this business deal, called the Louisiana Purchase, the U.S. bought a large area called the Louisiana Territory. How did this amazing sale come about? Let's learn more about it.

In the 18th century, the United States controlled the area here shown as the Northwest Territory. This area contained land that forms the present-day states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Farmers in the Northwest Territory sent goods like furs, grains, whiskey, and tobacco down the Mississippi River to trade in Europe. The port of New Orleans was a main link in this trade route. But at this time New Orleans belonged to Spain, which owned the rest of the Louisiana Territory. This huge expanse of land originally belonged to France, and took its name from France's King Louis XIV. Spain took this territory from France, including New Orleans, in 1762. Can you see how this would be a problem for the United States?

In 1800, Spain secretly sold the land back to France. This was such a big secret that Spain continued to administer the territory for the next two years. France's emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, is pictured on the left. Napoleon planned a great French empire in the New World, and hoped to use the Mississippi Valley as a food and trade center to supply the island of Hispaniola. (This island is now home to two different nations: Haiti and the Dominican Republic.) But in the two years after the secret sale, Napoleon started getting ready to go to war with England, and he needed a lot of money very quickly.

U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, pictured on the right, heard about the secret sale. Because New Orleans was so important for trade, Jefferson wanted it to belong to the United States. Do you think he also wanted to stop France from owning land in North America? Jefferson also knew about France's money troubles. He sent Robert Livingston and James Monroe to France where they asked Napoleon to sell New Orleans to the U.S. To their surprise, Napoleon offered to sell the whole Louisiana Territory for $15 million. The land totaled about 800,000 square miles, so the total cost was about three cents per acre. Does this sound like enough money for this huge territory? Was this money worth a lot more back then?

At first, Jefferson was afraid the president couldn't buy the land because the Constitution does not say anything about the president being able to buy land. But Congress approved the sale. Buying the Louisiana Territory for this bargain price was one of Thomas Jefferson's greatest achievements as president. The Louisiana Purchase nearly doubled the size of the young United States. Americans immediately began to move westward into the new lands. Many modern U.S. states were located entirely or partially in this territory: Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, North Dakota, Texas, South Dakota, New Mexico, Nebraska, Kansas, Wyoming, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Montana. Is your home located in the area covered by the Louisiana Purchase?

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