Buying LouisianaThe Mississippi River

Many

of the Trans Appalachian settlers used the Mississippi to float goods and produce out to the Gulf of Mexico and to the world Jefferson knew that he would have to work to keep the mouth of the Mississippi open to American merchants Napoleon Bonaparte had gained possession of New Orleans and the Louisiana Territory through conquest of Spain

Buying LouisianaNapoleon and France

Napoleons

idea was to create a French Empire in the New World

New Orleans would be the center and

capital
Americans

became worried when they learned that France now controlled the entrance to the Mississippi
American merchants now entering the

river had to pay a fee to the French controllers

Buying LouisianaNapoleon and France

Robert

Livingston and James Monroe were sent to negotiate the purchase of New Orleans and the land at the mouth of the Mississippi
Given $2 million, but allowed to spend

$10 million To ensure that American farmers had easy and toll free access to the interior of the continent

Buying LouisianaHaiti Thwarts Napoleons Plans

Haiti increases problems for Napoleon in the New World

Sugar profits soared under French exploitation

Increased the need for African slaves

Population of the island varied

40,000 whites

25,000 mulattos
500,000 African slaves

Slavery in Haiti
Code Noir Promulgated in 1685 Provided some protection to the African slaves Admitted the freed slave to full rights in society Reality was that the law slightly improved the lives of African slaves Slaves were overworked and underfed to bolster French profits

French Revolution Influence

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity spread to the Caribbean island nations

White planters demanded local autonomy Mulattos were extended the right to vote

African slaves demanded their own liberty

August 22, 1791- Pierre Dominique Toussaint LOuverture led a slave revolt against the Planter Elite
1801- LOuverture commanded the entire

island of Hispaniola

Napoleon Reacts

1801- Napoleon turns his attention to Haiti

To regain the profits of the sugar plantations

French army was sent to restore French leadership in Haiti

Led by General LeClerc

LOuverture was persuaded to attend a meeting with the French army

LOuverture was seized and taken to France

and imprisoned where he later died in 1803

Haiti Claims Independence

Two of LOuvertures lieutenants took over the revolt

Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Henry Christophe Overpowered by the slaves and yellow fever the

French army was defeated

January 1, 1804- Dessalines proclaimed independence for the western part of Hispaniola and named it Haiti French planters fled to Cuba, Mexico, and Venezuela
Had stories of rampaging slaves, burned sugar fields,

and a bloody struggle

Latin American planters elite became fearful Slaves became hopeful

Buying LouisianaNapoleon and France

Napoleon

sends troops under the command of General LeClerc

With the idea that once Haiti was

controlled, the US was next as Napoleon planned the creation of his western French Empire
Haitians

fought back and the French troops were beaten and Napoleons plan was crushed

Buying LouisianaNapoleon and France

Napoleon quickly cut his losses and decided to get what he could for Louisiana Livingston and Monroe had to make a quick decision

Offered France $15 million for Louisiana

Jefferson persuaded Congress to accept the purchase and they did in October 1803 American territory more than doubled as it now stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains

Lewis and Clark Expedition

Meriwether Lewis was chosen by Jefferson to lead an expedition into the new Louisiana Territory all the way to the Pacific Coast Lewis chose William Clark to help him

Crew of 40 men and Clarks slave York joined

the expedition

Idea was to survey the land, study the plants and animals, and characterize the people Expedition lasted from spring 1804 to fall 1806

Lewis and Clark Expedition

Traveled the Missouri River westward to the Rocky Mountains Spent the winter of 1804-05 at Fort Mandan in present-day North Dakota Crossed the Rocky Mountains and took the Snake and Columbia Rivers to the Pacific Coast Spent the winter of 1805-06 at Fort Clatsop in present-day Oregon Return trip began in the spring of 1806 Returned to St. Louis in September 1806

Pike Expedition

Zebulon Pike led a military expedition to the Rocky Mountains 1805 to 1807 Idea was to survey the land and scout the region for Spanish military Pike and his crew were captured by the Spanish and held for over a month while they questioned him about being in their territory Finally released and returned to Jefferson with valuable information about Spains military strength and the false idea that the land was all desert

The Federalists Protest

Federalists thought that the purchase of Louisiana would alter the balance of power between them and the more agriculturally-minded Republicans They felt that Jefferson would neglect commerce and banking New England Federalists began to talk about separating (seceding) from the Union Hamilton would not join the talks and the party turned to former VicePresident Aaron Burr

The Federalists ProtestAaron Burr Joins the Fight

Aaron

Burr ran for Governor of New York as a Federalist Thought that he could bring New York into the New England confederacy Hamilton, once again, worked hard to keep Burr from winning
Just as he had when Burr almost won

the presidency in 1800 Burr lost badly and the whole plan was crushed

The Federalists ProtestAaron Burr Joins the Fight

Burr

was so angry with Hamilton that he challenged him to a pistol duel July 1804, Hamilton was killed by Burr Burr had to flee murder charges in New Jersey and New York as his political career was destroyed