MAKING OF A NEW NATION 1776 1800
THOMAS JEFFERSON
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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Bonaparte needed money to fund the ongoing war in Europe.
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Bonaparte did not want Great Britain to gain more territory in North America.
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Bonaparte could not afford to send troops to defend the Louisiana Territory.
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Bonaparte no longer needed the Mississippi River or port of New Orleans for trade.
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Detailed explanation-1: -But France’s ruler at the time, Napoleon Bonaparte, was losing interest in establishing a North American empire and needed funds to fight the British, so he directed his emissaries to offer not just New Orleans but all of the Louisiana Territory to the Americans.
Detailed explanation-2: -The cession of Louisiana was kept secret for over a year. France feared that Louisiana would become British. As a result, France sought to preempt any actions that Britain would undertake if it became known that Louisiana no longer enjoyed French protection before the Spanish were able to occupy and defend it.
Detailed explanation-3: -Many Federalists, however, did in fact oppose the Louisiana Purchase. Some were concerned about the constitutionality of the treaty with France. Others feared the impact of the purchase on the political balance of power between slave and free states.
Detailed explanation-4: -When France offered to sell the Louisiana Territory to the United States in 1803, Jefferson wanted to seize the opportunity to double the size of the nation and to provide future generations with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of new farmland.