The Louisiana Purchase was quite possible the most ludicrous American deal in history. It was not only the cheapest land, but it also gave poor farmers a chance to move west and give land to their sons and daughters in dowries. It had an affect on the Native American population as well. Native Americans were forced onto reservations where the land was not good and where game was scarce.
Thomas Jefferson also took over Native American lands by cheating them out of it. He would underprice things and sell too much of that item to the Native American population and then, when the end of the year came, the US would demand that the Native Americans pay off their debt. Since the Native Americans had no currency, the only thing that they could give to pay off their debts was their land. Naturally, they lost everything-even more game for hunting, and the lands that they were using for farming. Some Native Americans were forced by the white settlers to convert to Christianity.
After reading this, could things have been done differently than they were? How would these changes have affected both the past and the present?
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The Louisana Purchase was a major expansion to America. It brought much needed farm land that was cheap so that farmer could afford it. The land of the Louisana purchase got to be $1.25 per acre and a minimum land purchase of 80 acres.
The Louisiana Purchase has often been described as one of the greatest real estate deals in history. Despite this, there were some issues that concerned Americans of the day. First, many wondered how or if the United States could defend this massive addition to its land holdings. Many New Englanders worried about the effect the new addition might have on the balance of power in the nation. Further, Jefferson and Monroe struggled with the theoretical implications of the manner in which they carried out the purchase, particularly in light of Jefferson's previous heated battles with Alexander Hamilton concerning the interpretation of limits of constitutional and presidential powers. In the end, however, the desire to purchase the territory outweighed all of these practical and theoretical objections.
The increases in population, commerce, mining, and agriculture the Louisiana Purchase allowed worked to strengthen the nation as a whole. The opportunity for individuals and families to strike out into unsettled territory and create lives for themselves helped to foster the frontier spirit of independence, curiosity, and cooperation that have come to be associated with the American character.
I agree that the human cost at the time of the Louisiana Purchase, particularly for Native Americans was very high. However, I also believe that without the LP the United States would probably have never bacame the world power it is today.
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