The Louisiana Purchase was controversial because the US Constitution did not directly give the government the power to buy foreign territories. However, it was the foundation for the westward expansion of the United States. The purchase doubled the size of the country and ensured lasting peace between the United States and Great Britain.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Louisiana Purchase was one of the most-well known land purchases in America. There was no Constitutional precedent for buying land to add territory to the United States, there was theoretically no Constitutional authority for the president to buy the land. At that time, everyone wanted to be allies with the Great Britain, but the problem was that the land was owned by France. Another problem was that there was concern that the number of states allowing slavery would increase with the additional land acquisition, thus increasing the already existing tensions between northern and southern states over the slavery issue. Eventually, Jefferson’s closest advisors settled the issue of the constitutionality of the purchase. They pointed out that the Constitution gave the president the exclusive right to enter into treaties with foreign governments and leaders. Since the Louisiana Purchase was part of a treaty with Napoleon that Jefferson was entering into, it could not be unconstitutional. This ensured that there would be no problems between Great Britain and America.