Question

After the Haitian Revolution, it____

a) became clear to Napoleon that his plans for France’s colonies in America could not be achieved.
b) He decided the best course of action was to sell the Louisiana Territory to the United States. Thomas Jefferson and the American government
c) bought the land for $20 million, which was about four cents an acre. After the deal was struck, the United States
d) doubled in size.

Answer 1

The Haitian Revolution prompted Napoleon to sell the Louisiana Territory to the U.S., doubling its size and enabling Jefferson's vision of an agrarian society. The Louisiana Purchase, at $15 million, provided access to the Mississippi River and the port of New Orleans, crucial for American commerce.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Louisiana Purchase and the Haitian Revolution

After the Haitian Revolution, it became evident to Napoleon Bonaparte that his aspirations for a French empire in the Americas were unattainable. This realization led him to sell the vast Louisiana Territory to the United States in 1803. The purchase, orchestrated under President Thomas Jefferson's administration, significantly expanded the United States at a cost of $15 million, or approximately four cents an acre. It doubled the size of the country and provided tremendous opportunities for westward expansion and the establishment of an agrarian society.

President Jefferson, an advocate for the 'empire of liberty', achieved his greatest accomplishment through this transaction, widely regarded as one of the most significant real estate deals in history. Envisioning a future where yeomen farmers would prosper on the land, this purchase bolstered American agricultural commerce, especially through the crucial port of New Orleans and the Mississippi River. Furthermore, the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory was essential for future White settlement and opened up possibilities for finding a Northwest Passage.

Napoleon's willingness to sell stemmed from various factors, including the financial drain from the failed attempt to quash the Haitian Revolution and the looming threat of war with Britain. The turmoil in Haiti, where enslaved people had overthrown the plantation regime, ended any hopes Napoleon had for reestablishing a French foothold in the New World.

On the other side, Jefferson had to consider constitutional questions, as the purchase was not explicitly sanctioned by the Constitution. However, the potential benefits overshadowed these concerns, and the United States took a significant step toward territorial expansion.