Question

Napoleon Bonaparte sold the Louisiana Territory to the US really cheap. Why was this purchase significant to the United States?

a. It gave the US more power over Britain.
b. It opened up the Northwest Passage.
c. It gave more land to the Native Americans.
d. It doubled the size of America and gave access to the Missouri River and the Mississippi River, which were important trade routes

Answer 1

The Louisiana Purchase was significant as it doubled the size of the United States and provided control over crucial trade routes via the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, thereby playing a pivotal role in the country's westward expansion and economic development.

Step-by-step explanation:

The significance of the Louisiana Purchase to the United States is substantial. Napoleon Bonaparte's decision to sell the territory for $15 million in 1803 resulted in the United States doubling in size, effectively doubling the size of America and providing control over key trade routes through the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. This strategic acquisition granted the U.S. access to the interior of the continent, from the Gulf of Mexico almost to Canada, and was an essential component of Thomas Jefferson's vision of an agrarian society with bountiful land available for farming and trade. Consequently, it laid the groundwork for significant westward expansion, new economic opportunities, and the eventual displacement of the Native American populations in those territories.