Final answer:
The U.S. handled the Louisiana Territory's issues through compromises like the Missouri Compromise, which managed the slavery question by allowing it in certain areas. President Jefferson, despite concerns about constitutionality, saw the purchase as key to national expansion. The deeply contentious issue of slavery's spread was temporarily settled, yet it foreshadowed future conflicts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The United States resolved the issues with the Louisiana Territory residents mainly through legislation and compromises, notably the Missouri Compromise. This compromise attempted to balance the number of slave states and free states, permitting slavery in the southern parts of the Louisiana Purchase territory while banning it in the northern areas. Thomas Jefferson saw the Louisiana Purchase as essential for the expansion of the agrarian society he envisioned, but the inclusion of these new territories raised urgent questions about the expansion of slavery.
Jefferson had strong adherence to the Constitution, which did not grant him the power to purchase land, leading to consternation among some who argued that the president did not have the authority to increase the territory of the United States in this manner. Nevertheless, for $15 million, the Louisiana Purchase effectively doubled the size of the United States, bolstering Jefferson's vision for the nation's growth. The Missouri Compromise was thus a critical response to the divide over slavery in the new territories.