Question

Why could Thomas Jefferson's decision to purchase the Louisiana Territory from France be described as being “as being out of character” for him? Responses A Jefferson had told the French he would never attempt to take over the Louisiana Territory.Jefferson had told the French he would never attempt to take over the Louisiana Territory. B Jefferson had repeatedly and publicly described the Louisiana Territory as being “useless.”Jefferson had repeatedly and publicly described the Louisiana Territory as being “useless.” C Jefferson was considered to be a “strict constructionist” with regards to the Constitution.Jefferson was considered to be a “strict constructionist” with regards to the Constitution. D Jefferson believed the United States was not big enough to purchase that much land.

Answer 1

Thomas Jefferson's purchase of the Louisiana Territory was out of character as he was a strict constructionist, but the need for an agrarian society and control over key territories outweighed constitutional concerns. The possible option of choice is (C).

Step-by-step explanation:

Thomas Jefferson's decision to purchase the Louisiana Territory from France can be described as "out of character" for him primarily because Jefferson was known as a strict constructionist with regards to the Constitution.

The term strict constructionist implies that Jefferson believed in a literal interpretation of the Constitution and that the federal government should not do anything that the Constitution does not explicitly permit. Nothing in the Constitution specifically granted the power to purchase new land, which troubled Jefferson as it clashed with his political philosophy.

Despite this, the desire for an agrarian society and control over critical land like the port of New Orleans and the Mississippi River outweighed his strict constitutional concerns. The opportunity presented by Napoleon's willingness to sell the territory at a low price due to external events such as the Haitian Revolution also influenced Jefferson's pivotal decision to double the size of the United States.