Question

Americans sought to obtain control of New Orleans in 1803 so that-?

A )Western farmers could ship goods through the Erie Canal
B )Western ranchers could drive cattle to railroad stops
C )Western farmers could ship goods down the Mississippi River
D )Miners could reach California more easily

Answer 1

The correct answer is C) )Western farmers could ship goods down the Mississippi River.

Americans sought to obtain control of New Orleans in 1803 so that Western farmers could ship goods down the Mississippi River.

A major reason for purchasing the Louisiana territory in 1803 was to secure control of the port of New Orleans.

With the purchase of the Louisiana territory, the United States could gain control of the port of New Orleans and could control the Mississippi River. With the revoke of the Spanis-U.S. treaty that authorized the U.S. to store goods in New Orleans, owned by the French, President Jefferson sent James Monroe to Paris, France, in order to help U.S. Minister France Robert Livingstone with the purchase of the Louisiana territory. Having purchased the Louisiana territory, the U.S. was able to secure control of the port of New Orleans and the Mississippi River.

France sold the Louisiana territory for $11,250,000. It represented about 820,000 square miles of territory.