The United States was determined to expand west. Americans believed in Manifest Destiny, or their divine right to expand and spread democracy. They wanted to go west and live freely without the restrictions of the strict laws in the East. Other issues in the East included limited religious freedom and a lack of jobs. The promise of open land, new jobs, and religious freedom drew people further into the continent. This new land contained untapped resources, such as forests, plains, and ore. When gold was discovered in California, people were eager to head west. The West became synonymous with adventures and new opportunities. However, to go west, the United States needed to own the surrounding land.
France agreed to sell their territory to the United States. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson obtained 828,000 square miles of land for $15 million. The United States doubled in size and stretched to the Rocky Mountains.
The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States and vastly increased its resources and riches. The roles of the president and the Constitution were also defined, as it was determined that the president could purchase the land without consulting Congress. Despite the advantages of expanding westward, one prominent disadvantage was the growing tension between slave states and free states regarding whether new states would permit slavery. The opportunity to grow a nation would endanger its very survival during the Civil War.
According to information in the text feature, why was France willing to sell the French Territory to the United States?
Too expensive to maintain
No resources in the area
To have access to the Port of New Orleans
To pay for the country's expensive wars