The “Territory of Dakota,” with the exception a portion of the northeast corner, was a part of “The Louisiana Territory” which was acquired from France in 1803. The path to acquiring that property was one that had many twists and turns which the politicians on all sides did not expect.

A number of unexpected situations developed without any warning, and remember, the distance between Washington, D.C. and the capitols of England, France, and Sprain were between 3,700 and 3,850 miles. Almost all by boat and with only the assistance of the winds, ocean current, good luck, and prayer.

The “Louisiana Territory” was born on April 9, 1682, when the French explorer Robert  de La Salle, we know him today simply as “La Salle,” erected a cross near the mouth of the Mississippi.  He read a declaration to a group of bewildered Indians and took possession of the entire Mississippi River basin for France.

In 1718, a settlement was founded at the site of La Salle’s proclamation and it was named Nouvelle Orleans. By the time of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, its population of whites, slaves of African origin and “free persons of color” was about 8,000.  The community boasted a thriving economy based largely on agricultural exports which were floated down the river from the north.

The French were fascinated by America — which they often symbolized in paintings and drawings as a feathered Noble Savage standing beside an alligator — but they were unable to decide if it was a New Eden or “a primitive place fit only for degenerate life-forms.”  The official view of the governor was:  “The people are aheap of dregs of Canada.  The soldiers there were untrained and undisciplined and the whole colony was not worth a straw at the present time.”

As the United States spread across the Appalachians, the Mississippi River became an increasingly important conduit for the produce of America’s West (which at that time referred to the land between the Appalachians and the Mississippi).  Since 1762, Spain had owned the “Territory of Louisiana,” which included 828,000 square miles.  The territory included the area between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains.

In 1795 Spain and the United States had resolved the right for Americans to navigate the Mississippi River and the right to transfer their goods to ocean-going vessels at New Orleans.  With this agreement in place and the weak Spanish empire in control of Louisiana, American officials felt comfortable that the United States’ westward expansion would not be restricted in the future.

This situation was however later threatened by Napoleon Bonaparte.  He had become a general and First Counsel in France and had plans to rule not only all of Europe but also the New World.  On October 1, 1800, Spain signed a secret treaty with France, surrendering the “Territory of Louisiana” west of the Mississippi River.

His plans were to revive the French empire in the New World.  He planned to recapture the valuable sugar colony of St. Dominque (a French colony in the Caribbean — area of modern-day Haiti) and then use Louisiana as the granary for his empire.  France acquired Louisiana from Spain in 1800 and took possession in 1802.

They had sent a large French army to St. Dominque and were preparing to send another army to New Orleans.  Officials in Washington became very apprehensive about having the more powerful French in control of New Orleans and the Mississippi River.  President Jefferson said:  “There is on the globe one single spot, the possessor of which is our natural and habitual enemy.  It is New Orleans.”

On March 4, 1801, Jefferson became the first president to be inaugurated in Washington, D. C.  It was as raw and unfinished as the nation of which it was the capital.  Officials trudged down muddy pathways to the half-completed buildings where they worked.

Jefferson made military plans for a conflict in the Mississippi Valley; however, he sent James Monroe to France to try to purchase New Orleans and West Florida for as much as $10 million.  If that failed, the plan was to create a military alliance with England.

Meanwhile the French Army was decimated by yellow fever in St. Dominque and war between France and England was possible.  Napoleon decided to give up his plans for Louisiana, and offered a surprised Monroe the entire territory of Louisiana for $15 million.  Although, this far exceeded his instructions from Jefferson, he agreed.

When news of the sale reached America, most citizens were elated.  However, Jefferson had a problem.  He was a strict constitutionalist and he was not empowered to purchase property.  He decided to forgo the passage of a Constitutional amendment to validate the purchase.  This decision contributed to the development of the principle of implied powers of the federal government.

Many members of the House of Representatives were opposed to the purchase.  The House called for a vote to deny the request, but it failed by two votes, 59 – 57.  The United States Senate consented to the ratification of the treaty with a vote of 24 to 7 on October 20.  On the following day, October 21, 1803, the Senate authorized Jefferson to take possession of the territory and establish a temporary military government.  To pay for the purchase, $15 million was borrowed from British and Dutch banks at six percent annual interest.

 

Author Clarence Shoemaker, originally published in the Gregory Times-Advocate on July 19, 2023