1800-1810

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorCollege, Undergraduate November 2001

download word file, 5 pages 0.0

American History 1800-1810 There was a lot of action going on in the United States between the time periods of 1800 through 1810. The different events that went on during this time period were the Bankruptcy law, Tripolitan War, United States military academy is establish, Louisiana Purchase, Lewis and Clarke Expedition begins, and Treaty of Fort Wayne. There was law making, purchasing, exploration, and treaties along with a lot of other things. This paper's focus is on purchasing and exploring that went on in the Americas between 1800 and 1810. Through bargaining and purchasing, the United States acquired a large quantity of land.

First, the Louisiana Purchase, which happened in 1803, was the purchase of a lot of territory that America needed. It all started when Napoleon Bonaparte wanted a French empire in the New World. He wanted the use the Mississippi Valley as a food and trade center to give supplies to the island of Hispaniola.

He had to first get control of Hispaniola. The Haitian slaves were under Toussaint L'Ouverture presently had control of it. Napoleon under the control of his brother in law, Charles Leclerc, went to the island to take it back. The French lost a lot of soldiers to yellow fever. Since he was at war with Great Britain and he needed all his troops at the war and he needed money to support in Europe, so offered to sell Louisiana to the United States (Barry).

Coincidently, Thomas Jefferson, the president at this time had already sent James Monroe and Robert Livingston to Paris to negotiate the purchase. They wanted a tract of land on the lower Mississippi or, at least, a guarantee of free navigation on the river. Free navigation of the Mississippi would be granted. Surprised by the offer of the...