The Louisiana territory was the area encompassing the Mississippi River, the Gulf of Mexico, the Rocky Mountains all the way to the Canadian border. Through the westward expansion of the US, there was the growing importance of accessing the New Orleans port through the Mississippi River for commerce. However, the US had a difficult time accessing the port as the Louisiana Territory belonged to the French. However, the French signed a contract with the US government to sell the territory for 15 million dollars (Nelson, 2006). In 1803, the United States acquired 830,000 square miles of territory from France (Nelson, 2006). The Louisiana purchase resulted in the growth and expansion of the American nation and the development of the already existing American ideals that led to the western expansion.
Changes in American Philosophy Leading to the Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana purchase occurred at a time when the US was still a young nation. Jefferson had believed that the key to a healthy American nation was a citizenry dependent on land ownership (Doolen, 2014). For these to happen, the nation had to have enough land for its citizens to farm. This resulted in the westward expansion, which was instigated by Louisiana's purchase. Some of the American ideals that lead to the land purchase were that freedom meant owning land and farming (Doolen, 2014). This philosophy was widely held by numerous people, especially because Jefferson was a proponent of the same belief. Another ideal leading to the land purchase was that the US had developed a territorial government that allowed for the admittance of new states into the union (Nelson, 2006). The ideal allowed Jefferson to appoint ministers who would negotiate the terms of the land acquisition.
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Changes in American Philosophy After the Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana purchase resulted in an increased America where the size of the nation was doubled. One of the major ideals that changed from the Louisiana purchase dealt with the constitution (Doolen, 2014). The constitution had no mention of purchasing land, which had resulted in the hesitation of the then-president Jefferson. The land purchase resulted in the adoption of a loose view of the constitution by Americans as, through it, they were able to make the purchase that bought numerous benefits to the country (Nelson, 2006). With such vast land, western farmers remained loyal to the US as they were now able to transport and ship their produce through the New Orleans port across the Mississippi River.
The Louisiana purchase also introduced a philosophy where the American government was believed to be a peaceful government. This was achieved when the government showed other countries that America was a peaceful nation by negotiating the sale of the land rather than going into war with the French to forcefully acquire the land (Nelson, 2006). This also showcased an American ideal that the government cared for its citizens and was ready to work to meet their needs. It also created an ideal where members of a ceded territory were incorporated in the union (Doolen, 2014). This was seen when the residents of the Louisiana territory became Americans, thus resulting in the western farmers' loyalty.
Conclusion
The Louisiana purchase saw the American nation grow significantly in size. There were existing ideals that propagated the acquisition of the land, such as the idea of freedom resulting from land ownership and farming. With the land purchase came ideals such as the adoption of a loose translation of the constitution without having to undergo amendments to make significant contributions to the country such as the Louisiana purchase. The land purchase thus set a precedent for the westward expansion that led to the growth and expansion of the USA.
References
Nelson, R. L. (2006). The Louisiana purchase, Thomas Jefferson, and American Constitutionalism. White House Studies, 6(2), 197-214.
Doolen, A. (2014). Territories of Empire: US Writing from the Louisiana Purchase to Mexican Independence (Vol. 7). Oxford Studies in American Lit.
