Louisiana Purchase

E22988

The Louisiana Purchase was an 1803 land deal in which the United States bought a vast territory from France, doubling the nation's size and securing control of the Mississippi River region.


Statements (56)
Predicate Object
instanceOf historical event
land deal
territorial acquisition
area 2140000 square kilometers
828000 square miles
buyer United States
capitalCityAffected Washington, D.C.
controversy constitutional authority for land acquisition
country United States
date 1803-04-30
effect accelerated westward expansion
doubled the size of the United States
reduced French presence in North America
secured control of the Mississippi River
secured port of New Orleans
followedBy Lewis and Clark Expedition
establishment of District of Louisiana
establishment of Territory of Orleans
includesRegion Arkansas
Great Plains
Iowa
Kansas
Louisiana Territory
Mississippi River valley
Missouri
Nebraska
New Orleans
Oklahoma
parts of Minnesota
parts of Montana
parts of New Mexico
parts of North Dakota
parts of South Dakota
parts of Texas
parts of Wyoming
language English
French
legalBasis treaty power of the U.S. Constitution
location North America
monetaryValue 15000000 US dollars
partOf expansion of the United States
paymentForm cash and assumption of French debts
precededBy French acquisition of Louisiana from Spain
Third Treaty of San Ildefonso
ratificationDate 1803-10-20
ratifiedBy United States Senate
relatedEvent Haitian Revolution
Napoleonic Wars
Seven Years' War
seller France
significantFigure James Monroe
Napoleon Bonaparte
Robert R. Livingston
Thomas Jefferson
treatyName Treaty of Paris (1803)
year 1803


Please wait…