For the film, see Louisiana Purchase (film). Louisiana Purchase is a 1941 film adaptation of the musical theater play Louisiana Purchase.

The Louisiana Purchase (French: Vente de la Louisiane "Louisiana Sale") was the acquisition by the United States of America of 828,000 square miles (2,140,000 km²) of the French territory Louisiane in 1803. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Louisiana (La celina+mario) was the name of an administrative district of New France. The cost was 60 million francs ($11,250,000) plus cancellation of debts worth 18 million francs ($3,750,000). The franc (represented by the franc sign ₣ or more commonly just F) is a former Currency of France. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been Including interest, the U. S. finally paid $23,213,568 for the Louisiana territory. ^[1]

The Louisiana Purchase area in bold outline.

The Louisiana Purchase encompassed portions of 15 current U. S. states and 2 Canadian Provinces. The land purchased contained all of present-day Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, parts of Minnesota that were south of the Mississippi River, most of North Dakota, nearly all of South Dakota, northeastern New Mexico, northern Texas, the portions of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado east of the Continental Divide, and Louisiana west of the Mississippi River, including the city of New Orleans. Arkansas ( is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee The State of Iowa ( is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American " Nebraska ( is a state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and Minnesota ( Native Americans demonstrated the name to early settlers The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to North Dakota ( is a state located in the Midwestern and Western regions of the United States of America. South Dakota ( is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Montana ( is a state in the Western United States. One-third of the state in the western part contains numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named of the northern The State of Wyoming ( is a sparsely populated state in the western region of the United States. The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. A continental divide is a line of elevated Terrain which forms a border between two watersheds such that Water falling on one side of the line eventually The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana (The Oklahoma Panhandle, and southwestern portions of Kansas and Louisiana were still claimed by Spain at the time of the Purchase. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. ) In addition, the Purchase contained small portions of land that would eventually become part of the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Alberta (ælˈbɝtə is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1 1905 Saskatchewan (səˈskætʃəwən) is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of 588276 The land included in the purchase comprises around 23% of the territory of the United States today. ^[1]

The purchase was an important moment in the presidency of Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson (April 13 1743 – July 4 1826 was the third President of the United States (1801–1809 the principal author of the Declaration of Independence At the time, it faced domestic opposition as being possibly unconstitutional. Constitutionality is the status of a law, a procedure or an act's accordance with the laws or guidelines set forth in the applicable Constitution. Although he felt that the US Constitution did not contain any provisions for acquiring territory, Jefferson decided to purchase Louisiana because he felt uneasy about France and Spain having the power to block American trade access to the port of New Orleans.

Napoleon Bonaparte, upon completion of the agreement, stated, "This accession of territory affirms forever the power of the United States, and I have given England a maritime rival who sooner or later will humble her pride. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. "^[2]

Background

A contemporary mapmaker's vision of "Louisiana", edged on the west by the Rocky Mountains. Louisiana (La celina+mario) was the name of an administrative district of New France. Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a Mountain range in western North America.

The city of New Orleans controlled the Mississippi River through its location; other locations for ports had been tried and had not succeeded. New Orleans was already important for shipping agricultural goods to and from the parts of the United States west of the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. Through Pinckney's Treaty signed with Spain on October 27, 1795, American merchants had "right of deposit" in New Orleans, meaning they could use the port to store goods for export. Pinckney's Treaty, also known as the Treaty of San Lorenzo or the Treaty of Madrid, was signed in San Lorenzo de El Escorial on October 27, Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross. Year 1795 ( MDCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Americans also used this right to transport products such as flour, tobacco, pork, bacon, lard, feathers, cider, butter, and cheese. The treaty also recognized American rights to navigate the entire Mississippi River which had become increasingly vital to the growing trade of their western territories. ^[3] In 1798 Spain revoked this treaty, which greatly upset Americans. In 1801, Spanish Governor Don Juan Manuel De Salcedo took over for Governor Marquess of Casa Calvo, and the right to deposit goods from the United States was fully restored. Napoleon Bonaparte returned Louisiana to French control from Spain in 1800, under the Treaty of San Ildefonso (Louisiana had been a Spanish colony since 1762. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The Third Treaty of San Ildefonso (formally titled the Preliminary and Secret Treaty between the French Republic and His Catholic Majesty the King of Spain Concerning the Aggrandizement ) However, the treaty was kept secret, and Louisiana remained under Spanish control until a transfer of power to France. The transfer finally took place on November 30, 1803, just three weeks before the cession to the United States. Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a

James Monroe and Robert R. Livingston traveled to Paris to negotiate the purchase in 1804. James Monroe (April 28 1758 – July 4 1831 was the fifth President of the United States (1817–1825 Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Their interest was only in the port and its environs; they did not anticipate the much larger transfer of territory that would follow.

Negotiation

The original treaty of the Louisiana Purchase.

Jefferson laid the groundwork for the purchase by sending Livingston to Paris in 1801, after discovering the transfer of Louisiana from Spain to France. Livingston was to pursue a purchase of New Orleans, but he was rebuffed by the French.

In 1802, Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours was enlisted to help negotiate. Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours ( December 14, 1739 &ndash August 7 1817) was a French Writer, Economist Du Pont was living in the United States at the time and had close ties to Jefferson, as well as to the political powers in France. He engaged in back-channel diplomacy with Napoleon, on Jefferson's behalf, during a personal visit to France. He originated the idea of the much larger Louisiana Purchase as a way to defuse potential conflict between the United States and Napoleon over North America. ^[4]

Jefferson disliked the idea of purchasing Louisiana from France as that could imply that France had a right to be in Louisiana. A strict constructionalist, Jefferson also believed that a U. Strict constructionism refers to a particular legal philosophy of Judicial interpretation that limits or restricts judicial interpretation S. president did not have the authority to engage in such a deal because it was not specified in the constitution, and that to do so would moreover erode states' rights by increasing federal executive power. States' rights refers to the idea in US politics and constitutional law, that U On the other hand, he was aware of the potential threat that a neighbor like France would be for the young nation, and was prepared to go to war to prevent a strong French presence in the region. Meanwhile, Napoleon's foreign minister, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, was vehemently opposed to selling Louisiana since it would mean an end to France's secret plans for a North American empire. The Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Government of France, is the cabinet minister responsible for the Foreign relations of France. Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord 1st Sovereign Prince of Beneventum (2 February 1754 17 May 1838 the Prince of Diplomats, was a French

Throughout this time, Jefferson had up-to-date intelligence on Napoleon's military activities and intentions in North America. Part of his evolving strategy involved giving du Pont some information that was withheld from Livingston. He also gave intentionally conflicting instructions to the two. He next sent Monroe to Paris in 1803. Monroe had been formally expelled from France on his last diplomatic mission, and the choice to send him again conveyed a sense of seriousness.

Napoleon was faced with the defeat of his armies in Saint-Domingue (present-day Republic of Haiti) where an expeditionary force under his brother-in-law Charles Leclerc was attempting to reassert control over a slave rebellion that threatened France's most profitable colony. Saint-Domingue was a French Colony on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola from 1659 to 1804 when it became the independent nation of Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole: Charles Victor Emmanuel Leclerc ( Pontoise, Val-d'Oise, France, March 17, 1772 - Saint Domingue, November 2,

Political conflicts in Guadeloupe and in Saint-Domingue grew with the restoration of slavery on May 20, 1802, and the defection of leading French officers, like the black general Jean-Jacques Dessalines and the mulatto officer Alexandre Pétion in October 1802, within the context of an ongoing guerrilla war. Guadeloupe is an island group or Archipelago located in the eastern Caribbean Sea at, with a land area of 1628 square kilometres (629  sq As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held Year 1802 ( MDCCCII) was a Common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Jean-Jacques Dessalines ( September 20, 1758 – 17 October 1806 was a leader of the Haitian Revolution and the first ruler of an independent Mulatto is a term used to describe a person with one white parent and one black parent or a person whose Ancestry is a mixture of black and white Alexandre Sabès Pétion ( April 2, 1770 &ndash March 29, 1818) was President of the southern Republic of Haiti from 1806 until The French had successfully deported Toussaint L'Ouverture to France in June 1802, but yellow fever was destroying European soldiers and claimed Leclerc in November. François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture Yellow fever (also called yellow jack, black vomit or sometimes American Plague) is an acute viral disease

Lacking sufficient military forces in America, Napoleon needed peace with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to implement the Treaty of San Ildefonso and take possession of Louisiana. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 Otherwise, Louisiana would be an easy prey for the British or even for the Americans. Britain had breached her promise to evacuate Malta by September 1802 as stipulated in the peace of Amiens, and in the beginning of the year 1803, war between France and Britain seemed increasingly unavoidable. Malta, officially the Republic of Malta (Repubblika ta' Malta is a European Microstate, comprising an Archipelago of three islands The Treaty of Amiens temporarily ended the hostilities between France and the United Kingdom during the French Revolutionary Wars. On March 11, 1803, Napoleon decided to start building a flotilla of barges to invade Britain. Events 1425 BC - Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a BARGE, the Big August RecGambling Excursion is a yearly convention held in Las Vegas during the first weekend of August

These circumstances led Bonaparte to abandon his plans to rebuild France's New World empire. Napoleon gave notice to his minister of the treasury, François de Barbé-Marbois, on April 10, 1803, that he was considering surrendering the Louisiana Territory to the United States. François Barbé-Marbois, marquis de Barbé-Marbois ( January 31 1745 — February 12 1837) was a French politician Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a On 11 April 1803, just days before Monroe's arrival, Marquess de Barbé-Marbois offered Livingston all of Louisiana instead of just New Orleans. Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a A marquess (ˈmɑrkwɪs or marquis (/mɑrˈkiː/ is a Nobleman of hereditary rank in various European monarchies and some of their colonies François Barbé-Marbois, marquis de Barbé-Marbois ( January 31 1745 — February 12 1837) was a French politician Robert Livingston was the name of several men many of whom were members of a prominent family that effectively ran New York throughout the colonial and Federal periods President Jefferson had instructed Livingston to only purchase New Orleans. However, he was certain that the United States would accept such a large offer.

The American negotiators were prepared to spend $10 million for New Orleans but were dumbfounded when the entire region was offered for $15 million. The treaty was dated April 30, 1803, and was signed on May 2. Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. On July 14, 1803, the treaty reached Washington D.C. The Louisiana territory was vast, stretching from the Gulf of Mexico in the south to Rupert's Land in the north, and from the Mississippi River in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west. Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France. 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world Rupert's Land, also sometimes called "Prince Rupert's Land" was a territory in British North America, consisting of the Hudson Bay drainage basin, that Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a Mountain range in western North America. Acquiring the territory would double the size of the United States at a cost in the currency of the day of less than 3 cents per acre.

Almost all of the land was occupied by American Indians, from whom the land was acquired a second time, piece by piece. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States The actual price paid for the land of the Louisiana Purchase was thus much higher than the sum paid to France. It was not the ownership of the land that was acquired so much as the right to acquire the land from the Indians who already occupied it. Neither seller nor purchaser consulted with any Native Americans before the sale, and most Native Americans never even knew it had taken place.

Domestic opposition

The American purchase of the Louisiana territory was not accomplished without domestic opposition. Jefferson's philosophical consistency was in question because of his strict interpretation of the Constitution. Many people believed he was being hypocritical by doing something he surely would have argued against with Alexander Hamilton. The Federalists strongly opposed the purchase, favoring close relations with Britain over closer ties to Napoleon, believing the purchase to be unconstitutional, and concerned that the U. The Federalist Party (or Federal Party) was an American political party in the period 1792 to 1816 with remnants lasting into the 1820s S. had paid a large sum of money just to declare war on Spain. The Federalists also feared that the political power of the Atlantic seaboard states would be threatened by the new citizens of the west, bringing about a clash of western farmers with the merchants and bankers of New England. The East Coast of the United States, also known as the "Eastern Seaboard" or "Atlantic Seaboard" refers to the easternmost coastal states in the central and northern History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the There was concern that an increase in slave holding states created out of the new territory would exacerbate divisions between north and south, as well. A group of Federalists led by Massachusetts Senator Timothy Pickering went so far as to plan a separate northern confederacy, offering Vice President Aaron Burr the presidency of the proposed new country if he persuaded New York to join. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Timothy Pickering ( July 17 1745 &ndash January 29 1829) was a politician from Massachusetts who served in a variety of roles This article discusses Aaron Burr (1756-1836 the US politician New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Burr's relationship with Alexander Hamilton, who helped bring an end to the nascent northern secession movement, soured during this period. The animosity between the two men ended with Hamilton's death in a duel with Burr in 1804.

Treaty signing

At the Purchase's centennial fair, one illustrator imagined the treaty signing as above.

On April 30, 1803, the Louisiana Purchase Treaty was signed by Robert Livingston, James Monroe, and Barbé Marbois in Paris. Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a François Barbé-Marbois, marquis de Barbé-Marbois ( January 31 1745 — February 12 1837) was a French politician Jefferson announced the treaty to the American people on July 4. Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples After the signing of the Louisiana Purchase agreement in 1803, Livingston made this famous statement, "We have lived long but this is the noblest work of our whole lives. . . The United States take rank this day among the first powers of the earth"^[5]. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States Senate ratified the treaty with a vote of twenty-four to seven on October 20; on the following day, it authorized President Jefferson to take possession of the territory and establish a temporary military government. Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony In legislation enacted on October 31, Congress made temporary provisions for local civil government to continue as it had under French and Spanish rule and authorized the President to use military forces to maintain order. Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Plans were also set forth for a mission to explore and chart the territory, which would become known as the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

France then turned New Orleans over on December 20, 1803 at The Cabildo. Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor. 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a The Cabildo was the seat of colonial government in New Orleans Louisiana, and is now a museum On March 10, 1804, a formal ceremony was conducted in St. Louis to transfer ownership of the territory from France to the United States. Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing Year 1804 ( MDCCCIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a

Effective on October 1, 1804, the purchased territory was organized into the Orleans Territory (most of which became the state of Louisiana) and the District of Louisiana, which was temporarily under the control of the governor and judges of the Indiana Territory. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1804 ( MDCCCIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Territories of the United States are one type of political division of the United States, administered by the U Orleans Territory was a historic Organized territory of the United States formed out of the first subdivision of the Louisiana Purchase. The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America The District of Louisiana or Louisiana District was an official United States government designation for the portion of the Louisiana Purchase that had Indiana Territory was an Organized territory of the United States from 1800 to 1816 created by Act of Congress and signed into law by President

Boundaries

The tributaries of the Mississippi were held as the boundaries. Estimates that did exist as to the extent and composition of the purchase were initially based on the explorations of Robert LaSalle. René Robert Cavelier Sieur de La Salle, or Robert de LaSalle ( November 22, 1643 &ndash March 19, 1687) was a French

If the territory included all the tributaries of the Mississippi on its western bank, the northern reaches of the Purchase extended into the equally ill-defined British possession—Rupert's Land of British North America, now part of Canada. Rupert's Land, also sometimes called "Prince Rupert's Land" was a territory in British North America, consisting of the Hudson Bay drainage basin, that British North America consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Purchase originally extended just beyond the 50th parallel. However, the territory north of the 49th parallel such as the Red River Basin, Milk River, and Poplar River watershed was ceded to the UK in the Anglo-American Convention of 1818. The 49th parallel north is a Circle of latitude that is 49 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. For other uses see Red River (disambiguation The Red River Valley is a region in central North America that is drained by Milk River is a tributary of the Missouri River, 729 mi (1173 km long in the U The Poplar River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately 167 mi (269 km long in Saskatchewan in Canada and Montana in the The Convention respecting fisheries boundary and the restoration of slaves between the United States and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, also known as the

The eastern boundary of the Louisiana purchase was the Mississippi River, from its source to the 31st parallel, although the source of the Mississippi was then unknown. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to Lake Itasca is a small Glacial lake, approximately 18 square miles (4 The eastern boundary below the 31st parallel was unclear; the U. S. claimed the land as far as the Perdido River, and Spain claimed the border of its Florida Colony remained the Mississippi river. The Perdido River is a river in the US states of Alabama and Florida, approximately 60 miles (100 km long Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. In early 1804, Congress passed the Mobile Act which recognized West Florida as being part of the United States. West Florida was a region on the north shore of the Gulf of Mexico, which underwent several boundary and sovereignty changes during its history The Treaty with Spain of 1819 resolved the issue. The Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 settled a border dispute in North America between the United States and Spain. Today, the 31st parallel is the northern boundary of the western half of the Florida Panhandle, and the Perdido is the boundary between Florida and Alabama. The Florida Panhandle is the region of the state of Florida which includes the westernmost 16 counties

The purchase extended westward to the Rocky Mountains, specifically the Continental Divide, but southerly only so far as the territory remaining in New Spain after the Third Treaty of San Ildefonso, in 1800. Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a Mountain range in western North America. A continental divide is a line of elevated Terrain which forms a border between two watersheds such that Water falling on one side of the line eventually The Viceroyalty of New Spain (Virreinato de Nueva España was a name given to the Viceroy -ruled territories of the Spanish Empire in North America, The Third Treaty of San Ildefonso (formally titled the Preliminary and Secret Treaty between the French Republic and His Catholic Majesty the King of Spain Concerning the Aggrandizement

The southern boundary of the Louisiana Purchase (versus New Spain) was initially unclear at the time of purchase; the Neutral Ground Treaty of 1806 created the Sabine Free State during the interim and the Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 began to lay down official dividing lines. The Sabine Free State, also known as the Neutral Ground, Neutral Strip, Neutral Territory or No Man's Land of Louisiana The Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 settled a border dispute in North America between the United States and Spain.

Louisiana and the State of Louisiana shown on the Louisiana State Quarter. The 50 State Quarters program ( is the release of a series of commemorative coins by the United States Mint.

The Purchase was one of several territorial additions to the U. S.

Financing

The American government used $3 million in gold as a down payment, and bonds for the balance to pay France for the purchase. Because of the impending war with Britain, French banks would not buy or market the American bonds. The American diplomats Livingston and Monroe therefore recommended the firms of Baring and Company of London and Hope and Company of Amsterdam for the transaction which France agreed upon. Barings Bank (1762 to 1995 was the oldest Merchant bank in London until its collapse in 1995 after one of the bank's employees Nick Leeson, lost £827 Hope & Co is the name of a famous Dutch bank that spanned two and a half centuries Because of their reputation as the two most stable financial houses in Europe and because Napoleon wanted to receive his money as quickly as possible, the French treasury minister Barbé-Marbois made arrangements with the two firms to convert the bonds France would receive into cash. François Barbé-Marbois, marquis de Barbé-Marbois ( January 31 1745 — February 12 1837) was a French politician After the American bonds had been delivered, the French government then sold them to Baring and Hope at a discount. Also, part of the 80 million Francs (approximately $15 million) sale price was used to forgive debts owed by France to the United States. In the end, France received $8,831,250 in cash for the sale.

The original sales document of the Louisiana purchase was exhibited in the entrance hall of Baring's London offices until the bank's collapse in 1995.

See also

• History of the United States
• Historic regions of the United States
• Fulwar Skipwith
• Alaska purchase

References

External links

• Text of the Louisiana Purchase Treaty
• Library of Congress - Louisiana Purchase Treaty
• Teaching about the Louisiana Purchase
• Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial 1803-2003
• New Orleans/Louisiana Purchase 1803
• The Haitian Revolution and the Louisiana Purchase