Louisiana Purchase (continued)
When the French gained control of Spanish lands in the West, Napoleon, who was a French ruler, was able to secure control of the mouth of the Mississippi River at New Orleans. The French used their position to extort money from the Americans who relied on the Mississippi for trade purposes. In other words, the French held a crucial spot in this trading process.
In lieu of the French actions, Jefferson sent James Monroe to Paris to purchase the city of New Orleans in 1803. Monroe had been instructed to offer Napoleon 10 million dollars for the land. When Monroe arrived in France, the shrewd French leader made a counteroffer that included all of Louisiana. Monroe, along with the American minister in Paris, Robert Livingston, quickly accepted the offer and awaited approval from Congress. Although the purchase vastly extended the land holdings of the United States, it also added to the debt.
