The purchase of Louisiana from France for $11,250,000 was an important moment in the presidency of Thomas Jefferson. He faced opposition from his countrymen because it was considered to be unconstitutional.
Thomas Jefferson did not help to write the U.S. Constitution and he believed a county’s constitution should be reviewed every 19 years.
Zachary Elkins, a professor of political science at Illinois, explain Jefferson’s view: “Jefferson thought the dead should not rule the living, thus constitutions should expire frequently, but the fact is that the U.S. Constitution quickly became enshrined by the public and is the oldest constitution in the world.”
Jefferson, however, felt that the U.S. Constitution did not contain any provisions regarding acquiring property. He decided to go ahead with the purchase despite the opposition because the idea of France and Spain having the power to potentially block America’s trade access to the port of New Orleans made him very uneasy,
After the agreement was completed, Napoleon Bonaparte said: "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."
Looking back it could be said that the purchase of the Louisiana territory is possibly the greatest contribution Thomas Jefferson made to the United States.
