The Louisiana Purchase, 1803

The purchase happened in 1803, under the presidency of Thomas Jefferson. Louisiana was spread across 828000 square miles stretching from the rocky mountains to the Mississippi river and from the border of Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The Louisiana territory consisted of thirteen states. By purchasing the region, the united states became almost double its current size and hence, one of the most powerful nations worldwide.

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Trade across New Oeleans

By 1840, New Orleans had become one of the wealthiest cities in the US. The first half of the 19th century turned out to be the golden period for New Orleans. It was the biggest port city in the US. The primary product of the united states, cotton, was exported and imported through this port. The port of New Orleans had earned a total revenue of more than 54 million through trade in 1835. around 400 steamboats were traveling across the Mississippi river.

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Expansion of United States

The Louisiana purchase is considered to be the best bargain to date. The investment not only gave America rights over the land of Louisiana but rights over the territory's inhabitants. The united states had exclusive authority over the indigenous people of the region and could control them either by treaties or by violence.

Ultimately it was the native inhabitants of America America who had to pay the price of the western expansion of their country. They were subjected to inhuman treaties and unfair discriminatory and genocidal policies. More than ten thousand indigenous inhabitants of America were forced to move away from their lands along the trail of tears. Around 5000 people lost their lives during the incident.

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