Louisiana Purchase Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Louisiana Purchase - Research Paper Example In addition, the US government had to cancel a $ 3,650, 000 owed by France. Louisiana had become a major issue in the European history following the defeat of the Britain by France. This essay will therefore analyze the acquisition of Louisiana by the United States and its implication on the European political history. The city of Orleans was strategically located on river Mississippi and, hence it provided a good control point for activities that took place in the waterways. It acquisition was therefore significant to the US economy during that time. The main reason why the United States needed to acquire the territory is that, it was the easiest channel to the Gulf of Mexico. River Mississippi was vital to the United States economy since it served as an entry point for goods leaving United States and goods coming into the country (Ziegler 1988, 85). During that time, the country heavily depended on water transport, as it did not have access to other transport system. The US depende d on the Mississippi waterway to transport most agricultural products such as tobacco and cotton from the upper states. The rights to be able to navigate through rivers Mississippi and Ohio were therefore significant the United States (United States. Dept. of State, 1905, 122-125). The United States also needed to control the region in order to reduce the financial cost that it was incurring due to the French and Spanish control over the area. Initially US merchants had to pay hefty sums of money as tax in order to use the Mississippi and Ohio waterways. The US government therefore needed to gain control over the city in order to boost its trade balance by reducing the operation cost incurred by merchants from the country. Other than trade, the US population was expanding rapidly due to the large number of immigrants who were settling into the country from Europe. The US therefore, needed to expand its territory in order to achieve its expansion ambitions. The high population growth also had a direct influence on the United States’ economy. The US government therefore needed to be aggressive in the acquisition of land for its citizens. The acquisition of Orleans proved to the world that the United States had become fully independent from European powers. The Spanish and French forces that controlled the region posed a major threat for the expansion of the United States; the US needed to acquire the territory in order to end their control over the region. The acquisition marked the end of the western frontier enabling the country’s expansion to the west coast. France entered into war with other European powers from 1792 to 1795 under the leadership of Napoleon. The French forces were fighting in both the European and American frontiers. During the war, France incurred heavy costs that may have pushed Napoleon to sell off Louisiana to the Americans. The French army also suffered heavy casualties and this forced Napoleon to sell the territory to the Americans. The sale of Louisiana came at a time when the French army was preparing for war against the British in the northern frontier. To maintain the war Napoleon needed finances to pay the army and to provide essential supplies to the French soldiers. The French army also lacked appropriate military hardware that the government needed to acquire in order to maintain the war. During the war, Napoleon needed to control his army and the newly