The Louisiana Purchase
1 Any American history buff can tell you that President Thomas Jefferson’s represent-atives and Napoleon Bonaparte negotiated the Louisiana Purchase in April 1803， but one must understand the context in which the deal took place in order to fully appreciate the importance of the Purchase. The city of New Orleans maintained control over the vast and mighty Mississippi River through its port， located at the mouth of the river. The port of New Orleans had succeeded what other ports along the Mississippi had tried and failed. The city was a critical center of commerce， through which merchants shipped agricultural products back and forth from points west of the Appalachian Mountains.
A The rights granted to American merchants under Pinckney’s Treaty， signed with Spain on October 27， 1795， included the “right of deposit” in New Orleans， which allowed them to warehouse their export goods at the port. B Moreover， as the trading volume of the American western territories expanded， the rights accorded under the treaty to navigate the entire length of the Mississippi River became increasingly crucial. C Thus， when Spain revoked the treaty in 1798， Americans were understandably upset. D Fortunately for the Americans， the “right of deposit” was reinstated when Spanish Governor Don Juan Manuel de Salcedo replaced Governor Marquess of Casa Calvo in 1801.
Spanish rule of Louisiana， which had begun in 1762， ended in 1800， when France regained control of Louisiana under the Treaty of San Ildefonso. The terms of the treaty were not disclosed， however， and Louisiana remained under Spanish control until the actual transfer of power was consummated on November 30， 1803. This was just three weeks before the Louisiana territory was formally surr-endered to the U.S. under the terms of the Louisiana Purchase.
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