Louisiana Purchase in the History of America - Essay Example

Louisiana Purchase was a major event in the history of the American people. The purchase was characterized by the acquisition of eight hundred and twenty-eight square miles of Louisiana from France in 1803. It was considered Thomas Jefferson’s greatest accomplishment during his presidency since it helped ensure the continuity of the Republican government in the US even though there were still critics who saw this move as a contradiction of his highly valued political values and principles. This purchase ensured that the United States grew and expanded into new territories and France would not have any influence in North America. Napoleon Bonaparte who was the ruler at the time decided to allow the United States to take all the territories in Louisiana since he did not have sufficient funds to fight of the British and also because he had lost interest in developing the Northern region.

Initially, President Jefferson and his men had gone to Paris with the intention of purchasing the New Orleans port as it was key for anyone who wanted to have more influence in the region since at least a third of the United States produce would use this channel. The president had given specific instructions to Robert Livingston who was the ambassador in Paris to negotiate and subsequently buy New Orleans, however, in 1803, April 11th the French foreign relations minister surprised the Livingston with the offer of giving them New Orleans and Louisiana region as well.

It is a process that was characterized with intense negotiations that entailed the treaty’s approval by Congress, financing the purchase through fund raising and transferring of the documents to ensure completion of the deal. These negotiations that took more than a year were crucial since they had to deal with certain problems like how Spain and Britain would share boundaries and where or not this huge purchase was allowed in the constitution since even the $15 million offer they gave exceeded what the authority could give for this deal. Therefore, the negotiations were not just a formality but rather a way to ensure that both parties got their fair share and benefits.

In this regard, negotiation was a key component of the acquisition of territories in Louisiana which subsequently brought about key principles of negotiation that stood out during this process. Identifying the bigger picture was a principle that Jefferson used during his negotiation with Napoleon. The fact Napoleon was not pleased with the British, and there was a possibility of a war outbreak, all his focus was on England and selling land to America. Therefore instead of forcing his own agenda, Jefferson and his team aligned themselves to his priority at the time through helping France focus on issues such as cost simplification as they went to war.

Additionally, they went ahead to emphasize overseeing and management of foreign land is a waste of time which could be otherwise spent focusing on the war ahead of them. Driving this issues allowed the American to see the bigger picture such that they could help France in their preparation for war as they tried to ensure that their needs are met as well. Jefferson was, therefore, able to get France to sell the land to them since he identified the bigger picture and used it for the benefit of both sides.

Agility is another principle that is crucial in any negotiation. During the Louisiana Purchase, there were some individuals from France who were not in total agreement with the treaty. However, the American President understood the fact this process didn’t need to be complicated in any way since ultimately it would be beneficial to both sides in the long run. The president encouraged his team to negotiate for the purchase and sign the treaty which ultimately meant that deadlines were met on time and the value that this deal would meet even better than what was forecasted.

Value underestimation is a principle that Jefferson made sure stood out during his negotiation. Despite the fact that they were going to purchase land from a European superpower and yet he didn’t have much to offer, the president was still confident in what he brought to the table. The fact that Jefferson did not underestimate his value he was given more than he had even asked for or bargained as he showed that he adapt to changes and still remain strong and focused. This is principles that ultimately ensured that Jefferson got to purchase Louisiana territories successfully.

Despite the fact that negotiation required these certain principles, each one of the parties involved in this process was motivated by different things that led them to the negotiation table. Napoleon who was the leader in France was motivated by the fact that he needed funds to be able to go to war with the British. He wanted to have enough money to be able to sustain his fight with and also because he wanted to ensure that Louisiana had been purchased before the war began as a way of protecting them.

In addition, France got their motivation from the fact that the United States was willing to buy land from them and their ability to provide the amount of money that they needed for the purchase and just like Napoleon. France also believed the United States was a great source of the money they needed for the war between them and England and this thereby motivated them even to engage them in rigorous negotiations about the purchase. Besides, It was an opportunity for them to ensure that Louisiana didn’t get into the hands of the British with whom they would soon go to war with and thus the abrupt move sell the land to the Americans was strategic

Thomas Jefferson, on the other hand, was motivated by the fact that his dream of having the country expand westward would come true. The United States would expand even beyond the river Mississippi which would be covered healthy forests, mountains, and plains that would ultimately yield important resources that would make them stand out and be successful. Thomas also wanted to make history as the president to negotiate and ensure that we enjoyed republicanism for many more years to come which would not have happened if he didn’t take the deal. Therefore as much as it was against everything that he stood for constitutional – wise, Thomas still took his chances and made a difference in his country as he advocated for peace and the interests of the American people. He saw an opportunity and immediately took it because he believed that I would ultimately be advantageous to the Americans for the long haul.

Robert Livingston and James Monroe were the negotiators’ sent by President Jefferson to Paris were motivated by the need to deliver quality service to the president and more so to be able to meet the interests of the American people. They used unconventional measures, persistence, and suggestions that advocated for the American agenda in this entire process. Livingstone, for instance, encouraged the Napoleon to sell Louisiana to a nation that was not that powerful. This goes to show that as negotiators their motivation was meeting their people’s interests.

Additionally, Spain also had a crucial part that it played during this whole process before and after the Louisiana Purchase. In 1972, France gave the Spaniards full control over Louisiana which happened after the completion of the Indian and French war in the Fontainebleau treaty. The boundaries were not clearly defined, and this brought a lot of problems between America and Spain with an agreement being reached twelve years later in regards to New Orleans and the river Mississippi.

Nonetheless, Spain and France, later on, signed the San IIdefonso which was a secret treaty in 1800 just when the Americans were getting comfortable with the entire arrangement between them and Spain. However, Spain maintained control over Louisiana until 1803 when power was officially transferred to France just a few weeks before the purchase. France, therefore, took back Louisiana something that didn’t sit well with the Americans since France was quite unpredictable as compared to Spain who was very passive.

Spain agreed to return Louisiana to France because first and foremost they were under pressure from Napoleon who wanted to re-develop the Northern state with the treaty being signed under duress. There was also the issue of undefined boundaries being that it was not adequately defined in the treaty terms and thus it was difficult to co-exist with the others. Spain benefited from this trade since in exchange the son-in-law of the Spanish king would take over the new kingdom of Etruria which was located in Northern Italy and thus the secret treaty despite the fact that it was under duress, Spain ensured that they also benefited.

In regards to the France and Europe revolt, slavery had a lot to do with the disagreements that they had. When Napoleon took over Louisiana from Spain, it brought about a lot fear and uncertainty especially when he sent out his troops to secure the New Orleans boundaries. There was also the fear that he would set free slaves who dominated the most part of the territory which would, in turn, cause slavery rebellion throughout the region. Napoleon re-introduced slavery in 1802 when he sent General Charles to St. Dominique since he had previously benefited at the expense of the slave's freedom and thus he needed to restore the regions productivity and revenue. The slave revolt, therefore, ensured that France didn’t get to control the region again and re-establish slavery

The slave revolt was motivated by the fact that they were against slavery that would require them to go back and work on the plantations of St. Dominique. Most of the slaves had an African descent, and the thought of going back to the fields to work on the sugar farms was enough motivation for them to work together to ensure that the principles of freedom remained and this allowed them to take control of colony within a year. This revolution ultimately led to the formation of Haiti as an independent state making this slave revolt one of a king in history.

French revolution, on the other hand, was motivated by the fact that France wanted to maintain its dominance over St. Dominique. The slave revolution was a clear indication that France could lose the colony which would be detrimental to the French economy which was dependent on the sugar plantations that ensured the nation's productivity and prosperity. This revolution aimed at ensuring that the Napoleon re-established slavery that had initially been abolished so that the slaves could come back and work for them on the sugar farms. However, in 1974, France decided to end slavery as a way of ensuring that St. Dominique was still their territory with General Toussaint pleading their allegiance to them.

Besides the fact that their own personal goals motivated each party, the negotiation for the Louisiana Purchase was focused on three issues, relinquishing of the Louisiana territory, the price for the purchase and indemnity. This was the major issues that Livingstone and Monroe had to deal with to ensure that the successful completion of the deal with the French negotiator giving their draft of the deal and America providing the same and finally coming to an agreement. The purchasing price also became the main concern as the negotiations continued with France starting that they wanted twenty million for the purchase but finally settling to fifteen million which was even more than what America had been given as their budget. The next step was to include the terms of the convention in the treaty pack which was officially signed in May 1802. This, therefore, was a representation of the negotiation points that the Louisiana Purchase entailed ensuring its success.

In conclusion, the negotiation points that each of the parties used before and during the purchase was all aimed to ensure each one of them ultimately benefited from this whole process and that the goals that they had in mind would ultimately be achieved in the long run. In summary, this research paper was very informative as it was based on understanding the key negotiating points that were used during the Louisiana Purchase. This paper has looked into the principles of negotiation which entailed looking at the bigger picture, agility and not undermining your value during a negotiation and how they're applied in principle to this particular context and what motivated all those involved to take part in the purchase generally.