port of New Orleans, so Mr. Jefferson sent Robert Livingston and James Munroe to negotiate with Napoleon for the sale of New Orleans and as much land to its east as possible for a maximum of $10million. They were also instructed that if negotiation with Napoleon failed, they were to begin negotiating with England for an alliance. Jefferson was willing to form an alliance with the former enemy, England, against a former friend, France, in order to secure New Orleans.However, because Napoleon failed to conquer Santo Domingo again and because he was ready to end a nearly two-year lull in his war with Britain, Napoleon decided to sell the entire Louisiana Territory. With this sale, he abandoned his hope of an empire in the New World. He preferred to sell the territory rather than being forced to make a gift of it to England since England controlled the seas. He decided put the money in his coffers to use in his European efforts. So, it seemed that out the clear sky, while Robert Livingston was waiting the arrival of James Munroe but still negotiating for the port of New Orleans, a French foreign minister asked for an offer for the entire Louisiana Territory. After a week of haggling, Robert Livingston signed the treaties in which the United States acquired the Louisiana Territory.Once Thomas Jefferson received word of the agreement, he realized that there could be a constitutional issue with the deal. The President did not have the constitutional authority to negotiate treaties in which the United States would acquire new land. Jefferson submitted the treaties to the Senate while admitting that he had overstepped his presidential authority. The senators were thrilled with the deal – more than 800,000 square miles of land for three cents per acre. There were several implications from the purchase of the Louisiana Territory. With the purchase, the United States secured free trade and navigation along the Mississippi River. Acquiring th...
