In 1795, Pinckney's Treaty with Spain gave American merchants "right of deposit" in New Orleans allowing duty-free transport through the port of New Orleans. Then three years later in 1798, Spain revoked this treaty and prohibited the use of New Orleans by Americans. Finally, in 1801 with a change in rule from Markques of Casa Calvo to Spanish governor Don Juan Manuel de Salcedo the "right of deposit" was restored. Thomas Jefferson reminded Congress of these events in his 1803 state of the union address:
"Congress witnessed at their late session the extraordinary agitation produced in the public mind by the suspension of our right of deposit at the port of New Orleans, no assignment of another place having been made according to treaty. They were sensible that the continuance of that privation would be more injurious to our nation than any consequences which could flow from any mode of redress, but reposing just confidence in the good faith of the Government whose officer had committed the wrong, friendly and reasonable representations were resorted to, and the right of deposit was restored."This was a strong reminder of the danger that a foreign owned port within the continental United States posed to the peace of the nation. President Jefferson reminded Congress of this, and also reminded them of the impact this had on the use of the Mississippi river for trade and navigation. For these reasons, Congress had appropriated $2 million and authorized Jefferson to pursue the "Sovereignty of New Orleans and of other possessions in that quarter interesting to our quiet to such extent as was deemed practicable". Jefferson continued:
"Previous, however, to this period we had not been unaware of the danger to which our peace would be perpetually exposed whilst so important a key to the commerce of the Western country remained under foreign power. Difficulties, too, were presenting themselves as to the navigation of other streams which, arising within our territories, pass through those adjacent. Propositions had therefore been authorized for obtaining on fair conditions the sovereignty of New Orleans and of other possessions in that quarter interesting to our quiet to such extent as was deemed practicable, and the provisional appropriation of $2M to be applied and accounted for by the President of the United States, intended as part of the price, was considered as conveying the sanction of Congress to the acquisition proposed."Earlier in January of that year, Jefferson sent James Monroe to join Robert Livingston in Paris as minister extraordinary. Monroe and Livingston were given instructions were authorized to enter into "such arrangements as may effectually secure our rights and interest in the Mississippi, and in the country Eastward of that." But Jefferson also gave Monroe authorization to bid not only on New Orleans, but also all or part of the Floridas. If the bid failed, Monroe was instructed to purchase just New Orleans, or at the very least, secure U.S. access to the Mississippi river and New Orleans port. But as we know, America got much more than Jefferson or Congress had ever imagined. Read more about the Louisiana Purchase here.
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29445
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Purchase
https://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/louisiana-purchase
Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826. The Writings of Thomas Jefferson. New York [etc.]: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1892 (page 213)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Louisiana_Purchase_New_Orleans_Thure_de_Thulstrup.jpg
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