1803 Thomas Jefferson - Louisiana Purchase

In 1803, Jefferson sent James Monroe to France to negotiate the sale of New Orleans port and parts of Florida.  At minimum, he was instructed to secure access to the Port of New Orleans.  But the "enlightened Government of France" offered much more than that.  What did Thomas Jefferson mean by the "enlightened Government of France"? Most of us are aware of Napoleon's need for revenue to fund the war with Great Britain, but I don't believe this is what Jefferson meant by "enlightened". Perhaps it was a bit of play on words. You see, Napoleon had plans to re-establish France in the New World, but his plans were unraveling. In the 18th century, St. Dominigue (Haiti) had become France's wealthiest overseas colony mostly due to the production of sugar, coffee, indigo and cotton generated by an enslaved labor force. But in 1791, two years after the French Revolution, the enslaved people led by Toussaint l'Overture revolted and by 1792 they controlled a third of the island. Violence continued to escalate and by time the fighting ended, 100,000 of the 500,000 blacks and 24,000 of the 40,000 whites were killed. But the colonists held strong, and by 1798 they forced out both the French and the British. By 1801 the revolution expanded beyond Haiti, to the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo (Dominican republic). L'Overture declared himself governor-General and Slavery was abolished in these colonies

Then in 1803, Napoleon sent 43,000 French troops to capture L'Overture an restore both French rule and slavery in the colonies. L'Overture was captured, but the revolution continued and on November 18, 1803 the French forces were defeated. It was this defeat by an "enlightened" people that prompted Napoleon to abandon his idea of empire in America.

When Jefferson saw that Napoleon had been "enlightened" he pounced on the opportunity and urged James Monroe and John Livingston to go to Paris to negotiate the purchase of Louisiana from France. On April 30th, an agreement was reached that the United States would purchase all of Louisiana territory, including New Orleans for $15 million. Congress had to act quickly to ratify the treaty before Spain could find a way to block it. President Thomas Jefferson called on the Senate to meet early and on October 20th by a vote of 24 to 7, they ratified the treaty. France officially transferred the Louisiana territory on December 20th, and the United States took formal possession on December 30th.

The 1803 annual address to congress was delivered three months earlier than custom. Jefferson expressed his gratitude for congress to meeting early and expressed these words regarding the purchase of the Louisiana territory:

"The enlightened Government of France saw with just discernment the importance to both nations of such liberal arrangements as might best and permanently promote the peace, friendship, and interests of both, and the property and sovereignty of all Louisiana which had been restored to them have on certain conditions been transferred to the United States by instruments bearing date the 30th of April last. When these shall have received the constitutional sanction of the Senate, they will without delay be communicated to the Representatives also for the exercise of their functions as to those conditions which are within the powers vested by the Constitution in Congress."

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29445
http://www.monticello.org/site/jefferson/louisiana-purchase
http://www.blackpast.org/gah/haitian-revolution-1791-1804
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Purchase
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Flickr_-_USCapitol_-_Louisiana_Purchase%2C_1803.jpg

Jefferson continued ...

In the next paragraph of Jefferson's address, he shared news of the land acquired from the Kaskaskia Indians. Today, it fails in comparison with the news of the Louisiana Territory, but in 1803 it was second on Jefferson's mind.

"Another important acquisition of territory has also been made since the last session of Congress. The friendly tribe of Kaskaskia Indians, with which we have never had a difference, reduced by the wars and wants of savage life to a few individuals unable to defend themselves against the neighboring tribes, has transferred its country to the United States, reserving only for its members what is sufficient to maintain them in an agricultural way. The considerations stipulated are that we shall extend to them our patronage and protection and give them certain annual aids in money, in implements of agriculture, and other articles of their choice. This country, among the most fertile within our limits, extending along the Mississippi from the mouth of the Illinois to and up to the Ohio, though not so necessary as a barrier since the acquisition of the other bank, may yet be well worthy of being laid open to immediate settlement, as its inhabitants may descend with rapidity in support of the lower country should future circumstances expose that to foreign enterprise. As the stipulations in this treaty involve matters with the competence of both Houses only, it will be laid before Congress as soon as the Senate shall have advised its ratification."