What Causes Led to Purchase of the Louisiana Territory
Until 1763, Louisiana had been a possession of France, but in that year it was given to Spain to repay an old debt. Twenty years later in Paris, the treaty ending the American Revolution was signed between the United States and Great Britain. One of the terms of this treaty was that the western border of the United States was to stretch to the Mississippi River. Immediately settlers and pioneers crossed westward over the Allegheny Mountains to clear the territory and establish farms. Since roads were scarce and difficult to travel, the products of these farmers had to be shipped on the waterways leading to the Mississippi River and then down this great stream to New Orleans. At this port city, the produce was transferred to larger ocean-going vessels and transported to markets on the Eastern Seaboard or to Europe. However, Spains ownership of both shores of the river for at least two hundred miles north of New Orleans permitted this foreign nation to control the trade moving on the Mississippi. As a monarchy ,the Spanish government distrusted the rising spirit of democracy in the United States, especially the much freer expression of democracy that existed among the western farmers. This distrust of democracy resulted in the desire of the Spanish to deny the use of the great river to any Americans. The reaction was instantaneous and furious, western farmers raised their voices to protest and the United states sent John Jay to Madrid to discuss this matter. In 1795 this conflict was settled. Spain consented to allow citizens of the United States the right to use the lower Mississippi River and also the right of deposit at New Orleans, the right of deposit permitted American farmers, without a duty charge, to remove their products from smaller boats at New Orleans after having navigated down the Mississippi, and then to transfer the agricultural commodities to larger ocean-going vessels.
For the succeeding five years this agreement was observed and little conflict existed. On October 1, 1800, however, Spain signed a treaty giving the ownership of the Louisiana territory back to France. The news of this treaty did not reach Jefferson until May of the following year. As soon as he became aware of the change in ownership of the territory, Jefferson realized that this was part of a plan by which Napoleon hoped to establish France as a great power in the New World. Although Napoleon still permitted Spain to remain in control of the port of New Orleans, the future threat to the navigation rights of the western farmers still remained. At any moment, Napoleon might send troops to the Gateway and forbid Americans to use it for navigation. This would affect almost forty per cent of the total export trade of the United States. By April 1802 Jeffersons concerns in this matter became even more intense. Napoleon had shipped armed forces to Santo Domingo to suppress the uprising. Once this had been accomplished, the troops were under orders to take possession of Louisiana with its key port city of New Orleans. On the eighteenth of that month the President wrote his now-famous letter to the American Minister to France, Robert R. Livingston.
There is one place on the globe, one single spot, the possessor of which is our natural and habitual enemy. It is New Orleans through which the produce of three eighths of our territory must pass to market. . . it seals the union of two nations who in conjunction can maintain exclusive possession of the ocean. From that moment we must marry ourselves to the British fleet and nation.
美国习惯用语-第107讲:hors d´oeuvres
美国习惯用语-第111讲:shrimp/crab
美国习惯用语-第91讲:to throw a curve
美国习惯用语-第117讲:where-is-the-beef/turkey farm
美国习惯用语-第149讲:everything from soup to&
美国习惯用语-第123讲:belly laugh/knee-slapper
美国习惯用语-第132讲:backslider/backslapper
美国习惯用语-第165讲:Over a barrel/ Over 
美国习惯用语-第95讲:on a cloud
美国习惯用语-第144讲:to crash the gate/to&nbs
美国习惯用语-第141讲:all skin and bones
美国习惯用语-第133讲:backseat driver/back-up syste
美国习惯用语-第130讲:dinks/sandwich generation
美国习惯用语-第110讲:to rub elbows
美国习惯用语-第137讲:skin-deep/that really gets&nb
美国习惯用语-第136讲:now the ball is in&
美国习惯用语-第93讲:to cry in one´s
美国习惯用语-第131讲:couch potato/mall rats
美国习惯用语-第134讲:in the pink/fit as
美国习惯用语-第119讲:chicken out/chicken feed
美国习惯用语-第125讲:trailblazer/cutting edge
美国习惯用语-第116讲:to break the ice/iceberg
美国习惯用语-第112讲:to smell fishy/to fish&n
美国习惯用语-第115讲:snowball/snow job
美国习惯用语-第147讲:green thumb/all thumbs
美国习惯用语-第128讲:under the weather/down w
美国习惯用语-第109讲:to call up
美国习惯用语-第138讲:no skin off my nose
美国习惯用语-第150讲:to kiss someone or
美国习惯用语-第145讲:set of wheels/free-wheeler
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |