The American Nation A History of the United States, Combined Volume (14th Edition)

The Louisiana Purchase 179

store their goods in warehouses in New Orleans,
the first step to exporting them to Europe. We now
know that the French had no hand in this action,
but it was beyond reason to expect Jefferson or the
American people to believe it at the time. With the
West clamoring for relief, Jefferson appointed his
friend and disciple James Monroe minister plenipo-
tentiary and sent him to Paris with instructions to
offer up to $10 million for New Orleans and
Florida. If France refused, he and Livingston should
open negotiations for a “closer connection” with
the British.
The tension broke before Monroe even reached
France. General Leclerc’s Saint Domingue expedition
ended in disaster. Although Toussaint surrendered,
Haitian resistance continued. Yellow fever raged
through the French army; Leclerc himself fell to the
fever, which wiped out practically his entire force.
When news of this calamity reached Napoleon
early in 1803, he had second thoughts about reviving
French imperialism in the New World. Without Saint
Domingue, the wilderness of Louisiana seemed of lit-
tle value. Napoleon was preparing a new campaign in
Europe. He could no longer spare troops to recapture
a rebellious West Indian island or to hold Louisiana
against a possible British attack, and he needed money.
For some weeks the commander of the most
powerful army in the world mulled the question
without consulting anyone. Then, with characteristic

suddenness, he made up his mind. On April 10 he

ordered Foreign Minister Talleyrand to offer not

merely New Orleans but all of Louisiana to the

Americans. The next day Talleyrand summoned

Livingston to his office on the rue du Bac and

dropped this bombshell. Livingston was almost

struck speechless but quickly recovered his compo-

sure. When Talleyrand asked what the United States

would give for the province, he suggested the French

equivalent of about $5 million. Talleyrand pro-

nounced the sum “too low” and urged Livingston to

think about the subject for a day or two.

Livingston faced a situation that no modern diplo-

mat would ever have to confront. His instructions said

nothing about buying an area almost as large as the

entire United States, and there was no time to write

home for new instructions. The offer staggered the

imagination. Luckily, Monroe arrived the next day to

share the responsibility. The two Americans consulted,

dickered with the French, and finally agreed—they

could scarcely have done otherwise—to accept the pro-

posal. Early in May they signed a treaty. For 60 million

francs—about $15 million—the United States was to

have all of Louisiana.

No one knew exactly how large the region was or

what it contained. (See Mapping the Past, pp. 184–185.)

When Livingston asked Talleyrand about the boundaries

of the purchase, he replied, “I can give you no direction.

You have made a noble bargain for yourselves, and I

Toussaint L’Ouverture leading a revolt of slaves against the French in Haiti—the first and only major slave

rebellion in history.