The Louisiana Purchase: A Fortunate Mistake

The United States accidentally doubled in size because Napoleon was broke. France owned a massive

chunk of North America, but after losing a revolution in Haiti, Napoleon needed

cash fast to fight wars in Europe. President Thomas Jefferson actually just wanted to buy

New Orleans to help American farmers trade. He sent diplomats to France expecting

a tough negotiation for one city. Instead, Napoleon offered the whole thing.

For just fifteen million dollars, the US got over eight hundred thousand square miles.

That is literally four cents an acre. Jefferson wasn't even sure the Constitution allowed it,

but the deal was too good to pass up.