12/20/2020 - On This Day: A Historic Expansion

 

12/20/2020 - On This Day: A Historic Expansion

And we're back! For our second weekly look at On This Day; a showcase into key historical moments in our nation. Our goal with each of these blog posts is to help educate you on various foundational pieces of history throughout the United States of America with a sole focus on the historical facts. For this week, we'll be taking a look at the Louisiana Purchase. which was signaled as completed on December 20th, 1803.

The Louisiana Purchase was considered a monumental expansion of the United States. The acquisition contained the now former French District of Louisiana which spanned 828,000 square miles. As such, the territorial size of the US nearly doubled, and the purchase included the lands that now contain areas of Wyoming, Montana, North/South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, and the entire States of Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma.

The deal was brokered between then President Thomas Jefferson and then First Consul of France Napoleon Bonaparte. This expansion was funded by Congress for the cost of then $15 million USD, now valuing over $345,436,725! There has been much discussion and dissent over the purchase by a variety of groups within current American society, due to the impact it had upon the Native American populations and its direct impact on the current prospects of slavery within the region. The impact upon the Native American populations directly led to multiple court cases and disputes, inevitably bringing about the creation of the Indian Claims Commission Act (ICCA) in the year 1946.

When the country was ready to signal that the purchase has been completed, the American flag was flown over the city of New Orleans. This occurred on this day of December 20th, 1803.

By the People, for the People, of the People, for it is We the People.