In 1803, the United States purchased 828,000 square miles of land from France at a price of approximately three cents per acre, dramatically altering the young nation's geography and its political future. President Thomas Jefferson had struggled for three years over the purchase, which many believed to be unconstitutional, during which time the land changed hands between the French and the Spanish. In perhaps the nation's most formative development since the Revolutionary War, the deal secured the U.S. territory that would become fifteen new states, sparked intense public argument about the American Frontier, and ensured Jefferson a complicated legacy in American history.

With special attention to the diplomatic and constitutional background of the purchase, The Louisiana Purchase examines the event in the context of the Atlantic world, including the impact of the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars in Europe, colonial revolutions in the Caribbean, and the westward expansion of the U.S. population. In five concise chapters bolstered by primary documents including treaties, letters, and first-hand observations, Robert D. Bush introduces students to the political history of this momentous land acquisition.

About the Author
Robert D. Bush is an Instructor of history at Front Range Community College.

Reviews

Review #1 (David Head, University of Central Florida)

The book is especially appealing in the way it promises to embed American history within the context of European geopolitics, showing that the United States did not develop in a vacuum but in relation to other powers-often more powerful than the United States-that were developing in their own ways...The book appears to be very timely in that there's a lot of interest in Louisiana and New Orleans, partly because of Katrina, but more substantively because of the interest in Atlantic and World history and teaching U.S. history in a more international context. New Orleans, more a European city than an American one, fits especially well as a subject to demonstrate the connection between the United States and the larger world. Moreover, as noted, the Louisiana Purchase was a big deal, a truly critical moment, and I don't see that changing any time soon...Overall, I think the proposal has a lot of promise and that it should move forward. It addresses an important issue which has not been covered in a similar way and, most importantly to me, shows how American history is connected to the histories of other places. I think it should work well in the classroom.

Review #2 (Peter Kastor, Washington University)

The project explores a topic of immense importance, and the author provides a clear, effective overview of both the historical narrative and the project's goals.

Review #3 (Drew McCoy, Clark University)

To be sure, there are things about the proposal that are admirable, and the author obviously knows his subject well. Placing American history in a larger global context is an important and "cutting-edge" initiative these days, and I applaud that dimension of the proposal.

Students indeed need to appreciate the fact that "the view from Washington" is only part of the complex story of American nationality. But bringing European policy-makers and their strategic concerns into the picture broadens in a limiting way. The Louisiana crisis, it seems to me, connects importantly to the inner dynamics of American empire, and especially to the relationship among slavery, race, and republicanism in the broader Atlantic world during this age of revolution, subjects that are much more at the forefront of scholarly and teaching concerns these days than the intricate diplomatic maneuverings that preceded and structured the crisis. And as I suggest above, the Caribbean context is essential, especially for scholars and students working from the now-fashionable "Atlantic World" perspective.

Book Information
ISBN 9780415814355
Author Robert D. Bush
Format Hardback
Page Count 224
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 453g