The Louisiana Purchase of 1803: Key Facts and Significance

On the anniversary of the signing of the Louisiana Purchase Treaty (April 30, 1803), take a look at this letter from Thomas Jefferson to Congress highlighting the significance of the historical transaction. The treaty, which cost roughly four cents an acre, doubled the size of the United States, expanding the nation westward beyond the Mississippi River. France's ruler, Napoleon Bonaparte, was losing interest in establishing a North American empire and needed funds to combat the British. He inst