Laurel outlook., 1945-06-06
CHAPTER 2
The Purchase of louisiana

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Let us digress for a short tim,
before we send Lewis and Clark OF
their memorable expedition, to re
late briefly the highlights of thai
very important transaction, the
Louisiana Purchase.
The history of old Louisiana reads
like a chapter from a book of fic-
ton. Men, m and children dieo
in wrestling it from the Indians and
fighting the fevers which infested
its lower regions. Old World in
trigue swayed it's destinies and its
government under French, Spanish
and American rule offers a picture
at once alluring and fascinating.
DeSoto, the great Spanish ex-
plorer and a%dventurer, reached the
Mississippi river overland from
Florida in 1912. He died on its
bank and his body was sunk be-
meath it's waters to hide his death
from the Indians.
LaSalle, the famous French ex-
plorer, padded down the Mississippi
VI 1OJ1 IIOln lIo SOulCC W IilC 1ull
of Mexico. In April, 1852, he
claimed possession of all land adj
jacent to it in the name of King
Louis the Fourteenth of France and
named the territory Louisiana.
New Orleans was established in
1718 by Sieur de Bienville, governor
of Louisiana, and named in honor
of the Duke of Orleans. By a secret
treaty made November 3, 1852,
Louisiana was coded to Spain in
payment of a war debt. 1t was not
officially taken over by Spain until
August 18, 1869, when a Spanish
general with the Irish name of
O'Reilly sailed over and took official
possession.
For over thirty years the Span
ish flag flew over Louisiana. On
October !, 1900, Napoleon Bona
parte, dictator of France, entered
into a secret agreement with King
Charles the Fourth of Spain for the
return of Louisiana to France.
The island of Santo Domingo, ly-
ing south of Cuba, entered promi-
nently into the colonization schemes
of Napoleon. This island was in
habited by Negroes who had risen
in revolt against French rule. In
1901, Napoleon sent General Le-
Clerc, his brother-in-law, with 30
900 French troops to subdue the
natives and then go on to Louis
lana. But, the Negroes, ably assist
ed by the yellow fever, thwarted his
plans and LeClerc and thousands of
his soldiers died of fever, and the
remnant Of his splendid army was
glad to return to France. This
event had much to do with the fu-
ture of Louisiana and the United
States.
Expansion of the United States
made the acquisition of Louisiana,
the mouth of the Miss
issippi, necessary for the welfare Of
the young republic. At that time
Robert R. Livingston was United
States minister to France, and was
instructed by Jefferson to enter
into negotiations with Napoleon for
the purchase of New Orleans. James
Monroe was sent to France IS spe-
cha envoy to assist Livingston in
the negotiations.
The reverses in Santo Domingo
hurt Napoleon's prestige and pride.
To wage war cost great sums OF
money and Napoleon also realized
that he could not hold New Orleans
the British in event of war.
than see the territory ad-
to the Mississippi fall into
the hands of a hated enemy, the
Little Corporal Matched another
in his fertile brain. One
day, while in his bath, he decided TO
the entire territory of Louis
ANA for sale to the United States.
This was a surprise to the Amer