Monday, November 17, 2008

The Brief Summary of The Louisiana Purchase

France' offer to sell the vast Louisiana Purcahse to the United States in 1803 sparked a constitutional dilemma. President Thomas Jefferson wanted to purchase the territory, which would double the size of the United States. But Jefferson also favored a narrow interpretation of the Constitution—and nowhere did it provide for acquiring additional territory. Because of the need to act quickly on the deal, there was no time to amend the Constitution. Instead, the Jeffersonian Democratic-Republicans in Congress passed legislation that gave the President permission to sign a treaty to receive the territory, and Congress appropriated the money to pay for it. Congress acted under the provision of the Constitution (Article 5, Section 3) that gave Congress the power to regulate the territories, arguing that that power included the right to purchase new territories. Congress and the President therefore stretched the Constitution to fit new circumstances and solve their dilemma.

Marshall Smelser, The Democratic Republic, 1801–1815 (New York: Harper & Row, 1968)

1 comment:

Mr. Morgan said...

Robert,

Looks good so far, thanks...gonna take me a while to grade these