Two US Events

An important US event during Europe's New Imperialism was the Louisiana Purchase. This event is significant it both French and US history. Napoleon Bonaparte sold the region to the US on April 30, 1803 for $15 million. Thomas Jefferson was President at the time and although such a treaty and purchase was a possible violation of the Constitution, Jefferson and Congress simply could not pass the opportunity by. The purchase doubled the US in size, giving it open land for settlement and free navigation of the Mississippi River.

Why would Napoleon give up such a chunk of land? Simply, he had no use for it after he knew for sure Hispaniola was lost to the French Empire. His plans for the territory were that it was meant as a food and trade center to supply Hispaniola with. After his defeat on the island, and his desperate need for funds for his European wars, he was eager to sell the land to the US.

This purchase can be compared to the expansion of the the British Empire at this time due to imperialism. The empire under Queen Victoria, more than doubling the country in size, became so large that it was said "the sun never set on the British Empire."

Another important US event during this time period and not long after the Louisiana Purchase is the Expedition of Louis and Clark. President Jefferson sent his personal secretary, Meriwether Lewis on the expedition to explore the new territory purchased from Napoleon. Jefferson hoped that he would find a water route connecting the Missouri River to the Columbia. His idea was that it would then connect the Pacific to the Mississippi, open a new market system. Lewis chose William Clark to go on the expedition with him. Their trip began in the summer of 1804 and ended in September 1806. Together they visited areas only ever lived on by Native Americans. They recorded landmarks and creatures, made maps and set up good relations with the Native Americans. Their trip was a great success.

These two men can be compared to the David Livingstone and his travels through Africa. Like Louis and Clark, Livingstone set out on a specific mission. On his expeditions through Africa he became the first European to see Victoria Falls, to cross southern Africa and to discover many rivers. He learned the customs of many African tribes, much like Lewis and Clark and the Native Americans. He also was lost on the continent, once again similar to Lewis and Clark who were take for dead after the first year they were away. In many ways, these explorers both had significant impacts on the lands they traveled and the countries they traveled them for.