Who purchased the Louisiana Territory?

• A. Thomas Jefferson
• B. James Madison
• C. George Washington
• D. John Adams

Answer: (A)

The move that more than any other expanded the United States westward was a deliberate act by the president at the time. In 1803, the United States purchased the vast Louisiana Territory from France for about $15 million, dramatically increasing the nation’s size and giving new control over the Mississippi River and the port of New Orleans. The decision came from Thomas Jefferson, who, aiming to secure western farmers’ access to commerce and to prevent a European power from blocking that route, directed the negotiation. Diplomats James Monroe and Robert R. Livingston carried out the talks under his instructions, and the deal was finalized despite the French leadership at the moment. So, while the actual negotiation was handled by others, the purchase is attributed to Jefferson, the president who designed and authorized the expansion. The other figures—George Washington and John Adams—were earlier presidents, and James Madison, though closely involved as Jefferson’s Secretary of State and a key participant in the negotiations, was not the purchaser himself. This acquisition opened the way for westward exploration and settlement, such as the later Lewis and Clark expedition.