The historical audacity of the Louisiana Purchase - Judy Walton

TED-Ed

7 Feb 201303:38

Summary

TLDRThis transcript recounts Thomas Jefferson's struggle with his principles during the Louisiana Purchase. Known for his opposition to big government and strict interpretation of the Constitution, Jefferson ironically doubled the nation's size with a deal for the Louisiana Territory. Although he initially opposed actions not explicitly outlined in the Constitution, he justified the purchase using an implied power argument, one he had previously criticized. The purchase, negotiated without his approval, cost $15 million and is considered one of the greatest real estate deals in U.S. history, despite Jefferson's internal conflict.

Takeaways

📜 Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, was not initially a fan of the U.S. Constitution because he feared it granted too much power to the national government.
🛑 Jefferson's concerns revolved around what he saw as 'big government' and a lack of sufficient power reserved for the states.
🤝 Jefferson only agreed to support the Constitution after James Madison promised to propose a Bill of Rights to address his concerns.
🏦 Jefferson opposed Alexander Hamilton's plan for a national bank in 1790, arguing there was no constitutional basis for it, rejecting Hamilton's 'implied powers' argument.
🛬 When Jefferson became president, he promised to reduce the size and scope of the national government.
🌍 Spain secretly transferred the Louisiana Territory to France, catching Jefferson and the U.S. government by surprise.
💸 U.S. negotiators secured a deal to purchase the entire Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million, even though Jefferson knew there was no constitutional provision for such a purchase.
📝 Jefferson initially sought a constitutional amendment to justify the purchase but was unsuccessful in persuading Congress.
🤯 Ironically, Jefferson ended up using the same 'implied powers' argument that he had previously rejected to justify the Louisiana Purchase.
🌎 The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States and has been called one of the greatest real estate deals in U.S. history, costing only about three cents an acre.

Q & A

What was Thomas Jefferson's stance on the new constitution in 1787?
-Thomas Jefferson was not a fan of the new constitution in 1787 because he believed it gave too much power to the national government and not enough to the states.
Why did Jefferson eventually agree to support the constitution?
-Jefferson agreed to support the constitution reluctantly when his friend James Madison promised to propose a bill of rights after its ratification.
What was Jefferson's opinion on Alexander Hamilton's proposal for a national bank?
-Jefferson opposed the proposal for a national bank because he believed there was no provision in the constitution to permit such an establishment.
How did Jefferson attempt to constitutionally justify the purchase of the Louisiana Territory?
-Jefferson initially tried to get an amendment passed to expressly permit the purchase, but when that failed, he used the argument of implied powers in the constitution's treaty-making power.
What was the initial plan for the Louisiana Territory when it was discovered that it had been transferred to France?
-The initial plan was for Congress to discuss buying a piece of the territory along the Mississippi River for about $2 million.
What was the final deal that the U.S. negotiators in France agreed to?
-The U.S. negotiators in France agreed to a deal for the entire Louisiana Territory for $15 million dollars.
How did the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory impact the size of the United States?
-The acquisition of the Louisiana Territory doubled the size of the United States, providing a vast amount of new land for settlers.
What was the irony in Jefferson's decision to use the argument of implied powers to justify the Louisiana Purchase?
-The irony lies in the fact that Jefferson, a strict constructionist and opponent of big government, used the same argument of implied powers that he had previously mocked, to justify an action that significantly expanded the federal government's reach.
What was the cost per acre for the Louisiana Purchase?
-The Louisiana Purchase was made at a cost of about three cents per acre.
How is the Louisiana Purchase described in terms of its significance to U.S. history?
-The Louisiana Purchase is often referred to as the greatest real estate deal in the history of the United States due to its strategic and economic impact on the country.
What was the role of President Washington in the establishment of the national bank?
-President Washington played a key role in the establishment of the national bank by supporting Alexander Hamilton's proposal despite Jefferson's opposition.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Thomas Jefferson and His Concerns About Big Government

Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, was initially opposed to the new U.S. Constitution of 1787. He feared it granted too much power to the federal government at the expense of the states. This issue of 'big government' worried him greatly. His support for the Constitution came reluctantly, only after James Madison promised to introduce a Bill of Rights following ratification. Despite this compromise, Jefferson's concerns about the concentration of power persisted.

💰 Jefferson’s Struggle with Hamilton’s National Bank

In 1790, Jefferson clashed with Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton over the proposal to create a national bank. Jefferson argued that the Constitution did not permit such a move, while Hamilton claimed the existence of 'implied powers' in the Constitution, which could justify it. Jefferson rejected this reasoning, though the bank was ultimately established with President Washington’s approval. This episode highlighted Jefferson’s ongoing skepticism about expanding federal powers.

⚖️ Jefferson’s Presidency and His Desire to Shrink the Government

Upon becoming President in 1801, Jefferson vowed to reduce the size and influence of the federal government. His desire to limit national power clashed with the realities of his presidency. Around this time, Spain secretly transferred the Louisiana Territory to France, catching the U.S. by surprise. As Congress moved to negotiate with France for a piece of the territory near the Mississippi River for $2 million, Jefferson faced a constitutional dilemma.

🌍 The Louisiana Purchase and Jefferson’s Constitutional Dilemma

Jefferson faced a significant challenge when U.S. negotiators, without authorization, struck a deal with France to purchase the entire Louisiana Territory for $15 million—much more than originally planned. This acquisition doubled the nation's size, but Jefferson struggled with the fact that there was no clear constitutional provision allowing for the purchase of foreign land. Despite his strict interpretation of the Constitution, he was now forced to justify this massive transaction.

📝 The Ironic Justification for the Louisiana Purchase

To resolve his constitutional conflict, Jefferson borrowed an argument from his former adversary, Alexander Hamilton, claiming that the power to acquire new territory was implied in the Constitution’s treaty-making authority. This reasoning directly contradicted Jefferson's earlier stance on implied powers, but he reluctantly used it to validate the purchase. The irony was not lost on Jefferson, who had long opposed big government, yet now found himself responsible for one of its largest expansions.

🏞️ The Greatest Real Estate Deal in U.S. History

The purchase of the Louisiana Territory, often hailed as the greatest real estate deal in U.S. history, cost $15 million—equivalent to about three cents per acre. Despite Jefferson’s internal constitutional struggle, the acquisition of such a vast expanse of land would prove invaluable to the young nation, offering new opportunities for settlers and farmers while dramatically increasing the size and potential of the United States.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independence. In the video, he is portrayed as a leader who was deeply concerned about the idea of 'big government,' or a powerful national government, preferring instead to see more power reserved for the states. His dilemma with the Louisiana Purchase shows the irony of his actions, as he expanded the size of the U.S. while grappling with constitutional justification.

💡Constitution

The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the land, and Jefferson had reservations about it, particularly the amount of power it granted the national government. He reluctantly supported it after his friend, James Madison, promised a Bill of Rights. The video highlights Jefferson’s struggle with interpreting the Constitution when faced with the Louisiana Purchase, which was not explicitly mentioned in the document.

💡Big Government

'Big Government' refers to a government that has significant power and influence, particularly at the national level. Jefferson was a staunch opponent of this concept, believing that too much centralized authority would infringe on states' rights and personal freedoms. Ironically, Jefferson himself contributed to the growth of 'big government' through the Louisiana Purchase, which expanded federal power.

💡Louisiana Purchase

The Louisiana Purchase was a monumental land deal in which the United States bought approximately 828,000 square miles of territory from France for $15 million, effectively doubling the size of the country. The video emphasizes the irony of Jefferson, a strict constitutionalist, using loose constitutional interpretation to justify the acquisition, even though he had opposed such reasoning earlier in his career.

💡Strict Constructionist

A strict constructionist is someone who interprets the Constitution in a literal and narrow way, believing that the federal government can only exercise powers explicitly stated in the document. Jefferson was a strict constructionist, but the video highlights how he contradicted this philosophy when he used implied powers to justify the Louisiana Purchase.

💡Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton was the first Secretary of the Treasury and a proponent of a strong central government. He is mentioned in the video as Jefferson's old political foe who advocated for implied powers in the Constitution to create a national bank. Jefferson, who had once opposed this view, ironically used the same argument to justify the Louisiana Purchase.

💡Implied Powers

Implied powers are those not explicitly stated in the Constitution but are deemed necessary for the government to carry out its enumerated duties. In the video, Hamilton first uses this concept to defend the creation of a national bank, and later, Jefferson uses the same reasoning to justify the Louisiana Purchase, despite having previously criticized the concept.

💡Treaty-Making Power

The treaty-making power is the constitutional authority granted to the President to negotiate and enter into treaties with foreign nations, subject to Senate approval. Jefferson relied on this provision to argue that the purchase of the Louisiana Territory could be justified as part of a treaty, though this stretched the traditional interpretation of the Constitution’s text.

💡James Madison

James Madison, often called the 'Father of the Constitution,' was a close ally of Jefferson and helped secure Jefferson’s support for the Constitution by promising to push for a Bill of Rights. In the video, Madison is portrayed as a key figure in Jefferson’s political journey, particularly in navigating the balance between federal and state power.

💡Spain and France

Spain and France played critical roles in the events leading up to the Louisiana Purchase. Spain had secretly transferred control of the Louisiana Territory to France, which sparked negotiations between the U.S. and France. The video describes how this transaction unfolded under Jefferson’s presidency, leading to one of the greatest real estate deals in history.

Highlights

Thomas Jefferson was not a fan of the Constitution presented in 1787, fearing it gave too much power to the national government.

Jefferson only supported the Constitution after James Madison promised to propose a Bill of Rights.

Despite his opposition to big government, Jefferson's fears persisted throughout his career.

Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton proposed a national bank, which Jefferson opposed as it wasn’t provided for in the Constitution.

Jefferson believed the Constitution did not imply the creation of a national bank, despite Hamilton's claims.

The national bank was eventually established by Hamilton and President Washington.

When Jefferson became President in 1801, he pledged to reduce the size of the national government.

Spain secretly transferred the Louisiana Territory to France, surprising Jefferson and the U.S. government.

Congress began negotiations to buy part of the Louisiana Territory along the Mississippi River for $2 million.

Jefferson knew the Constitution did not provide for the acquisition of foreign territory.

U.S. negotiators, without permission, made a deal to buy all of the Louisiana Territory for $15 million.

The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the U.S., creating new opportunities for settlers.

To justify the purchase, Jefferson used the treaty-making powers in the Constitution, an argument he had previously criticized.

The purchase of the Louisiana Territory contradicted Jefferson's strict constructionist beliefs.

The Louisiana Purchase is often regarded as the greatest real estate deal in U.S. history, at just three cents an acre.