1301.9b - Jefferson's Foreign Policy

The Louisiana Purchase00:00:01

Jefferson sought to protect American trade on the Mississippi River and access to New Orleans. He sent negotiators to France to buy New Orleans for up to $10 million, but Napoleon offered the entire Louisiana Territory for $15 million. Despite lacking the authority to spend that amount, the delegation agreed to the deal to secure the territory and prevent it from falling into British hands.

Significance of the Purchase00:02:43

The purchase secured New Orleans and the Mississippi River, protecting trade from Western states like Kentucky and Tennessee. It doubled the size of the United States and cost less than three cents an acre (roughly 42 cents an acre adjusted for inflation), making it the greatest land deal in American history. It also served as a case study in strict versus loose construction of the Constitution.

British Neutrality Violations and the Chesapeake Affair00:06:16

British violations of American neutral trade and the practice of impressment resumed. Tensions peaked during the Chesapeake affair, where a British warship fired upon and boarded the USS Chesapeake, killing three sailors and impressing four others. Although the public demanded war, Jefferson refused to declare one.

The Embargo Act of 180700:10:04

Instead of war or another failed treaty, Jefferson worked with Congress to pass the Embargo Act of 1807, which shut down all foreign shipping from the U.S. to pressure Britain and France. While it prevented war and impressment, it caused a severe economic recession in the U.S. and was repealed by Congress in 1809 as Jefferson left office.