The Louisiana Purchase was one of the most controversial things Thomas Jefferson has done during his presidential term. To put it simply, it was a land deal between France and America. It started when Napoleon Bonaparte, a successful French military leader, and statesman, gave an offer to Jefferson. ?How is this relevant? Born on a small French island, Napoleon will soon have a great impact, not only in his home country-France- but also in America. When Napoleon was leading the Haitian Revolution, he realized that he and his army were going bankrupt due to the war. Knowing that if they wanted to win the war they needed a way to have access to more money in a short span of time. This is when Napoleon had the idea to sell the Louisiana Territory, which was in France’s control at the time. Around the same time, America was trying to achieve their ideology of Manifest Destiny, American’s belief and justification for expanding westwards. The phrase, Manifest Destiny meant that no matter what, America’s goal is to expand west and place their brand westwards. So when America has presented the offer of almost doubling their land for only 15 million, Jefferson was more than willing to buy it. However, his constitutional rights did not grant him the power to do so. Jefferson was always a strict believer of the Constitution, meaning he and his party believed in a strict representation of the Constitution. The constitution never gave presidents the right to buy foreign land, and this was when controversy struck. However, Jefferson really felt like the Louisiana purchase was needed for the country. So, when the Senate eventually gave permission to buy the Louisiana territory, the reaction from Americans was mixed. Some citizens were just as eager as Jefferson for the newly acquired land. They viewed this land as 827,000 square miles of potential. However, some believed this was a hypocritical purchase. Jefferson went against his own strict beliefs of the Constitution so he could obtain this land. Aside from the opposing opinions of the citizens, this territory brought heaps of benefits for America. Firstly, 15 million for almost 827,000 square miles of land is extremely cheap, considering it is only 4 cents an acre. When Jefferson set up an expedition for exploring the land, they found many natural resources that could potentially help America in the future. Lastly, the new area gave America more access to trade with other nations. Overall, the Louisiana purchase generated some disputation, but it substantially impacted America’s growth.
Now fast forward around a century later, just around 1914. This was the official year in which Europe began fighting in WW1. World War 1 affected not just Europe but it will soon affect America. World War one started because of many factors. The 4 main factors were Militarism, Alliances, Imperialism and Nationalism. Militarism meant to use the country's military to defend or promote national interests. Basically using the military as a way to get what the country wanted. Alliances are when countries create alliances. So when a country gets into a dispute, the allies have to back up that specific country. Imperialism was when countries gained more access and influence through another country to gain political and economical influence. Lastly, Nationalism is when a country claims a certain country or nation is the best and degraded other countries. With all these factors combined along with the assassination of Austrian archduke Franz Ferdinand, World War 1 officially began in Europe. At first, America was reluctant to join, mostly due to President Wilson’s strong belief in neutrality. Though eventually, America will join the war. It was when Germany sunk the Lusitania, American’s feelings towards the war began to shift. When the ship sank, over 200 American passengers were pronounced dead. Many were angered and wanted to join the war, but Wilson persisted to remain neutral. When the government finally announced that they would be joining the war, many opposed it. They said the war was unnecessary for America since it wasn't our business, to begin with. However, the government used propaganda to show that the war was needed for the benefit of both the Allies and America. In conclusion, staying neutral causes heated debates between politicians and citizens.
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