In Paris, France, the Louisiana Purchase negotiators settle on a price—80 million francs (about 15 million dollars) plus payment of French debts worth about 20 million francs (3.75 million dollars). This is twice as much as Napoleon originally desired.
Cession of Louisiana (cropped)
Constantino Brumidi, 1875
Architect of the Capitol, https://www.aoc.gov/
Located in the Senate wing of the U.S. Capitol, Brumidi’s fresco shows left to right: François Barbé-Marbois, Robert Livingston, and James Monroe.
From the journal of James Monroe:
We called on Mr. Marbois the 29th. and gave him our project which we read to him & discussed. We proposed to offer 50. millions to France & 20. on acct. of her debt to the citizens of the U States, making 70. in the whole.
On reading that article he declared that he would not proceed in the negotiation on a less sum than 80. Millions, since it would be useless as the Consul had been sufficiently explicit on that point
. . . . .
we agreed to accede to his idea & give 80. millions.[1]Stanislaus Murray Hamilton, ed. The Writings of James Monroe, Vol IV, 1803–1806 (New York: G. P. Putman’s Sons, 1900), 14; digitized by Google Books and available at archive.org.
Notes
| ↑1 | Stanislaus Murray Hamilton, ed. The Writings of James Monroe, Vol IV, 1803–1806 (New York: G. P. Putman’s Sons, 1900), 14; digitized by Google Books and available at archive.org. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | Robert R. Livingston to Thomas Jefferson, Founders Online, National Archives, founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-40-02-0224 accessed 1 June 2022. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 40, 4 March–10 July 1803, ed. Barbara B. Oberg. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2013, pp. 301–304n.] |
Experience the Lewis and Clark Trail
The Lewis and Clark Trail Experience—our sister site at lewisandclark.travel—connects the world to people and places on the Lewis and Clark Trail.
Discover More
- The Lewis and Clark Expedition: Day by Day by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2018). The story in prose, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals: An American Epic of Discovery (abridged) by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 2003). Selected journal excerpts, 14 May 1804–23 September 1806.
- The Lewis and Clark Journals. by Gary E. Moulton (University of Nebraska Press, 1983–2001). The complete story in 13 volumes.
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