To: 
From: "Vern Humphrey" 
Reply-To: r_catholic-l{at}yahoogroups.com

To: seanmbrook{at}aol.com [mailto:seanmbrook{at}aol.com]
> > >
>  One caveat.  Aside from New Orlean itself, wasn't
>  Louisiana mostly undeveloped territory?  Wouldn't
>  it have taken France many years of work and col-
>  onizing before Louisiana could have counterbalanced
>  Great Britain?  And wouldn't the British (and probably
>  the US as well) be working hard to prevent France
>  from getting a firm grip on the territory?

Louisiana was the outlet of most American trade.  That, in itself, was a
lucerative prize -- the French could have expanded and profited from it.
AND a large Napoleonic Army would have been very difficult for the British
to dislodge.

Look at it through Jefferson's eyes as he saw it in 1802.  He only wanted
New Orleans, and wanted that so American goods could be transshipped to
ocean transport.  He had no inkling we could get all of Louisiana, and
might have been satisfied wiht an enclave in New Orleans, perhaps on a 99
year lease. Napoleon could easily have graned that.

Consider also that Americans would have to decide; WHICH foreign nation do
we want to control Louisiana, Engalnd or France?  Remember, England ALREADY
had Canada.  If she had Louisiana too, where would that leave the US?

Remember also, only 9 years after the Louisiana Purchase, we went to war
with England, not with France.

Clearly, Jefferson's words that we must "marry ourselves to the
British nation and fleet" were NOT an offer of alliance to the British
-- they were meant only for French ears, as a bluff.
>


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