The Louisiana Purchase was a land deal between the United States and France in 1803, in which the United States acquired nearly 828,000 square miles (2,144,476 square kilometers) of the Louisiana territory for $15 million ($3 U.S. cents per acre). This purchase more than doubled the size of the United States at the time.
The Louisiana Purchase was a major turning point in American history, as it gave the United States control of the vast Mississippi River Valley and opened up the way for westward expansion. The purchase also had a significant impact on the size of the United States, as it added a vast amount of land to the country.
The Louisiana Purchase was negotiated by President Thomas Jefferson and Secretary of State James Madison. Jefferson was a strong believer in the importance of westward expansion, and he saw the Louisiana Purchase as an opportunity to secure the future of the United States. Madison was also a supporter of westward expansion, and he played a key role in negotiating the purchase with France.
The Louisiana Purchase was completed on December 20, 1803. The United States paid France $15 million for the territory, which included the present-day states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and parts of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and Minnesota.
The Louisiana Purchase had a significant impact on the size of the United States. Before the purchase, the United States had a land area of approximately 890,000 square miles (2,304,665 square kilometers). After the purchase, the United States had a land area of approximately 1,718,000 square miles (4,450,732 square kilometers). This meant that the Louisiana Purchase more than doubled the size of the United States.
The Louisiana Purchase was a major success for the United States, as it gave the country control of a vast amount of land and opened up the way for westward expansion. The purchase also had a significant impact on the size of the United States, as it more than doubled the country's land area.