![]() He ended up in significant debt as a result of his diplomatic work which he never, even as President, managed to clear. He had to sell his household belongings in order to be able to afford to travel to France. Instead he was forced to represent his country abroad, a duty which came at great personal cost. He had exhausted almost all his assets and was hoping to spend some time practicing law in order to rebuild his bank balance. When the two men were offered the entire territory for only 150% of what they had been willing to pay for New Orleans alone they did not hesitate to exceed their authority and agree the Purchase.Īt the time that James Munroe was sent to France his term as Governor of Virginia was drawing to a close. Thomas Jefferson appointed him as his chief negotiator and minister in Paris, along with Thomas Livingstone, and authorized him to negotiate for the purchase of New Orleans on the best terms possible. ![]() He also had an interest in opportunities for the west as he owned land in Kentucky. James Munroe was a close friendof then President, Thomas Jefferson. There was real concern that the situation would lead to war between the US and France, a situation exacerbated by American support for rebels in St Domingue and a refusal to advance credit to France despite prior support and a later formal declaration of neutrality. ![]() This revocation together with Napoleon’s stated aims for a New World colony threatened American expansion to the west far more than the nominal Spanish control ever had. When the French took control of Louisiana and New Orleans in 1802 they revoked this ‘right of deposit’. ![]() From 1795 the US and Spain had, in the Pinckney Treaty, established the right for American farmers to use New Orleans without incurring export fees. Although moves were made to establish other ports New Orleans was the only one that connected the Mississippi with the sea. ![]() American settlers relied on the Mississippi as a prime means of communication and to export trade goods safely and quickly. When the US Government heard of the Treaty of Ildefonso it gave rise to grave concerns. ![]()
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