Louisiana Purchase
Unverified
Date
April 30, 1803
Type
National
Author
htristian82
Event Details
On April 30, 1803, the United States purchased 828,000 square miles of territory from France for $15 million (about 4 cents per acre). The deal, authorized by President Thomas Jefferson, doubled the size of the young republic.
It opened the vast interior of North America to settlement and expansion, fueling the concept of Manifest Destiny.