Louisiana Purchase Doubles Nation: America Claims the West
The United States seized 828,000 square miles from France for roughly four cents an acre, instantly doubling the nation's size and securing control of the Mississippi River. This massive land deal forced Spain to relinquish its nominal hold just weeks before the formal transfer, setting the stage for westward expansion that would define American geography for centuries.
December 20, 1803
223 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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