The Louisiana Purchase

In 1803 the Louisiana Purchase occurred because the United States need to expand.  So Thomas Jefferson made contact with Napoleon, Emperor of France, through Robert Livingston.  At first Napoleon refused to give up the land.  But when Jefferson sent James Monroe to France to try and persuade Napoleon, Napoleon offerred to sell all of Louisiana.  Monroe paid 15 million dollars for it.  At this point in history in Europe, Napoleon had just become emperor of France.  He had just begun a series of wars known as the Napoleonic Wars, which spanded from 1803 until 1815.