Louisiana Purchase: Buy or Not (1803)
by Anonymous
Napoleon offered to sell the entire Louisiana Territory to the US for $15 million. Jefferson faced a dilemma — the Constitution didn't explicitly authorize land purchases, but the deal would double the nation's size.
Buy Louisiana Territory
1803
year
$15 million (about 4 cents/acre)
price
No explicit authority — stretched interpretation
constitutional question
Purchased — doubled US territory
outcome
Decline the Offer
1803
year
N/A
price
Strict constitutional interpretation
constitutional question
Not chosen — deal was too good to refuse
outcome
Want to make your own version?
Sign up to create your ownMore in History
SpaceX: Reusable vs Expendable Rockets (2011)
Reusable First Stage vs Expendable (Industry Standard)
GPS: Open to Civilians or Military Only (1983-2000)
Open to Civilians (Full Accuracy) vs Military Only
Ford: Assembly Line vs Craft Production (1913)
Moving Assembly Line vs Traditional Craft Production
World Wide Web: Free and Open vs Proprietary (1993)
Free and Open (No Royalties) vs Licensed/Proprietary
OPEC Oil Embargo: Weapon or Commodity (1973)
Oil Embargo vs Maintain Normal Supply vs Production Cut (No Target)
Cleopatra: Alliance with Rome (48 BCE)
Alliance with Caesar vs Alliance with Ptolemy XIII (Brother) vs Resist Rome