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Difficulty: EasyJeffersonian Presidency and Territorial Expansion

"There is on the globe one single spot, the possessor of which is our natural and habitual enemy. It is New Orleans, through which the produce of three-eighths of our territory must pass to market..."

— Thomas Jefferson, letter to Robert Livingston, 1802

Based on the excerpt, which of the following actions did the Jefferson administration take to address the concern described?

  1. Purchasing the Louisiana Territory from France to secure control of the Mississippi RiverAnswer
  2. B
    Forming a permanent military alliance with Great Britain to block French expansion in North America
  3. C
    Requesting a Supreme Court ruling to assert federal authority over commerce on the Mississippi River
  4. D
    Issuing a joint declaration with European powers to protect the independence of Latin American trade routes

Answer

Purchasing the Louisiana Territory from France to secure control of the Mississippi River
The correct answer is correct because Jefferson's primary concern in the excerpt is the foreign control of New Orleans, which restricted American trade along the Mississippi River. The Jefferson administration resolved this concern by purchasing the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803, securing permanent American access to the port and the river.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the historical source to identify the core geographic and economic concern.
The excerpt highlights the strategic importance of New Orleans and the Mississippi River as vital trade pathways for American western produce, warning against foreign control of the region.
Identifying the geographic focus and economic threat is necessary to determine the administration's policy response.
2
Identify the historical action taken by the Jefferson administration that resolved this specific threat.
The United States negotiated the Louisiana Purchase with France in 1803, acquiring the port of New Orleans and the surrounding territory.
This territorial acquisition directly addressed the concern by placing the Mississippi River and New Orleans under American control.

Key Concept

The Louisiana Purchase secured control of the Mississippi River and New Orleans, resolving trade and security concerns for western farmers.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Jeffersonian Presidency and Territorial Expansion

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