Why did New England want to secede from the Union during the War of 1812?
Perhaps the best place to begin is with Napoleon and the Louisiana Purchase.
In 1800, Napoleon secretly took possession of the Spanish colony of Louisiana. Using Saint-Domingue as a base, he planned to send French forces to occupy New Orleans and Louisiana. There was one problem. In 1791, Toussaint L’Ouverture staged a slave rebellion gaining control of the French colony. Napoleon sent troops to the island to re-take it.
New Orleans was important to Americans. President Thomas Jefferson needed to protect the interests of settlers from Ohio and western territories. They shipped their agricultural products down the Mississippi to New Orleans. In 1795, Pinckney’s Treaty allowed merchants to store goods for export there. Americans gained the right to ship their goods on the Mississippi. As western settlements grew, the port of New Orleans became increasingly important.
If Napoleon’s forces landed in New Orleans intending to occupy it, Jefferson decided he needed to ally with Britain. Jefferson sent Robert Livingston to France hoping to secure New Orleans through negotiations. If Livingston failed, Jefferson instructed James Monroe to make an alliance with Great Britain.
Napoleon’s forces failed to gain control of Saint-Domingue. Without it, Napoleon had no base of operations in the Caribbean. He lost interest in conquering anything on the American continent.
On April 11, 1803, Talleyrand surprised Livingston by offering to sell the Louisiana territory to the United States. Despite concerns the purchase was unconstitutional, Livingston and Jefferson accepted the offer.
What do you think? What would we think of Jefferson today if he purchased Louisiana, even if there were concerns it was not constitutional?
Next: Why the Louisiana Purchase angered New Englanders.
Look for it Monday, November 26
