The Louisiana Purchase is one of the most well-known land purchases in American history. It doubled the size of the United States and was obtained at an incredible bargain from Napoleon Bonaparte, who wanted to divest of France's holdings in America in order to fund his battles in Europe.
It's believed that the failure of France to put down a slave revolution in Haiti, the impending war with Great Britain and probable British naval blockade of France – combined with French economic difficulties – may have prompted Napoleon to offer Louisiana for sale to the United States.
