Question

Why was the Louisiana Purchase a bit of an embarrassment for Jefferson? A. The French represented the land as much larger than it actually was. B. His decision to buy the land went against his own belief to strictly follow the words of the Constitution. C. He ended up paying much more than the land was worth. D. The purchase ended up being very unpopular with Americans

Answer 1

Nearly tripled the size of the United States.

Answer 2

The answer is B) His decision to buy the land went against his own belief to strictly follow the words of the Constitution.

In previous matters, Jefferson had been known to follow what is known as "strict interpretation" of the Constitution: the government only has the power to do exactly what the Constitution says it can do. Others at the time believed in a "loose interpretation," stating that the government can do anything that helps the nation, because the Constitution is simply aiming to create a better America.

As Jefferson had previously been a strict interpreter of the Constitution, and buying land from other nation was not directly allowed in the Constitution, the fact that he went through with the Louisiana Purchase contradicted his usual beliefs.