During 1803, Napoleon Bonaparte, who was the French ruler at that time, controlled the Louisiana Territory. President Jefferson believed that the French leader may be a threat to American trade and travel, so he decided to negotiate the Louisiana purchase. By doing so, the US would be able to use the Mississippi River and the Port of New Orleans more freely; both ports had been used by farmers to ship their crops and get paid. Jefferson was able to buy the Louisiana territory from France, since Napoleon Bonaparte needed money for the Great French War. As a result, with the purchase of this new territory, the land area of America nearly doubled.
