Summary of Toussaint L'Ouverture and the Louisiana Purchase

Born circa 1743, died in 1803.
Self-educated ex-slave and military genius.
Betrayed and imprisoned by the French; died in a dungeon in France.
His slave rebellion in Haiti led to the first black government in the New World.
Contributed indirectly to the sale of Louisiana to the U.S.

Jefferson viewed the Louisiana territory as an opportunity for a "vast empire of liberty" to support democracy.
He proposed a constitutional amendment regarding the purchase but feared losing the opportunity to Napoleon.
Despite concerns about constitutionality, the Senate approved the purchase reflecting public enthusiasm.
The U.S. acquired 828,000 square miles for approximately three cents per acre.
Initial offer was $10 million for New Orleans and parts of Florida, but ended up with a much larger territory for $15 million.

The acquisition raised questions about the constitutional authority of the president to negotiate such treaties.
Tensions existed between Jefferson's strict constructionist views and the need for expansion.