Abstract
The Louisiana Purchase was undoubtedly the single greatest achievement of Thomas Jefferson's presidency. Yet many critics have seen Jefferson's purchase of Louisiana as a "sell out" of his most cherished political principles?states' rights and strict constructionism. This paper argues that Jefferson desired to achieve a greater end in the case of the Louisiana Purchase?i.e., the survival of Republican government in the United States. Thus, Jefferson
temporarily relented on the means for achieving Republican government?states' rights and strict constructionism ?in order to take advantage of an extraordinary opportunity to secure the ends of Republicanism.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Presidential Studies Quarterly |
| Volume | 22 |
| State | Published - 1992 |
Disciplines
- Political Science
Keywords
- Constructionism
- Ends
- Industrial agriculture
- Jeffersonianism
- Louisiana Purchase
- Means
- National government
- Political economy
- Republicanism
- Strict construction
- Territories
- Thomas Jefferson
- Treaties