Question

President Thomas Jefferson approved the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. He and other Democratic-Republicans had doubts about the decision, however, because
A.
the Constitution never said that the president has authority to make land purchases.
B.
the purchase had been supported by the Federalists, who were Jefferson's opponents.
C.
the purchase would possibly make the U.S. too large to remain a single united country.
D.
the Constitution clearly defined U.S. territory as being east of the Mississippi River.

Answer 1

A. The Constitution never said that the president has authority to make land purchases.

Jefferson, a strict constructionist, worried the Constitution did not explicitly authorize acquiring foreign territory by purchase, so he struggled with the constitutionality before using the treaty-making power to justify the Louisiana Purchase.