The Louisiana Purchase, completed in 1803, was a significant acquisition of territory by the United States from France. This deal effectively doubled the size of the nation, adding approximately 828,000 square miles of land, which included parts of 15 states and extended from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada and from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains.
This expansion not only provided vast tracts of farmland but also opened up development opportunities and furthered westward expansion. The acquisition was driven by several factors, including the desire for more land for agriculture, the need for control over the Mississippi River for trade, and the ambition of President Thomas Jefferson to promote an agrarian society. The Louisiana Purchase also set a precedent for future territorial expansion and was a crucial moment in shaping the borders of the United States.