President Thomas Jefferson approved the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. He and other Democratic-Republicans had doubts about the decision, however, because

Question

A.
the purchase would possibly make the U.S. too large to remain a single united country.
B.
the purchase had been supported by the Federalists, who were Jefferson's opponents.
C.
the Constitution never said that the president has authority to make land purchases.
D.
the Constitution clearly defined U.S. territory as being east of the Mississippi River.

Answer 1

The correct answer is C. the Constitution never said that the president has authority to make land purchases.

President Jefferson had concerns about the constitutionality of the Louisiana Purchase because the Constitution did not explicitly grant the president the authority to acquire new territory. This was a significant point of debate among the Democratic-Republicans, as Jefferson himself was a strict constructionist who believed in adhering closely to the text of the Constitution.