When Thomas Jefferson’s envoys agreed to purchase Louisiana Territory from France on April 30, 1803, they did so without his direct approval. While Jefferson debated the constitutionality of the acquisition, French ruler Napoleon Bonaparte become impatient and threatened to void the treaty. Jefferson was forced to push for ratification, and received the consent of the Senate on October 20 by a vote of twenty-four to seven. The next day in Washington, the Americans and the French envoy exchanged ratified copies of the treaty.
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Today’s Document from the National Archives