Why do you think the federalists opposed the Louisiana purchase?

Answer 1

The Federalist opposed the Louisiana because of the fact that it was not written in the Constitution. The Federalist were Strict Constructionists which meant that they believed decisions should only be made if it is in the Constitution.

Answer 2

The Federalists opposed the purchasing of the Louisiana Territory because they saw it as an abuse of power by the federal government. They argued that the Constitution did not expressly grant the government the power to buy and add states. President Jefferson cites the Elastic Clause/ Necessary and Proper Clause ( Article 1, Section 8, Clause 18) in the Constitution as implying that he has the right to purchase the land. The Federalists also knew that the land in the Louisiana Territory would mainly be agrarian in nature, therefore the people that would live there would most likely be Democratic Republicans. As they had just brutally lost control of the central government with the elections of 1800, they feared that by adding new states they would lose control of the Senate as well. Federalists also did not like the fact that to buy the land, the United States would have to take a loan out from the British Bank.

While Jefferson uses the Elastic Clause to purchase the Louisiana Territory during his presidency, as Adam's Vice President he was strongly against the overstretching power granted to the Federal Government. This opposition was exemplified by a famous argument he had with Alexander Hamilton and the creation of a National Bank. Jefferson's moral and political stance put him at odds with purchasing the land, but the threat that was presented by not purchasing it was much greater. When Spain held control over the Louisiana Territory, the United States' interests in the area were protected by the Treaty of Paris. This treaty granted the US rights to use the Mississippi river ( specifically the Spanish port at New Orleans) for travel and trade. In late 1800, Spain gives the area to France who was under the rule of Napoleon Bonaparte. This transfer of control presented a huge problem for the US as there was no form of agreement with France allowing the US rights to the waterway. After Napoleon gained control of the Louisiana Territory, he moved 20,000 troops to the French colony of Santo Domingo to quell the slave revolt that was steadily throwing off French control. This makes the United States Government very uneasy and solidifies Jefferson's decision to purchase the land. As most of Napoleon's troops die of Yellow Fever in Santo Domingo, he believed that Britain would soon seize the Louisiana Territory from him and decided instead to make a profit off of its loss.

The fear of Britain taking control of the Louisiana Territory from France was a quickly growing threat that surpassed Jefferson's hesitation of exerting federal power. In 1803, Jefferson ultimately purchased about 828,000 square miles for roughly 15 million dollars.