Why did France need to sell Louisana to the US?

Answer 1

• France had lost control of Canada. To keep hold of Louisiana would be a tactical nightmare for France if the British attacked
• France's forces were spread too thin. There were riots in French-owned Haiti, they were suffering the negative effects of the French-Indian war and they were being attacked by Britain in Europe (because of Napoleon)
• Napoleon had almost bankrupted France with his costly (and failing) military campaign against the British. He sold Louisiana to pay for the war against Britain - which France lost and Napoleon ended up a British prisoner
• It was a focal point of Franco-American hostilities, which Napoleon didn't want, so he sold it to the Americans so he didn't have to deal with an American attack (as said above, French forces were already too thin)