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Originally, Napoleon believed in creating a New World empire for France. However, the loss of Haiti to the slave rebellion and the subsequent failure to recapture the colony forced him to abandon his plans for an empire in the Western Hemisphere. With that decision, the land of Louisiana did not hold much value for him. Instead, he decided to sell the land to the U.S. in order to focus his attention and energy in Europe, where he was preparing for war against Britain. He also attested that with the purchase of the Louisiana territory, the United States would become a power that would soon be able to rival Britain, France's enemy.

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14y ago

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