阅读理解
BytheLouisianaPurchaseof1803theUnitedStatesboughtfromFranceavastareaofsome828000squaremiles.Thiswasoneofthebiggestlandpurchasesinhistory.TheareastretchesfromtheMississippiRiverintheeasttotheRockyMountainsinthewestandfromtheGulfofMexicointhesouthtotheUnitedStates--Canadianborderinthenorth.Thisterritory(领土)makesupathirdoftheUnitedStates.Itincludedbeforeterritorialadjustmentallorpartsofwhatweretobecome15States.
Thishugeregionwasexploredinthe16thcenturybytheSpaniard.AFrenchmanin1682nameditLouisianainhonorofhiskingLouisⅩⅣ(1638-1715).Earlyinthe18thcenturytheFrenchfoundedsettlementsalongtheMississippiRiver.Themostimportantone.NewOrleanswasfoundedin1718ontheeastbankoftheriver90milesfromitsmouth.In1732theFrenchGovernmenttookcontrolofLouisiana.
AttheendoftheFrenchandIndianWar(1754-1763)inNorthAmericaFrenchlostitslandseastoftheMississippitotheBritain.InanagreementFrancegaveupLouisiana--theFrenchlandswestoftheMississippiandNewOrleans--toSpain.
Inthelate18thcenturyNapoleonBonaparte(1769-1821)rosetobecomethefirstemperorofFrance.HedreamedofcreatinganewFrenchcolonialempireinNorthAmerica.In1800hepersuadedtheSpanishrulerstosignthesecretTreatyofSanIldefonso.ThistreatytransferredLouisianabacktoFrance.OnOctober151802thekingofSpainfinallygavetheordertransferringLouisianatoFrance.
WhenPresidentThomasJefferson(1743-1826)learntofthesecretagreementhewasveryworried.HedidnotwelcometheideaofhavingastrongFranceasaneighbourinthewestinplaceoftheweakSpain.JeffersonwasalsoafraidthatwhentheFrenchcontrolledNewOrleanstheywouldclosetheMississippitoAmericatrade.
JeffersonorderedRobertR.Livingston(1746-1813)theAmericaministertoFrancetoexplorethepossibilityofpurchasingNewOrleansandpartofWestFloridanearthemouthoftheMississippi.JeffersonusedpsychologytoforceNapoleon'shand.HepermittedtofallintothehandsoftheFrenchEmperorsomefalsesecretletterssayingthattheUnitedStateswouldjoinBritainforallattackonLouisiana.InMarch1830JamesMonroe(1758-1831)wenttoPar