The Louisiana Purchase and American Expansion, 1803–1898

The 1803 purchase of the Louisiana Territory was a watershed event for the fledgling United States. Adding some 829,000 square miles of territory, the Louisiana Purchase set a striking precedent of Presidential power and brought to the surface profound legal and constitutional questions. As the nation continued to expand westward and into the Pacific and Caribbean, critical social, political and constitutional questions arose that greatly tested American resolve and reshaped the nation's founding premises. In this exciting collection, Sanford Levinson and Bartholomew Sparrow bring together noted scholars in American history, constitutional law, and political science to examine role that the Louisiana Purchase played in shaping both the expansionist policies of the nineteenth century and critical interpretations of the Constitution. The Louisiana Purchase and American Expansion, 1803–1898 provides a fascinating overview of how the U.S. Constitution and the American political system is inextricably tied to the Louisiana Purchase and the territorial expansion of the United States.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Chapter 1: The First "Incorporation" Debate Chapter 2: "The Strongest Government on Earth": Jefferson's Republicanism, the Expansion of the Union, and the New Nation's Destiny Chapter 3: The Louisiana Purchase and the Coming of the Civil War Chapter 4: Settling the West: The Annexation of Texas, the Louisiana Purchase, and Bush v. Gore Chapter 5: Texas Chapter 6: The Golden Death of Jefferson's Dream: California and the Sectional Crisis Chapter 7: A Promise of Expansion Chapter 8: Puerto Rico's Political Status: The Long-Term Effects of American Expansionist Discourse Chapter 9: The Constitution and Deconstitution of the United States Chapter 10: Modes of Rule in America's Overseas Empire: The Philippines, Puerto Rico, Guam, and Samoa Chapter 11: Empires External and Internal: Territories, Government Lands, and Federalism in the United States

About the Author :
Sanford Levinson holds the W. St. John Garwood and W. St. John Garwood, Jr., Centennial Chair in Law at the University of Texas Law School and is professor of government at the University of Texas. Bartholomew Sparrow is associate professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin.

Review :
Given the expansive reach of this sturdy collection, historians in many fields will surely find gold somewhere within its boundaries. A thought-provoking book. The Louisiana Purchase marked the true beginning of the American expansion into Thomas Jefferson's 'Empire of Liberty.' This fascinating collection explores how the American urge to reach outward, first across the continent and then across the globe, has remade America itself, often in ways that were unforeseen and unwelcome. The story of nineteenth-century American expansion, beginning with Louisiana and ending with Puerto Rico, is well worth considering in an era of globalization and global conflicts at the opening of the twenty-first century.