On December 20, 1803, the Louisiana Purchase was officially completed, marking a pivotal moment in American history as France formally transferred ownership of the vast territory to the United States. This acquisition doubled the size of the nation, providing fertile land and control of the Mississippi River, a critical artery for trade and expansion. By securing this land for $15 million, the United States laid the groundwork for its emergence as a continental power. The Louisiana Purchase is widely regarded as one of the most significant land acquisitions in history.
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In 1946, the classic holiday film “It’s a Wonderful Life” premiered at the Globe Theater in New York City. Directed by Frank Capra and starring James Stewart, the film initially struggled at the box office but later became a beloved American tradition. It has since been recognized as one of the greatest films ever made, celebrated for its enduring themes of hope, community, and the impact of individual lives. Its preservation in the National Film Registry underscores its cultural and historical significance.
In 1989, the United States launched Operation Just Cause, deploying troops to Panama with the stated goal of deposing General Manuel Noriega, the country’s de facto ruler. Noriega’s regime was mired in corruption, and he was wanted by U.S. authorities for racketeering and drug trafficking. The operation resulted in 500 Panamanian and 26 American fatalities, highlighting the human cost of intervention. This event marked a turning point in U.S.-Latin American relations and underscored the complexities of military action abroad. Operation Just Cause reshaped the political landscape of Panama and drew global attention to U.S. foreign policy.
In 2019, the United States Space Force was established when the president signed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020. This historic move created the first new U.S. military branch since 1947, reflecting the growing importance of space in national security. Building on military space programs initiated during the Cold War, the Space Force aims to protect American interests in the increasingly contested domain of space. Its creation underscores the strategic significance of space as the next frontier of defense and innovation.
They Taught Us Wrong
There Was More Intrigue Involved In Purchasing Louisiana<
Than Just Writing A Check
In school, the history book was a big thick old book with lots of pictures and different sections for each chapter. If the textbook didn’t turn you off enough with it’s shallow questions at the end of each section, the teacher saw to it you would never enjoy any history class. He spoke in a monotone, never got excited, never had facial expressions, and never thought that teaching history should be anything more than telling the students what to read for the test. If history teachers spend more time disciplining kids than discussing the events that led to the next great event, then it must be because they have missed something very basic about teaching.
Here it is: People, including children, love stories. And history has some amazing and exciting stories. But when you filter out all the amazing and exciting stuff to fit the story in a textbook, you can’t expect kids to sit still and get bored to death. That fidgeting, and getting up from their chairs without permission, that’s kids listening to their survival instincts.
When we learned that America was expanding in the early 1800’s, and President Thomas Jefferson made a deal with France to buy their territory, and the Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the U.S. at the time, and that’s what we had to know for the test, we were ripped off. Just because it wasn’t a war doesn’t mean it isn’t exciting.
In fact, because it wasn’t a war makes it more interesting. The U.S. gained a huge chunk of land without resorting to violence, without conquering it by killing people. The Louisiana Purchase was one of, if not The, largest peaceful transfer of land from one country to another in the history of the world.
How it came about could be the stuff of intrigue, comedy, and adventure. Jefferson had his eye on New Orleans for a couple intertwining reasons. One, what a boost in trade it would be for the U.S. if they could control that port. Secondly, Britain and France were getting ready to go to war again, and Jefferson did not want the U.S. to be squeezed in between two warring factions, namely the British holdings in Canada, and the French holdings in Louisiana.
Now here’s something they never told us. The U.S. actually was preparing to go to war for this territory. Not all of the territory, but about two-thirds of it to be a buffer between Canada and Louisiana. What stopped the Americans from going to war is that the French army never showed up.
Napolean’s powerful forces got whipped to shreds when they went to Haiti. What was happening in Haiti? The great Slave Rebellion, which was never mentioned in our history books, was when the slaves rose up and fought for their freedom. Napolean’s army may have had weapons and training, but there were two things they didn’t have. One was inspiration. In Europe they could shout about “the revolution! Equality! and Justice!” but in Haiti, that’s what the slaves were fighting for. The second thing the French army lacked was a vaccine for the diseases they picked up in the Caribbean. Disease wiped out thousands of troops and demoralized the rest.
Ironically, a slave rebellion in Haiti contributed to the expansion of slavery in the United States.
In the absence of enemy forces, the U.S. had to find some other way than war to acquire Louisiana. Thomas Jefferson floated the idea of buying New Orleans. When an offer was brought before Napolean, who called himself an emporer, he gave it thought and said “Non! But don’t go away just yet.” The emporer, who was gearing up for another war with Britain, was out of money. And what the Americans were offering for New Orleans wasn’t going to be enough.
The big chunk of land in America was more of a burden than anything else for Napolean, so he was willing to unload the burden onto Jefferson’s shoulders.
Napolean sent a message to Jefferson, essentially saying, “If you want New Orleans you have to take the whole thing, the whole Louisiana Territory. And it costs $15 million.”
Jefferson took the deal, but the U.S. did not have much money in its coffers. The U.S. borrowed from two European countries at 6% interest. It took the U.S. twenty years to pay off this loan, bringing the total sum paid for the Louisiana Purchase to $23 million.
And that is not counting the personal financial loss James Monroe suffered for his service to his country. But that is a topic for another story.
Other subplots include Spain’s involvement, negotiations with the Indians, and the expedition of Lewis and Clark. They too are topics for other days.
Today in History: December 19
Today in History: December 19
In 1777, General George Washington led an army of more than 12,000 soldiers to Valley Forge.
In 1972, Apollo 17 splashed down in the Pacific, concluding the Apollo program.
In 2011, North Korean announced the death of Kim Jong Il and proclaimed Kim Jong Un as the leader.
In 2022, the House Jan. 6 Committee urged the Justice Department to bring criminal charges against the previous president
Today in History: December 18
Today in History: December 18
In 1865, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery, was proclaimed in effect.
In 1892, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet “The Nutcracker” publicly premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia; although now considered a classic, it received a generally negative reception from critics.
In 1957, the Shippingport Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania, the first nuclear facility to generate electricity in the United States, went on line. (It was taken out of service in 1982.)
In 2011, the last convoy of heavily armored U.S. troops left Iraq, crossing into Kuwait in darkness in the final moments of a nearly nine-year war.
Today in History: December 17
Today in History: December 17
In 1903 The Wright brothers’ flight redefined the possibilities of travel and opened the skies to human exploration.
In 1933 The first NFL championship laid the foundation for professional football’s evolution into a national pastime.
In 1989 “The Simpsons” redefined animated television, blending humor with social commentary to leave an indelible mark on entertainment.
In 1992 NAFTA reshaped North American trade, fostering economic ties while sparking debates on globalization.
In 2014 The U.S.-Cuba rapprochement signaled a pivotal moment in the post-Cold War world, rekindling hopes for reconciliation.
Today in History: December 16
Today in History: December 16
On Dec. 16, 1773, the Boston Tea Party took place, as American colonists boarded a British ship, and dumped more than 300 chests of tea into Boston Harbor, to protest tea taxes.
In 1907, 16 U S Navy battleships, known as the Great White Fleet, set sail on a 14-month, round-the-world voyage to showcase America’s growing naval strength, and signal its emergence as a global power.
In 1944, the World War II Battle of the Bulge began as German forces launched a surprise attack against Allied forces through the Ardennes Forest in Belgium and Luxembourg.
In the year 2000, President-elect George W Bush selected Colin Powell to become the first Black secretary of state.
In 2014, The Peshawar school massacre occurred when Taliban gunmen stormed a military-run school in the northwestern Pakistan city of Peshawar, killing at least 148 people, including more than 130 schoolchildren.
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