1803day.year
The Louisiana Purchase is completed at a ceremony in New Orleans.
The United States formally took possession of the vast Louisiana Territory from France in a ceremony held in New Orleans on December 20, 1803.
The Louisiana Purchase, negotiated earlier that year, doubled the size of the United States for $15 million. On December 20, 1803, American and French officials met at the Cabildo in New Orleans to transfer sovereignty. William C.C. Claiborne accepted the territory on behalf of President Thomas Jefferson. This acquisition opened vast tracts for exploration, settlement, and trade along the Mississippi River. It set the stage for Lewis and Clark's expedition and transformed the geopolitical landscape of North America.
1803
Louisiana Purchase
New Orleans