Historedia
EuropeEvent

Monroe and Livingston sail for Paris and complete the Louisiana Purchase

When
1803
Where
Paris; Hôtel Tubeuf; Washington, D.C.
Episodes
3

In early 1803, James Monroe joined Robert R. Livingston in Paris to negotiate for New Orleans. Napoleon, abandoning his New World empire plans, offered all of Louisiana for $15 million. The Americans accepted, signing the treaty on April 30, 1803, at the Hôtel Tubeuf, securing a vast territory for the United States.

Episodes

  1. April 11, 1803 · ParisThe April 11 Offer of All of Louisiana

    On April 11, 1803, days before Monroe's arrival, Barbé-Marbois offered Livingston all of Louisiana for $15 million.

  2. April 30, 1803 · Hôtel TubeufTreaty Signing

    The Louisiana Purchase Treaty was signed on April 30, 1803, at the Hôtel Tubeuf in Paris.

  3. July 4–14, 1803 · Washington, D.C.Announcement in Washington

    The treaty was announced on July 4, 1803, after Monroe and Livingston returned from France.

Background and detail

Background. Jefferson initially sent Livingston to Paris in 1801 to secure control of the Mississippi mouth. By early 1803, war between France and Britain seemed unavoidable, and Napoleon decided to abandon plans for a New World empire. Monroe was sent to Paris in 1803 to negotiate a settlement, with instructions to go to London if talks failed.

Negotiation. On April 10, 1803, Napoleon told Treasury Minister François Barbé-Marbois he was considering selling Louisiana, despite Talleyrand's opposition. Days before Monroe's arrival, Barbé-Marbois offered Livingston all of Louisiana for $15 million. The Americans feared Napoleon might withdraw the offer, so they agreed to the terms immediately.

Signing. The Louisiana Purchase Treaty was signed on April 30, 1803, at the Hôtel Tubeuf in Paris. The announcement was made on July 4, 1803, after Monroe and Livingston returned from France. Documents arrived in Washington, D.C., on July 14, 1803.

People involved

Sources

  1. Louisiana Purchase Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-02
  2. James Monroe Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-02
  3. Robert R. Livingston Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-13

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.