In this concise history of the Louisiana Purchase, renowned presidential scholar Lara M. Brown explores how Thomas Jefferson's skilled diplomacy and political strategy helped secure the historic bargain and changed the course of American history. Thomas Jefferson is one of the more inscrutable characters in American history. While he is best known for the Declaration of Independence and his conflicting legacy on race and slavery, his pursuit of the Louisiana Purchase was a crucial decision for the trajectory of the country and the development of the presidency. In this volume of the Landmark Presidential Decisions series Lara M. Brown casts Jefferson as a shrewd and calculating politician. Brown examines the historical and political circumstances that led to the Louisiana Purchase, in which Jefferson's inclination to pursue a strategy of misinformation and patient persuasion rather than engaging in a direct confrontation or a show of force with Napoleon helped to transform a series of accidents into a historic moment of luck. In addition to exploring the international politics and domestic pressures that helped bring about this deal, Brown examines the larger theoretical issues related to the presidency itself. While Jefferson expressed concern about the constitutionality of the agreement and briefly considered passing a constitutional amendment, his decision to follow Madison's advice and move quickly on the purchase established the "national emergency" rationale upon which the "imperial presidency" was partly constructed. Moreover, Jefferson relied on American ministers to act as his representatives in executing the deal, underlining the importance of governance, communication, and the management of a burgeoning executive branch. The Louisiana Purchase is essential to understanding territorial expansion, foreign policy in the early republic, and the perennial political dilemmas surrounding the ambiguity of Article II in the Constitution. Lara Brown expertly guides readers through one of the most consequential decisions in early American history.
Lara M. Brown currently serves as a senior policy advisor to the Center on Civility and Democracy at The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. Previously, she held academic posts at the George Washington University and Villanova University. Among her scholarly publications, she is the author of Amateur Hour: Presidential Character and the Question of Leadership.
"In Jefferson's Landmark Deal, Lara M. Brown provides a delightfully readable account of the circumstances and consequences of one of Thomas Jefferson's signature actions, the Louisiana Purchase. Delving into the details of the contemporaneous moment, she also illuminates its ramifications for the long history of ever-increasing presidential power, and how that history pertains to our present moment. This insightful analysis is a must-read for those interested in communication, policymaking, history, and political science, and is especially relevant to those interested in how the nation and its presidency have developed from Jefferson's time to now."-Mary E. Stuckey, author of Remembering Jefferson: Who He Was, Who We Are "With a keen eye for what one contemporary described as the 'twistings, combinations, and maneuvers' of politics and diplomacy, Lara M. Brown brings a political scientist's grasp of presidential character to her vigorous reexamination of the circumstances in which a stalwart proponent of strict construction exercised presidential powers to double the size of the fledgling republic and reshape the history of North America and the world."-Jon Kukla, author of A Wilderness So Immense: The Louisiana Purchase and the Destiny of America, Mr. Jefferson's Women, and Patrick Henry: Champion of Liberty "If any presidential decision deserves the moniker of 'landmark,' it is the acquisition of the vast swath of territory known as the Louisiana Purchase. Writing with the sensibility of a political scientist, Lara Brown illuminates what Fred Greenstein calls 'the presidential difference' by carefully unravelling the many ways Jefferson's character and leadership enabled him to exploit the unparalleled opportunity presented to him. That opportunity may have, as Hamilton famously jibed, been 'a fortuitous concurrence of unforeseen and unexpected circumstances,' but Brown's important new synthesis compels our appreciation for Jefferson the 'skilled opportunist' and practitioner of 'smart luck.'"-Richard J. Ellis, author of Lincoln's Last Card: The Emancipation Proclamation as a Case of Command"What happens when a strict adherence to the law prevents a president from greatly enhancing the nation's interests? Lara Brown masterfully takes us inside Thomas Jefferson's efforts to unpack the legal, political, and moral choices over the possible purchase of the Louisiana territory. Compelling, nuanced, and deeply insightful, this book is an instant classic in presidential decision-making."-Michael A. Genovese, Loyola Marymount University, author of The Modern Presidency: Six Debates that Define the Institution "Other authors far too often portray Jefferson as a philosopher or a sanctimonious ideologue, when in fact, he was just another politician of his era. The Louisiana Purchase is commonly depicted as the result of a situation where Jefferson took advantage of the opportunity when America's interests aligned with France's, but the reality was much more fluid and complicated for both countries. Lara Brown does an excellent job at illuminating that state of affairs."-Donald A. Zinman, Grand Valley State University, author of The Heir Apparent Presidency and America's First Wartime Election: James Madison, DeWitt Clinton, and the War of 1812
