The Louisiana Purchase may be known as one of the greatest real estate deals of all time. On April 30, 1803, America expanded from seventeen states to a country nearly doubled in size, at a cost of fifteen million dollars. This equates to approximately three cents per acre. About 828,000 square miles of western territory that became six states and parts of nine other current states. (History.com Staff 2009) The Louisiana Purchase was the result of many factors taking place. A couple of these factors are Spanish control of New Orleans and Napoleon's desire for the Caribbean island of Haiti. The territory's boundaries consist of the Mississippi River to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, the Rocky Mountains to the west, and Canada along the northern border. It was initially claimed by France and later, following the Treaty of Paris in 1763, it was rewarded to Spain for its assistance to the French during the war. The French at the time considered the Louisiana Territory worthless. The Mississippi River has been extremely important to economic growth. Large numbers of settlers gravitated to the river for its fertile farmland, prairies, pastures, and forests. The region also contained large deposits of various minerals. Buffalo and other wild game were plentiful and also provided a plentiful supply of food to the Native Americans who populated the region. (Dictionary of American History 2003) Spain feared settlers flooding across its borders and wanted to limit Americans' use of the Mississippi River by not allowing them to pass supplies and goods through the port city of New Orleans. After much controversy between Spain and the United States, on...... middle of paper......American growth westward. The following year a territorial government was established. This provided an opportunity for settlers to seek out new places and make new beginnings the American way. Bibliography Dictionary of American history. Enciclopedia.com. 2003. http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Louisiana_Purchase.aspx#1 (accessed May 23, 2014). Fleming, Thomas J. The Louisiana Purchase. Turning Points.Hoboken, NJ, 2003.Harriss, Joseph. “How the Louisiana Purchase Changed the World.” Smithsonian Magazine, April 2003.History.com Staff. Louisiana Purchase. 2009. http://www.history.com/topics/louisiana-purchase (accessed 21 May 2014). Randolph, Dr. Stephen. Office of the Historian, Office of Public Affairs, U.S. Department of State. http://history.state.gov/milestones/1801-1829/louisiana-purchase (accessed May 20, 2014).