Louisiana Purchase Treaty: April 30,1803

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Steve Fri, Feb 04, 2022 07:41 AM UTC

This booklet depicts the Louisiana Purchase Treaty which was a treaty signed between the United States of America and the French republic, also discusses some valuable information about different articles.

1. Louisiana Purchase Treaty; April 30, 1803
Art 1 Art 2 Art 3 Art 4 Art 5 Art 6 Art 7 Art 8 Art 9 Art 10
TREATY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE
FRENCH REPUBLIC
The President of the United States of America and the First Consul of the French
Republic in the name of the French People desiring to remove all Source of
misunderstanding relative to objects of discussion mentioned in the Second and fifth articles
of the Convention of the 8th Vendmiaire on 9/30 September 1800 relative to the rights
claimed by the United States in virtue of the Treaty concluded at Madrid the 27 of October
1795, between His Catholic Majesty & the Said United States, & willing to Strengthen the
union and friendship which at the time of the Said Convention was happily reestablished
between the two nations have respectively named their Plenipotentiaries to wit The President
of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate of the Said States;
Robert R. Livingston Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States and James Monroe
Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy extraordinary of the Said States near the Government of
the French Republic; And the First Consul in the name of the French people, Citizen Francis
BarbÃ© Marbois Minister of the public treasury who after having respectively exchanged
their full powers have agreed to the following Articles.
Article I
Whereas by the Article the third of the Treaty concluded at St Ildefonso the 9th
Vendamiaire on 1st October 1800 between the First Consul of the French Republic and his
Catholic Majesty it was agreed as follows.
"His Catholic Majesty promises and engages on his part to cede to the French Republic six
months after the full and entire execution of the conditions and Stipulations herein relative to his
Royal Highness the Duke of Parma, the Colony or Province of Louisiana with the Same extent
that it now has in the hand of Spain, & that it had when France possessed it; and Such as it
Should be after the Treaties subsequently entered into between Spain and other States."
And whereas in pursuance of the Treaty and particularly of the third article the French
Republic has an incontestible title to the domain and to the possession of the said Territory--
The First Consul of the French Republic desiring to give to the United States a strong proof
of his friendship doth hereby cede to the United States in the name of the French Republic
for ever and in full Sovereignty the said territory with all its rights and appurtenances as fully
and in the Same manner as they have been acquired by the French Republic in virtue of the
above mentioned Treaty concluded with his Catholic Majesty.
Article II

2. In the cession made by the preceeding article are included the adjacent Islands
belonging to Louisiana all public lots and Squares, vacant lands and all public buildings,
fortifications, barracks and other edifices which are not private property.--The Archives,
papers & documents relative to the domain and Sovereignty of Louisiana and its
dependances will be left in the possession of the Commissaries of the United States, and
copies will be afterwards given in due form to the Magistrates and Municipal officers of such
of the said papers and documents as may be necessary to them.
Article III
The inhabitants of the ceded territory shall be incorporated in the Union of the United
States and admitted as soon as possible according to the principles of the federal
Constitution to the enjoyment of all these rights, advantages and immunities of citizens of the
United States, and in the mean time they shall be maintained and protected in the free
enjoyment of their liberty, property and the Religion which they profess.
Article IV
There Shall be Sent by the Government of France a Commissary to Louisiana to the end
that he do every act necessary as well to receive from the Officers of his Catholic Majesty
the Said country and its dependances in the name of the French Republic if it has not been
already done as to transmit it in the name of the French Republic to the Commissary or
agent of the United States.
Article V
Immediately after the ratification of the present Treaty by the President of the United
States and in case that of the first Consul's shall have been previously obtained, the
commissary of the French Republic shall remit all military posts of New Orleans and other
parts of the ceded territory to the Commissary or Commissaries named by the President to
take possession--the troops whether of France or Spain who may be there shall cease to
occupy any military post from the time of taking possession and shall be embarked as soon
as possible in the course of three months after the ratification of this treaty.
Article VI
The United States promise to execute Such treaties and articles as may have been
agreed between Spain and the tribes and nations of Indians until by mutual consent of the
United States and the said tribes or nations other Suitable articles Shall have been agreed
Article VII

3. As it is reciprocally advantageous to the commerce of France and the United States to
encourage the communication of both nations for a limited time in the country ceded by the
present treaty until general arrangements relative to commerce of both nat ions may be
agreed on; it has been agreed between the contracting parties that the French Ships coming
directly from France or any of her colonies loaded only with the produce and manufactures of
France or her Said Colonies; and the Ships of Spain coming directly from Spain or any of her
colonies loaded only with the produce or manufactures of Spain or her Colonies shall be
admitted during the Space of twelve years in the Port of New-Orleans and in all other legal
ports-of-entry within the ceded territory in the Same manner as the Ships of the United
States coming directly from France or Spain or any of their Colonies without being Subject to
any other or greater duty on merchandize or other or greater tonnage than that paid by the
citizens of the United. States.
During that Space of time above mentioned no other nation Shall have a right to the
Same privileges in the Ports of the ceded territory--the twelve years Shall commence three
months after the exchange of ratifications if it Shall take place in France or three months
after it Shall have been notified at Paris to the French Government if it Shall take place in the
United States; It is however well understood that the object of the above article is to favour
the manufactures, Commerce, freight and navigation of France and of Spain So far as
relates to the importations that the French and Spanish Shall make into the Said Ports of the
United States without in any Sort affecting the regulations that the United States may make
concerning the exportation of t he produce and merchandize of the United States, or any
right they may have to make Such regulations.
Article VIII
In future and for ever after the expiration of the twelve years, the Ships of France shall
be treated upon the footing of the most favoured nations in the ports above mentioned.
Article IX
The particular Convention Signed this day by the respective Ministers, having for its
object to provide for the payment of debts due to the Citizens of the United States by the
French Republic prior to the 30th Sept. 1800 (8th VendÃ© miaire an 9) is approved and to
have its execution in the Same manner as if it had been inserted in this present treaty, and it
Shall be ratified in the same form and in the Same time So that the one Shall not be ratified
distinct from the other.
Another particular Convention Signed at the Same date as the present treaty relative to a
definitive rule between the contracting parties is in the like manner approved and will be
ratified in the Same form, and in the Same time and jointly.
Article X

4. The present treaty Shall be ratified in good and due form and the ratifications Shall be
exchanged in the Space of Six months after the date of the Signature by the Ministers
Plenipotentiary or Sooner if possible.
In faith whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have Signed these articles in the French
and English languages; declaring nevertheless that the present Treaty was originally agreed
to in the French language; and have thereunto affixed their Seals.
Done at Paris the tenth day of Floreal in the eleventh year of the French Republic; and
the 30th of April 1803.
Robt R Livingston [seal]
Jas. Monroe [seal]
Barba Marbois [seal]
Source:
Treaties and Other International Acts of the United States of America.
Edited by Hunter Miller
Volume 2
Documents 1-40 : 1776-1818
Washington : Government Printing Office, 1931.
© 2008 Lillian Goldman Law Library

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