Saturday, December 20, 2008

 

This Day in the History of Shrewd Land Acquisitions

On this day in 1803, the U.S. almost doubled in size overnight as the Louisiana Purchase was completed and the territory formally transferring from France to the United States during ceremonies in New Orleans. French Prefect Pierre Clement Laussat, Governor of the Territory of Mississippi William C.C. Claiborne and U.S. General James Wilkinson signed four copies of the treaty. The Louisiana Purchase contained 827,987 square miles; so, at the price paid, we spent roughly $18 per square mile--under 3 cents per acre. That's pretty good, except for some of the areas in Kansas and Nebraska. We might have been snookered there.

The really pretty country in the U.S. West (at least where it doesn't rain all the time or is too cold in winter) we got 45 years later from Mexico by conquest.

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Remember Rog.

When it comes Nebraska, the "N" is for "Nowledge."
 
I thought it was for "No hills".
 
I thought is was for "Nnnnoonan!"
 
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