Louisiana Territory Officially Transferred

Photo: National Archive

On Tuesday, December 20, 1803, in The Cabildo, a government building used by both the Spanish and French in New Orleans, the Louisiana Territory was officially transferred from France to the United States. The U.S. would take possession 10 days later.

Back on October 20, the U.S. Senate ratified the treaty with France detailing the land acquisition by a vote of 24 to 7. Spain, upset by the sale, but without the military power to block it, formally returned Louisiana to France on November 30 – so the French officially possessed the area for 20 days (although they previously claimed it from 1699 to 1762).

President Thomas Jefferson appointed former House Member William C.C. Claiborne, governor of the Mississippi Territory, and James Wilkinson, a U.S. Army general, to formally receive the territory. In September, after the purchase, but before the transfer date, Claiborne welcomed the inhabitants of the newly acquired territory and assured them continued protection of their rights: “Under the auspices of the American Government, you may confidently rely upon the security of your liberty, your property, and the religion of your choice.” He later issued this document—written in English, French, and Spanish—reaffirming the promise that the rights of Louisiana’s citizens would be honored under the Constitution.

Due to the difficulty in winter travel up the Mississippi River, the Upper Louisiana Territory centered in St. Louis would remain in Spanish control until early March 1804, when a similar ceremony would be held.

You can read a higher resolution image of Claiborne’s document at
https://history.house.gov/HouseRecord/Detail/15032436131