 American Trail. The American Trail. Blazed in blood. Defended in blood. Chapter 3. The Louisiana Purchase. Two others. Thomas Jefferson is president. To me, he is like a father. That he chose me, Meriwether Lewis to be his private secretary in a matter of great pride to me. There is nothing I wouldn't do for him. In the year 183, a nightmare had gripped us all. We groped through darkness on the very brink of a war for which we were not prepared. The president had said, if France attempts to occupy New Orleans, it must be at the cost of war. In that dreadful hour, there was nothing I could do, except pray that the president's efforts to preserve this country would be blessed. There had been a storm that morning. I stood outside the White House. I was about to leave when... You there! You fell out! You fell out! I watched him walk towards me, a complete stranger, a big red-faced man with a look of the frontier about him. He wore an old three-cornered hat. His tunic was travel state. I reckon you must be Captain Merriweather Lewis, young man. Yes, sir. You're a private secretary to the president. Yes. Well, I'm Chuck Duncan from the Mississippi country, and I have a very important business with the president. There was no question about Duncan seeing the president. Mr. Jefferson sees almost everyone. He regards himself as the humble servant of the people. Mr. President, there I stood, sir, right there in Orleans only two weeks ago, watching an American ship sailing into the harbor. And I couldn't believe what I saw happening under my very eyes. No! No, no! No more American ships have come into New Orleans! No more! You're not to close the Orleans American shipping. Let the ship go in, you hear me? That's arena day. What if you don't? You're asking for trouble? Aye, Mr. Jefferson. The Spaniards have closed the Orleans to us, and we cannot get along without it. It's so important. Sir, it's our lifeblood. Now, marry with us, Mr. President. While we're sitting here, Mr. Duncan might care for a little refreshment. Certainly, sir. Now, Mr. Duncan, I confess I'm a little vague about the importance of New Orleans to you. Will you see, sir, I'm spokesman for a lot of American farmers along the Mississippi. No. The situation is this. It takes too long to send our goods overland. It's quicker and cheaper to send them down the river to New Orleans than to ship them up north to New York and Boston. I see. Mr. Jefferson, we cannot survey without New Orleans. Aim for marching on it and making it an American port. Let's send troops there and capture it. Well, now, Mr. Duncan, will you let me inquire into this matter? A local dispute between Spanish authorities at New Orleans and a few American farmers along the Mississippi. That's all it seemed to me to the President. Then, one day... Come in. Come in. Oh, it's you, Maryweather. Come over here, my boy. I was looking at this silly bird. Do you think he's sick? No, sir. Well, he won't utter a sound. He wants to be let out of his cage. Oh, no, no, he's being punished. Then just ignore him, sir. You pay too much attention to him. Confound me, Maryweather. After all, I shouldn't let myself be dominated by a mockingbird now, should I? No, sir. You have something for me? A dispatch from Paris. Well, then read it, my boy. Your eyes are better than mine, you know. There he was. It reads, Despite denials here in Paris, Napoleon Bonaparte has forced the Spanish government to cede New Orleans and the entire Louisiana territory to France. What? The French expect to take possession in the early part of next year. I think I must go for a little walk, Maryweather. Alone, sir? If you don't mind, my boy. I want to think about this... this most dreadful news. Next day, the president met with some of the delegates from the Mississippi country. I stood apart. The president had forgotten to put shoes on. He still wore his slippers. And his favorite red waistcoat seemed a little crumbled. Gentlemen, gentlemen, the prospect of Bonaparte building a colonial empire at our back door is a frightening one. We'll nearly be safe, sir. If the French established themselves on this continent, the Americas would be a battleground for European armies. I fear so. So it was Bonaparte who ordered New Orleans closeness? Yes. A hostile act? An indication of French policy towards this? Mr. President, we mustn't allow Bonaparte to have New Orleans or any part of Louisiana. Hey, let's make sure and take New Orleans right away. We'll talk about it afterwards. An act of aggression? A measure of self-preservation, sir. We had no choice. If we could arrive at some peaceful settlement with Bonaparte... Yeah, you cannot trust a man like that. I was thinking that if we tried to buy New Orleans... Buy it? ...in that way we could control the Mississippi country, even if the French occupied Louisiana. We can't buy New Orleans? Mr. President, the Constitution does not provide for the purchase of foreign territory. Mr. Jefferson, we cannot ignore the Constitution. The very document that you yourself helped to write. I don't think the Constitution intended us to remain defenseless. The President took the matter to Congress. Finally, Mr. Livingston, our Minister to France, was instructed to explore the possibility of our buying New Orleans. Summer passed, autumn, winter. The snow was deep outside the White House. Sir, you shouldn't be standing out here in the cold. Oh, oh, Mary Wetter, come now. Put this scarf on, sir. Oh, well, now that's very good of you. Thank you. Haven't you better go inside? I'm worried. I'm very worried, my boy. We wait and we wait. Still, there's no word from Paris. I don't think Bonaparte will sell us New Orleans. I can't give up hope. Time's getting short. Yes, the French will soon be in New Orleans, won't they? Yes. And that mustn't happen, sir. Mary Wetter, Bonaparte needs money, needs it, for his campaigns. Now, I wonder, I wonder if he saw in front of him, let's say, two million dollars in gold? Congress very reluctantly granted the money. Mr. Jefferson sent James Monroe to Paris with it. Then began another wait, a week stragged by, and still no sign that Napoleon was tempted by the sight of the two million dollars. It seemed to me that during these days, the president grew older. Then one morning, sit down, Mary Wetter. Thank you, sir. Have you had your breakfast? Not yet. Well, now you must eat, my boy. Pour yourself some coffee. Have something to eat. I'll have some coffee, sir. Monroe is getting no further than Livingston did. I've been thinking about it. According to latest reports, you were right about one thing, sir. Bonaparte does need money. There's something else. Suppose he should occupy New Orleans against our will. Could he hold it against England? Outside of Europe, France has had bad luck against the British. Mary Wetter, I am going to try to force Bonaparte into selling us New Orleans house, sir. I intend to write him a letter. So the president wrote the letter. To some extent, made public. I feel that the United States must warn the leaders of France that should that nation persist in taking New Orleans, it will mean war. And from the moment France sets foot in New Orleans, the United States will ally herself with Great Britain. Congress was stunned. The president had committed us to war and had threatened an alliance with a very country from which we had so recently won independence. The nation knew there was no turning back now and faces were grim and bitter. There was a day when the man Duncan came to the White House. I met him in the foyer. Captain Lewis, has the president gone out of his mind? Mr. Duncan, I won't hear words against him. Well, I had to see us a time. Not in my presence, sir. I've been depended from the British Crown for 25 years in order for Mr. Jefferson to surrender it. I take exception, sir. Young man, you can take all the exception you want, for I'm a man who can defend his words. Then defend them, sir. Wear a pistol since I did a carrier sword. A pistol suits me. Captain Lewis. Mr. President. Captain Lewis, return your pistol to its proper place, sir. Yes, sir. I forbid this matter to be carried any further. Now, that's an order, Captain. Yes, sir. Mr. Duncan, if you have something to talk about, come with me to my study. Hey, Mr. President, for I know wish to harm this young man who's so devoted to you. In this moment, we've been ashamed of myself, for he knows you better than anyone. He must have a very good reason to trust in your wisdom. But the fear of a war for which we were not ready to darken the country. The president seldom slept. He would wonder about the White House, sometimes coming into my room, where I'd be working on his correspondence. Am I interrupting you, my boy? No, sir, no. Let me sit down for a moment. By the window, sir. It's a nice spring day. Merrowweather, they're saying I've gone beyond my presidential authority. I know. They say I've trifled with the Constitution. You did the only thing possible, sir. Still, I've gambled the fate of this country. And gambled it, too? Yes, that comforts me a little. More waiting, but days, weeks. Bonaparte remains silent. And then... Mr. President, word from Paris. Let me see it, my boy. Let me see it. From Monroe. He says, sir, I am authorized to inform you that Bonaparte will sell New Orleans... Mr. President... ...as the entire Louisiana Territory, nothing less than that. Nothing less? For the sum total of $15 million. $15... $15 million. But we've won, Merrowweather. We've won! The President's plan had worked. But the amount required was staggering. The nation was divided. The entire Louisiana Territory? What do we want with it? But we hand Orleans in the Mississippi Riverman. And a useless wilderness in the barge. The Northwest Territory was a useless bit of country, too, but it's been years back. No, look at it. Anyway, the Constitution's been hacked to pieces by this man in the White House. You're hurting your head, man. The Constitution's intact. So is the country. Not a drop of blood was shed. A man but for Thomas Jefferson would shortly be at war. And the country may well be destroyed and there be no Constitution. Merrowweather, this bird is beginning to talk to me again. He seems to be in a much better mood. He should be, sir. You know I'm bewildered. I don't know what we're going to do with this immense wilderness we've acquired. Merrowweather, I've heard remarkable stories from the Indians about Louisiana. They say that there are strange beasts in it. Prehistoric animals, I would judge. We could explore it, sir. I think we should. The idea's quite fascinating. In 1803, the American frontier was expanded to the Rocky Mountains. The Constitution had withstood its first major test. Its meaning had been brought into little. The need of the time had been met. And soon out of that vast, savage country that was called the Louisiana Territory, new states were born. This has been the third chapter of the story of the American nation, brought to you by the ladies' auxiliary to the veterans of foreign wars. Next week, another story to make you proud of this great nation of ours will follow the American Trail.