 The Cavalcade of America presented by Dufont. This evening the Dufont Cavalcade tells of the annexation of one of the largest areas of American territory. The story of the Louisiana Purchase. In so doing, Cavalcade not only salutes the vast territory of that old Louisiana, but particularly the Louisiana today with its thriving metropolis of New Orleans. Now a modern city of half a million people, where the old French tradition has been transmuted into 20th century progress. The development of our country's natural resources in this territory has been fostered in no small degree by the research chemist, whose contributions to the comforts and conveniences in our everyday life are aptly summed up in the Dufont Pledge, better things for better living, through chemistry. From Victor Herbert's operetta Naughty Marietta, a romance of New Orleans in colonial days, Don Voorhees and the Dufont Cavalcade Orchestra play Neath the Southern Moon. Dufont Cavalcade moves for territory west of the Mississippi, was later claimed by the French and named Louisiana after Louis XIV. Under French rule, the city of New Orleans was founded, and it soon became a center of new world commerce. In 1763, Louisiana was ceded to Spain by the French, who feared to have the rich territory fall into British hands. But New Orleans continued French in thought and ideals, and French leaders never gave up the hope that Louisiana would once again belong to France. In the fall of 1800, a special envoy is ushered into the presence of the Spanish king, Carlos IV. Hello, the Republic of France. In accordance with the instructions of Napoleon Bonaparte, my master and your ally, I am to inform Your Majesty that in return for bestowing upon Your Majesty's son-in-law the kingdom of Etruria in Italy... Ah, yes, Etruria. You said Etruria. Yes, Your Majesty. In return for Etruria, it is expected that Your Majesty will cede to France those holdings in North America known as Louisiana. Louisiana? Formerly settled and possessed by France and ceded to Spain. Your First Consul enjoys some exaggerated notions, quite out of proportion to the stature of the man. Your Majesty vents a strong opinion on a poor envoy. What message would you have me carry the First Consul as we guard the transfer of the territory inquisitive? The transfer. A quarter of the American continent in return for a worthless kingdom, for a worthless son-in-law. Etruria. I know the vastly favor as I know the price would be this. Still, I suppose you have found some other way of laying his hands on the territory. Am I right in supposing that Tarrérand has been interesting your master in a program of colonization? Your Majesty assumes too great knowledge and so humble a servant of the Republic. Well, let it be so. Go take Louisiana home to your master. I will bear this news to France. Wait. There is a condition. A condition? So? News of this must remain secret for at least a year or two. I shall mention it to my master. A formal treaty will induce time therein. Yes, yes. A secret treaty. Oh, by all means, secret. Very well. You may leave me. The secret treaty was made. And on the American continent, even though there was no official announcement of the new ownership, the frontiersmen using the Mississippi River as a means of distributing their cotton, pork, flour, lumber and other produce, noticed a change in the attitude of the authorities at New Orleans, which was a center from which their goods were shipped all over the world and even around to our own eastern coast. Early in the year 1802, a flat boat on its way to New Orleans, loaded with farm produce, ties up to a dock on the east bank of the Mississippi. All right. Keep that line there. All right. Where from Greenville? What's your cargo? I got a load of corn and some bacon. Here they're paying good prices for bacon in Orleans. Nobody's worrying about prices in Orleans no more. What do you mean? They can't land in Orleans now without paying big money. Not even for reshipping. What do you mean? Big money. There they say the French have taken over the town all around there. French. The Spanish still supposed to be in charge, but they're taking orders from the French. Some say the French own the place. Hey, come aboard, stranger. I want to hear about this. All right. My name's Ed Hawkins. Mine's Bill Joyce. Howdy. I had a cargo bound for Orleans, too. What'd you do with it? Roll it in the river. Don't catch me paying a tax for landing my stuff at Orleans. There's no profit in throwing your goods away. I know, but there ain't none in selling the stuff when you figure the car's putting it ashore. Besides, there's the principle of the thing. I'll be skinned if ever I pay a cent of duty to those Spanish poor authorities. Well, don't blame me. I'll fight first. That's what I'll do. There's going to be trouble along this here, old stream. The folks in this valley is getting riled up. Well, boys, I guess we might as well put right back to Greenville. You mean it is? Yeah, it's only 600 miles or so. That's a long way to pull the sheer bogs with a full load on. Well, Sam, we'll just ask the river to turn round about. We'll float on up back to Greenville. Look here, joking aside, there's going to be trouble. Just wait until my country up there hears about this. I'm a little ahead on my trip. I got started down for the rest of them. We'll meet some of the others on our way back, I reckon. And wait until they hear the news. Brother, you're right. There's going to be trouble. There's going to be some fighting. No, that's the way I feel. Napoleon may be a big man. Hurtally is, but I reckon he ain't big enough to lick a bunch of straight-shootin'-back woodmen out in their right to land some corn and bacon at the mouth of the big river. Oh, this river's ours. And no one's going to say we can't go on it where we like. To the American frontiersmen, this problem of the freedom of the river seemed a simple matter. A little unorganized skirmishing against the greatest military genius of all time would settle everything. But to President Thomas Jefferson, himself something of a backwoodsman who had closest to his heart the interest of westward-pushing America, the matter was not so simple. We find President Jefferson discussing the situation with his Secretary of State James Madison. It's one thing, Madison, for a weak nation like Spain to hold Louisiana. But in the hands of Bonaparte and with his ideas of conquering the world, I don't have to tell you how fatal it would be to the commerce our new west is sending down to Mississippi. France hasn't taken possession as yet. We must make some move before actual possession is taken. For years this problem has perplexed me when our Secretary of State, the General Washington, I approached both France and Spain to see whether we might not acquire the city and island of New Orleans, or some place near the mouth of the Mississippi, for we could establish a port. Now, if we could only persuade the French government to grant us certain lands or territorial rights, Bonaparte is the French government. As you say he's mad for empire, he'd never give it up. I must write to Livingston again. As our minister, he might vote the subject once more. I'll prepare a letter to him at once. Robert Livingston is diplomatic. He's well-liked in France. He might achieve what we're after. Oh, yes, Lewis. I want to prepare a letter to Minister Livingston. Oh, is anyone waiting to see me? Yes, sir. There's a messenger from the west, from Natchez. He arrived some little time ago and seemed in an urgent frame of mind. I told him that you're engaged and might not be able to see him. From Natchez, eh? In an urgent frame of mind. I'll see him. Yes, sir. And this letter just came for you. Oh, thank you. Ah, from Monsieur Dupont in New York. Will you see the messenger now, sir? Just a moment. Hmm. Monsieur Dupont is leaving for France. Eh, we shall miss him. Young Victor Dupont? Eh, no, the father, Pierre Samuel, a fine gentleman and a good friend. Eh, Dupont could give us good advice on this Louisiana situation. He knows Telly Rand well and Telly Rand's Bonaparte right-hand man. And he knows Moirbois, the Minister of Finance also. Um, well, send a man from Natchez in, Lewis. Yes, sir. Come in, please. Thank you. Well, sir. Mr. President, I'm Bill Joyce from Natchez. I'm glad to see you, Mr. Joyce. This is Mr. Madison, my secretary of state. I do. You have important news from Natchez, Mr. Joyce? That I have, Mr. President. The countryside is up in arms out our way. We're planning to float down the river and assert our rights. What rights, Mr. Joyce? All rights to landstuff at Orleans, free of charge. I can see, Mr. President, the trouble has started already. We aim to ring Napoleon by the neck. I'm heard Telly's big man where he comes from. But I bet he ain't big enough to keep us farmers and trappers from floating our stuff down the river and unloading it free at Orleans. Is that what you've come here to tell us, Mr. Joyce? Well, it's not alone me, Mr. President. It's everyone down my way. My instructions are to tell you that either the government does something about this here situation or else us folks are going to do it ourselves. Declare war on the floor by yourselves? Is that it? You can't say it's how we'll trouble to declare war. We won't have to. Them Frenchies will know it's war all right when they see the hull of the Mississippi Valley pouring into New Orleans. Least wise, they'll make a pretty good guess it's war. Mr. Joyce, if you listen to my advice, you'll go back to Natchez and tell the folks there that war would be the last thing in the world to men matters. They'd be fighting the strongest troops in the world, led by one of the smartest generals who ever lived. This whole situation's been on my mind constantly for months. Don't you aim to do something for us, Mr. President? Can't it tell them that? I intend to do my best. But that will only be possible if you refrain from premature action. You understand? Well, just as long as you're planning to do something, I'll tell the folks we'd better wait a little longer. That's better. Well, we'll be very much obliged if you can do something, Mr. President, and thank you. Good day, sir. Good day, Mr. Joyce. Good day. There must be no war with France. Any war would be disastrous. But France is always on the verge of war with England, and the day Bonaparte takes official possession of Louisiana, we become allies of the British fleet. A choice of two evils. I've been thinking, Madison, I believe I'll write to DuPont. A letter should reach him in New York before his departure for France. I'll ask him to act unofficially for me. Tell Iran to listen to him, and perhaps can be convinced that the resentment he owes against us was not caused by any act of my administration. DuPont can suggest how highly our value will stay to friendship between ourselves and France. He can also suggest how unwise it would be for Bonaparte to take possession of Louisiana without ceding New Orleans or some similar spot. And in the meanwhile, Livingston can present our case officially. You mean to threaten Bonaparte? Not threaten, just suggest. If England joins us, France would be swept from the sea, and she would inevitably lose not only New Orleans, but the whole territory of Louisiana. Jefferson's letter, written on April 25th, 1802, was received by Pierre Samuel DuPont on the eve of his departure for France. He talks it over with his son Victor in their New York quarters. Eh, I am worried, Victor. Frankly worried by Mr. Jefferson's letter. You and I know that it would be impossible for France to hold Louisiana by force against the combined power of the United States and the English fleet. But the outdated young soldier like Bonaparte will be more offended than moved by this argument. What would your reply be to the argument, give me this country, or we will take it? I would reply, we will defend it, certainly. And then all the misfortunes President Jefferson wished to avoid would take place at once. I would like to be able to help our president, Victor. My greatest happiness would be to serve the country that has received us so hospitably. If Mr. Jefferson could make some proposal to France without threat, for instance, I pledge to help France recover Canada from England in exchange for seeding Louisiana. That would mean war, too. There must be some method of persuading France into an amicable relinquishment of its property. Bonaparte needs money more than he does land. That's it. This should be treated as a commercial transaction. The United States should offer to buy Louisiana. But Mr. Jefferson will argue that the United States cannot afford to make so large a payment. A war would in the end cost far more than the amount of money France would ask for the whole territory of Louisiana. I'll write to Mr. Jefferson at once. The sooner he makes an offer, the better. The longer one bargains, the worse the bargain one makes. Pierre Samuel Dupont's letter to Jefferson written on April 30th, 1802, was the first proposal, so far as records show, that the United States should think of buying all of the Louisiana territory. After extended correspondence between the two men, Jefferson instructed Robert Livingston to propose the purchase of at least some part of Louisiana. In France, Dupont continued in Jefferson's confidence. And as a result of his unofficial talk with Mar-Bois and the others, was optimistic on the outcome, while Livingston was pessimistic. Meanwhile, the frontiersmen on the Mississippi became increasingly restless, and Jefferson realized that he must move quickly to avoid a break. He therefore appointed James Monroe to act as his minister, plenipotentiary, and envoy extraordinary. Shortly after Monroe's arrival in France, Napoleon Bonaparte is found arguing with Talloran, his minister of foreign affairs, and Barbara Mar-Bois, his minister of finance. Enough, Talloran. Your schemes begin to bore me. But, Sire, don't call off the Spain, as at last signed the order delivering Louisiana to France. Now, why not look towards the American continent and give up this life with England? With England? Never. I am not satisfied with the Army and Treaty. They see now that this conqueror should have made greater demands on English. They shall cross the Channel. I must subdue the English. What say you, Mar-Bois? I am in accord with you, Sire. England will always be England's tire, likewise the Austrians and Russia. But the colonies across the sea have as yet no permanent character. You could make them French, while you so inclined. The colonies across the sea are hard to hold. In Santa Domingo, two armies wiped out, one by the yellow pester and the other by that black devil Tucson Lovato. These swarming troops rose like demons from the tall grasses and mowed my fighters down. An expansive little campaign. Much money went from our coffers and adventures. Do not remind me of it. Fabia, that was Santa Domingo. Count that as an experience. Louisiana is ours. Its inhabitants, most of them, are civilized. With some slight industry and power-sightedness on the part of France, it could be developed into a most lucrative colony in the world. But with more than slight expenditure. No, I will not throw good money after bad. America does not interest me. Let the United States make me a definite offer and be it little enough to outfit twenty-five frigates of war shall take it. Would it perhaps interest you, Sire, to know that a ship has arrived from America bearing a single notable passenger in the person of James Monroe, the favorite diplomat of the American president? And would it interest you to know further of a secret cargo? A secret cargo? Gold is reported below deck size by one whom I send secretly to discover. I send secretly to discover. If an answer suggests we should avail ourselves of some of that gold. I charge you, my boy, with favoring the United States in this area. Your wife is America. Enough of your petty arguments. Gold below deck, sir. My boy, I commission you to treat with these gentlemen from the United States. Get what you can from them and give what you will of our American possessions. I am tired of thinking about them. Trust me to repair at least some of the damage to our treasure. An expensive luxury, this English war... I will hear no more of that. I go to the American side. Sire, the loss of these American colonies What are a few American colonies compared with the conquest of England? So according to Napoleon's wishes, his ministers bargained with the American representatives. And on April 30th, 1803, Teurrand and Marbois meet with Monroe and Livingston for the final negotiation. Livingston is reading the treaty. The United States of America is to pay directly to France the sum of 60 million francs and to assume debts owed by France to American citizens which are estimated at 20 million francs. All together, about 15 million dollars in American money, Mr. Livingston. A fair price, eh, Monsieur Monroe? It should be after our many hours of bargaining. It is a pleasure to bargain with you Americans. You are so sure of what you want. You are not a bad businessman yourself, Monsieur Marbois. Eh, will you sign here, Monsieur Monroe? There you are. Merci. And you, Monsieur Livingston? Yes. Merci. Monsieur Teurrand? Oui, Monsieur. And I will sign here. Monsieur. Hmm. La Riciana is yours. We are all satisfied. Monsieur Teurrand, what are the exact bonds of Louisiana? Let Monsieur Marbois do not know exactly. From the Mississippi River western. You must take it as we have received it from Spain. At any rate, you have made a good bargain for yourself. Undoubtedly, you will make the most of it. It will be enough. Monroe, we can consider this the noblest work of our lives. From today, the United States takes its place among the powers of first rank. Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the young republic, extending its borders as far to the northwest as what is now the present state of Idaho. This was the start of an expansion that changed the United States from a small seaboard country to one of the great nations of the world. We salute the men that made the Louisiana Purchase possible as valiant leaders in the cavalcade of America. Far seeing as those leaders in the Louisiana Purchase were even they never dreamed of the vast riches hidden beneath the earth's surface in parts of that territory. For nearly a hundred years, nature's treasure lay undiscovered. Then, there were often moments like this. What is it? Watch out the excitement. Oil! Always the cry of oil brought thousands rushing to the scene. Men fought to lease surrounding land and many locations were drilled regardless of geological or other conditions. The result was many costly failures. Less than one wildcat well in 50 turned out to be profitable. Today, however, science has taken much of the guesswork out of prospecting for oil. To determine whether or not oil may be present, engineers use an instrument called a seismograph which records tremors that pass through the earth and they create miniature earthquakes that tell the story. Here's how they do it and why. First, the crew drills a hole from 20 to 200 feet or more into the earth. A charge of dynamite is then lowered to the bottom of the hole and set off. The seismograph records the resulting vibrations on a graph which gives the prospectors a picture of the geological structure down below. The part that DuPont chemists play in this scientific prospecting is to furnish a special type of dynamite for seismographic work that will act instantly and dependably deep down in the earth. In addition to explosives, the DuPont company provides a special electric blasting cap that acts within one ten thousandth of a second. If this underground blasting indicates the presence of oil-bearing strata, drilling the well begins. Unless the well turns out to be a gusher, chemistry also must be called upon to help get the oil out of the earth. This is done by what is called shooting the oil well. After the well is partially lined with steel tubing, cylinders full of nitroglycerin are lowered into the hole beyond the end of the tubing. Explosion of the nitroglycerin creates fissures that extend in every direction into the oil-bearing sand. This starts the oil flowing into the bottom of the well, and after that it's largely a matter of pumping the oil out. The DuPont company maintains local plants in important oil districts to supply the nitroglycerin so vital to the petroleum industry. In this story of chemistry serviced to everyone who uses oil or makes a living from it, we see one more example of the DuPont company's pledge. Better thing or better living through chemistry. Noah Webster, the story of the maker of the first American dictionary who was called the nation's school master, will be the subject of the broadcast when next week, at the same time, DuPont again presents the Cavalcade of America. This is the Columbia Broadcasting System.