The Louisiana Purchase and American Expansion, 1803-1898

Book excerpt: In this long overdue collection, Sanford Levinson and Bartholomew Sparrow bring together noted scholars in American history, constitutional law, and political science to examine the role that the Louisiana Purchase played in shaping both the expansionist policies of the nineteenth century and critical interpretations of the Constitution. As the nation continued to expand westward and into the Pacific and Caribbean, critical social, political, and constitutional questions would arise that would greatly test American resolve and the principles on which it was based.