<P> Henry Adams and other historians have argued that Jefferson acted hypocritically with the Louisiana Purchase, due to his position as a strict constructionist regarding the Constitution since he stretched the intent of that document to justify his purchase . This argument goes as follows: </P> <P> The American purchase of the Louisiana territory was not accomplished without domestic opposition . Jefferson's philosophical consistency was in question because of his strict interpretation of the Constitution . Many people believed that he and others, including James Madison, were doing something they surely would have argued against with Alexander Hamilton . The Federalists strongly opposed the purchase, favoring close relations with Britain over closer ties to Napoleon, and were concerned that the United States had paid a large sum of money just to declare war on Spain . </P> <P> Both Federalists and Jeffersonians were concerned over the purchase's constitutionality . Many members of the House of Representatives opposed the purchase . Majority Leader John Randolph led the opposition . The House called for a vote to deny the request for the purchase, but it failed by two votes, 59--57 . The Federalists even tried to prove the land belonged to Spain, not France, but available records proved otherwise . </P> <P> The Federalists also feared that the power of the Atlantic seaboard states would be threatened by the new citizens in the West, whose political and economic priorities were bound to conflict with those of the merchants and bankers of New England . There was also concern that an increase in the number of slave - holding states created out of the new territory would exacerbate divisions between North and South as well . A group of Northern Federalists led by Senator Timothy Pickering of Massachusetts went so far as to explore the idea of a separate northern confederacy . </P>

Events in the louisiana territory in 1802 that eventually led to the us buying louisiana