Chapter
The Louisiana Purchase Was the U.S. "Buying" Land that Already Belonged to Indigenous Peoples
36:00 - 38:01 (02:00)
The Louisiana Purchase is often touted as the greatest real estate deal in history. However, it was actually a transfer of land that belonged to Indigenous peoples, acquired through the doctrine of discovery, a geopolitical layer of legal fiction that allowed for the claiming of land from non-Christian peoples without interference from other European powers.
Clips
The Louisiana Purchase is celebrated in the US as a great piece of business, but less attention is given to the fact that it violated the legal rights of the indigenous people who were already living on the land.
36:00 - 38:01 (02:00)
Summary
The Louisiana Purchase is celebrated in the US as a great piece of business, but less attention is given to the fact that it violated the legal rights of the indigenous people who were already living on the land. The doctrine of discovery, which allowed Europeans to take possession of land occupied by non-Christian people, was used to justify the annexation of Native American territory in Louisiana in the early 19th century.