October 20, 1803 – Ratification of the Louisiana Purchase Treaty

On this day in history, the U.S. Senate ratified the Louisiana Purchase Treaty by a vote of twenty-four to seven. The agreement provided for the purchase of the western half of the Mississippi River basin from France at a price of $15 million, or approximately four cents per acre. The deal doubled the size of the country and paved the way for westward expansion beyond the Mississippi.

All or portions of the following states were carved from the original Louisiana Territory: Louisiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Minnesota.

The Louisiana Purchase is considered the greatest real estate deal in history.