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Treasures of the Patricia D. Klingenstein Library
Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1769-1821 Barbé-Marbois, François, marquis de, 1745-1837 Talleyrand-Périgord, Charles Maurice de, prince de Bénévent, 1754-1838 Maret, Hugues-Bernard, duc de Bassano, 1763-1839 Livingston, Robert L., 1775-1843 Monroe, James, 1758-1831
Authorization for the sale of the Louisiana Territory, April 24, 1803
1803-04-24
20 x 24 in. (50.8 x 61 cm)
This document, which bears the signatures of Napoleon, Emperor of the French, Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, Foreign Minister, and Hugues-Bernard Maret, Secretary of State, gave authority to François, marquis de Barbé-Marbois, to negotiate a treaty for the sale of the Louisiana Territory with Robert Livingston, United States Minister to France, and James Monroe. The Louisiana Purchase Treaty was signed six days later, April 30, 1803. The stain on the right is thought to be Madeira wine, used to toast the prospective sale.
Mss Collection -- Y1803 (Medium) 77736d_LouisianaPurchAuth_Napoleon.tif
Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana--History France--Foreign relations--United States United States--Foreign relations--France
legal instruments powers of attorney
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