1978: NOAA announces gender-neutral hurricane naming system
Federal News Network presents a daily update of important moments in the history of the U.S. government.
On this day in 1803, the United States and France concluded negotiations for the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of America’s boundaries. What was known as Louisiana Territory comprised most of the continental modern-day U.S. between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, with the exceptions of Texas, parts of New Mexico, and other pockets of land already controlled by the U.S. The territory had transferred hands between France, Spain and Britain throughout the 18th century. Meanwhile, America’s westward expansion increased and when Spain signed a secret treaty with France to return Louisiana Territory in 1801, U.S. leaders were nervous about maintaining access to the Mississippi River and port of New Orleans. So the young nation negotiated a purchase of 828,000 square miles for about $15 million. A formal treaty for the Louisiana Purchase, antedated to April 30, was signed two days later.
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