American History

For every country, there is always a point in history when everything seems to change.  For the United States of America, it is the Louisiana Purchase which is considered to be the most significant event to impact the nations history.  Events such as this represent a huge portion of any countrys development and so ripples in effect from social, to political, to cultural.  In the case of the Louisiana Purchase, while many contemporary events are focused mainly on its commemoration as a historical event, there are other, more interesting aspects of this particular event that have to be considered such as its cultural effect.  The Louisiana Purchase served to enrich the culture of the United States in more ways than one as evidenced in the social constructs that exist in states included in the said purchase as well as many arts, civic, and cultural activities that are implemented in commemoration of this very significant event in United States history.

The Louisiana Purchase is when President Thomas Jefferson purchased the vast territory of Louisiana from France in 1803, doubling the size of the United States. (Arkansas State Secretary)  In 1815, the new land acquired was surveyed which then resulted in efforts to explore and settle in the American West.  (Arkansas State Secretary)  Many historians consider this huge historical event to be instrumental in the emergence of the United States as a world power mainly because of the physical effects of the purchase  making the United States a country that can dwarf many other countries in the matter of geographical domain.  The Purchase elevated a fledgling nation into a world power made Missouri and 12 other future states a part of this nation, and transformed St. Louis, a small trading post, into the Gateway to the West. (Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial)  So, based on the phenomenal impact of this particular period in the history of the United States it is safe to surmise that the event had its tangible effects on the culture of the nation.  These effects are not imaginary in fact, there is evidence that the Louisiana Purchase had visibly influenced how culture developed in the new world.

The Louisiana Purchase had a significant effect in the blending of cultures among the various occupants of the United States, more specifically of the states covered by the Louisiana Purchase.  The Louisiana Purchase offered the potential for the creation of a rich, multicultural civilization blending Native American, French, Spanish, Anglo-American, and other influences. (Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial)  Here it is clear that the multicultural composition of the United States is influenced significantly by the various cultures that were active in the states that the Louisiana Purchase acquired as part of the United States of America.  In the West coast of the United States there is a dominance of French culture which is due largely to the French hold of these territories prior to the Louisiana Purchase.  So, when the territories were purchased by the United States, a huge percentage of its population retained their French ancestry.  French culture, however, is not the only culture that is evident in these states and all other states in the country because Native American culture and the Anglo-American culture also pervaded traditions and practices.  This resulted to the emergence of an entirely different and distinct culture that is now known as American Culture.  In any event, this mingling of cultures resulted in many tangible expressions of the Louisiana Purchase itself.

The field of the arts also has its own share of influence from this historical event.  The Pontalba Affair, a new opera composed and written by Thea Musgravefeaturesthe story of the Purchasein the first act of the opera, especially scene fourto serve almost exclusively as the backdrop for the melodrama. (Transatlantica)  This particular incident is merely an example of how the Purchase has found its way into American arts.  Other than just in theater and music, the Purchase is also portrayed in the visual arts.   An oil-painting located in the Western Expansion of the Capitol in one of the panels of the Cox Corridors portrays the signing of the Louisiana Purchase.  (United States House of Representatives)  There are many such paintings all throughout history featuring this important event and many artists have their own perspective of the event as seen in the various ways it is portrayed.  The portrayal is mostly influenced by the magnitude of emotions that comes with the commemoration of this event as well as the value that citizens put into this particular period in history which is largely responsible for the status that the United States is currently enjoying.

All over the country, there are also civic organizations and establishments that use the Louisiana Purchase to propel their specific and respective goals and objectives.  Even environmental organizations focusing on the protection of wildlife take the precepts of the purchase into consideration in composing the vision and mission of their establishments.   For instance, a zoo in Louisiana is named in commemoration of the said purchase.  The mission of the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo is to help people develop a sustainable relationship with nature. (Monroe State Government)  This particular incident shows how the principles of the purchase, specifically sustainability in the existence of the additional states covered by the Purchase are used to mirror efforts at maintaining ecological and environmental sustainability.

It is not surprising that many such events are held and implemented in commemoration of the Louisiana Purchase because of the gravity of its impact on the progress and development of the United States.  Albeit being a historical event, the Louisiana Purchase still reverberates in contemporary times in its emergence and reemergence in arts, cultural, and civic activities.  This simply shows how people value this event and how this event had been a tangible, material, and real legacy for all Americans.