The Louisiana Purchase refers to the 530,000,000 acres of territory in North America that the United States purchased from France in 1803 for US $15 million. The Louisiana Purchase As the United States spread across the Appalachians, the Mississippi River became increasingly important as a conduit for the produce of America's West (which at that time refered to the land between the Appalachians and the Mississippi).
Life span: Born: April 28, 1758, Westmoreland, Virginia Died: July 4, 1831, New York City, age 73 years. Presidential term: March 4, 1817 - March 4, 1825 Monroe's two terms as president were often referred to as the Era of Good Feelings.