In April 1803, French and U.S. diplomats negotiated what became known as the Louisiana Purchase, doubling the size of our young nation.
Untold hardships have been endured, legends created and vast fortunes made as we filled up that land. Here is the first in a series of articles reporting, state by state, what the Louisiana Purchase represents now.
We start this occasional series today because Monday is the 200th anniversary of the Senate's ratification of the purchase. Our series concludes in May.
