US bought Louisiana from the French for $15 million. I read over the internet that some people say it was cheap. I thought $15 million at the time was expensive? I googled how much the price would be today adjusting to today's inflation and it is worth $225 million. Am I wrong to think $15 million was expensive in the 1800's?
Edit: Wording
For the amount of land the deal was worth and the potential that that land yielded in resources for manufacturing, agriculture, raw materials and trade, plus living space to accommodate a growing population (taxes), it was probably the best deal in US History, and one of the best in world history. $15 million bucks was a lot of money then and it is now. To put it in perspective, you could buy about 1/4 of a B-2 stealth bomber for $225 million. The Federal government started selling public lands via The Public Land act of 1796 for 640 acre minimum for $2 an acre. The total acreage of the Louisiana Purchase is 530,000,000 acres. The price actually went down in 1820 to a minimum of 80 acres at $1.25 an acre. I'll let you do the math.
So, yes it was extremely cheap, when you consider the potential the land held. In my opinion and with hindsight being 20/20, we straight up robbed France. Like.. cold, wet and dark ally at midnight in a bad part of you-just-got-shanked-ville, robbed.