French Foreign Minister Talleyrand offers to sell Louisiana Territory to U.S.
"In one of the great surprises in diplomatic history, French Foreign Minister Charles Maurice de Talleyrand makes an offer to sell all of Louisiana Territory to the United States.
Talleyrand was no fool. As the foreign minister to French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, he was one of the most powerful men in the world. Three years earlier, Talleyrand had convinced Napoleon that he could create a new French Empire in North America. The French had long had a tenuous claim to the vast area west of the Mississippi River known as Louisiana Territory, which had already been occupied by Native Americans for centuries. In 1800, Napoleon secretly signed a treaty with Spain that officially gave France full control of the territory. Then he began to prepare France’s mighty army to occupy New Orleans and bolster French dominion.
When President Thomas Jefferson learned of Napoleon’s plans in 1802, he was understandably alarmed. Jefferson had long hoped the U.S. would expand westward beyond the Mississippi, but the young American republic was in no position militarily to challenge France for the territory. Jefferson hoped that his minister in France, Robert Livingston, might at least be able to negotiate an agreement whereby Napoleon would give the U.S. control of New Orleans, the gateway to the Mississippi River.
At first, the situation looked bleak because Livingston’s initial attempts at reaching a diplomatic agreement failed. In early 1803, Jefferson sent his young Virginia friend James Monroe to Paris to assist Livingston. Fortunately for the U.S., by that time Napoleon’s situation in Europe had changed for the worse. War between France and Great Britain was imminent and Napoleon could no longer spare the military resources needed to secure control of Louisiana Territory. Realizing that the powerful British navy would probably take the territory by force, Napoleon reasoned it would be better to sell Louisiana to the Americans than have it fall into the hands of his enemy.
After months of having fruitlessly negotiated over the fate of New Orleans, Livingston again met with Talleyrand in 1803. To Livingston’s immense surprise, this time the cagey French minister coolly asked, “What will you give for the whole?” He meant not the whole of New Orleans, but the whole of Louisiana Territory. Quickly recognizing that this was an offer of potentially immense significance for the U.S., Livingston and Monroe began to discuss France’s proposed cost for the territory. Several weeks later, on April 30, 1803, the American emissaries signed a treaty with France for a purchase of the vast territory for $11,250,000.
A little more than two weeks later, Great Britain declared war on France. With the sale of the Louisiana Territory, Napoleon abandoned his dreams of a North American empire, but he also achieved a goal that he thought more important. “The sale [of Louisiana] assures forever the power of the United States,” Napoleon later wrote, “and I have given England a rival who, sooner or later, will humble her pride.”
Edward Leo Peter "Ed" McMahon, Jr. (March 6, 1923 – June 23, 2009) American comedian, actor, singer, game show host and announcer. He is most famous for his work on television as Johnny Carson's sidekick, a position he held for over 30 years.
Before he died, McMahon told his son, Lex, who is a Corporal in the US Army, that he preferred to be remembered as a “Good Entertainer, but a Great Marine”.
His son compiled a list of highlights of his father’s 23-years of service:
Eating powder eggs during Officers Candidates School – even though they were billeted on a farm with hundreds of chickens – some things in the Corps never change!
Being commissioned as a 2nd Lt.
Being made a flight instructor while still in flight school.
Earning his Naval Aviator wings on 4/4/44.
Flying the hottest fighter in WWII – the F4U-Corsair.
Getting reprimanded for conducting “training missions” over his girlfriend’s house.
Becoming a test pilot.
Being reprimanded for conducting “training missions” over his girlfriend’s house again.
Teaching carrier landings.
And yes, being reprimanded for flying “training missions” over his girlfriend’s house AGAIN.
Telling NBC he’d love to sign a big contract to be their next star– but he had just received orders to report to Korea.
Meeting Marilyn Monroe prior to deploying to Korea and having her impishly tell him: “Ed, I’m not wearing anything underneath”.
Flying 85 combat missions in Korea as an artillery spotter.
Cornering the market on food and alcohol by becoming his squadron’s Officer-in-Charge of the Mess Tent and Officer’s Club.
The 3-day long party in Tent 7 with 55-gallon drums of “truce juice” when the armistice was signed.
Participation in creating the Toys for Tots program.
Being promoted to Colonel.
Promoting his son to the rank of Corporal.
Passing a flight physical at age 70 and flying the Harrier Jump Jet.
Working with The Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation to cement the legacy and traditions of Marine Corps Aviation.
And being Major General Lenhert’s Guest of Honor at the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Ball in 2005 – Sir, he had tremendous respect for you and was humbled to be your guest of honor.
Corporal Lex McMahon also wrote a sad and inspiring note in concerning his father’s death:
"Dad – on behalf of a grateful nation, fiercely loyal United States Marine Corps, assembled friends, loving family, and me – a devoted son – it is the highest honor of my life, to fulfill your request to be buried as a Marine. I wish you Godspeed, as you pull chalks and embark on one last mission in your Corsair – destined for the final rally point– Valhalla – warrior heaven. I salute you!"
Lex McMahon
Born today: April 10, 1921 -- American actor, professional baseball and basketball player Kevin Joseph Aloysius "Chuck" Connors.
Born in Brooklyn and the child of Irish immigrants, Connors was a star athlete in college and has the distinction of only 13 athletes to have played for both the Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association. After some time in minor leagues and the army, Chuck played two seasons for the Dodgers' AAA team, the Montreal Royals before playing one game for the Dodgers in 1949. He switched to basketball, playing 53 games for the Boston Celtics for the 1947 - 48 season before returning to baseball to play 66 games with the Chicago Cubs in 1951 as first baseman and pinch hitter.
After his sports career, Chuck tried his hand in Hollywood and ended up with a career that spanned for 40 years. Early film roles include opposite Burt Lancaster in Arthur Lubin's 1953 comedy SOUTH SEA WOMAN and as a football coach co-starring with John Wayne in Michael Curtiz's 1953 TROUBLE ALONG THE WAY. Chuck took to acting immediately: "Compared with playing baseball, acting’s a snap,” he wrote in the Associated Press. "If I misplay a scene or strike out on a speech, they re-shoot it."
Chuck became a household name when he beat 40 other actors for the lead in the ABC series THE RIFLEMAN, which ran from 1958 - 1963. Developed by future legendary filmmaker Sam Peckinpah, who also directed many of the early episodes, Chuck played widowed Lucas McCain, a rancher highly skilled with his customized Winchester rifle. This show was notable not only also the first on network television to feature a widowed father raising a young child, but also for its high body count: In his autobiography, Chuck jokingly estimated that he killed up to two people every week for the five years he starred in the show, which lasted for five seasons and 168 episodes.
In 1991, Connors was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. He died November 10, 1992 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at the age of 71.