Which constitutional concern most troubled President Jefferson regarding the territory shaded in green on the map?
- Acheck_circle
The Constitution did not explicitly authorize the federal government to acquire foreign territory
- B
Native American treaties prohibited federal land purchases
- C
The Senate lacked a two-thirds majority to ratify the treaty
- D
Spain still claimed sovereignty over the entire region
Explanation
Jefferson, a strict constructionist, worried that the Constitution gave him no explicit power to purchase territory. He ultimately accepted a loose interpretation, justifying the Louisiana Purchase under the treaty-making power.