Douglas Alexander: “I rise today to honor the storied legacy of the great state I represent, Louisiana. This year marks the bicentennial of…”

“I rise today to honor the storied legacy of the great state I represent, Louisiana. This year marks the bicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase, and today I am proud to commemorate this monumental event in our nation's history and in the history of the state of Louisiana and welcome the nation's participation in the yearlong celebration that will educate, entertain, and impart a lasting wonder for Louisiana. I have the esteemed privilege of representing Louisiana's fifth district, the `heart of Louisiana'. In 1803, Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon negotiated the United States' purchase of Louisiana from France. With just two strokes of the pen, our young nation doubled in size overnight, becoming one of the largest nations in the world. The Louisiana Purchase, approved by treaty in April of 1803, is called the most significant real estate transaction in the history of civilization. Encompassing over 800,000 square miles of land and costing about four cents per acre, the Louisiana Purchase eventually became all or part of 15 states: Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, North Dakota, Texas, South Dakota, New Mexico, Nebraska, Wyoming, Kansas, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Colorado, Montana and definitely not least of all, Louisiana, my home state.”