Jefferson envisioned trade routes from the Atlantic region to the Pacific.
The United States needed to procure a connecting route, which the purchase of the Louisiana territory would provide.
Self government for America was appealing sharply to him [Jefferson]..."while parliament pursue their plan of civil government within their own jurisdiction, we also hope to pursue ours without molestation" (Graff 24).
The regions of current America before the purchase
The United States consisted of only the east coast states (1,756,335 sq kilometers).