Existing comment:
Power to Add New Citizens?
Did the Constitution give the Federal Government the power to add new lands and people to the Union? Many thought the answer was "no" -- until France offered to sell the Louisiana Territory. Senator John Quincy Adams thought an amendment was required to admit the residents of Louisiana to the Union. His motion for an amendment failed.
Motion of Senator John Quincy Adams to appoint a committee to Inquire into the need for further measures to carry into effect the Louisiana Purchase Treaty, November 25, 1803, Records of the U.S. Senate |