Napoleon Bonaparte’s signature was scribbled diagonally on the treaty as if it were an afterthought. Make no mistake, it was far from a haphazard gesture. Bonaparte needed the money, and Thomas Jefferson was willing to pay.

When the First Consul of the Republic of France scribbled “Bonaparte” on that document finalizing the sale of France’s Louisiana Territory to the United States, the world changed.

History calls this moment the Louisiana Purchase. For the U.S., it meant doubling in size. For the world, it meant the eventual emergence of a new superpower.

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Amazing to think how a simple, last-name-only signature could hold so much power. It still wields a certain power today, enough to make people put away their phones just to see it.

Which will happen on April 14, when Louisiana’s Old State Capitol opens the exhibit, “Bought for a Song: A Young Nation Expands.” The exhibit’s only artifact will be the French exchange copy of the convention between the Republic of France — the document bearing Bonaparte’s signature that finalized the Louisiana Purchase.

The show runs through July 11, coinciding with America’s 250th anniversary celebration year. Though admission is free, visitors are asked to sign up for a viewing time for the opening week through the museum’s website, louisianaoldstatecapitol.org. 

A National Archives loan

The document is on loan from the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C. Officials will transport and set it up days before the show’s opening in Baton Rouge.

“This exhibit will display that original document, its cover page and a copy of the signature page,” museum curator Anne Mahoney said. “It also has small educational displays about the role of the Mississippi River in the transaction and who was involved. The exhibit will also be presented in both English and French.”

And though all of these original documents will be in the case, required precautions are being taken.

“Since this is such a historically significant document, and it pertains to treaties for the United States of America, it has special protections in terms of lighting, temperature and humidity,” Mahoney said. “Since light damage is cumulative and irreversible, we’ll keep the treaty closed so that the writing does not become faded by any contact with light. And then we’ll have an excerpt from it on display next to it that’s a reproduction.”

The exhibit, like Bonaparte’s signature, is small, consisting of the agreement displayed beneath thick glass in one of the Old Capitol’s octagonal rooms. Security guards will be stationed inside the room, and visitors will not be allowed to take photos.

“Visitors can’t take their phones out when they enter the room,” Mahoney said. “We don’t want any accidental flashes. We have high security and high environmental controls, so you won’t be able to take pictures. But we do have a little handout you can take as a souvenir.”

Irony in Baton Rouge

The irony in this situation is that Baton Rouge was a part of Spanish West Florida when the Louisiana Territory was sold to the U.S.

“There was a neutral strip that wasn’t technically a part of the purchase,” Mahoney said. “That didn’t happen until after Philemon Thomas and the West Florida revolt.”

Thomas is buried in the Baton Rouge National Cemetery on 19th Street. He was a revolutionary war general who led the revolt that eventually annexed Baton Rouge into the U.S. in 1810, seven years after the flag of Spain was lowered at the Cabildo to make way for the French flag, which was immediately lowered and replaced by the American flag.

France ceded the Louisiana territory to Spain in 1762 to prevent the British from taking it during the Seven Years’ War. Spain agreed to return it to France when the time came.

And that time came when Bonaparte decided to unload the territory to fund his imminent war with Great Britain. The Louisiana Purchase happened in three parts, beginning with the Treaty of Cession, followed by the two conventions defining the financial aspects of the sale.

Bonaparte signed the final bill of sale on April 30, 1803. The flag ceremony followed on Dec. 20, 1803.

What did the country gain?

The U.S. gained approximately 828,000 square miles of land for $15 million from that diagonal scribble of a signature. That’s roughly 4 cents per acre, which accounts for the sale’s historical description as “bought for a song,” along with the exhibit’s title.

The price of a song bought a chunk of real estate that stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains. It also secured control of the port of New Orleans, which reshaped trade, migration, culture and political power across the continent.

“This will actually be the second time this document has come to the Old State Capitol,” Mahoney said. “The first time was at our inaugural opening in 1994.”

Secretary of State Nancy Landry says she’s proud to partner with the National Archives for this exhibit.

“With the stroke of a pen, this agreement more than doubled the size of our nation and stands as one of the most significant real estate transactions in American history,” Landry said. “We invite everyone to join us as we welcome this remarkable piece of history back to the land it helped create.”   

“Bought for a Song: A Young Nation Expands” will show April 14-July 11 at Louisiana’s Old State Capitol, 100 North Blvd., Baton Rouge. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. To accommodate anticipated demand during the exhibition’s opening week, April 14-18, the museum will operate on timed entry slots of 10 a.m. to noon, noon to 2 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. For tickets, visit louisianaoldstatecapitol.org.