The Louisiana Purchase.

An epidemic that changed the course of history.

Around the 18th century, on the bank of the river Mississippi, french have set up a sleepy colony. It was named after the french emperor Louis XIV, Louisiana. The hinterland was known for its sugar plantation and cheap labour. But for the french, the abundant slaves for trade was more lucrative than all the minerals under the earth. For this they had set up a deep port at the mouth of the mighty Mississippi, again in the name of their regent king of France, the duke of Orleans. The New Orleans.

French were happy with the trade but for few slave rebellions and sometimes they would share their territory with spaniards for mutual profits till Napoleon arrived.

In 1802, Napoleon dispatched a huge army of 30,000 soldiers to invade the North America and expand his empire.

It was a foolproof plan typical of Napoleon. But..
There was one factor he had failed to take into account, an infinitesimally small enemy that would kill more Frenchmen than all of the black rebels could ever have slain: the dreaded virus of yellow fever.

History records it that from 1802-1803, yellow fever at St. Domingue ravaged almost 50,000 French soldiers. While the natives and the slaves are immune, the Europeans have no experience of the fever, no immunity. Napoleon’s additional 30000 fell like the proverbial nine pins to the yellow fever.

The french ruler of Louisiana died and his next in command could retreat to France with only 3000 survivors.
.. ..
Napoleon was shrewd enough to understand that he can conquer the whole World but not this fever. So he did the next best thing.

He sold the piece of land to the American President Thomas Jefferson.

History records it that Jafferson purchased Louisiana for only $ 15 million at less than 3 cent an acre.