[SpaceBar]

Actually, the Louisiana Purchase was made in 1803 - Lewis and Clark began exploration of the region in 1804, thus your claim that "The LP was known in extent, and it's value tangible and quantifiable" is unjustified.

The Spanish colonized the southwest hundreds of years before there was a United States and the general extent of the landmass was quite well known, maybe just not investigated in great detail. The first whites in New Mexico arrived in the mid 1500's. My claim is well founded. Saying otherwise doesn't magically make it so.

[cake_crumb]

Spain was in the hole then too, and trans Atlantic travel was expensive. The only thing they quantified were their dreams of cities built of gold.

[Aracelis]

The Spanish colonized the southwest hundreds of years before there was a United States and the general extent of the landmass was quite well known, maybe just not investigated in great detail. The first whites in New Mexico arrived in the mid 1500's. My claim is well founded. Saying otherwise doesn't magically make it so.

Your claim is not well founded. No one knew the extent of the natural resources available - thus it was a gamble...just like "Fulton's Folly".

[mgstarr]

I think it was a mistake for Ferdinand and Isabella to waste their money on some Genoese guy named Columbus. Far better to spend money on the domestic front.

[Smokin' Joe]

It seems to me that the Domingez-Escalante expedition only made it as far north as present-day Colorado. I believe they went the farthest north, feel free to correct me if I am wrong..

Lewis and Clark covered a lot of ground north of there, but were not the first. Not counting the indigenous residents, there were French trappers (and English) in the region, some of the early voyageurs and mountain men.