With Robert Livingston, James Monroe had been sent to France by President Thomas Jefferson to negotiate purchase of land on the lower Mississippi or free navigation on the river. With Napoleon's sudden decision to sell the whole of Louisiana, the task quickly changed to one that instantly would increase the size of the United States substantially. The United States paid about $15 million for about 800,000 square miles (2 million square m). Of the purchase price, $11,250,000 was to be paid directly, and the remainder covered France's debts to American citizens.