Upon hearing Talleyrand's words, Napoleon wasn't the slightest bit surprised. He knew that there was a possible conflict with the United States now that France had a huge swathe of lands in North America, particularly Louisiana, a territory that the United States desperately needed as it wanted to expand westward.
Napoleon won't let the Americans have their own way. After all, he has his own vision of the North American frontier. The central and western part of North America is full of natural resources needed for industrialization. Minerals such as gold, iron, and coal, vast expanses of fertile land, and access to the Mississippi River, would fuel Napoleon's vision for a powerful French empire. The Louisiana Territory was not just a piece of land; it was the key to his ambitions. He would protect it at all costs, even if he had to go to war with the United States.
