What was a primary concern of Federalists regarding the Louisiana Purchase?

The primary concern of Federalists regarding the Louisiana Purchase centered around the possibility that it might lead to the spread of slavery. At the time, many Federalists believed that the expansion of territory would facilitate the expansion of cotton plantations and agricultural interests that were reliant on slave labor. This concern stemmed from the party's alignment with northern interests, where there was a growing abolitionist sentiment and resistance to the expansion of slavery. They feared that new territories acquired through the Louisiana Purchase would become slave-holding states, tipping the political balance in favor of the Southern states, which were economically reliant on slavery. This fear was not only about the moral implications of slavery but also about its political ramifications in Congress, where representation was tied to population, including enslaved people. Thus, the Federalists' apprehensions regarding the Louisiana Purchase reflected broader anxieties about the future of slavery in the United States and its impact on the nation's political landscape.