Jefferson's Great Wager by Charles A. Cerami, tells the incredible story of how four leaders of a nation upstate risked the future of their country and their careers. The four men, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe and Livingston, outwitted Napoleon Bonaparte, the world's most powerful leader. How the Four Men Secured a New Future for the United States of America. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayCerami reveals the untold attacks and parries of the Louisiana Purchase. An event that was not just a land sale, but thirty months of drama, flattery, posturing and covert maneuvering by some of the most powerful and cunning men. Charles A. Cerami proves to his readers how secretive and distant some of these men are by giving his readers examples of some of these situations. Madison, the Secretary of State, is one of the key players in showing how devious he can be. James sends two of the American ministers to the opposite side to see what information can be gathered. Robert Livingston was sent to France while Charles Pinckney was sent to Spain. Madison uses this plan so that everyone can ask "questions that might lead the French or Spanish to give an answer that would reveal whether there was a secret agreement between them to return Louisiana to the French." Madison's plan shows the lengths he will go to to find the information he is looking for. Cerami gives her readers a glimpse of what it means to be secretive. Another key player in the Louisiana Purchase denials was Robert Livingston. Livingston was another player who was just as sneaky as Madison. Robert was sent to deceive the French by telling a white lie to Napoleon's closet circles. He let them know “how seriously the United States would take any French attempt to become mistress of the Mississippi.” This momentum played a major role in making the opposing side believe that the United States would enter the war. This secret maneuver allowed the United States to sow fear in their enemy if they decided to overtake him. Charles A. Cerami shows his readers that even a small lie can become one of your greatest assets in achieving what needs to be done. Another important and major player in the negotiations was Napoleon Bonaparte. Bonaparte had a remarkable scandalous secret from all men of the time. Napoleon “a man who only respected a treaty that he was writing in haste at the moment” as the reading describes him. Napoleon Bonaparte, from the beginning of history, has been a shady and devious character. He was considered “a conqueror whose talents extended far beyond the military realm.” His talents were manifested when Jefferson learned of the agreement between France and Spain. Napoleon went to great lengths to show how secretive and deceptive he could be. “It turned out that Napoleon had already made the feared decision more than a year earlier, and then kept the whole world in the dark.” He showed the entire nation how his talents extend far beyond military strategy. Napoleon knew how to hide the truth and have it both ways. Bonaparte used flattery and secret maneuvers to outwit his adversaries. James Monroe, another minister, participated in the Louisiana Purchase negotiations. Monroe played one of the most important roles a man could play. He must “negotiate for half a continent”. Monroe had to make the biggest decision alone: ​​"no American, since.