Answer:
If France had sold New Orleans to the United States but kept the rest of the Louisiana Territory, it is possible that American history would have played out very differently. The Louisiana Purchase, which included not just New Orleans but the entire Louisiana Territory, more than doubled the size of the United States and gave the country control of the Mississippi River and the port of New Orleans, which were crucial for American trade and westward expansion. Without the Louisiana Purchase, the United States might have struggled to expand westward and might have faced conflicts with France or other European powers over control of the Mississippi River. Additionally, the Louisiana Purchase helped to fuel the institution of slavery in the United States, as the acquisition of new territory led to the spread of slavery into new areas. If France had only sold New Orleans, the spread of slavery into the western territories might have been slower or more limited.