Launching the New Nation

6.3 - Jefferson Alters the Nation’s Course

6.3 – Jefferson Alters the Nation’s Course

Main Idea

Essential Question

Which is more preferable - more

or less government?

Objectives

Identify some of the

significant changes

brought about during

Jefferson’s Presidency

Provide examples of the declining power of the Federalists

Summarize the

importance of the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and

Clark Expedition

Election of 1800 The divide between the political parties sharpens, as Adams is seen as

tool of the rich and supporter of British style Monarchy, and Jefferson is seen as an atheist and supporter of dangerous French Revolution.

Incumbent – Election of 1800 – The House of Representatives resolves tie with a vote for Jefferson, a

move facilitated by Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton opposed Jefferson’s politics, but saw him as a more worthy President then Burr Adams failed to capitalize on anti-French fervor. He spent all the money to

prepare for a conflict that never materialized, which made him seem reckless and wasteful to voters

Adams transferring power to Jefferson represented the first peaceful transition of power in US history

Democratic-Republicans swept the Congress as well, ensuring legislative support for Jefferson’s policies

Duel of Hamilton and Burr

Aaron Burr –

Hamilton hated Burr, openly schemed to block him from the 1801 Presidency and the 1804 New York Governorship

Burr challenges Hamilton to duel attempting to preserve his honor. Hamilton was clear in his attempt to “throw away” his shot. Burr’s motives were unclear as to whether he planned to kill Hamilton all along, or got caught up in the moment

Twelfth Amendment (1804) –

“Had I read Sterne mor

e and Voltaire less, I should have

known the world was wide

enough for Hamilton and

me.”

Aaron Burr

1.Jefferson expanded Presidential power even though his ideology preached otherwise.  By

purchasing land, exploring westward and asking permission for war on the Barbary Pirates, he set new political precedents

2. Relaxed in dress and appearance, lacking personal aggressiveness, weak projection of voice, master political organizer through his ability to lead people rather than drive them.3. Thomas Jefferson was a man of paradoxes: craved friendship, yet was intensely private;

an aristocrat who detested privilege; an urban intellectual who feared cities; and a slave

holder who preached equality.

Presidential Profile: Jefferson

Jefferson Reduces Government

Jefferson 1st President to take office in DC. He wanted to take the elitism out of the Presidency, so he walked from the capitol building to the White House after his inauguration.

Jefferson sought to simplify the federal government by leading his congressional allies to repeal federalist policies such as the excise tax on whiskey, the Alien and Sedition Acts, the Judiciary Act of 1801 and by reducing the size of US armed forces. Federal government was to become less intrusive and cost less money. Bulk

of power should emanate from the states. Jefferson pardoned many of the people who had been imprisoned by statues

in the Alien and Sedition Acts. Shortly after Congress was seated, a new naturalization law was passed that reduced the residency requirements from 14 years to a more reasonable 5 years.

One area that Jefferson did not touch was Hamilton’s economic plan. Understanding the burden of debt, the national bank remained in place, the state debt remained with the federal government and the protective tariff remained in place. Only the excise tax on whiskey was repealed.

"That government is

best which governs least”

Thomas Jefferson

Complicated View on Slavery

Jefferson styled himself a member of the Enlightenment and the Southern slave gentry despite the obvious contradiction According to his Notes on the State of Virginia Jefferson saw Africans as intellectually

inferior, thus different than Americans of European descent Jefferson took no action to block slavery during his Presidency:

His fear of his secret relationship with Sally Hemmings going public Concern over upsetting supporters of slavery, his main base of voters for the

Presidency Fear of offending friends in Virginia’s elite class of planters, whose company he

planned on rejoining when he returned to private life Haitian Revolution – Haitian slaves of African descent lead by François-Dominique

Toussaint L'Ouverture, overthrow their French colonial masters, establishing the world’s first “African Republic,” and challenging notions of slavery worldwide Jefferson does not acknowledge Haiti as a nation, and gives them no support despite

his reputation for wanting democracy to spread Jefferson understood his own shortcomings, and admitted to friends and

colleagues that slavery would have to be solved by the next generation

Marshall and the Courts

Influence of Federalists waned as they did not appeal to common man for support. Settlers of the new Western territories tended to vote Democratic-Republican. One area that Federalist control did not wane was with the Judiciary. Justices served life terms, were not easily removed.

John Marshall – Marshall served in the Continental army at Valley

Forge, bearing witness to the problems of weak and ineffective central authority. This made him a life long Federalist.

Judiciary Act of 1801 – Adams increased the number of Federal judges by 16 members. He wanted the courts to be filled with Federalists, angering Jefferson.

Midnight Judges –

Marbury vs. Madison Marbury vs. Madison –

Marbury was a midnight judge whose appointment papers were not filed on time, and was not given his post as judge because Jefferson ordered Secretary of State James Madison not to file

Instead of ruling directly on the case, the legality of Judiciary Act of 1789 was called into question. Court ruled Act unconstitutional, loophole allowed cases involving federal officials to skip ordinary court hierarchy and go straight to Supreme Court

Judicial Review –

The US Expands West News leaked that France regained all land lost to Spain after French and Indian War,

panicking Jefferson. Demonstrated growing power of France under Napoleon. This called into question whether the US would maintain access to New Orleans

Jefferson sent Secretary of State James Monroe to France to attempt to buy New Orleans for 10 million dollars. If Napoleon failed to agree, Monroe was to start a military alliance with Britain. To their surprise, Napoleon offered the entire Louisiana territory for 15 million.

France decided to abandon their colonial ambitions due to their inability to subdue the uprising on Haiti. They also hoped that a stronger US would give Britain more competition for supremacy of the American continent, thus weakening their opponent.

The Louisiana Purchase –

It was uncertain whether purchasing Louisiana Territory was constitutional, as it was not a power given to the federal government. Fearing that Napoleon might withdraw his offer before a new amendment was created, Jefferson bought the land using executive power to make treaties

Lewis and Clark Expedition –

“No man will ever carry out

of the Presidency

the reputation which carried him into it.”

Thomas Jefferson

America’s New Landscape

Size of Governme

nt

Foreign Policy

Expansion