Jefferson as President

(1800 - 1808)

Why is Thomas Jefferson a

“sphinx” or an“enigma”?

I. “Velvet”Revolution

of 1800

What does TJMean when he says:“We are allRepublicans,we are all Federalists”

FederalistAnti -TJCartoon

1800 Election Results• Burr (VP) makes power play to “steal” election from TJ after Jefferson & Burr (Democratic-Republicans) defeat Adams & Pinckney (Federalists) – Burr & Jefferson had the same number of votes in the Electoral College.

• House of Reps finally chooses TJ as Pres.and Burr as VP (Hamilton uses influence to help TJ - in part leads to duel w/Burr in 1804)

• 12th amendment added (1804) to separate balloting for President and VP

II. TJ First Term Issues (1801-1805)• “Common Man” Precedents (ex: State of the Union, Dress & White House

dinners)

• TJ follows inauguration pledge and keeps most Hamiltonian plans (bond payment, BUS & tariff) = economy improves & national debt is reduced.

• Controversy surrounding “Midnight Judges” - Marbury (selected by Adams) was not granted position by TJ’s Sect. of State Madison

• Federalist Chief Justice John Marshall then strengthens the Supreme Court by declaring parts of the Judiciary Act unconstitutional on a technicality with famous Marbury v. Madison (1803) establishes power of -- Judicial Review

Barbary Pirates Crisis (1801)How is Jefferson’s conviction tested by the conflicts

with the Barbary states?

Response: Jefferson’s philosophy conflicts with pragmatic reality;

TJ responds with “Mosquito Fleet” and later agrees to pay less “tribute” to pirates

Results: Avoids all-out war and debt

Louisiana Purchase from Napoleon (1803) – Another example ofpolitical philosophy & pragmatism clashing for TJ

Lewis &Clark (1804-1806)

III. Second Term Issues(1805-1809)

• TJ attempts to maintain neutrality in the growing European Napoleonic Wars

• British place embargo on French ports - Napoleon responds with counter blockade. US ships & domestically oriented TJ in the middle.

• Impressment of U.S. sailors & attack on USS Chesapeake (1807) by British further increase tensions.

TJ wants US to be neutral in foreign problems and Responds with Embargo Act - (1807)

Embargo Act repealed after much Federalist argument and

replaced with scaled down “Non-Intercourse” Act (1809)

(not what you think…)

“Economic Coercion” postpones war until 1812.

Enigmatic Jefferson retires withnation at brink of war and in flux economically

He writes, finishes Monticello and founds UVA…dies on July 4th, 1826

• Using the 5th Edition of America’s History (Ch.8), respond to your assigned question with details from the book.

• Why did the Western Indian Confederacy fail to limit white settlement west of the Appalachins? 

• What are three reasons large numbers of Americans migrated during the first part of the 19th century?  

• Compare the causes on the War of 1812 in Europe and for the Americans.

• What regional tensions and political factions did the War of 1812 expose?

• Discuss the impacts of the two great foreign developments (French Revolution and War of 1812) of this era on the new nation.