The Jeffersonian Era

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The Jeffersonian Era

• 1793 1815

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Thomas Jefferson
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The Revolution of 1800

• Pres. election of 1800 Jefferson/D-R Adams/F
  Burr/D-R Pinckney/F
• Ugly election
• Jefferson Burr tied House of Reps. selected
  Jefferson on the 36th ballot

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The Revolution of 1800, cont.

• Ratification of 12th Amendment
• Judiciary Act of 1801 increased the of federal
  judgeships Adams appointed Federalists to these
  positions, including John Marshall
• Jefferson, We are all republicans we are all
  federalists.
• Peaceful transfer of govt. from 1 political party
  to its opposition

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The Jeffersonian Era

• Celebrated localism republican simplicity
• Fed. govt. w/sharply limited power most
  authority remaining at state level

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The Jeffersonian Era, cont.

• Specific goals
• Reduce size cost of fed. govt.
• Repeal Federalist legislation, Alien Sedition
  Acts
• Maintain international peace

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The Jeffersonian Era, cont.

• Economy became more diversified complex
• Dismantled much Federalist bureaucracy kept
  central govt. small

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Jefferson the President

• Wealthy aristocratic but conveyed a plain image
  to the public, disdain for pretension
• Used his powers to build a network of influence

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Jeffersonian Reforms

• Under Federalists, govt. became needlessly
  extravagant yearly expenditures tripled public
  debt rose extensive system of internal taxation
• Jefferson moved to reverse trends
• Cut national debt by half

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Jeffersonian Reforms, cont.

• Abolished all internal taxes, leaving customs
  duties western land sales
• Secretary of Treasury Albert Gallatin
• Scaled down armed forces lrg. standing army
  could be menace to civil liberties
• Est. U.S. Military Academy at West Point (1802)

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The Republican Court, (1861), Daniel Huntington
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Southern Dominance of Politics

• 1st pres. to take office in federal capital
• Declining influence of both Federalists New
  England
• National expansion worked against Federalists

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Southern Dominance of Politics, cont.

• Expansion, Pittsburgh Cincinnati became
  commercial centers (post 1790)
• Pioneer life was hard creative mixing of peoples
  of different backgrounds

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Doubling the National Domain

• Jefferson Napoleon
• Napoleons ambitions moved from Europe to Am.
• Creating conflict estrangement

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Jefferson and Napoleon

• Dreamt of restoring French power in America
• Treaty of San Ildefonso (1800) France regained
  title to LA, including New Orleans
• Importance of New Orleans

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Jefferson and Napoleon, cont.

• Jefferson instructed Robert Livingston to
  negotiate for the purchase of New Orleans
• Livingston proposed French sell the U.S. the rest
  of LA as well

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The Louisiana Purchase

• Livingston James Monroe negotiated w/Napoleon
• April 30, 1803
• U.S. paid 15 million to French
• Granted certain commercial privileges to France
• Incorporate residents of LA into U.S. w/ same
  rights privileges as others

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The Louisiana Purchase, cont.

• Constitutional concerns
• Strict observation vs. political reality
• Treaty-making power under the Consti. justified
  purchase
• Jefferson expanded power of presidency central
  govt.

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Exploring the West

• Lewis and Clark
• Cross the continent to the Pacific Ocean, gather
  geographical facts, investigate prospects for
  trade w/Indians

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Exploring the West, cont.

• 1804
• 4 dozen men
• Sacajawea (Shoshone)
• MO River from St. Louis, crossed Rockies, Snake
  Columbia Rivers to Pacific
• 1806

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Exploring the West, cont.

• Elaborate records of the geography Native
  civilizations they observed
• Opened the way for settlement of the West
• Strengthened Am. claims to the OR Territory
• Zebulon Pike Arkansas River to Colorado

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Conflict with the Barbary States

• North Africa Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli
• Preyed on commercial shipping by demanding
  protection , paid to avoid piracy
• Jefferson reluctant to continue policy

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Conflict with the Barbary States, cont.

• Pasha of Tripoli ordered flagpole of Am.
  consolate chopped down (1801)
• Jefferson built up naval forces in area
• U.S. ended payment of tribute paid 60,000
  ransom for Am. prisoners

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Conflict with the Barbary States, cont.

• Jefferson concluded 1st term on wave of
  popularity
• Maintained the peace, reduced taxes, expanded
  the boundaries of the U.S.

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Sources of Political Dissent

• Debate over courts
• Judicial review power of judicial branch to
  decide if acts of legislative or executive
  branches violate Constitution
• Republicans repealed Judiciary Act of 1801,
  dismissing judges w/out trial

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Sources of Political Dissent, cont.

• Marbury v. Madison (1803)
• William Marbury, 1 of Adams midnight appts.
  had been named justice of the peace in D.C.
• His commission hadnt been delivered to him Sec.
  of St. Madison refused to hand over commission

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Sources of Political Dissent, cont.

• Marbury asked Sup. Ct. to direct Madison to
  perform duty
• Writ of mandamus court order that forces an
  officer of the govt. to do something that the
  officer is supposed to do
• John Marshall, Chief Justice, wrote decision

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Sources of Political Dissent, cont.

• Original Judiciary Act of 1789 had given Court
  power to compel executive officials to act in
  such matters as the delivery of commissions
• Court ruled that Congress had exceeded its
  authority

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Sources of Political Dissent, cont.

• Marshall is one of towering figures of Am. law
• Leading Federalist
• Battled to give the federal govt. unity
  strength
• Est. judiciary coequal branch of govt.

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The Burr Conspiracy

• Some New England Federalists raged against
  Jeffersons reelection
• Western growth new sts. favored D-Rs
• Essex Junto New England should secede from
  union form northern confederacy

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The Burr Conspiracy, cont.

• Accepted Federalist proposal to be candidate for
  NY governorship
• Lost election challenged Hamilton to a duel
• Hamilton killed (July 1804)

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The Burr Conspiracy, cont.

• Burr was political outcast
• Rumors that he wanted to separate the Southwest
  from Union create a western empire that he
  would rule
• Arrested for treason acquitted
• Existence of U.S. as a stable united nation
  remained to be fully est.

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Expansion and War

• Two conflicts
• Napoleonic Wars fighting between British
  French increased. Each side took steps to
  prevent the U.S. trading w/the other
• Ceaseless westward expansion threatened tribes
  mobilized to resist white encroachments. Forging
  connections w/British Spanish

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Conflict on the Seas

• Napoleon barred British ships neutral ships
  touching at British ports from landing cargoes at
  French-controlled areas
• British blockade European coast demand goods be
  carried in British ships or neutral ships
  touching at British ports

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Conflict on the Seas, cont.

• Both nations were violating Am.s rights as a
  neutral nation
• Most Ams. considered British worst offender

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Impressment

• British sailors called their navy a floating
  hell.
• Few volunteered, many deserted
• Most had to be impressed (forced) into service
• British claimed right to stop Am. ships search
  them

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Impressment, cont.

• Chesapeake (Am.) vs. Leopard (British) incident
• British refused to renounce impressment
  reasserted its right to recover deserting seamen

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Peaceable Coercion

• U.S. decided to deprive European powers of much
  needed Am. goods, esp. food
• Embargo Act of 1807
• Hoping to force Britain France to negotiate
  w/U.S., altering behavior

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Peaceable Coercion, cont.

• Turned into a nightmare
• Law was widely evaded, but effective enough to
  create a depression
• Hardest hit were merchants shipowners of
  Northeast

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Peaceable Coercion, cont.

• Jefferson ends embargo
• Election of 1808 Madison (F) elected
• Non-Intercourse Act reopened trade w/all
  nations except Britain France
• Macons Bill No. 2 reopened trade w/Britain
  France, but pres. could prohibit it

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The Indian Problem and the British

• Indians had looked to British to limit western
  expansion
• Two men emerged William Henry Harrison
  Tecumseh

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The Indian Problem and the British, cont.

• Harrison was committed to growth development of
  western lands
• Indians could convert themselves into settled
  farmers become part of white society or migrate
  west of MS River
• Renewed alliance between British Indians

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Tecumseh and the Prophet

• The Prophet spoke to his people of the superior
  values of Indian civilization
• Inspired a religious revival that spread through
  numerous tribes helped unite them

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Tecumseh and the Prophet, cont.

• The Prophets brother, Tecumseh, emerged as the
  leader of a more secular effort
• In 1809, he set out to unite all the tribes of
  the MS Valley

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Tecumseh and the Prophet, cont.

• Battle of Tippecanoe, IN (1811) Harrison
• Harrison drove off the Indians burned the town

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The Lure of Florida

• Desire for FL became another motivation for war
  w/Britain
• Spain controlled FL, ally of Britain

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The Lure of Florida, cont.

• In 1812 war fever was raging
• Congressional elections of 1810, war hawks
• John C. Calhoun (SC) Henry Clay (KY)
• June 18, 1812, Madison declares war against
  Britain

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John C. Calhoun
Henry Clay
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The War of 1812

• Madisons goals force British to respect Am.
  maritime rights
• Threatened to seize Canada, under British control
• Election of 1812 reflected a split w/in the
  nation over war issue
• Madison reelected

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The War of 1812

• D-Rs rejected proposals for direct taxes
• Authorize naval appropriations w/reluctance
• Weak, decentralized govt. incapable of waging
  expensive war
• New Englanders refused to cooperate w/war effort

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The War of 1812, cont.

• Military operations focused 1st on western front,
  discouraging results
• Canada would be hard to take
• Battle of Thames River (1813) Tecumseh killed

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The War of 1812, cont.

• British took offensive (1814)
• British increased pressure on Canadian
  frontier, Chesapeake coastal settlements, New
  Orleans
• British burn Am. Capital (Aug. 1814)
• Attack against Baltimore (Sep. 1814)

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The War of 1812, cont.

• Epic Battle of New Orleans(Dec 1814)
• General Andrew Jackson

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The Revolt of New England

• Opposition to war D-Rs was extreme
• Majority party in New England
• Hartford Convention (CT) 1814
• Reasserted right to nullification, hinted at
  secession
• Proposed 7 amendments to Constitution

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The Peace Settlement

• Treaty of Ghent
• Did little except stop fighting
• British made minor territorial concessions
• U.S. doesnt get Canada, gave up demands to stop
  impressment
• U.S. swept up in a spirit of nationalism

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Democratic-Republican Legacy

• Republican values virtuous, independent
  citizens pursuing economic interests
• Slavery question persisted
• Beginning of national identity
• Political differences through democratic means
• LA Purchase
• Est. on world stage