WK3 Day 1 Notes - "The Election of 1800"

What kinds of negative political strategies emerged during the Election of 1800 that made it a scandal contest?

rumors, mudslinging

Who were the two presidents running against each other in the Election of 1800?

John Adams (JA) & Thomas Jefferson (TJ)

What party did each candidate run for?

John Adams, Federalist / Thomas Jefferson, Republican

Who was John Adam’s Vice President? Where was he from?

Charles Pickney, South Carolina

Who was Thomas Jefferson’s Vice President? Where was he from?

Aaron Burr, New York

Why did each Presidential candidate pick somebody from the opposite region to run with them as Vice President?

It created regionally balanced candidates.

What did newspaper editors discover?

Selling newspapers with negativity made money.

What negative terms described John Adams?

king, fat

What negative ‘rumors’ described Thomas Jefferson?

he was a slave owner who had sex with his own slaves

What new political strategy did TJ come up with?

making promises & issuing platforms

What did TJ promise if he was elected President?

less taxes, less navy, less army, smaller government

How did candidates try to get votes in swing states?

door-to-door campaigning

In which state was the 50/50 area in the 1800s?

New York

Which NY ward had 50/50 votes between Republicans and Federalists?

7th

Which Presidential candidate gave an inaugural speech rather than writing letters to the public? Hint: He said, “everybody’s a little Federalist, and everybody’s a little Republican.”

Thomas Jefferson gave the speech

Who won the Election of 1800?

Thomas Jefferson

Was there a peaceful transfer of power between JA & TJ?

Yes, JA let TJ into office with no trouble.

When he won, did TJ keep his promises?

Yes, TJ kept his promises.

Which political party made up the majority of Congress in 1801?

Republicans

From 1798-1802, how much did the army decrease by?

14,000-3,000

From 1798-1802, how much did the navy decrease by?

25,000-7,000

What were the Barbary Wars?

A declared naval war between Thomas Jefferson and Northern African pirates.

Why did the Barbary Wars happen?

The Northern African pirates made US ships pay a tribute whenever they needed to pass through their area.

When TJ won the Barbary Wars, what happened to the tributes (taxes)?

They were cut in half

Who were the two people sent to visit New Orleans by Thomas Jefferson in Spring 1803?

James Monroe & Robert Livingston

What did Napoleon offer the US in 1803? How much did he make us pay for it?

The Louisiana Purchase, $15 million

Why did Napoleon give us the Louisiana Purchase?

He viewed it as a practical decision since he couldn’t patrol all of the land on his own while fighting in Haiti.

How many acres of land did the Louisiana Purchase give the US?

50.4 million

Did Monroe & Livingston have permission to buy the Louisiana Purchase? What did they do?

No, but they did it anyway