Chapter 7 - THE AGE OF JEFFERSON, 1800-1816

Thomas Jefferson

• new president after the election of 1800

• recognized the need for a smooth and peaceful transition of power from the Federalists to the Democratic-Republicans.

• Inaugural Address of 1801 - stressed the popular acceptance of the basic principals of constitutional government: “We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists” - call for unity and by 1816 it was realized

• in his first term, he supported the national bank and Hamilton’s plan to appease to the Federalists while retaining the loyalty of DR supporters by adhering to the central government.

  • reduced the size of the military, eliminated some federal jobs, repealed the excise tax even on whiskey, lowered the national debt

  • MOST IMPORTANT - see Louisiana Purchase

• see Marbury vs Madison

• suspended the Alien and Sedition acts by Adams and released ppl that were jailed as a result of them

• supported campaign of impeachment, which was partly a failure but there was still the threat of impeachment that existed

• reelected in 1804 and got 162/176 electoral votes. but his second term had more difficulties. plots by Burr, his former vice president

• sought to maintain neutrality despite increasing provocations from France and Britain during the Napoleonic wars.

Louisiana Purchase

• for many years, the Louisiana and New Orleans territory was claimed by Spain

• in 1800, French military and political leader Bonaparte secretly forced Spain to give back territory to France (former owner) because he waned to restore the French empire. but Napoleon lost interest in this plan because he needed to concentrate French resources on fighting England and because he a rebellion by Louverture resulted in heavy French losses

• During Jefferson’s presidency, the western frontier expanded. Settlers near the Indiana territory depended on economic existence for transporting goods on rivers that flowed westward into the Mississippi and southward to New Orleans. In 1802, Spanish officials closed the port which violated the Pinckney Treaty so the people wanted government action. but Jefferson was concerned

• Jefferson sent ministers to France to offer $10M for N.O. and another strip of land. Napoleon sold the entire Louisiana Territory for $15M, which was a surprise

• question about violation to the Constitution - Jefferson wanted a strict interpretation of the Constitution and rejected Hamilton’s arguments that certain powers for implied. No clause in the Constitution said that a president could purchase foreign land. But he set aside his idealism for the good of the country. purchase was ratified

• EFFECTS - doubled the size of the United States, removed European presence from the borders, and expanded the western frontier beyond the Mississippi. strengthened Jefferson’s hopes that the country’s future would be based on agrarian society rather than Hamilton’s view of an urban and industrial society. increased Jefferson’s popularity and made the Federalists seem weak.

• Lewis and Clark Expedition - see flaschard

War Hawks

group of new, young DRs mostly from Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio (frontier states). Known as war hawks because of their eagerness of war with Britain. gained influence in H.O.R led by Henry Clay and John C Calhoun. argued that war with Britain would be the only way to defend American honor, gain Canada, and destroy American Indian resistance on the frontier.

Henry Clay

leader of War Hawks

John C. Calhoun

leader of War Hawks

Tecumseh

Shawnee chief and warrior who promoted resistance to the expansion of the United States onto Native American lands

Prophet

a religious leader

William Henry Harrison

governor of the Indiana Territory who took aggressive action against the Natives

Battle of Tippecanoe

Harrison destroyed the Shawnee headquarters and put an end to Tecumseh's efforts to form an Indian confederacy. Britain provided limited aid to Tecumseh. Americans blamed the British for instigating the rebellion.

strict interpretation

forbids the government from doing anything except what the Constitution specifically empowers it to do

John Marshall

• Jefferson’s cousin from Virginia

• Federalist judge

• appointed chief Justice of the Supreme Court during the last parts of Adams’ presidency

• held his post for 34 years

• strong influence on Supreme Court as Washington had on presidency

• generally strengthened the central government while sacrificing states’ rights

• see “Marbury vs. Madison (1803)”

judicial review

Marshall established this doctrine. see effects of Marbury vs. Madison flashcard

Marbury vs. Madison (1803)

• first major case decided by Marshall that put him at conflict w Jefferson

• Jefferson wanted to block the Federalist judges appointed by Adams so he order James Madison (secretary of state) not to deliver commissions to the Federalist Judges

• Marbury (one of Adams’ judges) sued

• the case went to the Supreme Court in 1803 and Marshall ruled that Marbury had rights to his commission but bc of the Judiciary Act of 1789 gave Court greater power than the constitution had allowed, so the law was unconstitutional and Marbury didn’t get his commissions

• Marshall sacrificed Federalist gain for a judicial victory. he established the doctrine of judicial review.

• effect: from now on, the Supreme Court exercised the power to decide whether an act of Congress or of the president was allowed by the Constitution, so they could overrule the other two branches of the government

Aaron Burr

• Jefferson’s former vice president who plotted against him

• Jefferson did not nominate Burr for the second term

• embarked on a series of ventures that threatened to breka up the Union and another which resulted in Hamilton’s death

• He secretly formed a political pact with radical New England Federalists to win the NY governship in 1805 and united it with NE states and then lead them to secede from the nation. most Federalists opposed this and followed Hamilton, and Burr was defeated in the NY election.

• Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel and shot him to death. Hamilton’s death deprived the Federalists of their last great leader and made Burr a big enemy

• Jefferson ordered Burr’s arrest and trial for treason. Marshall was at the frial.

“Quids”

party within the Democratic-Republic party that accused Jefferson of not sticking to their principles

Hartford Convention

• special convention @ Hartford, Connecticut to address concerns such as the N.Eng wanting to break off from the Union and the radical Federalists

• delegates from N.Eng states rejected the radical calls for secession

• but a number of proposals were adopted like the two-thirds vote of both houses for any future declaration of war.

• shortly after, news came of Jackson’s victory at New Orleans and Treaty of Ghent which ended critics of the war and weakened the Federalists

Napoleon Bonaparte

• French military and political leader who forced Spain to give back territory in an attempt to restore the French empire in the Americas

see “Louisiana Purchase”

• Napoleon’s Deception - announced his intention of revoking the decrees that had violated U.S. neutral rights. Taking Napoleon at his word, Madison carried out the terms of Macon's Bill No. 2 by embargoing U.S. trade with Britain in 1811. However, he soon realized that Napoleon had no intention of fulfilling his promise. The French continued to seize American merchant ships.

• spring of 1814 - defeat of Napoleon enabled British to increase their forces in North America

Toussaint L’Ouverture

led a rebellion against French rule on Santo Domingo and resulted in heavy French losses

Barbary Pirates

• piracy practiced by the Barbary states on the North African coast.

• to protect US merchant ships from being stolen, Washington and Adams paid tribute to the Barbary governments. ruler of Tripoli demanded more from Jefferson.

• but Jefferson refused to pay. sent a small fleet of US navy to the Mediterranean.

• Sporadic fighting lasted from 1801-1805 and

• although US did not get a victory, it gained respect and offered a measure of protection for US vessels trading in Mediterranean waters.

neutrality

challenges to neutrality:

• as the Napoleonic wars continued throughout Europe which shaped commercial economy of USA

• France and Britain attempted naval blockades of enemy ports and seized ships of neutral nations and confiscated cargoes

• chief offender from US perspective was Britain since the Britain navy dominated the Atlantic

• impressment

impressment

forcing people into service

Chesapeake-Leopard Affair

• incident at sea

• almost led to war

• in 1807, off of the coast of Virginia, Leopard (British war ship) fired on the US ship Chesapeake.

• 3 Americans killed and four others were impressed into the British navy.

• Effect: Anti-British sentiment and people demanded war. but Jefferson resorted to diplomacy and economic pressures.

Embargo Act (1807)

• alternative to war

• prohibited American merchant ships from sailing to any foreign port.

• Jefferson hoped that this would make the British stop violating the rights of neutral nations rather than losing US trade.

• but this backfired and brought greater economic hardship to the USA.

• British could find substitute supplies from South America

• negative impact on merchant marine and shipbuilders of New England.

• The New England states even wanted to secede from the Union.

• Jefferson called for the repeal of the embargo act during the final days of his presidency. Even after the repeal, US ships could trade with all nations except Britain and France.

James Madison

• close friend of Jefferson

• while president - national experienced peaceful political change, expanded territorially, survived another war, strengthened its nationalistic spirit, even though challenges like slavery, treatment of natives, and loyalty to local interests.

• also was Secretary of state under Jefferson

• viewed as a brilliant thinker

• worked with Jefferson to create the DR party

• weak public speaker, stubborn, and lacked Jefferson’s political skills.

Non-Intercourse Act (1807)

Madison hoped to end economic hardships while maintaining the country’s rights as a neutral nation. this act provided that Americans can trade with all nations except Britain and France.

Macon’s Bill No. 2

Nathanial Macon (member of Congress) introduced a bill that restored trade with Britain and France. but the SECOND BILL said that if either Britain or France formally agreed to respect US neutral rights at sea, then the US would prohibit trade with that nation’s foe.

War of 1812

causes

• continued violation of US neutral rights at sea

• troubles w British on the western frontier

• Free seas and trade

  • US depended on shipping across Atlantic

  • but the European countries didn’t respect this

  • British violations were worse than the French

• Frontier Pressures

  • Americans on the frontier wanted more open land and wanted the lands of Canada and Florida.

  • Conflict with the American Indians was still a problem for the westerners

  • Shawnee brothers attempted to unite all of the tribes east of the Mississippi —> see “Battle of Tippecanoe

• see “War Hawks”

• finally Madison was persuaded to seek war against Britain.

nation - the nation was very divided in support for the war.

• for the war - Pennsylvania and Vermont, southern and western states

• against - NY, NJ, and rest of N.Eng states

Election of 1812 - Madison reelected, defeated Clinton

Opposition to war - “Mr. Madison’s War”.

• most outspoken was the merchants from N.Eng (bc of after the Embargo Act, they were making profits), Federalist politicians (thought it was a scheme), and “Quids” (see flashcard) they said it violated the classing DR commitment to limited federal power and maintenance of peace.

- Americans launched a poor three-part invasion of Canada. but this was easily defended by Britain

• The US did, however, get some notable victories due to shipbuilding and good sailors, which included many free african americans.

British set fire to White House, and other buildings. Tried to take Baltimore, but Fort McHenry held out.

LEGACY OF THE WAR

• none of its original aims from Madison’s perspective

• US gained respect from other nations

• Canada became part of the British empire and US accepted

• Federalist part came to an end

• talk of nullification and secession in N.Eng

• Natives forced to surrender land to white settlement bc they were abandoned by British

• US factories built and Americans moved towards self-sufficiency

• War heros (Jackson and Harrison)

• feeling of nationalism increased.

“Old Ironsides”

U.S. warship Constitution - raised American morale by defeating and sinking a British ship off the coast of Nova Scotia

Battle of Lake Eerie

• one of the most important battles of War of 1812

• declaring victory with, "We have met the enemy and they are ours."

Oliver Hazard Perry

American captain - battle of Lake Eerie

Battle of the Thames River

General William Henry Harrison's victory, killed Tecumseh

Thomsa MacDonough

ships commanded by him defeated a British fleet on Lake Champlain, which led to the abandoning of some British plans.

Battle of Lake Champlain

British fleet was defeated and was forced to retreat and to abandon their plans

Andrew Jackson

commander of troops in the South.

• March 1814 - Battle of Horseshoe Bend

Battle of Horseshoe Bend

March 1814, in Alabama, Jackson ended the power of the Creek nation, who was a British ally. eliminated the Indians and opened new lands to white settlers.

Creek Nation

defeated by Andrew Jackson

Battle of New Orleans

fought two weeks after the treaty ending the war was signed in Ghent

Treaty of Ghent

American peace commissioners traveled to Ghent, Belgium, to discuss terms of peace with British diplomats. On Christmas Eve 1814, an agreement was reached. The terms halted fighting, returned all conquered territory to the prewar claimant, and recognized the prewar boundary between Canada and the United States. The Treaty of Ghent, promptly ratified by the Senate in 1815, said nothing at all about the grievances that led to war. Britain made no concessions concerning impressment, blockades, or other maritime differences. Thus, the war ended in stalemate with no gain for either side.

Meriwether Lewis

Captain Meriwether Lewis led the Lewis and Clark Expedition

William Clark

Lieutenant William Clark who also led the Lewis and Clark Expedition along Lewis

Corps of Discovery (Lewis and Clark Expedition)

Before Louisiana Purchase, Jefferson persuaded Congress to fund exploration of the trans-Mississippi West led by Lewis and Clark. But the purchase greatly increased the importance of the expedition. Lewis and Clark set out in 1804 and completed the journey in 1806.

• Benefits: much stronger geographic knowledge of the region, stronger US claims to the Oregon Territory, better relations w the Natives, and more accurate maps of land routes for future settlers and fur trappers.

Francis Scott Key

wrote the poem that the Star Spangled Banner was based on

“The Star-Spangled Banner”

eventually became the national anthem; written by Key about the defence of Fort McHenry

Battle of Fort McHenry

fort stood firm during bombardment by British forces. raised American morale.