Jefferson Administration

Election of 1800

-John Adams losing his bidder re-election

-Tie between Jefferson & Burr settles in the House of Representatives. Jefferson won

Key Jefferson Beliefs

-Reject the elitist style of Federalist

-A smaller U.S. government — less spending

-End the whiskey tax

-Much smaller army 

Grow the U.S. into Land of Farmers

-U.S. needed land to be a nation of small farmers

-Jefferson had the opportunity to make the Louisiana Purchase

-He went ahead even w/ specific permission in the Constitution

Barbary Pirates

-Pirates often attacked shipping off the north coast of Africa

-European countries paid a “tribute” to guarantee their ships were left alone

-Jefferson refused & sent U.S. Navy including Marines to “shores of Tripoli”

Embargo—Ending Trade

-An American ship, Chesapeake, was halted by the British & gunfire was exchanged. 3 Americans killed. Many demanded war be declared

-Instead Jefferson declared an embargo on trade w/ Europe

Embargo Fails

-Embargo hurt the U.S. economy much more than Europe. Congress repealed it in 1809. It did serve as a boost to manufacturing in the U.S. This is ironic as Jefferson was not looking to help this part of the economy