Chapters 8

Historical Context: Elections of 1796 and 1800

  • Elections of 1796:

    • An election where the President (a Federalist) and Vice President (a Democratic-Republican) were from opposing parties.

    • This result illustrated the early flaws in the electoral system.

  • Elections of 1800:

    • Issues from the previous elections remained unresolved, leading to another strange result.

    • Electoral System:

    • Each elector cast two votes without specifying which was for President and which was for Vice President (no tickets).

    • The candidate with the highest electoral votes became President; the second became Vice President.

    • No majority was achieved, leading to a tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr.

Ties and Electoral System Issues

  • Resolution of Ties:

    • If no candidate received a majority, the House of Representatives would choose the President.

    • The House voted 36 times to elect Jefferson, illustrating the difficulty in the decision.

  • Party Organization Requirement:

    • Parties needed to be organized to ensure at least one elector cast a "throwaway" vote to prevent a tie.

    • The Federalist Party was well-organized, ensuring this, whereas the Democratic-Republicans (Republicans) were not.

The Twelfth Amendment

  • Adoption:

    • Introduced in 1804 to address problems seen in previous elections.

  • Significance:

    • Created separate ballots for President and Vice President.

    • Allowed for clearer identification of votes and reduced the likelihood of ties.

Thomas Jefferson's Presidency

  • Election and Philosophy:

    • Jefferson was elected in 1800 and reelected in 1804 as a member of the Republican Party.

    • His presidency is often referred to as the "Age of Jefferson" (1800-1824).

  • Accomplishments and Actions:

    • Repealed Federalist policies (known as the "Revolution of 1800").

    • Removed Federalists from appointed offices in favor of Republicans (patronage/spoils system).

    • Notable reversals included the repeal of the Whiskey excise and the Alien and Sedition Acts.

The Aaron Burr Incident

  • Relationship with Jefferson:

    • Aaron Burr, although Vice President, and Jefferson did not have a collaborative relationship.

    • Burr was seen as trying to undermine Jefferson's presidency.

  • Duel with Alexander Hamilton:

    • Burr was involved in a duel with Hamilton in 1804, resulting in Hamilton's death.

    • Following Hamilton’s death, Burr faced legal consequences but was later acquitted.

Judicial Review: Marbury v. Madison

  • Key Case:

    • Year: 1803, during Jefferson's presidency.

    • Chief Justice: John Marshall, notable for his role in establishing judicial review.

    • Outcome:

    • The case declared portions of the Judiciary Act of 1789 unconstitutional.

    • Established the principle that the Supreme Court could declare acts of Congress unconstitutional—this became known as judicial review.

Domestic and Foreign Policy during Jefferson's Administration

  • Louisiana Purchase:

    • Context: Offered by Napoleon to fund wars.

    • Details: Cost $15 million for approximately 828,000 acres—roughly 3 cents an acre.

    • Process: Jefferson faced constitutional challenges in the purchase but utilized treaty provisions for acquisition.

  • Lewis and Clark Expedition:

    • Commissioned exploration of the newly acquired territory to understand geography and establish relations with Native Americans.

    • Expedition began in 1804, ended in 1806, yielding significant scientific and geographic findings.

  • Embargo Act of 1807:

    • Attempted to prevent American ships from sailing to Europe to protect American vessels from British impressment.

    • Resulted in significant economic hardship without effectively resolving the impressment issue.

Madison’s Presidency: Continuation of Foreign Policy Issues

  • Skipping to Madison:

    • Elected in 1808 and 1812, facing similar foreign policy issues regarding impressment of American sailors by the British Navy, a direct continuation of Jefferson's struggles.

  • War Hawks in Congress:

    • A new generation in Congress, known as War Hawks, advocated for war against Britain based on impressment issues.

    • Significant figures included Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun, who pressed for military action leading into the War of 1812.

Notable Domestic Events: Earthquakes

  • New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811-1812:

    • A series of significant earthquakes in New Madrid, Missouri, leading to geological changes and a considerable number of fatalities.

    • These events created a memory shared by those alive during the period, intertwined with the political landscape leading to conflict.

  • Conclusion of Jefferson’s Terms:

    • Jefferson's ideologies and policy implementations helped shape the trajectory of the United States in relation to its foreign policy and internal governance.

    • His administration set a precedent for the importance of foreign policy navigating a critical time in American history and established the foundations for ongoing diplomatic issues, particularly with Britain.