APUSH 4.2 The Rise of Political Parties and the Era of Jefferson

Recall that states largely outweighed federal power under the Articles of Confederation
This was rectified with the constitution, where federal power trumped state power

XYZ Affair (1797-1798)
Quasi-war with France (1798-1800)
Growth of the Democratic-Republican Party
Alien and Sedition Acts (1798) * Dem-Reps were strongly against this, they felt that it infringed upon free speech * Many of these representatives went to their home states and passed laws that nullified this act * An act from the Federalist party
Virginia Resolves (1799) * From the Dem-Reps * Driven by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison

Conflict over the Alien and Sedition acts contributes to division between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans
It would be a toss-up between Adams, pushing for strong federal power, and Jefferson, wanting more state power

Election of 1800 occured
John Adams, in a last-ditch effort to make federalist power last, appoints supreme court judges in the middle of the night, before power turned over * These would come to be known as the midnight judges
Adams literally runs out of time and signs some of the appointments past midnight * One of these was the appointment of William Marbury as the Justice of Peace in D.C. * Since time ran out, the appointment was never delivered
At this time John Marshall is Secretary of State and Chief Justice

Thomas Jefferson comes to power, instating James Madison as his Secretary of State, making the White House entirely Dem-Rep
The Chief Justice is still John Marshall and so the supreme court is mainly Federalist
William Marbury, being a Federalist, knows he won’t get help from the White House, but the Judicial Branch might help him get his job
Marbury sues James Madison
Marshall rules that Marbury deserves his position and that he deserves a remedy, but the big question is if that remedy should come from the court * Another question is if the constitution takes precedent over any other laws made * Marshall decides that when a law goes against the constitution, courts will decide on a case-by-case basis which ends up on top * They decide that the constitution is the highest power in this case and any laws in opposition to it are void * This is Judicial Review
This also voids what Thomas Jefferson did during the Alien and Sedition Acts, where the state of Virginia ruled a federal act unconstitutional

Intensifying debate over loose or strict construction of the constitution
Federal power is established in this ruling
Bitter political party division over… * Constitutional interpretation * Federal and state powers

Jefferson is President when the desperate Napoleon offers all French territory in North America for 15 million dollars * Although a large payment, especially for the new and debt-riddled US, this was an incredible bargain
However, Jefferson is supposed to be a struct interpreter of the constitution * Nowhere does it say that the legislative branch can initiate claims of territory * Nor does it say they can’t… For once, Jefferson uses the vague wording to his advantage * He goes through with the purchase and nearly doubles the size of the US
We didn’t know what was out there, so Lewis and Clark are sent to find the other coast and document what the rest of the continent is like * They’re gone for three years, and sometimes they’re suspected to be dead * They draw and write about tons of the plants and animals they see, bringing back seeds, leaves, hides, bones, and more * They also documented the people they encountered