The Revolution of 1800 and After

THE JEFFERSONIANS IN POWER

THOMAS JEFFERSON AS PRESIDENT

  • Thomas Jefferson was elected President in 1800 by the House of Representatives.

  • The transition of power from Federalists to Republicans was peaceful, known as the "Revolution of 1800."

  • The Twelfth Amendment was ratified on June 15, 1804, mandating separate ballots for president and vice-president.

  • Jefferson was re-elected in 1804, with George Clinton as his vice-president.

JEFFERSON AND DOMESTIC AFFAIRS

  • Jefferson sought to broaden the electorate and envisioned a nation of small, yeoman farmers.

  • He favored a limited federal government, though states controlled voting requirements.

  • Republicans in Congress made public lands cheaper, sold them in smaller lots, and allowed installment payments through the Bank of the United States.

JEFFERSON IN POWER: JUDICIAL REVIEW

  • The Judiciary Act of 1801 expanded federal judgeships, which President John Adams filled with Federalists, including John C. Marshall as Chief Justice.

JEFFERSON IN POWER: MARBURY V. MADISON

  • William Marbury, a newly appointed Justice of the Peace, sued when Secretary of State Madison refused to deliver his commission.

JEFFERSON IN POWER: OUTCOME OF MARBURY V. MADISON

  • In 1803, Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that the portion of the Judiciary Act of 1789 Marbury used was unconstitutional.

  • This established Judicial Review, empowering the judiciary to invalidate unconstitutional laws.

JEFFERSON IN POWER: THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE

  • Alarmed by French ambitions in Louisiana, Jefferson sent a commission to Paris to buy New Orleans.

  • Napoleon unexpectedly offered to sell the entire Louisiana Territory for 15,000,000.

LOUISIANA PURCHASE: CONSTITUTIONAL CONCERNS

  • Jefferson, a strict constructionist, had constitutional concerns but acted quickly due to Napoleon's unpredictability, finalizing the purchase for approximately 18 per square mile.

LOUISIANA PURCHASE: LEWIS & CLARK EXPEDITION

  • Prior to the purchase, Jefferson ordered an exploratory expedition of the northern territories.

  • The Corps of Discovery, led by Captain Meriwether Lewis and Lieutenant William Clark, traveled up the Missouri River, crossed the continental divide, and reached the Pacific Ocean.

  • They were aided by French-Canadian trapper Toussaint Charbonneau and his wife, Sacagawea.

LEWIS & CLARK EXPEDITION ROUTE AND ENCOUNTERS

  • Key encounters included Chinook Indians on the Columbia River and Salish (Flathead) Indians.

JEFFERSON’S FOREIGN POLICY

  • Jefferson maintained neutrality during the Napoleonic Wars.

  • British actions included confiscating American cargoes and impressing American sailors.

  • France confiscated American vessels and cargo without compensation.

EMBARGO ACT OF 1807

  • Congress, at Jefferson's request, prohibited American trade with Great Britain and France to compel peace.

  • The Act caused an economic downturn in New England and unemployment but failed to achieve its goals and was repealed in 1809.

JAMES MADISON AS PRESIDENT

  • James Madison served as the fourth President (1809-1817), known as the “Father of the Constitution.”

  • He was a Republican from Virginia and Jefferson's former Secretary of State.

NON-INTERCOURSE ACT OF 1809

  • This act permitted trade with all nations except Great Britain and France, aiming for peace.

  • It failed and was replaced by Macon's Bill No. 2 in 1810.

MACON’S BILL NO. 2

  • Aimed to pressure Great Britain and France to recognize U.S. neutral trading rights.

  • Stipulated that if one recognized U.S. rights, the U.S. would sever diplomatic relations with the other within 90 days.

MACON’S BILL NO. 2: OUTCOMES

  • Napoleon complied, leading to formal French acknowledgment of U.S. rights.

  • Great Britain ignored this, prompting the United States to break diplomatic relations with them.

THE WAR OF 1812

  • Tensions rose due to British actions: seizing American ships/cargoes, impressing sailors, maintaining posts in the Northwest, and supporting Native American tribes.

  • The U.S. declared war on Great Britain in 1812.

TECUMSEH’S WAR

  • A precursor to the War of 1812, led by Shawnee war chief Tecumseh, who formed a pan-Indian alliance, and his brother, Tenskwatawa ("the Prophet").

TECUMSEH’S WAR: BATTLE OF TIPPECANOE

  • On November 7, 1811, American forces under General William Henry Harrison attacked Native American tribes at Prophet's Town.

  • U.S. troops