The Age of Jefferson and Jackson.

Washington’s Presidency:

• Reluctant to accept nomination, most important for setting precedent

• Two term limit, state of the Union Adress

• Federal judiciary, federal debts set up

• Challenges: war debt, international weakness, new political parties

• Whiskey Rebellion (1794): armed resistance to tax enforcement

• Washington personally led militia in battle

• Retired after 1796

Conflicts:

• US stayed out of French Revolution, remained neutral in French was with Britain

• Secured by the Jay Treaty (1795) with Britain

• France upset, began seizing US ships; demanded bribes, loans

• 179801800: US and France fought undeclared naval war

• Resolved in 1800, alliance voided

John Adams:

• Washington’s VP narrowly chosen as his successor

• Jefferson served as VP due to electoral system

• First open rivalry between parties: federalists vs. democratic-republicans

• 1798: signed Alien and Sedition Acts into law

• Allowed deportation of aliens deemed dangerous + prosecution of those critical of federal gov’t

Jefferson:

• VP under Adams, Washington’s Secretary of State

• Prominent anti-federalist

• Acrimonious election vs. John Adams in 1899

• Sought acquisition of Louisiana, later commissioned Lewis and Clark expedition

• Embroiled in Aaron Burr controversy

• Criticized in his second term for moving too far in a federalists direction

• 1805: defeated Barbary pirates in Tripoli (North Africa)

• Saw increased tensions with England and France

• 1807: importation of slaves banned

Louisiana Purchase:

• US acquired British lands to the Mississippi River after the Revolution

• France claimed (but generally did not control) 800,000 + sq. Miles west of the river

• Napoleon open to selling, US and French delegations negotiated

• Federalists opposed

• $18 million paid in gold

Lewis and Clark (1804-6):

• led the corps of Discovery, under military authority

• Intended to explore Louisiana Purchase, find a route to the Pacific

• Met, traded with, and established relations with Indian tribes

• Expedition would have failed without Indian trade, assistance

• Many records survive

James Madison:

• Many roles: “Father of the Constitution”, Secretary of State under Jefferson

• Elected president in 1808

• Originally a federalist, later a democratic- republican

• Presided over the Era of Good Feelings as Federalists fell after War of 1812

• Treaties and wars with Indians led to US gain of tens of millions of acres

War of 1812:

• US British relations deteriorated under pro- French Republicans

• US caught between England and France in Napoleonic Wars

• American ships harassed, sailors impressed

• US believed UK was stirring up Indian discontent in the NW: Tecumseh

• War declared June 1812, opposed by NE federalists

• Multiple invasions of Canada, all went poorly

• US fought British - allied Indians in the northeast and south

• Andrew Jackson, Winfield Scott, Stephen Decatur came to prominence

• British offense ramped up in 1814, Washington burned

• Move to make peace Aug 1814, treaty signed in Dec.

Indian Conflicts:

• Mulitple Indian wars in the early Republic

• War with Tecumseh and allies, 1810-13

• US victory at Tippecanoe under William Henry Harrison in 1811, Tecumseh killed at the Battle of the Thames in 1813

• Creek War (1813-14): Andrew Jackson to prominence, led to annexation of parts of AL and GA

• Costly Seminole wars over US incursions, annexation of FL

James Monroe:

• Rev War veteran, VA senator, ambassador to France

• Elected president in 1816

• Staunch anti-federalist, popular, willing to cross “party” lines

• Best known for Monroe Doctrine: no further European colonization or encroachment in the Americas

• First major economic slump since 1708s: Panic of 1819

• New states resulted in tension over balance of slave and free states - Missouri Compromise

Alexis De Tocqueville:

• French emissary sent to study US prisons, but travelled and studies far more widely

• Spent 9 months