Thomas Jefferson 1801-1809
President Thomas Jefferson 1801-1809 Democratic-Republican
Presidential Rankings: C-Span Survey, 2009 1. Abraham Lincoln 15. Bill Clinton 29. Zachary Taylor 2. Franklin Roosevelt 16. William McKinley 30. Benjamin Harrison 3. George Washington 17. John Adams 31. Martin Van Buren 4. Theodore Roosevelt 18. George H.W. Bush 32. Chester Arthur 5. Harry Truman 19. John Quincy Adams 33. Rutherford Hayes 6. John Kennedy 20. James Madison 34. Herbert Hoover 7. Thomas Jefferson 21. Grover Cleveland 35. John Tyler 8. Dwight Eisenhower 22. Gerald Ford 36. George W. Bush 9. Woodrow Wilson 23. Ulysses Grant 37. Millard Fillmore 10. Ronald Reagan 11. Lyndon Johnson 12. James Polk 13. Andrew Jackson 14. James Monroe 24. William Taft 25. Jimmy Carter 26. Calvin Coolidge 27. Richard Nixon 28. James Garfield 38. Warren Harding 39. William Harrison 40. Franklin Pierce 41. Andrew Johnson 42. James Buchanan
Election of 1800 2 distinct parties Adams vs. Jefferson again Federalists want strong govt, public order DRs liberty and states rights Jefferson would realize that strong govt is needed during moments of crisis Lots of mudslinging in this election!
Mudslinging Federalists criticized due to no war with France (within own party) and Alien and Sedition Acts War prep had led to debt and new taxes All dressed up with no place to go Jefferson personally attacked Robbed a widow and her children of a trust fund Fathered numerous children with Sally Hemings slave girl Called an atheist due to his liberal beliefs about religion Hid their Bibles when TJ got elected
Big Idea Continued debates over federal power and branches of government Expansion Constitutionality of laws Govt role in economy
Revolution of 1800 Jefferson defeats Adams 73 to 65 electoral votes mostly from south and west 3/5 compromise was decisive Deadlock Burr received same # of votes as TJ Tie will be broken by House each state has 1 vote House dominated by Feds who prefer Burr Broken when a few Federalists didn t vote didn t like Burr, hoped for moderation with TJ Even Hamilton backed TJ!! 12 th amendment (1804) created separate ballots for president and vice president
1800 Election Results Adams Jefferson
1800 Election Results (16 states in the Union) Thomas Jefferson Aaron Burr Virginia New York Democratic- Republican Democratic- Republican 73 52.9% 73 52.9% John Adams Massachusetts Federalist 65 47.1% Charles Pinckney South Carolina Federalist 64 46.4% John Jay New York Federalist 1 0.7% Total Number of Electors 138 Total Electoral Votes Cast 276 Number of Votes for a Majority 70
1800 Election Results (Into the House of Representatives!!) 1 vote for each State Thomas Jefferson Virginia Democratic-Republican 10 62.5% Aaron Burr New York Democratic-Republican 4 25.0% Blank ------- 2 12.5%
Revolution of 1800 Federalists go downhill soon gone Was it a revolution? Return to spirit of the American Revolution restore the republican experiment Peaceful transfer of power to another power
Characteristics Inaugural Address signified unity We are all Republicans, We are all Federalists Simple and frugal no frills Unconventional Received guests in nightgown and slippers Sent messages to Congress by clerk Weak voice and unimpressive platform presence Most effective at dinner parties - charming Forced to reverse many of his principles His theories didn t work in practical politics
Policy Changes Showed moderation didn t dismiss Federalists from office (to the dismay of DR s) Absorbed many of Federalist policies/programs Alien and Sedition Acts expired Changes Pardoned those imprisoned for sedition 1802 naturalization Act reduced 14yrs to 5 No more excise tax cost federal govt $1 million a year Sec of Treasury Albert Gallatin national debt is a curse reduced it Other Hamiltonian policies still in place
Court Cases Republican Congress repealed Judiciary Act of 1801 (Midnight Judges) Chief Justice John Marshall TJ s cousin At Valley Forge saw drawbacks of a weak central govt Lifelong Federalist Marbury v. Madison (1803) One of most important Supreme Court decisions in U.S. history
John Marshall 1. Most important Chief Justice in U.S. History 2. Long maintained Federalist principles on the Court even after the party died
Marbury vs. Madison, 1803 1. Perhaps most important Supreme Court decision in U.S. history 2. Judicial Review Supreme Court has final say in constitutionality The Supreme Court could overturn a law passed by Congress Significance: power of Supreme Court dramatically enhanced
Military America should be an example for the world Peaceful coercion NO military force Reduced military to a police force of 2500 Reduced navy Tripolitan War (1801-1805) Pirates of N. African Barbary States blackmail and plunder merchant ships in Med. Sea Federalists bought protection Pirates of Tripoli informally declared war on US when they no longer got the bribes under TJ But..TJ is a noninterventionist Did send a small fleet fought for 4 years 1805 peace treaty for $60,000 ransom for captured Americans TJ became fascinated with small gunboats made many for low cost to guard shores
Jefferson sent the U.S. navy led by Stephen Decatur to Tripoli Stephen Decatur Burning of the Frigate Philadelphia in the Harbor of Tripoli, February 16, 1804
Lieutenant Stephen Decatur and Midshipman Thomas Macdonough board a gunboat in Tripoli
Louisiana Purchase 1800 Napoleon got region of Louisiana from Spain (secret) US couldn t go down Miss. River anymore hurt trade People want to attack New Orleans lead to war with France and Spain TJ needs allies to defeat Napoleon but wanted no alliances 1803 sent Monroe to Paris Instructions: Buy New Orleans and as much land as possible for $10 mil If it failed US would ally with GB Napoleon sells and abandons dream of New World empire Wants to get rid of it all sold for $15 mil Had 1000s of Indians, French, Spanish, blacks
Louisiana Purchase Why did Napoleon sell? 1. Haitian Revolution led by Touissant L Ouverture Napoleon didn t get Santo Domingo 2. Didn t want an Anglo-American alliance sold land and use $ for his schemes hopes one day US will take down GB Constitution didn t authorize the President to negotiate treaties such as this Jefferson wants to create an amendment but there isn t time Napoleon could withdraw offer Sent to the Senate for approval Senate did!! This was unconstitutional (loose interpretation)
Napoleon, Emperor of the French Empire
Haitian Rebellion (1791) Toussaint L Ouverture led exslaves in a bloody revolt Malaria/yellow fever Thwarted Napoleon s desire for a North American empire
The Louisiana Purchase, 1803
Why would this land be signficant?
Significance: Most important land purchase in U.S. History 1. Doubled size of U.S. w/ richest river valley in the world 2. Guaranteed Mississippi waterway to Gulf of Mexico 3. Paved the way for westward expansion and tragic removal of Indians 4. Effectively ended European expansion in North America -- can disengage from Europe