Chapter 6, Section 3

Jefferson Alters the Nation’s Course

To identify some of the significant changes brought about during the early years of Jefferson’s presidency

To provide examples of the Federalists’ declining power

To summarize the importance of the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark expedition

Objectives

Thomas Jefferson Virginia Dem.-Rep. 73 52.9%Aaron Burr New York Dem.-Rep. 73 52.9%

John Adams Massachusetts Federalist 65 47.1%

Election of 1800

http

://u

sele

ctio

natl

as.o

rg/R

ES

ULT

S/

Jefferson defeats Adams, 73 to 65 electoral votes

Aaron Burr delivers New York, Federalist stronghold, to Jefferson

South and West are Jeffersonian, growing in power and population

Jefferson and Burr tie. Federalists attempt to give Pres. to Burr, delaying action in the House of Reps for months, taking 35 ballots in all.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:Power had successfully

changed hands in the new republic.

“Revolution of 1800”

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:Federalists provide period of conservatism that

allows for consolidation of revolutionary gains. However, Federalists are unable to adapt aristocratic ideals into appeal to the

“common” majority of voters.

Federalists Lose Power

Virtues practiced are Frugality, Simplicity, Equality – avoid monarchical appearances

Political Moderation and Restraint -employed to ease Federalist fears

Reduced the size of govt. and pursued “free trade”

Increases Southern influence on govt., esp. Virginia’s

Did not employ excessive patronage, many Federalist appointees retain positions

Jefferson Administration

Judiciary Act of 1801 = Adams tries to pack the court with Federalist judges

Midnight judges= the Federalist appointees, including John Marshall as Chief Justice

KEY FACT: Appointments were signed but not delivered.

DEBATE: Are the appointments of Adams now binding on Jefferson?

The Struggle for the Court

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Establishes the principal ofJUDICIAL REVIEW = the ability of the Court to declare an act of Congress or the President unconstitutional.

“ The critical importance of Marbury is the assumption of several powers by the Supreme Court. One was the authority to declare acts of Congress, and by implication acts of the president, unconstitutional if they exceeded the powers granted by the Constitution. But even more important, the Court became the arbiter of the Constitution, the final authority on what the document meant. As such, the Supreme Court became in fact as well as in theory an equal partner in government, and it has played that role ever since.”

http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/democrac/9.htm

Marbury v. Madison

Jefferson Administration

Was the incident of the “midnight justices”and Marbury vs. Madison

a Failure or Success? WHY?

For Jefferson? WHY?

For the Federalists?WHY?

For the Supreme Court? WHY?

Federalists Continue to Lose PowerHamilton attacks Adams,

splitting Federalist PartyAdams/Federalists lose

election of 1804Hamilton seeks to prevent

Burr from becoming Gov. of New York in 1804

7/11/1804 Hamilton fights Aaron Burr in a duel, and is killed.

Burr kills Federalist leadership, and his own career

Federalists fade

1800-1810: Population in the Ohio Valley grows. Daniel Boone clears the Wilderness Road.

1800: Spain cedes trans-Mississippi/LA to France

1802: US loses right to deposit in New Orleans1803: Jefferson sends envoys to Napoleon4/30/1803: Frances sells LA for $15 million

Why did Napoleon sell?

What was the constitutional issue at hand for Jefferson?

Jefferson and Louisiana

Louisiana Purchase

From Marshall Sprague, So Vast and Beautiful a Land: Louisiana and the Purchase. Boston, Little, Brown and Co., 1974. P. 312.(Courtesy Special Collections Division, University of Washington Libraries.)

Avoided war with France and SpainVast tracts open for farming for growing

populationWestern expansion favors Jefferson &

Republicans, gains loyalty of Western USFederalists decline further, esp. after Burr’s

plot of secession failsEstablishes practice of “acquisition by

purchase”Establishes power of the President to make

treaties

Louisiana Purchase of 1803

Seeking a Northwest Passage and boundaries of new LA territory

1804-1806: 2 and ½ year journey, 50 men in Corps of Discovery

Navigated the Missouri, crossed the Rockies, went down the Columbia River to the Pacific and back

Received help from many Native Americans during their journey, esp. Sacajawea, a Shoshone woman who served as interpreter and guide

First Americans to cross the North American continent.

Demonstrated the viability of an overland passage to Pacific

Opened the West to settlement

Meriwether Lewis & William Clark