Chapter 9The Jefferson Era

The Republicans Take Power

Election 1800 Federalists – Adams

Republicans – Thomas Jefferson – for PresidentAaron Burr has his running mate

Jefferson and Burr each received 73 electoral votes

House of Representatives had to decide election

Jefferson president – Burr vice president

The Republicans Take Power

Twelfth Amendment 1803 Electors now had to vote for the president and

vice president on separate ballots

Jefferson believed in reducing the power and size of the gov’t – laissez-faire

• “let people do as they choose”

In office he reduced national debt, scaled down military expenses, federal internal taxes repealed

The Louisiana Purchase

Area west of Mississippi River was known as the Louisiana Territory Belonged to Spain

1802 Spain changed policy and would not allow Americans to travel to New Orleans Spain and France had secretly agreed to transfer the

Louisiana Territory to France

America bought the territory for $15 million France needed money to finance a war against Britain

New territory provided cheap and abundant land for farmers and gave U.S. control of the Mississippi River

Louisiana Territory Congress funded an expedition to explore new

territory

Head explorer – Meriwether Lewis Co-leader – William Clark

Started at St. Louis in 1804 Took 18 months to reach the Pacific Ocean

Returned to St. Louis in 1806

The journey inspired people to move westward

Zebulon Pike would lead a 2nd expedition found – Grand Peak (Pikes Peak)

Louisiana TerritoryFederalists didn’t like the

purchase because they feared that states created from the territory would be Republican and Federalists would lose power

A Time of Conflict Trade grew rapidly between America and

other nations

Fighting between Great Britain and France threatened to interfere with American trade

America traded with both countries and as long as the U.S. stayed neutral it could continue trading

France and Britain would blockade ships and search for products

Time of Conflict Britain would violate the U.S. neutral rights

Jefferson would take measures to hurt Britain without going to war

Congress passed Embargo Act - prohibit trade with another country – with Britain banned all imports and exports Embargo Act – failure cause it hurt American

commerce with other nations

Time of Conflict

James Madison Took office under unfavorable conditions

Cries for war with Britain grew

Both sides were still fighting about trade and Britain and French ships were seizing American ships

Madison saw Britain as a larger threat Faced trouble with Native Americans

Time of Conflict Madison declared war the Spring

of 1812

Only to find out Britain had ended their policy of seizing American ships

Word got to Congress too late and war was in motion

The War of 1812 The War Hawks of America were

confident they could win the war quickly

America was overall unprepared for war Untrained army Underestimated the strength of

British and their Native American allies

War Began July 1812

American forces went towards Canada but were unsuccessful

Americans could not make headway to Canada as long as Britain controlled Lake Erie

America would take control of Lake Erie on Sept 10, 1813 after a naval battle

U.S. Navy would destroy and capture many British warships

War British would attack Washington D.C. and burn

most of the city

Britain didn’t try to hold D.C. and sailed to Baltimore where people were ready for their attack

Fort McHenry fired out a fierce artillery to keep British from entering city

Francis Scott Key would write “The Star-Spangled Banner” after seeing the American flag still flying the next day It would become the nations anthem

War British would decide the war was too costly

and unnecessary after being defeated in Pittsburg

Signed Treaty of Ghent Dec. 1814 No changes to borders, just a peace

agreement

After the war Americans felt a strong sense of Patriotism

Manifest DestinyAmericans began moving west to the west coast – Oregon country to settle the region

Manifest Destiny Since colonial times Americans believed their

nation had a special role to fulfill

Believed their mission was to spread freedom by occupying the entire continent

Manifest Destiny – U.S. was destined by God to extend its boundaries all the way to the Pacific Ocean

Independence for Texas

Texas area owned by Spain Wanted territory to grow and offered land to

people

Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821 From 1823 to 1825 Mexico passed laws offering

new settlers land but in return:

Colonist learn Spanish

Become Mexican citizens

Convert to Catholicism

Obey Mexican law

Independence for Texas

1830 Americans outnumbered Mexicans

U.S. offered twice to buy Texas from Mexico

Mexico viewed Americans as a threat, issued a decree that stopped all immigration from the U.S.

Texans were angered because citizens depended on U.S. trade

Independence for Texas

1835 unrest in Texas

Santa Anna sent an army into Texas to punish rebels

Texans won a brief battle – considered first fight of the

Texan Revolution

Independence for Texas

Santa Anna marched to San Antonio

Feb 1836 – Found Texan army barricaded inside a nearby mission called the Alamo Texas lacked gunpowder

12 days held off Santa Anna's forces

Mexicans were too much and killed all defenders

March 2, 1836 Texans declared independence from Mexico –

Republic of Texas

Independence for Texas

May 14, 1836 Santa Anna signed

treaty recognizing the independence of Texas

Texas became a state in 1845

War with Mexico President Polk wanted New Mexico and

California which belonged to Mexico He was upset Mexico would not sell

Plotted war but waited for Mexico to make 1st move so he could justify a war

Proposed deal of $30 million for California and New Mexico in return for Mexico’s acceptance of the Rio Grande as Texas boundary

War with Mexico Mexico refused saying they wanted to take

back the Texas territory

Congress passed declaration of war against Mexico

Polk had a three part war plan 1. drive Mexican forces out of Texas and

secure border

2. seize New Mexico and California

3. take Mexico City

War with Mexico SUCCESS!

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Signed February 1848

Agreed on Texas and Mexico border – Rio Grande

Mexico gave California and New Mexico to U.S. for $15 million