Thomas Jefferson
3rd President
Democratic-Republican
1801-1807
THE JEFFERSONIAN ERA
• Election of 1800 pitted Thomas Jefferson
and his Democratic-Republican Party vs.
John Adams and his Federalist Party
• While Jefferson defeated Adams by 8
electoral votes, he tied his running mate,
Aaron Burr
• For six days the House of Reps took vote
after vote until 36 votes later – Jefferson
prevailed (Led to 12th Amendment)
3rd President of the U.S.
1800 Election Results
SIMPLIFYING THE GOVERNMENT
 Jefferson’s theory of government,
known as Jeffersonian Democracy,
held that simple, limited
government was the best for the
people (“laissez faire” –
government does not interfere)
 Jefferson decentralized the
government, cut costs, reduce
bureaucracy, and eliminate taxes
Jefferson Memorial
JOHN MARSHALL AND THE POWER OF THE
SUPREME COURT
• Before leaving office, John Adams (2nd President),
attempts to “pack” the Federal courts with
Federalists Judges
• Jefferson argued this was unconstitutional
• Supreme Court Chief Justice Marshall rules in
Marbury v. Madison (1803) that part of the
Judicial Act was unconstitutional
• Established principle of Judicial Review – the
ability of the Supreme Court to declare a law
unconstitutional
THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE
• By 1803, French leader Napoleon had
abandoned his dreams of an
American Empire
• He needed money to fight European
wars, so he accepted Jefferson’s
offered of $15,000,000
• More than doubled the size of our
country
• Lewis and Clark ordered to go explore
new territory
Lewis and Clark Expedition
• Their job was to:
• Explore the Louisiana Purchase
• Map it
• Record the landscape, animals, and plants
• Establish good relationships with Native Americans
• They hoped to find a water route across the continent.
Meriwether Lewis
Sacagawea
• After spending the winter of 1804 with the
Mandan Indians, Lewis and Clark continued their
expedition with a guide.
• Sacagawea was a 17-year-old Shoshone Indian
and wife of a French trapper.
• Her language and geography skills proved to be a
great value for the expedition.
William
Clark (left)
and Meriwether Lewis
(centre) with
Sacagawea, detail from
Lewis and Clark at
Three Forks, oil
painting by Edgar
Samuel Paxson, 1912.
Think about it.
• 1. Washington warnings in his farewell address. What were they?
• 2. The amount of trade the U.S. did overseas.
• 3. Was it possible for us to stay out of foreign affairs when were
constantly involved in trading with foreign countries?
Jefferson’s Foreign Policy
• His Expectations:
• To concentrate on
domestic concerns at
home.
• Grateful to be far away
from the chaos (war)
happening in Europe
and elsewhere in the
world.
• Message to U.S. citizens:
• Seek friendship with
all nations, but to
enter into “entangling
alliances with none.”
Problems with France and England
• The British (by 1805), did not want the U.S. supplying goods to
France (cutting off their enemies’ supplies).
• They set up a partial blockade, only allowing some U.S.
ships to bring provisions to Europe.
• Britain interfered with trade also by the impressment, or
kidnapping, of U.S. sailors to work on British ships.
• about 6,000 U.S. sailors from 1803 to 1812.
An Act of Congress
• Congress passed the Embargo Act of 1807.
• 1. U.S. ships were no longer allowed to sail to foreign ports.
• 2. U.S. ports were closed to British ships.
• Jefferson’s policy proved to be a disaster; more harmful to
the U.S. than the British or French.
-Farmers and
merchants were
hurt the most.
-Shippers lost
income as well.
Many chose to
violate the
embargo by
making false
claims about
their destination.
The Embargo Act
Election of 1808
•
•
•
•
The embargo was a major issue in the election.
James Madison (friend to Jefferson) won the election.
By the time he took office, Congress had repealed the embargo.
Madison’s solution: the U.S. can trade with any country EXCEPT France
and Britain.
• France & Britain had to learn to respect us.
• But his way proved no more effective than the embargo.