Chapter 9 The Era of Thomas Jefferson
(1800 – 1815)
Pages 310 – 331
Jefferson Takes Office
The Louisiana Purchase
A Time of Conflict
The War of 1812
New Republican Policies
• Jefferson fired tax collectors, and some
diplomats and backed up his laissez faire ideas.
• Furthermore he reduced the army and cut it’s
budget in half.
• He released those imprisoned under the
Sedition Acts and refunded them their fines.
He thought these acts violated the
Constitutional rights of people to have
freedom of speech and the press from the
First Amendment.
Federalist Polices Remain
• Jefferson could not get rid of all federalists
ideas like repaying the national debt.
• He let federalists officials in government keep
their jobs if they did them well and were loyal
citizens.
Question
The Sedition Act punished people who openly criticized the
government. When Jefferson took office ,
A. He founded a newspaper to publish information about
the executive branch
B. He signed a bill authorizing special privileges to
newspaper journalists
C. He released people who had been imprisoned under
the Sedition Act
D. He supported the passage of a “freedom of the press
bill”
The Supreme Court and Judicial Review
• Jefferson did not let one federalists
keep his job, Judge William Marbury
who was appointed to the courts by
Adams just before his term ended.
• Marbury sued Jefferson and the case
went to the Supreme Court. Marbury
claimed that the Judiciary Act of 1789
gave him the right to keep his post.
• The Supreme Court led by Chief
Justice John Marshall ruled against
Marbury in a case that became known
as Marbury vs. Madison who was
Secretary of State and the one who
had to fire him.
• This led to the Supreme Courts ability
to rule laws as being unconstitutional
which is known as Judicial Review.
Question
Which of the following is an example of Judicial Review
A. The Supreme Court rules that a new law violates the
Constitution
B. Congress agrees to appoint a Supreme Court Justice
C. A newspaper article criticizes a Supreme Court decision
D. A decision by a lower court is appealed to a higher
court
Section 2 The Louisiana Purchase
• Jefferson limited the power of government but he had a great
interest in the Western lands.
The Nation Looks West
• There were a million settlers from the Appalachian Mountains
to the Mississippi by 1800.
• Most were farmers and sent their goods down the Mississippi
River to the port of New Orleans to sell to the rest of the
world.
• Spain controlled the lower part of the river and had a deal
with us to let us sail through to do this trading.
• Jefferson learned that Spain had secretly given the Louisiana
Territory back to France and he feared Napoleon’s power to
want to conquer other lands.
• Would the westward expansion of the country be blocked by
this military dictator?
Buying Louisiana
• Even before this transfer
took place Spain stopped
the shipping of American
goods in 1802 and the
western settlers exploded
with anger.
• Many in the U.S. wanted
Jefferson to declare war to
get back their rights to use
the major southern port of
New Orleans.
Question
The Mississippi River was especially important
to farmers because it
A. Blocked the westward expansion of the U.S.
B. Was a barrier protecting them from Native
American attacks
C. Encouraged new settlers to come north on
barges and steamboats
D. Allowed them to ship their crops to market
in New Orleans
A Surprise Offer
• Jefferson thought it better to try and buy New
Orleans and part of Florida. He sent James
Monroe and Robert Livingston to try and work
a deal.
• The French colony of Haiti at that time
declared their independence and France lost a
foothold to defend these western lands.
• England was threatening to go to war with
France and Napoleon needed money to
support his army in this fight. He offered not
only New Orleans but all the Louisiana
Territory!
• Since it would take months to talk to Jefferson
the two agreed to buy these lands for 15
million dollars or 4 cents an acre!
These lands almost doubled the size of our country.
• Although it was mostly
unexplored and wilderness
Jefferson believed it would
become good fertile lands for
future settlers.
• The size of our country would
allow us to become a future
power in the world and people
like Robert Livingston saw this.
Jefferson’s Dilemma
• Jefferson realized that the
constitution said nothing
about President’s having
the power to buy lands.
• He however had the right to
sign treaties and
approached it that way and
the Senate quickly voted to
buy the Louisiana Territory.
Question
Thomas Jefferson was uneasy about purchasing
the Louisiana Purchase because
A. He worried the land would be of poor quality
B. He did not trust Monroe and Livingston to
make a fair deal with the French
C. He did not have the constitutional power to
buy the land from another country
D. He worried he would anger farmers who
shipped their crops to New Orleans.
Question
From which foreign nation did the United States
purchase the Louisiana Purchase from
A. Spain
B. Britain
C. Haiti
D. France
Lewis and Clark Explore the West
•
•
•
•
In January of 1803, even before the
deal was officially done, Jefferson
asked Congress to come up with 2,500
dollars to fund an expedition or a long
and organized journey.
Jefferson picked Meriwether Lewis to
be the Captain of the trip and Lewis
picked William Clark to be his co
leader.
Their assignment was to report back
on the geography, plants, animals, and
other natural features of the region.
Jefferson also wanted to see if they
could find a water route from the
Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean.
Into the Unknown
• In the spring of 1804 The Corps of
Discovery headed into the unknown.
Leaving St. Louis and heading up the
Missouri River.
• They had about 40 men and supplies
spread out amongst their 3 boats. There
were several French Canadians and one
slave named York.
• In early August they met native Americans
for the first time and 3 weeks later they
were at the eastern edge of the Great
Plains.
• By October of 1804 they reached an area
controlled by the Mandan people and
spent their first winter there.
Sacagawea (wife of a French Canadian Guide)
• While staying with the
Mandan Lewis and Clark
meet a French Guide and
his wife Sacagawea.
• She is a Shoshone Indian
who would become their
translator.
Crossing the Rockies
• In April of 1895 they set out for the West
and by summer they were starting to
climb the Rocky Mountains.
• They came across some Shoshone Indians
and Sacagawea recognized the Chief to be
her brother. With her help the Shoshone
agreed to sell the expedition horses they
needed to cross the Mountains.
• Lewis had hoped to see a huge river to
cross the Mts. but all he saw was a long
massive set of high mountain peaks. They
needed these horses badly.
At the Pacific
• On the other side of the Rockies they
came to the Columbia River and made
canoes to travel up river.
• In an early morning November fog
they finally saw the Pacific Ocean.
• They stayed the winter of 1805 – 1806
on the coast where the Columbia
meets the Pacific Ocean.
• That March they headed home and it
took 6 months to make it back to St.
Louis and boy did they have stories to
tell about a cool area known as the
West.
Question
Which of the following was not a result of the
Lewis and Clark expedition
A. Information about plant and animal life in
the west
B. A reluctance to explore more of the
Louisiana Territory
C. Increased knowledge of Native American
cultures
D. A map showing a new route to the Pacific
Ocean
Pike’s Expedition
•
•
•
While Lewis and Clark were discovering
the Pacific Zebulon Pike took an
expedition to explore the southwestern
part of the Louisiana Territory.
As he tried to climb a mountain that rose
out of the plains in Colorado he found
himself in snow up to his waist and had to
turn back. This mountain has forever been
known as Pike’s Peak.
His return trip took him through Spanish
New Mexico where he was captured by
Spanish troops. Eventually his group was
released months later and they shared the
beauty of the area they had explored. This
made Americans interested in the
Southwest forever after.
Read pages 322 – 331 and answer the following questions on a sheet
of paper. Also answer the Check Your Progress questions 1- 5 on the
same paper.
• What was the point of Jefferson’s Embargo
Act and what were the results for Americans?
• Who was Tecumseh and the Prophet and what
did each want for their people?
• What were the two main reasons their were
War Hawks in 1812?
• What are impressments and how did they
effect Americans?
Section 3 A Time of Conflict (Jefferson Era)
• Washington and Adams had
troubles dealing with Britain and
France. Neither wanted to take
sides and Jefferson was no
different.
Defeating the Barbary States
• Four small countries in North
Africa began attacking American
Ships after the Revolutionary War
because we seemed weak and
easy prey.
• The Barbary States were taking
goods and men from European
and American ships unless they
paid tribute – money paid by one
country to another in return for
protection.
• Jefferson stopped the practice of
paying tribute and sent war ships
to the Mediterranean Sea to
protect merchant ships.
• After a war ship called the
Philadelphia ran aground at the
port city of Tripoli and the sailors
imprisoned, Stephan Decatur led
300 men in a raid to burn the ship
and were successful.
• These men were known as
Marines and that is where the
line “from the shores of Tripoli”
comes from in the Marine
Anthem or song.
• This inspired confidence in the
American Army and the new
nation.
•
American
Neutrality
is
Challenged
By 1803 Britain and France were at
war again. This gave American
companies opportunities to make
money.
• Yet, both French and British war ships
attacked American trading ships at
sea to stop the other from getting
goods from us.
• All in all over 1,500 ships were
captured by these two countries from
1803 to 1807.
• England was running low on sailors
and turned to impressments which is
capturing sailors at sea and claiming
they were British whether they were
or not just to get more men.
•
•
•
•
Jefferson Responds with an Embargo
Trying to avoid war with either country, Jefferson decided not
to let Americans trade with Britain or France. This is called an
embargo.
This did not go well since American businesses lost millions.
Jefferson was not looked upon very well by these wealthy men
who were losing money every day.
New Englanders were the most angered since that area
depended on trade with Britain. So they turned to smuggling
products across the Atlantic.
In 1809 Congress repealed the Embargo Act just before
Jefferson left office. It passed a less severe act which allowed
American companies to trade with countries other than
England and France. It also stated that when these two
countries start to treat our ships with more respect Americans
could begin to trade with the two great powers again.
Tecumseh and the Prophet
• In 1803 Ohio became a state and settlers
kept moving farther west into the
Indiana territory and beyond. This
destroyed Native American hunting
grounds and gave them diseases they
had no protection from.
New Leaders Take Charge
• The Shawnee were hit hard by these
developments. After 1805 two brothers
began urging Native American resistance.
Their names were Tecumseh and the
Prophet.
• While Tecumseh organized tribes to unite
against the whites his brother urged
them to return to their traditional ways
of the past.
Harrison’s Victory
• The Governor of Indiana,
William Henry Harrison,
decided to take matters into
his own hands and attack the
native Americans along the
Tippecanoe River.
• This was a major victory and
the power of Tecumseh’s
league went down but he and
his braves still continued to
fight for years.
Question
Which of the following became famous for
winning the Battle of Tippecanoe
A. Tecumseh
B. The Prophet
C. Oliver Hazard Perry
D. William Henry Harrison
Section 4 War of 1812
Our first 3 presidents did their best to avoid
war with Britain and France. Our 4th
president will not be so fortunate.
The Move Toward War
• Tension with Britain grew worse in 1812
because Americans were mad that the
British were supplying native Americans
like Tecumseh with weapons.
Furthermore impressments continued
and got even worse with the British
declaring they would not stop.
• Congressmen like Henry Clay and John
Calhoun wanted to declare war on
Britain and became known as War
Hawks.
Early Days of the War
• Britain was already at war with France but did
not turn down the opportunity to attack the
U.S.
• Jefferson had weakened the Navy and Army
and neither was ready for war even though
Americans had a great sense of nationalism or
a great feeling of patriotism for their country.
• Britain set up a blockade around major U.S.
ports with 135 war ships and plenty of men.
• Americans won a major sea battle when the
U.S. Constitution beat the Guerriere in a fierce
sea battle. Artillery fire bounced off the sides
of the American ship and the sailors
nicknamed her “ Old Ironsides” since her thick
wooden sides seemed like iron.
The War in the West and the South
In the west both sides fought for control of the
Great Lakes and both had allies with Native
Americans.
Invasion of Canada
• Americans thought that Canada would
welcome independence from British rule. We
sent 2,000 men under General Hull into
Canada but Hull was unsure of his own
abilities and retreated.
• A British army followed him and captured the
entire army and this was a big loss in 1812.
• The American fleet did better on the Great
Lakes at Put-in-bay where after a 3 hour
battle the American Navy won control of Lake
Erie which forced the British army to retreat
back into Canada.
Oliver Hazard Perry
• We have met the enemy and
they are ours.
• As the British retreated an
American force under William
Henry Harrison chased them
and won a battle called Thames
where Tecumseh was killed.
Conflict in the South
• Native Americans in the south lost as
well when Andrew Jackson defeated the
Creeks at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend
and they gave over most of their lands to
the whites in 1814.
Final Battles
The British finally defeated Napoleon in
1814 and were able to send many more
troops to America.
The British Attack Washington and
Baltimore
• Now the British strategy became to
capture the capital of Washington D.C.
and came very close to reaching their
goal.
• In August of 1814 the British marched into our capital and
burned down many government buildings and then headed to
Baltimore.
• Just before the British got to the Capital Building Dolly the
wife of James Madison had the servants gather important
papers and paintings for future generations or posterity.
• Baltimore was defended by Fort McHenry and the British had
to attack it. On the night of September 13th 1814 the British
War Ships bombed the fort all night.
• Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer being held on a
British ship watched the battle through the night.
• When the fort still waved the American Flag the next morning
it was nearly a miracle and he wrote a poem about it which
became our national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner. I still
get goose bumps, seriously.
Question
Which of the following wrote a poem that
became our National Anthem?
A. William Henry Harrison
B. James Madison
C. Francis Scott Key
D. Oliver Hazard Perry
The War Ends
• By 1814 Britain had grown tired of war
and decided to sit down with some or
our diplomats in Ghent, Belgium and
work out a treaty.
• On Christmas Eve the Treaty of Ghent
was signed but news took weeks to
travel back to the States.
• The two sides fought one more battle
that was really unnecessary at New
Orleans. It was a stunning victory for the
Americans and Andrew Jackson of
Tennessee led the mix of Americans of
many backgrounds against the bulldog
British.
Protests and Peace
• New Englanders in particular hated the war since they did
most of there trading with Britain.
• They called it Mr. Madison’s war after the blockade ruined
their businesses even more.
• A group of northern Federalists met in Hartford Connecticut in
December of 1814. Some delegates suggested they secede
from the Union which means leave to make their own
country.
• When news of the peace treaty arrived the convention broke
up and the threat was over.
• Some felt this was our second war for independence and felt
great pride in their country and it’s achievement of victory
against Britain again.
Question for the Quiz
4 Point Question
Describe the two main causes for the War of
1812 and two important results after the
Peace Treaty of Ghent was signed.
2 Point Question
To what extent were the Alien and Sedition Acts
a violation of the democratic principals of the
American Revolution?
Read pages 349 – 367 and answer the following questions on a
sheet of paper.
1.What were nominating conventions and why were they
better than having a caucus choose the presidential
candidates?
2.In 1827 the Cherokee claimed status as a separate nation
from the U.S. What did they do to believe they could do
this?
3.Why could a person say that President Jackson’s Indian
Removal Act of 1830 was unconstitutional?
4.What do I mean when I say, “Sequoyah was interested in
the talking leaves?”
5.Why would the idea of nullification weaken the Federal or
Central Government?
6.What caused Jackson to put federal troops on alert in
South Carolina in December of 1832?