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How did foreign policy challenges
affect political debate and shape
American government?
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1. How did Adams compare with Washington?
2.How did U.S. policy toward France change
under Adam’s administration?
3. Were the Alien and Sedition Acts justified
under the circumstances? Explain?
4.Why do you think the Framers did not foresee
the problem that emerged during the election of
1800?
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Based on the map what part of the country
favored John Adams? What part favored
Jefferson? According to the map, who becomes
John Adams Vice President?
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John Adams would soon though face two very
famous incidents that would put a damper on
how he was viewed as President.
Immigrants, most of whom
tended to favor Democratic
Republicans, could be deported.
In 1798 Congress
passed the Alien
and Sedition Acts
making it a crime
to criticize the
government.
The Federalists claimed the acts
were necessary to stop
unhealthy criticism that was
undermining trust in the
government.
Democratic Republicans
charged the acts violated the
Constitution and were aimed to
silence the opposition.
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In 1798 and 1799, Jefferson and Madison attacked the
Sedition Act as unconstitutional in the Virginia and
Kentucky resolutions.
They suggested that states can “nullify” or reject
unconstitutional laws.
Shortly before the 1800 election, President
Adams sought peace with France.
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This angered other Federalists, including
Alexander Hamilton who then worked
against Adams’ bid for re-election.
Despite a tie in the electoral college,
Thomas Jefferson won the presidency.
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What were the successes and
failures of the Jefferson
administrations?
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1.What ideal did Jefferson believe was crucial
to a democratic society?
2.What changes did Jefferson make in the
federal government?
3.What economic developments helped
Jefferson achieve some of his goals?
4. Who was Marbury and Why was he suing
Madison?
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5. Why did the Supreme Court rule against
Marbury?
6.How did the Court both expand and limit its
powers with this decision?
7.Why did Jefferson want to buy Louisiana?
8. Why might Jefferson have been willing to
abandon strict constructionist principles in
order to buy the Louisiana Territory?
The election of
1800 changed
the balance of
power and
ended the
Federalist era in
government.
The election of 1800 marked an
important precedent as the first
peaceful transfer of power
from one political party to
another.
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Federalists held expensive public displays to
gain respect for the government. Jefferson
ended these as aristocratic threats to the
republic.
Where the Federalists discouraged
public criticism, Jefferson invited
debate and discussion.
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In office, Jefferson reduced the national debt,
the government bureaucracy, and
the size of the military.
He also cut unpopular taxes on land
and whiskey.
He benefited from increased revenues from
foreign trade and the sale of western lands.
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At the beginning of his term,
Jefferson’s Administration faced
controversy over last-minute
decisions made by John
Adams…this “battle” went to the
Supreme Court
In 1801, John Marshall became Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court.
A last-minute appointee, Marshall
eventually served 35 years and
participated in over a thousand court
decisions.
Marshall wrote over half of those
decisions himself, more than any other
Supreme Court Justice.
Determine if acts of Congress or
the President are constitutional, a
concept known as judicial review.
Marshall
applied four
Federalist
principles to
his decisions:
Federal laws are superior to state
laws.
The Constitution is to be
interpreted broadly based on the
government’s implied powers.
Contracts should be
strictly enforced.
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Video
Assignment
Bill of Rights Institution activity
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In 1801, outgoing President John Adams
appointed William Marbury (Federalist) to be
a judge.
Incoming Secretary of State James Madison
(Democratic Republican) refused to give
Marbury his appointment, so Marbury sued.
Marshall ruled against Marbury stating that the
Judiciary Act of 1789 was unconstitutional.
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Marshall’s decision set the precedent that
the Supreme Court is the institution that
determines the constitutionality of laws
(judicial review).
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In 1803, Jefferson doubled the area of the
United States by purchasing the Louisiana
Territory.
Jefferson saw farm ownership as an ideal that
freed citizens from a landlord or employer.
He wanted to expand the U.S. westward so
more Americans could be free farmers.
But, French Emperor Napoleon owned
Louisiana and threatened to forbid American
farmers from using the port of New Orleans.
Jefferson asked to buy New Orleans. To his
surprise, Napoleon offered to sell the
entire Louisiana Territory.
Jefferson decided to
contradict his “strict
construction” principles.
(The power to purchase
foreign territory is not
specifically granted by the
Constitution.)
The deal was too good to pass
up!
The Louisiana Purchase added
828,000 square miles and
doubled the U.S. for only $15
million.
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Jefferson sent a “Corps of Discovery” led by
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to
explore the territory.
The corps was tasked with learning about the
climate, plants, seeds, animals, and native
people.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition was aided by
Sacajawea, a Shoshone woman.
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In 1805, the Barbary state of Tripoli raised their
price for “protection” against pirates.
Jefferson refused to pay, sending his small
navy instead. They defeated the pirates.
This Barbary War was America’s first
overseas victory.
War between
France and
Britain brought
profits for
American
merchants but
also led to
trouble.
The British Navy began
stopping American ships and
confiscating their cargo.
To meet a shortage of sailors,
they also began to force or
“press” American sailors to
serve in the British Navy, a
practice called impressment.
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Jefferson asked Congress for an embargo,
hoping a loss of American goods would change
Britain’s policies.
The embargo failed to hurt Britain, but
American merchants and farmers suffered
from unemployment, bankruptcy, and
loss of profits.
Despite the failure of the embargo, the U.S.
expanded westward, grew economically,
and reduced its debt.