Jefferson Alters the
Nation’s Course
The Election of 1800, Jefferson’s Presidency, and
the Louisiana Purchase
The presidential election of 1800 was a bitter struggle between
Jefferson and Adams.
The Democratic-Republicans and Federalists hurled wild charges at
one another. Adams was thought of as a tool for the rich who
wanted to turn the executive branch into a monarchy. Jefferson
was thought of as a dangerous supporter of
France and an atheist.
Jefferson defeated Adams by 8 electoral
votes, but he tied his running mate, Aaron
Burr. The House of Representatives had to
decide who would be president.
Hamilton persuaded Federalists to cast
empty ballots leading to Jefferson winning
the election. This also led to an interesting
event.
The Election of 1800
Aaron Burr was so embarrassed by
Hamilton’s maneuvering that he
challenged him to a duel as a way to
gain political publicity and credit.
On July 11, 1804, the men met to
settle their differences in a duel with
pistols. Hamilton drew the first shot,
but fired into the air. Burr shot
Hamilton in the stomach, killing him.
Burr was charged with murder, but
fled the country before going on trial.
The remainder of his life was filled
with failures and mystery. He
eventually ended up fleeing to Europe
after a failed attempt to annex
Mexico, and later returning to NY.
The Duel: Burr & Hamilton
When Jefferson entered office Federalists
controlled most governmental positions.
What did Jefferson do to help
restore the balance between
Federalists?
Jefferson wanted to bring back the
republican spirit of 1776 and to do so he
replaced several Federalists with
Democratic-Republicans. By 1803, he
had balanced the two-party’s control.
Jefferson also simplified the presidency… how?
He acted as a common man by doing subtle acts such as walking to
his inauguration (as opposed to riding in a carriage) and he dressed
plainly and did not wear a powdered wig.
To simplify things more, he reduced the navy, cut internal taxes,
and reduced the B.U.S’s power. He believed in free trade.
Jefferson’s Presidency
Jefferson was the first president to reside in the
new nation’s capital in the District of Columbia. The
city was still quite primitive at the time, with dirt
roads and a backwoods feel.
The move of the capital signified a shift in politics as
Federalists and New England began losing its hold
on the federal government and the South’s
importance grew.
Jefferson and the two presidents that followedMadison and Monroe- were all from Virginia.
Why did the Federalists begin losing power in the U.S.?
Jefferson’s political moderation, Federalists neglect of
the common people, and western farmers voting
Democratic-Republican since they appealed to the
farmer all led to a decline in Federalists support
following Adams administration.
Southern Dominance of Politics
When Adams left office, he assured that the
judicial branch would keep a federalist
majority. How did he manage to do this?
The Judiciary Act of 1801 increased the
number of federal judges by 16, and Adams
appointed Federalists to these posts. They
were called midnight judges due to their
appointment late at night on Adams last day
in office.
Angered by these late appointments,
Jefferson did not honor all of them since the
papers were not delivered before Adams left
office.
This led to one of the most important court cases in U.S. history.
Marshall & The Supreme Court
William Marbury was one of these
judges that did not receive his
appointment, and James Madison was
Jefferson’s Secretary of State who was
in charge of delivering the papers.
Marbury attempted to sue since the
Judiciary Act of 1789 required the
Supreme Court to order that the papers
be delivered.
Chief Justice Marshall called this act unconstitutional since the
Constitution did not empower the Supreme Court to issue such
orders. This simple act affirmed the principle of judicial review,
which was the ability of the Supreme Court to declare an act of
Congress unconstitutional.
Marbury v. Madison
Pioneers continued expanding westward during Jefferson’s
presidency. Between 1800 and 1810, the population of Ohio grew
from 45,000 to 231,000.
In 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte persuaded Spain to return the
Louisiana Territory to France. The U.S. was alarmed with the
possibility of a more powerful nation to their west and decided to
send Monroe to France.
Monroe arrived to find
that France, after losing
Haiti to a revolution, no
longer wanted an
American empire and
offered it to the U.S. for
$15 million.
Jefferson was concerned
about the purchase, but
it passed in the Senate.
The United States Expands West
The Louisiana Purchase included all the land drained by the western
tributaries of the Mississippi River and more than doubled the size
of the United States.
Eager to explore the new territory, Jefferson appointed Meriwether
Lewis to lead the expedition called the Corps of Discovery from St.
Louis to the Pacific. He, in turn, appointed William Clark to be his
second in command.
They received help from Sacajawea, a
Native American woman who acted as a
guide and interpreter.
The expedition took 2 years and 4 months
to complete and recorded invaluable
information for future settlers.
Louisiana and Louis & Clark

HW: SPNotes 6.4, also complete any
missed work and all of Chapter 6 (if not
done already).

Leave the room better than you found it
and have a great day!
Reminders