Pre A.P. U.S. History Notes
Band Trip Notes
4/23 – 4/25
The Democratic Revolution
and the Age of Jefferson
1800 - 1815
The ‘Revolution of 1800’
• Was a Peaceful Change in
Government
– First Time Government
Completely Changed w/o
Bloodshed
•
Walked to Inauguration
Instead of by Horse &
Carriage
– Told of Personality and
Dislike of Pomp & Prestige
•
Believed People Were all
United as Americans
• Pledged “honest friendship
with all nations, entangling
alliances with none”
Jefferson’s Change in Government
• Believed State Governments Were Closer to People and
Should Rule
– Opposite of Federalists
• Advocated Laissez – Faire Policy in Business and
Industry
• Attempted to Cut Federal Budget and Lower Taxes
– Albert Gallatin – Secretary of Treasury
• Cut National Debt from $83 Million to $45 Million
• Allowed Government to End All Internal Taxes
– Only Source of Federal Money Came from Tariffs and Sale of Western
Lands
Jefferson’s Take on the Military
• The Military Was Also on the List to Be
Minimized
• Why:
– Save Money for the National Government
– Would Hopefully Eliminate Problem of Entangling
Alliances in Europe
– D-R’s Believed Large Standing Armies Heeded
Dictatorships
• Cut Army From 4,000 to 2,500 Troops
• Minimized Naval Fleet from 25 to 7 Ships
Jefferson Fighting the Federalist
Legacy
• Alien and Sedition Acts
– Jefferson and Democratic Republican’s Do Not
Renew Acts Intended to Hold Down Party
• Pardoned Those Convicted of Acts and Refunded Fines
Paid
• The Judicial Act of 1801
– John Adams and Federalists Passed Act and
Named Numerous Judges to Newly Created
Positions While Leaving Office
• Would Save Federalist Legacy
• ‘Midnight Judges’
Overturning the Appointments
• Impeachment of a District Judge
– Republican Congress Managed to
Impeach a District Judge John
Pickering
• Was ‘Mentally Unstable’
•
Impeachment of a Supreme Court
Justice
– Attempted to Impeach Samuel Chase
• Was a Loud – Mouthed Critic of the
Republicans
• Basically Impeached b/c of ‘Political
Bias’
– Was Impeached in House but Not
Removed in Senate
A Landmark Court Case
•
William Marbury
– Named as Justice of the Peace of District of
Columbia in ‘Midnight Appointment’
•
James Madison
– Secretary of State for Jefferson
– Told Not to Carry Out Duties and Deliver
Commission
•
Marbury Sues in Supreme Court for
Position
– Marbury v. Madison (1803)
•
Decision:
– Supreme Court Can’t Decide b/c Judiciary
Act of 1801 was Unconstitutional
– Saved Face of Supreme Court
•
Established:
– Judicial Review
• Supreme Court Can Specifically Declares
Laws Passed Unconstitutional
–
Precedent
• Model for Lawyers & Court Officials to Follow
in Future
Jefferson and the Expansion
of the Country
America in European
Affairs
• Great Britain and France Were Continuing their
Battle for Supremacy in Europe
• Napoleon and France ‘Convinced’ the Spanish
to Cede New Orleans and the Louisiana
Territory to the French
• Problems for the Americans:
– ‘Right of Deposit was Removed’
– Would Have to Probably ‘Dislodge’ Napoleon from
Area if Completely Settled
• America Didn’t Have that Powerful of a Military
The Louisiana Purchase
• Jefferson Sends Envoy to Purchase
Louisiana Territory
– Could Offer Max. of $10 Million to Purchase as
Much Territory as Possible
•
If French Would Not Sell, Must
Immediately Make Treaty w/ British
• French Offered to Sell Entire Louisiana
Territory for $15 Million
– Slaves Revolted in Santo Domingo Against
French Rule – Led by Toussaint L’Ouverture
• French Returned to Put Down Rebellion But
Soldiers Died of Yellow Fever and Needed
Army Elsewhere
• Without Hispaniola, New Orleans Was of Little
Benefit for Napoleon
– Would Rather Sell Land to Americans For
War Effort and In-Case of Defeat, Wouldn’t
Have to Give New Orleans to British
Controversy Over the
Purchase
• Construction of the Constitution
– Jefferson and D-R’s Were Strict Constructionists and
Nothing in Constitution Stated Federal Government Could
Purchase Territory
• The D-R’s Were Going to Attempt to Make
Amendment to Change Constitution, But May Take
Too Much Time and Napoleon May Change His Time
– Jefferson Took Treaties to Purchase Land to Congress
Shamefully and Admitted They Were Un-Constitutional
– Congress Did Not Mind and Appropriated the Money for the
Transaction
The Louisiana Purchase (1803)
•The United States Acquired the Interior of the
Continent From France.
•It Was Approximately 828,000 Square Miles
•The Cost Per Acre Was About 3 Cents!!!!!
•If the $15 Million Was Paid to France in Full
Silver Dollars, It Would Take 25 Ships and If
Stacked, Would Be 3 Miles High!!!
Exploring the Louisiana Territory
• Jefferson Was Personally
Interested in the West and Had
Studied the Lands and Native
American Groups There
• The Louis and Clark Expedition
– Jefferson Sent His Personal
Secretary and Army Officer,
Meriwether Lewis and William
Clark to Explore the Louisiana
Territory
•
Directions for the Expedition
– Find Source of Missouri River
– Find a Usable Route Across the
Rocky Mountains to Pacific
Ocean
– Observe the Customs of the
Native Americans in the West
•
Was the First Scientific Project
to Receive Federal Money
The Lewis and Clark Expedition
1804 - 1806
Internal Issues With the
Expanding Democratic Republican
Party
• The Federalist and Burr Plot
– Aaron Burr Was the Vice – President During Jefferson’s First Term and
Dropped From the Cabinet in the Second
– They Attempted to Form a Plot to Get New York and New England to
Secede From the Union as a Result of the Republican Power Increase
• Alexander Hamilton Exposed and Foiled the Plan Even Though
No Friend of Jefferson
– Burr Challenged to a Duel and Killed Hamilton, the Final Major Leader of
the Federalist Party
•
Burr Attempted Two More Times to Destroy the U.S. Under
Republican Rule
– Once in the West and Once In Europe
– Each Failed and He Lived in Controversy the Rest of His Life