Social Studies
Grade 7
Chapter 10
The Age of Jefferson
A Republican Takes Office
As a result of the Election of 1800
Jefferson becomes the 1st
Democratic-Republican President
Jefferson wanted to make the country
more Democratic.
Democratic means making sure
all people have the same rights.
Jefferson believed that ordinary people
were the nation’s strength.
Goals of Jefferson

2 main goals of his
Presidency:
 Reduce the size of
the government
 Reconcile the
differences
between the 2
political parties
1. Tries to cut the federal budget and reduce federal debt
2. Promotes laissez-faire policies in economic affairs
Laissez-faire means “leave alone”
The belief that government should play little role
in economic affairs
3. Decreases the size of Government Departments
4. Reduces the size of the Army and Navy
5. Asks Congress to repeal the Whiskey Tax
Policies of
Jefferson
1.Keeps the Bank of the United States
2.Continues to pay off State debts using Federal
money
3.Allows many Federalists to keep their
government jobs
Strengthening the Supreme
Court

Between Jefferson’s election and
inauguration President Adams appointed
many Federalist Judges to new judicial
positions
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John Marshall a Federalist, is appointed Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court
Marbury v. Madison- Marbury one of Adam’s
“midnight judges” sued Madison over his
confirmation papers

Court’s decision set judicial precedent giving the
Supreme Court power to decide whether laws
passed by Congress are constitutional or not. This
power of the Court is called Judicial Review
The Louisiana
Purchase
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Pinckney’s Treaty – Spain agreed to let US ship goods down the
Mississippi River and through the Port of New Orleans
In 1800 Spain signed a treaty giving Louisiana back to France
Jefferson feared French leader Napoleon Bonaparte was going to
establish a French empire in North America
Jefferson offered $10 million to France for the purchase of New
Orleans and West Florida
US buys the French Louisiana Territory for $15 million
Due to his strict Constitutional views
Jefferson
questioned his right to buy land, decides it is OK
Lewis and Clark
Expedition
Jefferson asks Meriwether Lewis to
head an expedition of the
Louisiana Territory
Lewis asks William Clark to go with
him
Jefferson instructs Lewis & Clark to:
- map a route to the Pacific Ocean
- study the geography of the
territory
- learn about the natives living in
the territory and tell them “our
wish to be neighborly, friendly and
useful”
In May, 1804 the “Corp of Discovery”
including, Lewis, Clark, & 50 men started
up the Missouri River from St. Louis
During the 1st winter they stayed with the
Mandan Tribe of North Dakota here they
met Sacagawea
Sacagawea was a Shoshone woman married
to a French fur trader who agreed to
accompany the “Corp of Discovery” as a
translator
In the Rocky Mountains the Lewis & Clark
expedition crossed the Continental Divide
 A Continental Divide is a mountain ridge what
separates river systems flowing toward opposite
sides of the continent
November 7, 1805 the Lewis & Clark Expedition
reached the Pacific Ocean, their return trip took
1 year
In 1806 Americans celebrated the return of the
Lewis & Clark Expedition which brought back
useful info on the Louisiana Purchase
Pike Explores the West
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1805-1807 Zebulon Pike explored
the Arkansas River & territories of
Colorado & New Mexico
Pike traveled into Spanish territory,
is captured but he hid a map in the
barrel of his gun
Pike’s report on his expedition
greatly expanded US knowledge of
the Southwest
By 1812 the population around
New Orleans grew for the settlers
to apply for statehood.
In 1812 the state of Louisiana
enters the Union
American Neutrality
• 1803 France & Great Britain again go to
war
• Americans claim neutrality and profited by
trading with both sides
• Neither France or Great Britain wanted the
US to sell supplies to its enemy
• French seized US ships bound for
England
• British needing sailors stopped American
ships and impressed US sailors.
– Impressment forced US sailors to serve on
British ships
Furious Americans call for war
Jefferson responds with the
Embargo Act
• Jefferson hopes the embargo, or ban on
trade would hurt France & Britain by
cutting off needed supplies
• Jefferson persuades Congress to impose
a total embargo on all foreign trade
• Embargo Act hurt France & Britain BUT it
hurt the US more.
• US merchants turn to smuggling to sell
their goods
• Jefferson asks Congress to replace the
Embargo Act with the Nonintercourse Act
• The Nonintercourse Act allowed US
merchants to trade with all nations
except France & Great Britain
• 1808 James Madison is elected the 4th
President of the US
Conflict with Native Americans
• As white settlers moved west of the
Appalachian Mountains they ignored
treaties with the Native Americans
and over hunted animals the natives
depended on for food
• Tecumseh and his brother known as
the Prophet organize natives in a
confederation and build a village
along the Tippecanoe River
• Governor William Henry Harrison
defeats the Prophet and his followers
at the Battle of Tippecanoe, US
consider this a great victory, conflict
with Native Americans continue
US & Britain move closer to war
• President Madison makes offer to France
and Britain – if either country agrees to stop
seizing American ships the US will halt trade
with the other nation
– France agrees so the US starts trade w/
France and stops trade w/ Great Britain
– Members of Congress known as War
Hawks call for the US to go to war with
Great Britain
– War Hawks stir up nationalism ( strong
sense of devotion to ones country)
claiming the British were treating the US
as if they were still colonies
• Henry Clay from Kentucky was a
leading War Hawk
War of 1812
• June 1812 President Madison asks Congress to
declare war on Britain
• US faced problems at the start of the war
because Jefferson had cut the size of the army
and navy, and the British had blockaded US
ports
• Oliver Hazard Perry defeat British fleet on Lake
Erie
• Tecumseh supporting British is defeated (&
killed) at the Battle of the Thames
• Andrew Jackson leads American victories in
South
• 1814 British march to Washington DC, set the
White House on fire
• British move north to Baltimore which was
defended by Fort McHenry
• Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled
Banner after the Battle of Ft McHenry
• Star Spangled Banner was set to music and is
our national Anthem
Battle of New Orleans
• The victory of the Battle of New Orleans was
led by Andrew Jackson
• The Battle of New Orleans was fought 2
weeks after the peace treaty was signed in
Europe
• New Englanders protested the war and at the
Hartford Convention threaten to leave the
Union if the war continues
Peace Treaty
• Signed on December24,1814 in
the city of Ghent, Belgium
• Treaty of Ghent agreed to
restore prewar conditions
• New American heroes
emerge ie: Andrew Jackson,
Oliver Hazard Perry, William
Henry Harrison
• Americans develop great
national pride
• Europe treats US with more
respect