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Explore the significant election of 1800, the peaceful transfer of power between parties, attacks on Federalists and Republicans, newspaper influence, campaign strategies, Jefferson's policies, and westward expansion implications. Discover how Thomas Jefferson's administration reshaped American politics and government.
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Jefferson Years Why was the election of 1800 so remarkable?
The whole executive branch of the gov passed peacefully from one party to another • Federalists attacked TJ: • Mad Jacobin • Atheist • Republicans attacked Federalists: • Treasonous • Faction of Monarchists w/ Aristocratic tendencies • Ready to conspire w/ enemies of our country
Parties • Most view them as evil, corrupt • Promoting selfish interests • Appealing to passions of people • Distracting leaders from doing calm good • TJ sees Republicans as temporary • Protection of Republican institutions • Feds don’t really think TJ will unravel system of gov • Wd get blame if it failed • Sure of return to office • Strong base in New England • Therefore: acceptance of 2 party system gives it legitimacy
Newspapers- 1790s • A. Hamilton patronized & loaned $$ to Ed. Of Gazette of the US • John Fenno • Federalist paper • TJ & Madison asked NY Journalist Philip Freneau to set up Republican paper in Phil. • TJ offered a clerkship, advertising & inside info from State Dept • National Gazette
1800 Campaign • TJ’s efforts: get Republican state legislators elected who will chose the right electors • TJ strong in So. • NY leads middle states; split: Burr, Hamilton • TJ & Burr meet: deal: If TJ wins 1st, he’d pull enough votes in So. To get Burr in 2nd. • Burr secretly organized support among older party leaders • Founded Tammany Hall • Kept campaign secret till Hamilton pieced together inferior backing • Debates, Burr beat Ham in 3 day election • Republicans sweep
Electoral votes • TJ, Burr: 73 • Adams 65 • Pinckney 64 • Jay 1 • Tie Federalist congress • 35 ballots deadlocked • TJ wins on 36th on promise to carry Federalists policies
TJ’s policies • Inaugural address • Invites Feds to join Repubs in common efforts for common good • Will of majority must prevail • Minority has rights too • Diff of opinion ≠ diff of principle • We are all Republicans • We are all Federalists • Nobody wants to dissolve union • Purpose: gently absorb both groups into one system (get rid of parties)
TJ Admin • Style: informal • Annual messages sent Congress to be read • Avoid comparison w/ Geo III reading from throne • Infrequent state dinners • Avoid comparison w/ pomp of Euro courts • No wife to take charge; shy • Lives simply • Accessible to citizens
Style of gov • By natural aristocracy of virtue & talent • Not elite of birth • Men in key posts: able, educated, experienced • Upper class Republicans • Sec St: Madison, VA • Treasury: Albert Gallatin, PA • Atty Gen: Levi Lincoln, MA (F) • War: Henry Dearborn, MA (F) • Post Master Gen: Gideon Granger, CT (F)
TJ Policies • Against mercantilism • Favors passive Federal role • Restrain harmful practices; no other regulation of industry • Role of gov: honor Bill of Rights, seek Justice for all, respect rights of states • Safeguard against tyrannical tendencies • “Absolute power….” • Spend little at Federal level
How much unraveling of Federalist actions? • Little • Bank of US left alone; chartered 1811 • Tried to win bank support for Repubs • Administration by deposits in those that favored them • 4 pillars of prosperity: • Agriculture • Commerce • Manufacturing • Navigation
Changes • Refused to renew A & S Acts • Reduced residency to 5 yrs • Hoped US = asylum for oppressed • Repealed Judiciary Act 1801, abolished circuit judgeships created • Midnight appointments • Impeached a district judge- Drunk, unstable • Impeached Chief Justice Samuel Chase • Used bench politically • Not a misdemeanor; not convicted • Tried to end public debt • Goal: 16 yrs ($83 million) • Cut costs in exec. Branch • Reduced # offices in Revenue service, diplomatic corps • Cut Navy, military (safe btwn oceans) • But funds militia supplies • Avoided slavery issue • But pushed congress to stop slave trade by 1808
Westward movement & problem of transportation • 1800- nearly 1 million trans-apalachians • New Land Act 1800: 4 yrs credit on tracts • 320 acres, 25% down • Min $2 per acre • =$80 down on farm • Traders & speculators go west • Farmers grow cash crops; not self sufficiency • Farmers & speculators rush new open areas before Indians clear out • Indian rights ignored • TJ expects acculturation (into farmers) by driving them into debt • Wd trade gov houses to force cession of land • Drive off warlike tribes W of MS (GT Desert) • Result: Indians tricked, coerced into bad treaties • Terms misunderstood • Forced off land to West • GovWm H Harrison gets last 3 mill acre deal: Wabash Valley, IN
Transportation problems • Mountains block way east • French taking over New Orleans & mouth MS • Solutions: • Congress approved: National Road • 1806 – Cumberland MD Wheeling, VA • Gov financed; built 1811-1818 • Extended to Vandalia, IL • 1795 Pinckney treaty w/ Spain gave Ws route to navigate, Right of Deposit • We offer France $ for land area
Why LA purchase = controversial • Treaty of San Ildefonso: All LA France, 1800 • 1802: Spanish intendant at N.O. w/d Rt of Deposit from Amers • 3/8 all territory ships produce thru here • TJ: if France gets N.O. control we wd be forced to ally w Brits 4 protection • TJ sent Monroe, Livingston to offer to purchase N.O. & E/W FL • $2 mill appropriated • Talleyrand shocks L by offering all LA for $15 • Colony at San Domingo (Haiti) in rebellion • Toussaint L’Ouverture led slave insurrection • France near war w/ England again; needs $$ • Can prevent alliance btwn England & US • Boundaries: vague • Roughly as Spain saw them • MS River to Rockies up to CA • Controversy: • Purchase violates Fr promise to Sp not to sell • Constitution silent on new territory by purchase • Debt goes up
Western Exploration • Pre- LA Purchase: • Congress authorized- study of upper MO R • & W to Pacific • Geography, Botany: Flora, Fauna • Merriwether Lewis & William Clark • & watch for trading opps & mineral deposits • Zebulon Pike • Up MS R to find source • Up AR R to Rockies; CO • Importance: assess value of region, strength of Spanish there
Marbury v. Madison • Adams’ Midnight Appointments never delivered (based on Judiciary Act 1801) • Wm. Marbury sued for delivery of post • John Marshall: • Sec 13 of Judiciary Act unconstitutional; • Yet Marbury deserves commission • Still Court can’t issue Writ of Mandamus • Result: court gets power to rule on Constitutionality of Federal Laws
Federalist Threat, Republican Factionalism, treason • Essex Junto: near Boston • Cranky old Federalists • Moaning abo decline of virtue • TJ seen as Parisian Revolutionary • Debasing public morals; corrupting system • Should union be dissolved? • Young Federalists: • Keep party alive, adopt Repub electioneering methods • Contrib to rise in 2 party system • Factions split Republicans • Personal rivalries, patronage disputes • Some 3rd party movements
Treason? • John Randolph (Tertium Quid): • Critic of any violation of KY, VA resolutions • Pro states rights • Hates gov assumption debts, land • And land sold from Yazoo Co to Gov (part of scandal) • Aaron Burr: • Disputed election of 1800 • Shooting of A Hamilton -04 • A H ruined chances for Gov NY • Scheme: • Separate ½ US: empire • Or: buffer state between LA & MX • Or: conquer MX for US (Hero)
Yazoo Land Fraud • GA land scheme in Yazoo county • 1795- GA sold it to 4 land companies (Federal owned) • One GA legislature sold 5x available land in GA • 1789: S.C. Yazoo Co, VA Yazoo Co & TN Co formed, bought land from GA Assembly • 20 million acres: $207,000; deal fell through • 1794 new Yazoo Cos push bill through assembly to get double the land for $500,000. • Another bid for $800,000 w/ $40k deposit ignored • Angry voters turned out bill’s supporters • Next gov repealed land grant • Case drags Ct
Yazoo solution • Fletcher v. Peck: no matter how fraudulent, a contract is inviolate • Settlement goes to speculators • All disputed land goes to US in 1812 for 1.4 mill & Cherokee removal at fed expense • Part of 1812 Act of Cession provided “Orphan Strip” (pt of N.C.) go to GA • Didn’t want it; infested w/ outlaws • Led to Walton War; NC militia cleaned it up & claimed it • 2 engagements; GA trounced • In court until 1971
Troubles at Sea • Barbary Pirates: (N coast Africa) • Pasha of Tripoli Demanding tribute • GW & JA pay • Pasha of Tripoli demands more of TJ • TJ won’t pay; Pasha has US flagpole chopped down (war decl) • TJ sent fleet- blockades Tripoli • Fighting sporadic 1801-05 • Stephen Decatur broke into Tripoli Harbor, set fire2 captured US frigate • Pasha settled for $60k ransom, released crew • Still tribute; but less than $300k & cheaper than war • No real victory; but respect earned, shipping protected
More trouble at sea • French, English blockade • Seized neutral ships, confiscate cargo • Impressment mostly British • Chesapeake- Leopard Affair: 07, off VA • Leopard fired on Ches., boarded • Killed 3; captured 4
1806 • TJ bribed Spain $2 million to yield FL • Quids tried 3rd party campaign 1808; unsucessful
War in Europe • We take advantage to pick up trade w/ WI • 1806-7 British “Orders in Council”: blockade of Europe • All vessels must get license & submit to inspection • Or subject to seizure
How do we come to war? • Embargo Act 07: • Stopped our ships going 2 any 4n port • Hurt US econ • Repealed 05 • Non-Intercourse Act, 09: • (Madison) we trade w/ all BUT E & F • MACON’S BILL #2: • If either F or E agree to respect US trade • We resume trade w/ them • Embargo other guys