Chapter 11: The Triumphs and Travails of the Jeffersonian Republic (1800-1812)

Federalist and The Federalists Alien and Sedition Acts: Gained them many enemies, though most of them were already Jeffersonians Republican Mudslingers Caused the Hamiltonian wing to split with President Adams; Hamilton attacked Adams in a privately printed pamphlet, which the Jeffersonians got hold of and published Most damaging was Adams refusal to start a war with France: War preparations had unswelled the debt and had required unpopular taxes, incl. a stamp tax Now the preparations seemed unnecessary and extravagant, ex. the seamen of the new navy called John Adams Jackasses, though Adams was known as the Father of the American Navy So the Federalists, on the defensive, attacked Jefferson in one of Americas earliest whispering campaigns: Was accused of robbing a widow and children of their trust fund Was accused, later proved by DNA, of having numerous mulatto children by his slavewomen Earlier gained enmity of the orthodox clergy for separating the church and state in Virginia, so many New England preachers preached that he was an atheist The Jeffersonian Revolution of 1800 Jefferson ended up winning the election Aaron Burr tipped the election towards Jefferson by winning over NY But then a deadlock when a technicality made it so that Jefferson and his running mate Burr were tied: Under the Constitution, the tie could only be broken by the House of Representatives, which was still Federalist-controlled The lame-duck Federalists wanted to minimize their losses by electing Burr over Jefferson But some got tired of the deadlock and hoped for moderation from Jefferson, so refrained from voting So Jefferson ended up being elected for President, making this the first party overturn in American history Adams would be the last Federalist president, and the Federalist party would decline and eventually come to an end under Andrew Jackson Jefferson later called the 1800 elections a revolution like that in 1776, despite having barely won, because considered it a return to the Revolutionary spirit after its betrayal by Hamilton and Adams Jefferson wanted to: Restore the republican experiment Check the growth of government power Halt the decay of virtue that had began under the Federalists Also revolutionary was the peaceful and orderly transfer of power

Responsibility March 4, 1801 Thomas Long Tom Jefferson was inaugurated as president in the new village Breeds of Washington and gave an inaugural address that was a classic statement of democratic Moderation principles The rustic village of Washington complemented the simplicity and frugality of the Jeffersonian Republicans, and contrasted with the elegance of Federalist Philadelphia Jefferson could be unconventional:

 Established the pell-mell rule at official dinners, or seating without regard to rank Received visitors in informal attire Started precedent of having a clerk read his messages to Congress because personal appearances would seem to monarchical and because Jefferson was a poor speaker Jefferson was forced to go against many of the principles he had fought for earlier because he realized that scholarly, philosophic theories worked out differently in practical politics The Federalists feared that Jefferson would completely Jeffersonize the government, but actually he was moderate and dismissed few office-holders for political reasons Jefferson had to rely on his personal charm, ex. at informal dinner parties, because the Democratic-Republicans had no loyal political following and were mostly held together by their shared opposition to the Federalists Jeffersonian Restraint Jefferson pardoned those punished by the Alien and Sedition Acts, which had already expired, and 1802 enacted a new naturalization law that negated the changes the Alien Act made The only substantial Hamiltonian measure Jefferson got rid of was the excise tax because bred bureaucrats and weighed down on farmers, but now the federal government lacked a major source of revenue New secretary of the treasury Albert Gallatin managed to reduce the national debt and balance the national budget The Jeffersonians retained the Federalist framework, ex. assumption of debts, national bank, and tariff The Jeffersonian moderation only enforced their position and the future of the two-party system because showed that a change of regime did not have to be disastrous for the losing group

1801 Judiciary Act was the deathbed act of the Federalist party and a long-overdue reform; The Dead Clutch of the created new federal, lifetime judgeships (called midnight judgeships because Adams Judiciary supposedly stayed up late on the last night of his term signing their commissions) and other judicial offices But was disliked by the Republicans because seemed to be a last-ditch by the Federalists at attempt at maintaining a foothold in government So the newly elected Republican Congress got rid of the new judgeships and tried and failed to get rid of Adams-appointed Chief Justice John Marshall Adams-appointed Chief Justice John Marshall: The drawbacks of feeble authority made a lasting impression on him during his service at Valley Forge and made him a lifelong Federalist After the Federalists fell from power, served for 34 more years 1803 case of Marbury v. Madison: Midnight judge William Marbury's sued the government for shelving his commission Marshall dismissed the case, but also said that the part of the 1789 Judiciary Act on which Marbury tried to base the case was unconstitutional because tried to give the Supreme Court powers unforseen by they Constitution So increased the power of the Supreme Court by firmly establishing that it (not individual state legislatures, as in the Kentucky resolutions) had the final say on the question of constitutionality 1804 the Jeffersonians tried to get revenge by impeaching arrogant, sharp-tongued Supreme

Court justice Samuel Chase, but were unsuccessful because had no grounds for it, so set the precedent that the Supreme Court is not to be reshaped by impeachment Jefferson, a Reluctant Warrior Early on, Jefferson reduced the military establishment to a police force because Hoped that America would set an example and transcend the bloody wars and entangling alliances of the past Republicans saw large standing armies as invitations to dictatorship Saw no point in expensively building a fleet that might get America caught up in a European war 1801-1805 the Tripolitian War: But 1801 was forced to reconsider when the pasha of Tripoli, representing the North African Barbary Pirate States, declared war on him because he did not cough up protection money like the earlier Federalists did So dispatched the infant navy to the shores of Tripoli 1805 extorted a peace treaty from Tripoli, agreeing only to pay the ransoms of captured Americans Jefferson thought that small, frail, but fast gunboats would be the best for guarding America's coast, so had a couple hundred constructed by small shipyards, but they proved dangerous and unwieldy

The Louisiana 1800 Napoleon signed a secret treaty for Spain to cede the trans-Mississippi region of Louisiana, including New Orleans Godsend 1802 Spaniards in New Orleans withdrew Americans right of deposit, granted by the treaty of 1795, so Americans were ready to fight Now pacifist Jefferson was in a bind because America could seize Louisiana from senile Spain at the right time, but Louisiana under Napoleon could attack America and force it to seek allies So 1803 sent James Monroe to Paris to join foreign minister Robert R. Livingston to buy New Orleans and as much land as possible for under $10 million; if the purchase was to fail, then alliance with Britain would be considered Suddenly, Napoleon gave up dreams of a New World empire and decided to sell Louisiana because: Louisiana was to supply food to sugar-rich Santo Domingo, but Napoleon failed to capture the island because could not defeat the ex-slave resistance under Toussaint LOuverture and because of yellow fever Feared that he would end up having to give Louisiana to the British because they controlled the seas Hoped that America, strengthened by Louisiana, would thwart the North American ambitions of Britain Out of the blue, the French foreign minister asked Livingston how much he would pay for all of Louisiana, and April 30, 1803 France ceded Louisiana to America for $15 million But Livingston had procured an immense tract of land to the west for $15 million, while Jefferson had wanted land to the east in the Floridas for no more than $10 million Jefferson thought that the purchase was unconstitutional because the Constitution had no clause giving the country permission to negotiate treaties to incorporate new lands, but ended up submitting the treaties to the Senate because feared that Napoleon would withdraw his offer The land-hungry people supported the purchase, and the Senate voted accordingly

Louisiana in the Long View

Significance of the Louisiana Purchase: Avoided conflict with France and subsequent entangling alliance with England Gained much power and elbow room for America Set a precedent of acquiring foreign territory and peoples by purchase Spring 1804-06, Jefferson sent secretary Meriwether Lewis and army officer William Clark to explore northern Louisiana Territory, with assistance from Shoshoni Sacajawea: Went up the Missouri River from St. Louis, crossed the Rockies, went down the Columbia River, and reached the Pacific coast Brought back scientific observations, maps, knowledge of Indians in the region, and adventure stories Demonstrated the viability of an overland trail to the Pacific, and in later decades others would follow one such trail to the Oregon Country 1805-06 Zebulon M. Pike explored to the headwaters of the Mississippi River, and 1807 explored southern Louisiana Territory Although the Louisiana Purchase brought long-term power and prosperity, in the short-term it raised fears of secession and foreign intrigue because of its vastness and the federal governments feebleness of reach Jeffersons first term vice president Aaron Burr encouraged these fears After being dropped from Jeffersons cabinet, Burr joined a group of extreme Federalists plotting the secession of New England and NY, but they were exposed by Hamilton So Burr challenged and killed Hamilton, the last hope of effective Federalist leadership, in a duel Next, Burr allied with military governor of Louisiana Territory General James Wilkinson and planned to have the western US break away from the east and invade Spanish Mexico and Florida to gain land So fall of 1806 Burr and followers went to meet up with Wilkinsons army, but Wilkinson learned that Jefferson heard about the plot, so deserted Burr Burr was arrested and tried for treason, was acquitted, fled to Europe, and urged Napoleon to ally with Britain to invade America

The Aaron Burr Conspiracy