The

Jefferson

Era 1800 – 1815

1815 Battle of New Orleans is fought.

1814 British attack Washington, D.C.

1811 Battle of Tippecanoe is fought.

1808 James Madison is elected president.

1807 Embargo Act is passed.

1804 Jefferson is reelected. Lewis and Clark

expedition begins.

1803 Louisiana Purchase is made.

1801 Thomas Jefferson is elected president.

1812 War of 1812 begins.

US Timeline 1801-1815

1815 Napoleon returns and is defeated at Waterloo.

1814 Napoleon is defeated and exiled to Elba.

1810 Hawaiian Islands are unified by King Kamehameha the Great.

1805 British win at Trafalgar.

French win at Austerlitz.

1803 Europe’s Napoleonic wars resume after brief peace.

1801 Tripoli declares war on the United States.

World Timeline 1801-1815

Terms and People

• Thomas Jefferson – third President of the United States, elected in 1800

• Aaron Burr – Jefferson’s running mate in the 1800 election

• laissez faire – the idea that the government should not interfere in the economy

• John Marshall – Chief Justice of the Supreme Court under President Jefferson

• judicial review – the authority of the Supreme Court to strike down unconstitutional laws

The Talented Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was a truly talented

man. A skilled lawyer, writer, and

musician, Jefferson was also a gifted

architect. The design for Monticello,

his Virginia home included unique

features such as a seven-day clock and

a dumbwaiter. He also invented a

copy machine, a portable desk, and

had a large library.

Monticello

A Complicated Love Life

Jefferson is alleged to have had a long-term, intimate relationship with

one of his slaves, Sally Hemings. She was also a half-sister to

Jefferson's late wife Martha. Hemings and Jefferson had six children,

four of whom survived to adulthood and were freed by Jefferson. After

Jefferson died, Hemings left Monticello and lived with her sons.

Martha Jefferson (1748 - 1782) was musical and highly educated, a

constant reader. She played the keyboard and the guitar, and was

accomplished at needlework. Martha was in frail health for much of her

marriage to Thomas. She is believed to have suffered from diabetes, the

cause of her childbearing problems. They had six children but their

daughter Martha Jefferson-Randolph was the only one to live to

adulthood . Martha died following the birth of their sixth child in 1782.

Throughout their 10-year marriage, they appeared to have been wholly

devoted to each other. According to slaves who attended her in her final

days, Jefferson promised his wife that he would never remarry.

Jefferson was inconsolable in his loss. It was said that he collapsed just

before she died. After the funeral, he refused to leave his room for three

weeks.

This silhouette is

the only known

image of Martha

Jefferson.

“Most bad government has grown out of too

much government.”

Jefferson’s Philosophy

“I predict future happiness for Americans if

they can prevent the government from wasting

(their) … labors under the pretense of taking

care of them.”

“The man who reads nothing at all is better

educated than the man who reads nothing but

newspapers.”

“The United States…will be more virtuous,

more free and more happy employed in

agriculture than as carriers or manufacturers.”

“ .”

The Election of 1800

The presidential campaign of 1800 was

tarnished by nasty and vicious personal

attacks. When election day came,

Thomas Jefferson defeated John Adams

in the electoral college. The problem

was that vice presidential candidate

Aaron Burr received the same number

of electoral votes as Jefferson.

.

Finally,

and the election

was settled.

To avoid this situation in the future, Congress passed the Twelfth Amendment.

From 1804 on, electors would vote separately for President and

Vice President.

Marbury v. Madison

Before leaving office in 1801, President

Adams appointed a Federalist, John Marshall,

as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He

made a number of other “last-minute”

judicial appointments, including William

Marbury. The new Secretary of

State, James Madison, refused to

install Marbury. Marbury sued and the

case went before the Supreme Court.

John Marshall William Marbury James Madison

The ruling stated that the Court’s power came from the Constitution, not Congress.

In ,

.

Under the Judiciary Act, the Supreme Court’s power came from Congress.

Supreme Court

Congress Constitution

The Court also ruled that Marbury was entitled to his commission, but that according to the Constitution, the Court did not have the authority to require Madison to deliver the commission to Marbury in this case. Chief Justice John Marshall used this case to establish the principle of .

Jefferson Makes Changes

Changes Made by Jefferson and his Party

1. Repealed unpopular taxes

2. Reduced the number of federal employees

3. Reduced the size of the military

4. Reduced the amount of money owed by the government

Thomas Jefferson’s policies were

repeatedly attacked by

Federalists. In this cartoon

Jefferson and the Devil are

shown pulling down the pillars

of the federal Government.

Reaction to Jefferson

The most famous duel in

American history climaxed

a longstanding conflict

between two of the most

important men in the

country.

On July 11, 1804, Alexander

Hamilton and Aaron Burr

met on the dueling grounds

at Weehawken, New Jersey,

to fight the final skirmish of

a long-lived political and

personal battle.

When the duel was over,

Hamilton would be mortally

wounded, and Burr would

be wanted for murder.

Aaron Burr Alexander Hamilton

STRANGE but True

Terms and People

• expedition – a long and carefully organized journey

• Meriwether Lewis – army captain chosen by Jefferson to lead the exploration of the West

• William Clark – Lewis’s co-leader

• continental divide – the place on the continent that separates river systems flowing in opposite directions

• Zebulon Pike – explored the southern part of the Louisiana territory from 1805–1807

By 1800, more than one million settlers lived between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River.

Farmers shipped goods down the Mississippi to the port of New Orleans.

Most western settlers were farmers who relied on the Mississippi River.

From there, goods were loaded on ships and carried to markets across the Atlantic.

Louisiana Purchase

Jefferson feared that France would become dominant in America, as it was becoming in Europe.

If this happened, westward expansion of

the United States would be blocked.

Fre

nch te

rritory

Jefferson learned that Spain had secretly given its Louisiana Territory to France.

Louisiana Purchase

Jefferson decided to try to buy New Orleans from the French.

He sent James Monroe and Robert Livingston to Paris to make a deal.

When they arrived in France, they discovered that the situation had shifted yet again.

.

Louisiana Purchase

Revolution in Haiti

In 1801 and 1802,

Toussaint L’Ouverture led

a successful revolt against

the French in Haiti. The

French suffered disastrous

losses at a time when

Napoleon needed money

to fund his war in Europe.

Without Haiti, France would have trouble defending Louisiana in the event of a war.

Because of this situation, France offered to sell the entire Louisiana Territory to the United States.

Louisiana Purchase

Factors that led Napoleon to sell the

Louisiana Territory

Causes

Determination of Americans to use port at New Orleans

Losses suffered by France in Caribbean colonies

Costly war in Europe

Effect

Napoleon sells the Louisiana Territory

Jefferson hesitated to approve the purchase.

In the end, Jefferson decided that the purchase was constitutional because the President is able to make treaties with foreign countries.

Louisiana Purchase

Discuss

Why is the Louisiana Purchase considered as one of the

most significant events of the 19th century?

On January 18, 1803, President Jefferson

sent a confidential message to Congress,

stating in part, “The river Missouri and t

he Indians inhabiting it, are not as well

known as is rendered desirable by their

connection with the Mississippi, and

consequently with us.”

Jefferson went on to propose that an

“intelligent officer with ten or twelve

chosen men might explore the whole

line, even to the Western Ocean.”

Jefferson chose a young officer, Captain

Meriwether Lewis, to lead the

expedition. Lewis asked his old friend,

Lieutenant William Clark, to select and

oversee a group of volunteers, which

they called the Corps of Discovery.

Lewis and Clark

“To Meriwether Lewis, esquire, captain of the first regiment of

infantry of the United States of America: The object of your mission

is to

.”

Jefferson’s Letter to Lewis

Goals of the western expedition

. .

.

Lewis and Clark

Interact with History

You have been chosen to participate in an expedition to the West in the

early 1800s. You are excited and curious, but also a little anxious. You

know that you will see and experience many new things, but you know

there are risks involved too.

What type of people would be chosen for an expedition like this?

Journal

Lewis and Clark left St. Louis in the spring of 1804 and explored the northern part of the Louisiana Territory.

Lewis and Clark

Lewis and Clark’s expedition lasted for over two years.

July 1804 August 1804 October 1804

The party reached the mouth of the Platte River,

which feeds into the Missouri

River.

The expedition followed the

Missouri River from St. Louis to the

Rocky Mountains.

Lewis and Clark

July 1804 August 1804 October 1804

They met with Native

Americans for the first time.

The Americans promised to give the tribes military

support and trading rights in exchange

for peace.

Lewis and Clark

July 1804 August 1804 October 1804

They camped in what is now

North Dakota for the winter.

They were joined by Sacagawea, a

Shoshone translator.

Lewis and Clark

August 1805 November 1805 March 1806

The party reached the continental

divide.

They did not find a waterway to the

Pacific. Instead, they had to navigate rapids

in their canoes.

Lewis and Clark

August 1805 November 1805 March 1806

They reached the Pacific

Ocean by way of the Columbia

River.

They began the return journey,

which took about half a

year.

Lewis and Clark

From 1805 to 1807, Zebulon Pike explored the southern part of the Louisiana Territory.

EFFECTS: Exploration of the West, 1804-1807

1. Accurate Maps

Lewis & Clark and Pike produced the first good maps of the

Louisiana Territory. Later travelers would use these maps to

make their way west.

2. Growth of Fur Trade

Exploration boosted interest in the fur trade. Hunters and

trappers would add knowledge of the West.

3. Mistaken view of the Great Plains

Pike inaccurately described the treeless Great Plains as a

desert. This led many Americans to believe that the Plains were

useless for farming.

Terms and People

• tribute – money paid by one country to another in return for protection

• Stephen Decatur – led a group of American sailors in a battle to protect the warship Philadelphia against pirates

• embargo – a government order that forbids foreign trade

• smuggle – the act of illegally importing or exporting goods

• Tecumseh – organized western Native American tribes to resist American expansion

• William Henry Harrison – governor of the Indiana Territory who sent soldiers to fight Native Americans at the Battle of Tippecanoe

Pirates from the North African Barbary States began attacking American ships.

America paid money to the rulers of the Barbary States.

The Barbary pirates stopped attacking American ships.

At first, America paid tribute, as other nations did.

Problems with Pirates

Pirates from the Barbary State of Tripoli captured the American ship, Philadelphia.

Jefferson stopped paying tribute. He sent warships to protect American merchant ships.

American sailors led by Stephen Decatur burned the Philadelphia so the pirates could not use it.

This victory and others inspired confidence in America’s ability to deal with foreign threats.

Problems with Pirates

W a r

w i t h

T r i p o l i

Britain and France weakened each other by cutting off each other’s foreign trade.

France seized American ships trading with Britain.

Britain France

Britain did the same to ships trading with France.

U.S.

U.S.

Problems with France & England

A greater threat to America came from the continuing war between Britain and France.

Problems with France & England

By 1805, France and England were

seizing American merchant ships.

Britain was also , or

. In

1807, the HMS Leopard attacked the

USS Chesapeake, off the coast of

Virginia.

Thomas Jefferson’s Embargo

foreign trade

Many Americans wanted to go to war with Britain, but

Jefferson knew that the American Navy fleet was too small

and weak. In response, Jefferson convinced Congress to

pass the . An embargo is

. Some merchants turned to

smuggling when they could not trade. Lost markets hurt

farmers and merchants lost their main sources of income.

American exports

declined.

The embargo hurt America in many ways.

Prices of American crops declined.

Many Americans lost

their jobs.

Merchants turned to smuggling to survive.

Thomas Jefferson’s Embargo

Thomas Jefferson’s Embargo

Congress repealed the Embargo Act in 1809, just before Jefferson left office.

Congress passed a new law that reopened trade with all countries except France and Britain.

America would reopen trade with those countries when they started respecting America’s neutrality.

Thomas Jefferson’s Embargo

• Many died from new diseases.

• They lost their hunting grounds.

• Animals they hunted were driven away.

• The power of their leaders declined.

Native Americans suffered as a result of American expansion.

Problems with Native Americans

Problems with Native Americans

Shawnee leader

.

western tribes Tecumseh

U.S. Expansion

Problems with Native Americans

William Henry Harrison took action against Tecumseh’s activities.

Harrison sent soldiers against Shawnee villages while Tecumseh was away. Tippecanoe

River

At the Battle of Tippecanoe, Harrison defeated the Native Americans. After the battle, Harrison found the Shawnee were using British muskets.

.

Terms and People

• nationalism – pride in one’s country

• war hawk – one who is eager for war; specifically, an American who favored war with Britain in 1812

• blockade – the action of shutting a port or road to prevent people or supplies from coming into an area or leaving it

• Oliver Hazard Perry – commander of American troops that fought the British on Lake Erie in 1812

• Andrew Jackson – took command of American forces in Georgia in the summer of 1813

• secede – to withdraw

Tensions with Britain were high when James Madison took office in 1809.

Britain armed Native Americans…

…and continued impressment of U.S. sailors.

American anger toward

Britain

Why did

War Hawks

want war

with Britain?

To

&

To

To take Florida from

Spain, Britain’s ally

To demonstrate the

strength of the

United States

To

in the West

Westerners and Congressmen who called

for war against Britain were known as War

Hawks. Urged on by War Hawks like

Henry Clay of Kentucky and Andrew

Jackson, James Madison asked Congress

to declare War on Britain on June 18, 1812.

The British did not really want a war with

the U.S. because they were already

involved in a war with France.

The British offered to stop interfering with

American shipping, but the news didn’t

reach the U.S. in time to stop hostilities.

when war was declared. The army had

fewer than 7,000 men – most of whom

were – and

was led by inexperienced officers. The

U.S. navy had less than 20 ships.

The War of 1812

Military Events of the War of 1812

FIRST PHASE SECOND PHASE

British fail to capture Baltimore.

American fleet defeats British fleet on Lake Champlain.

Jackson’s army defeats British forces at the Battle of New Orleans.

Americans win important victories on the high seas.

Perry defeats British fleet on Lake Erie.

British also involved in a war with France.

The War of 1812

An important US naval

victory took place on Lake

Erie in September of 1813.

Commodore Perry’s inspired

leadership led to the British

surrender. American forces

followed up the victory by

defeating the British at the

Battle of the Thames.

The War of 1812 had two main

phases. From 1812 to 1814,

Britain was preoccupied with its

war against Napoleon in Europe.

Early in the war, US ships such

as the Constitution and the

United States won stirring

victories against the British navy.

These victories boosted

American confidence.

Old Ironsides

The USS Constitution has thick wooden planking and a heavily

reinforced frame. Skilled carpenters measured, cut, and fit each piece

individually. Paul Revere supplied copper plating and fasteners that

protected the ship’s bottom from wood rot. Sailors claimed to see

British cannonballs bounce off its thick hull. This led to the ship’s

popular nickname, “Old Ironsides.”

Despite the victory of the Constitution, Britain was able to set up a blockade of the American coast.

Britain had closed off all American ports by the war’s end.

The War of 1812

After defeating Napoleon

and the French, Britain

turned its full attention to

the United States. The

British army defeated

American forces and burned

Washington DC, the Capitol

building, and the president’s

mansion.

The British also sent a force from

Canada to push south and cut off

New England. The plan failed

when the Americans defeated the

British at the Battle of Lake

Champlain in September of 1814.

Battle for Washington

• The British invaded Washington, D.C. in 1814.

• British soldiers burned the Capitol, the White House, and

other public buildings.

• Before the British burned the White House,

.

The War of 1812

And the rockets’ red glare,

the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the

night that our flag was

still there.

The Battle of

Fort McHenry

Many New Englanders opposed the war, because the British blockade was hurting their trade.

As the war dragged on, Federalists expressed their opposition by calling it “Mr. Madison’s War.”

In 1814, opposition was so high that delegates at the Hartford Convention suggested that New England secede from the United States.

Britain had tired of war. On Christmas Eve, 1814 the two sides signed the Treaty of Ghent.

Before this news reached the U.S., Americans won a final victory in the Battle of New Orleans in January 1815.

Treaty of Ghent

• Ended the war

• Returned things to the way they had been before the war

The War of 1812

The Battle of New Orleans

The British moved against the strategic port of

New Orleans in January of 1815. 7,500 British

soldiers attacked a patchwork American army

under the command of General Andrew Jackson.

Protected by earthworks, American artillery and

riflemen mowed down the advancing redcoats.

The British suffered 2,000 casualties, compared

to the American’s 71. Ironically, the Treaty of

Ghent, which ended the war, was signed two

weeks earlier, on December 24, 1814.

The Battle of New Orleans

The War of 1812

interrupted trade and

Americans were

forced to make many

goods they had

previously imported.

This

.

Journal

Was the War of 1812

justified?

When, if ever, is war

justified?