Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson

By Neil HammondMillbrook High School

Main IdeaMain Idea• In Jefferson’s first term, the USA

doubled in size with the Louisiana Purchase and the Federal Judiciary (Supreme Court) established its power

The Election of 1800The Election of 1800• The 1800 election revealed a flaw in the

system. Burr and Jefferson both received 73 electoral votes

The Election of 1800The Election of 1800• Federalists in Congress didn’t want

either of them! The vote went to the House of Representatives…after many votes, the tie could not be broken…

The Election of 1800The Election of 1800• Finally, Hamilton got Federalists to break the tie

and vote for Jefferson• The 12th amendment fixed this in 1804 by

requiring electors to vote for a president AND vice president at the same time

The Revolution of 1800The Revolution of 1800• Jefferson referred to the 1800 election

as a revolution

• It was a peaceful transfer of power from Federalists to Democratic-Republicans

Main IdeaMain Idea• Jefferson brought a new style to the

presidency. He believed that Washington and Adams had acted too much like kings, so he ruled with an informal style

• Jefferson did not completely overturn the stuff the Federalists had put in place

• He reduced the national debt, cut government spending and got rid of all the taxes (except tariffs). He kept the national bank, though.

Marbury v MadisonMarbury v Madison• Adams and the Federalists were scared that TJ

was going to undo all of their work:– The national bank– Customs and excise taxes

• Fearing the worst, Adams and the Federalists in Congress created a host of new judge positions, and they appointed Federalists to those positions…He also appointed John Marshall to the Supreme Court as Chief Justice

• Adams’ Secretary of State, John Marshall, was supposed to deliver the commissions (official letters), but he only managed to deliver some of them.

TJ Inherits a ProblemTJ Inherits a Problem• TJ became president and inherited a

problem…should he deliver the remaining commissions:– Yes = he would create a bunch of Federalist

judges– No = he would annoy lots of Federalists

• He decided to deliver some of them– One of the judges (William Marbury) who was

supposed to get a letter sued the Secretary of State (James Madison)…the famous case became known as Marbury v Madison

Marshall Has a ChoiceMarshall Has a Choice• 1) Ignore the case (the Supreme

Court would look weak)

• 2) Order TJ to deliver the commissions (TJ would refuse and the Supreme Court would look weak)

• Marshall chose a third path…he agreed with Marbury that he had a valid claim, but he said the law that Marbury relied on was unconstitutional. The court had claimed the right of Judicial Review

Jefferson Has a ChoiceJefferson Has a Choice• 1) Deliver the letters to Marbury

and the other judges (not good because it would create lots of enemy Federalist judges

• 2) Accept the decision…that’s what TJ did

• By accepting the decision, TJ had strengthened the _____ government…remember TJ preferred _____ government.

The Louisiana PurchaseThe Louisiana Purchase• Jefferson believed that the

Republic could only survive if its citizens owned land, so he wanted to expand the country West

• TJ was worried that France would stop allowing the US to use the Mississippi River…TJ also thought this would force the US into an alliance with Great Britain

The Louisiana PurchaseThe Louisiana Purchase

• Livingstone arrived in Paris in 1801, but achieved little for 3 years

• The French are defeated in Haiti by Toussaint L’Overture. Napoleon decided he wanted to focus on Europe

• Napoleon offers the LA Purchase to the US

Problems with the Louisiana Problems with the Louisiana PurchasePurchase

• What does the constitution say about territory to the United States?

• Nothing! So by buying the Louisiana Purchase, Jefferson was reading the constitution loosely…like Hamilton did with the bank

• What would Jefferson use to buy the bank?

• The National bank, which he had argued was unconstitutional

Problems with the Louisiana Problems with the Louisiana PurchasePurchase

• Despite misgivings, Jefferson submitted the treaty to the Senate, which voted YES quickly

• The Louisiana Purchase DOUBLED the land area of the USA for $15 million.

Lewis and ClarkLewis and Clark• Even before the US had bought the

Louisiana Purchase, Jefferson asked Congress to fund a secret expedition to the LA Purchase to map the Missouri River AND find a route to the Pacific Ocean.

The Essex JuntoThe Essex Junto• New England Federalists were worried

about the Louisiana Purchase…why?

• Some of them talked about secession (leaving the union)

• They encouraged Aaron Burr to run for Governor of New York…Hamilton insulted Burr in newspapers…Burr and Hamilton fought a duel…Burr shot Hamilton and fled west.