Thomas Jefferson

Political Beliefs

• The government which governs least, governs best

• Strongly favored States Rights as opposed to a strong national government

• Believed in a strict construction, or strict interpretation, of the U.S. Constitution

• Wanted to end all taxes of any kind paid by U.S. citizens

3. Accomplishments Prior to becoming President

• Wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence

• Wrote the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom

• Created the University of Virginia• Served as an ambassador to Europe from

the United States • Secretary of State under George

Washington

4. The Election of 1800

• Democratic-Republican Candidates:

Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr

4. The Election of 1800

• Federalist Candidates:

John Adams and Charles C. Pinckney

4. The Election of 1800

• Instead, the Democratic-Republicans won the election

• Both winning candidates, Jefferson and Burr, received 73 electoral votes

• Election was settled the House of Representatives after 35 votes

• Hamilton swings the election to Jefferson and angers Burr

4. The Election of 1800

• The election controversy highlighted the need for a Constitutional amendment regarding the Presidential election process.

• The 12th Amendment modified the Constitution so that the President and the Vice-President are elected using separate ballots.

4. The Election of 1800

• John Adams, the 1st President to live in Washington, D.C., leaves before Jefferson’s inauguration

• Jefferson’s Inauguration takes place on March 4, 1801 in Washington, D.C.—the 1st done there

• The unfinished White House and Capitol were just about the only buildings in town

4. The Election of 1800

• Federalists fear what Jefferson will say—will he start a new revolution?

• Jefferson, surprisingly, calls for unity—he states “We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists.”

• Jefferson DOES NOT propose to change or destroy the structure of the federal government.

5. Accomplishments made during early part of Jefferson’s 1st term

• Appointed Albert Gallatin as Secretary of the Treasury

• Cut military spending

• Reduced the army from 4000 to 2500 men

• Reduced the navy from 25 to 7 ships

• Reduced national debt from $83 million to $45 million

• Cut ALL internal taxes

5. Accomplishments made during early part of Jefferson’s 1st term

• Only source of government income: tariffs and sales of Western land

• Let the Alien and Sedition Acts expire

Issues with the Courts

• Marbury vs. Madison: Does William Marbury, one of John Adams’ last minute “midnight judges,” receive his commission to be judge or not?

• Jefferson had James Madison refuse to give the commission to Marbury

• Issue went before the Supreme Court

• Ruling became a precedent—an example for future court cases

6. Issues with the Courts

• With Marbury vs. Madison, the Supreme Court established the concept of “Judicial Review” of laws

• Judicial Review means that the Court may decide if a law is constitutional or not.

• If a law is judged to be unconstitutional, or goes against the U.S. Constitution, then the law ceases to be a law.

7. The Louisiana Purchase

• By 1800, the western boundary of the U.S. was the Mississippi.

• The Louisiana Territory, that is all lands west of the Mississippi River which drained into the river, was originally controlled by France.

• As part of losing the French-Indian War, France ceded, or gave, the Louisiana Territory to Spain

7. The Louisiana Purchase

• The Louisiana Territory continued to be controlled by Spain until 1800.

• A war fought in Europe between Spain and France ended with a victory for Napoleon and the French.

• Secretly, the Louisiana Territory was transferred from Spain to France as a result of that European war.

7. The Louisiana Purchase

• Jefferson learned that Louisiana Territory was now controlled by France

• French ownership of the Louisiana Territory posed several problems for the U.S.—mainly the French were popular with the Indians and the French presence blocked any sort of westward movement by U.S. citizens into the Louisiana Territory

7. The Louisiana Purchase

• Jefferson realized the problems involved with France owning the Louisiana Territory.

• Jefferson sends Robert Livingston and James Monroe to buy New Orleans and West Florida for $2 million from France.

• Livingston and Monroe may spend UP to $10 million.

7. The Louisiana Purchase

• Napoleon experiences slave rebellion trouble in the French colony of Saint Domingue located in the Caribbean (Haiti).

• Napoleon also needs money for another war with Great Britain. He decides to sell ALL of the Louisiana Territory. His price: $15 million.

7. The Louisiana Purchase

• Despite being more money and more land than expected, both Livingston and Monroe quickly agree to the deal.

• The deal poses a personal problem for Jefferson—is this consitutional?

• Congress debates the issue—lots of money involved—still, they agree to it.

7. The Louisiana Purchase

8. Lewis and Clark

• For a variety of reasons, Jefferson decides to send a military expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory.

• Jefferson’s personal secretary, Captain Meriwether Lewis, is placed in charge of the expedition. The men on this expediton are called the Corps of Discovery.

• Lewis was to explore the territory, map it, find a water route to the Pacific, make friends with the Native Americans, and drive out all French and/or British traders if possible. Meriwether Lewis

8. Lewis and Clark• Lewis selects Lt. William Clark as a

co-commander. The army refuses to recognize co-commanders so Clark remains a lieutenant.

• Lewis and Clark, along with the other members of the Corps of Discovery, depart St. Louis on May 14, 1804 and travels upriver.

William Clark

8. Lewis and Clark

• At Fort Mandan, Lewis and Clark hire the French trader Toussaint Charbonneau as an interpreter and guide. The true prize was Charbonneau’s 2nd wife, Sacagawea and Sacagawea’s newborn infant son.

• Charbonneau proves useless. Sacagawea, while not a guide, does prove helpful: no war party would travel with a woman and young child. Sacagawea’s presence eases tensions between Corps of Discovery and the Indians.

8. Lewis and Clark

• The journey becomes a race down the Missouri River. Lewis and Clark arrive in St. Louis on September 23, 1806.

• They traveled almost 8,000 miles along the journey. They mapped the entire distance using “line of sight” approximations. They were off by only 4 miles.