Download Age of Jefferson

Age of Jefferson
United States History
Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)
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Plantation farmer from Virginia
Statesman (Assemblyman,
Declaration of Independence,
Governor, Minister to France,
Secretary of State, Vice-President,
President)
Democratic-Republican
 Founded the party in opposition to
Alexander Hamilton’s Federalists
 Kentucky Resolution
 “Every difference of opinion is not a
difference of principle... We are all
Republicans, we are all
Federalists.”
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“Renaissance Man”
 Inventor, philosopher, architect,
scientist
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Slave owner
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What is Jeffersonianism?
Republicanism and Civic Virtue
 Citizens’ civic duty to aid the state
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Voting and efficacy
Right to education
 Resist corruption and Natural Elites
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Federalism and States’ Rights
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Ultimate sovereignty in the states and nullification
Strict constitutionalist
Dominant legislature, weak judiciary
Economic coercion over standing armies
Farmers as Ideal Citizens
 Educated landowners exemplified independence and virtue
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Agriculture Over Manufacture/Industry
 Responsibility of subsistence
 Dependence led to class conflict
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Empire of Liberty and Foreign Policy
 America’s responsibility to spread democracy
 Avoid entangling alliances
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Society
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Republican motherhood; absent from politics
Natives capable, just need to catch up (noble savages)
Black inferiority and white superiority
Separation of Church and State
First Party System (1792-1824)
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American period of political parties between the Federalists and
Democratic-Republicans
Federalists:
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Nationalism; republicanism
loose interpretation of Constitution;
business, commercial, and upper class;
New England;
pro-British;
dominated early years of national government, but dominated most of
Judiciary
Democratic-Republicans:
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States’ rights; individual liberties
strict interpretation of Constitution;
working class;
South, West, frontier;
large majorities in Congress and Executive in latter years
Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase
(1803-1804)
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Napoleon’s Caribbean
Empire Plan and
Britain’s Control of the
Atlantic
 America sandwiched
between European
powers
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Brokered a deal for $15
million
 Gain control of New
Orleans
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Lewis and Clark
Expedition
 Find waterway from
east to Pacific
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Federalist opposition
Jefferson and the Barbary/Tripoli Pirates
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Barbary/Tripoli pirates
earned revenue for North
African states
 Extorting and harassing
American ships
 U.S. Navy and Marines
dispatched to end the
Barbary/Tripoli threat
 Treaty signed in 1805 in
favor of Americans
 War cost less than
preserving peace
Jefferson and the Embargo Act
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Orders of Council and Continental System
outlawed American trade
 British impressment of Americans and seizures of
American ships
 HMS Leopard and USS Chesapeake
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Embargo Act of 1807
 Prohibited vessels from leaving American ports for
foreign ports
 Economic impact on Americans
 Merchants
and traders suffered
 Farms foreclosed
 Increased production and diversified manufacturing
Election of 1808
Jefferson’s Legacy Becomes Madison’s
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James Madison (D-R) elected
President, but Federalists gain some
seats
 Anglo-French rivalry bullies USA
 Seizing American ships
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Nonintercourse Act of 1809
 Forbade trade with Britain and France
unless promised to cease harassing U.S.
ships
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Macon’s Bill No. 2 (1810)
 If Britain or France repealed restrictions
on neutral ships then U.S. would cease
trade with the other
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British influence in the West
 Rumors of British stirring up antiAmerican sentiment among Natives
 Battle of Tippecanoe (1811)
Leading Up to the War of 1812
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United States vs. Great Britain
 British impressment
 “Our old enemy.”
 British influence in the frontier
 War hawks
 John C. Calhoun and Henry Clay
 Opposition
 Federalists
 Old guard Dem-Reps
 New England and merchants
War of 1812
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Failed American invasion of Canada
British Invasion of D.C. and Baltimore
 Washington, D.C. burned (August 1814)
 Ft. McHenry (September 1814)
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Naval Victories and U.S.S. Constitution
Americans and the Natives
 Tecumseh and William Henry Harrison
 Battle of Horseshoe Bend (March 1814)
 Treaty of Ghent (December 1814)
 Stalemate; nothing earned
 Patriotic victory
 Battle of New Orleans (January 1815)
 Andrew Jackson
Nature FTW
“Old Ironsides”
- Constructed in
1797
- Still in
commission
42 Wins
0 Losses
The End of the Federalists
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“Victory” over Great Britain and proBritish/anti-war support labeled them as
unpatriotic
Hartford Convention (Dec. 1814)
 Ratify Constitution in attempt to weaken Dem-Rep
in West and South
 Talk of secession by radicals*
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After the War of 1812 Federalists soon would
dissolve even in New England stronghold
War of 1812’s Impact
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International respect
Development of U.S.-Canada relations
Natives on their own and weak
Industrial development
Growth of nationalism
Eyes toward the West