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Jefferson Years

Jefferson Years. Why was the election of 1800 so remarkable?. The whole executive branch of the gov passed peacefully from one party to another. Federalists attacked TJ: Mad Jacobin Atheist Republicans attacked Federalists: Treasonous Faction of Monarchists w/ Aristocratic tendencies

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Jefferson Years

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  1. Jefferson Years Why was the election of 1800 so remarkable?

  2. The whole executive branch of the gov passed peacefully from one party to another • Federalists attacked TJ: • Mad Jacobin • Atheist • Republicans attacked Federalists: • Treasonous • Faction of Monarchists w/ Aristocratic tendencies • Ready to conspire w/ enemies of our country

  3. Parties • Most view them as evil, corrupt • Promoting selfish interests • Appealing to passions of people • Distracting leaders from doing calm good • TJ sees Republicans as temporary • Protection of Republican institutions • Feds don’t really think TJ will unravel system of gov • Wd get blame if it failed • Sure of return to office • Strong base in New England • Therefore: acceptance of 2 party system gives it legitimacy

  4. Newspapers- 1790s • A. Hamilton patronized & loaned $$ to Ed. Of Gazette of the US • John Fenno • Federalist paper • TJ & Madison asked NY Journalist Philip Freneau to set up Republican paper in Phil. • TJ offered a clerkship, advertising & inside info from State Dept • National Gazette

  5. 1800 Campaign • TJ’s efforts: get Republican state legislators elected who will chose the right electors • TJ strong in So. • NY leads middle states; split: Burr, Hamilton • TJ & Burr meet: deal: If TJ wins 1st, he’d pull enough votes in So. To get Burr in 2nd. • Burr secretly organized support among older party leaders • Founded Tammany Hall • Kept campaign secret till Hamilton pieced together inferior backing • Debates, Burr beat Ham in 3 day election • Republicans sweep

  6. Electoral votes • TJ, Burr: 73 • Adams 65 • Pinckney 64 • Jay 1 • Tie Federalist congress • 35 ballots deadlocked • TJ wins on 36th on promise to carry Federalists policies

  7. TJ’s policies • Inaugural address • Invites Feds to join Repubs in common efforts for common good • Will of majority must prevail • Minority has rights too • Diff of opinion ≠ diff of principle • We are all Republicans • We are all Federalists • Nobody wants to dissolve union • Purpose: gently absorb both groups into one system (get rid of parties)

  8. TJ Admin • Style: informal • Annual messages sent Congress to be read • Avoid comparison w/ Geo III reading from throne • Infrequent state dinners • Avoid comparison w/ pomp of Euro courts • No wife to take charge; shy • Lives simply • Accessible to citizens

  9. Style of gov • By natural aristocracy of virtue & talent • Not elite of birth • Men in key posts: able, educated, experienced • Upper class Republicans • Sec St: Madison, VA • Treasury: Albert Gallatin, PA • Atty Gen: Levi Lincoln, MA (F) • War: Henry Dearborn, MA (F) • Post Master Gen: Gideon Granger, CT (F)

  10. TJ Policies • Against mercantilism • Favors passive Federal role • Restrain harmful practices; no other regulation of industry • Role of gov: honor Bill of Rights, seek Justice for all, respect rights of states • Safeguard against tyrannical tendencies • “Absolute power….” • Spend little at Federal level

  11. How much unraveling of Federalist actions? • Little • Bank of US left alone; chartered  1811 • Tried to win bank support for Repubs • Administration by deposits in those that favored them • 4 pillars of prosperity: • Agriculture • Commerce • Manufacturing • Navigation

  12. Changes • Refused to renew A & S Acts • Reduced residency to 5 yrs • Hoped US = asylum for oppressed • Repealed Judiciary Act 1801, abolished circuit judgeships created • Midnight appointments • Impeached a district judge- Drunk, unstable • Impeached Chief Justice Samuel Chase • Used bench politically • Not a misdemeanor; not convicted • Tried to end public debt • Goal: 16 yrs ($83 million) • Cut costs in exec. Branch • Reduced # offices in Revenue service, diplomatic corps • Cut Navy, military (safe btwn oceans) • But funds militia supplies • Avoided slavery issue • But pushed congress to stop slave trade by 1808

  13. Westward movement & problem of transportation • 1800- nearly 1 million trans-apalachians • New Land Act 1800: 4 yrs credit on tracts • 320 acres, 25% down • Min $2 per acre • =$80 down on farm • Traders & speculators go west • Farmers grow cash crops; not self sufficiency • Farmers & speculators rush new open areas before Indians clear out • Indian rights ignored • TJ expects acculturation (into farmers) by driving them into debt • Wd trade gov houses to force cession of land • Drive off warlike tribes W of MS (GT Desert) • Result: Indians tricked, coerced into bad treaties • Terms misunderstood • Forced off land to West • GovWm H Harrison gets last 3 mill acre deal: Wabash Valley, IN

  14. Transportation problems • Mountains block way east • French taking over New Orleans & mouth MS • Solutions: • Congress approved: National Road • 1806 – Cumberland MD  Wheeling, VA • Gov financed; built 1811-1818 • Extended to Vandalia, IL • 1795 Pinckney treaty w/ Spain gave Ws route to navigate, Right of Deposit • We offer France $ for land area

  15. Why LA purchase = controversial • Treaty of San Ildefonso: All LA  France, 1800 • 1802: Spanish intendant at N.O. w/d Rt of Deposit from Amers • 3/8 all territory ships produce thru here • TJ: if France gets N.O. control we wd be forced to ally w Brits 4 protection • TJ sent Monroe, Livingston to offer to purchase N.O. & E/W FL • $2 mill appropriated • Talleyrand shocks L by offering all LA for $15 • Colony at San Domingo (Haiti) in rebellion • Toussaint L’Ouverture led slave insurrection • France near war w/ England again; needs $$ • Can prevent alliance btwn England & US • Boundaries: vague • Roughly as Spain saw them • MS River to Rockies up to CA • Controversy: • Purchase violates Fr promise to Sp not to sell • Constitution silent on new territory by purchase • Debt goes up

  16. Western Exploration • Pre- LA Purchase: • Congress authorized- study of upper MO R • & W to Pacific • Geography, Botany: Flora, Fauna • Merriwether Lewis & William Clark • & watch for trading opps & mineral deposits • Zebulon Pike • Up MS R to find source • Up AR R to Rockies; CO • Importance: assess value of region, strength of Spanish there

  17. Marbury v. Madison • Adams’ Midnight Appointments never delivered (based on Judiciary Act 1801) • Wm. Marbury sued for delivery of post • John Marshall: • Sec 13 of Judiciary Act unconstitutional; • Yet Marbury deserves commission • Still Court can’t issue Writ of Mandamus • Result: court gets power to rule on Constitutionality of Federal Laws

  18. Federalist Threat, Republican Factionalism, treason • Essex Junto: near Boston • Cranky old Federalists • Moaning abo decline of virtue • TJ seen as Parisian Revolutionary • Debasing public morals; corrupting system • Should union be dissolved? • Young Federalists: • Keep party alive, adopt Repub electioneering methods • Contrib to rise in 2 party system • Factions split Republicans • Personal rivalries, patronage disputes • Some 3rd party movements

  19. Treason? • John Randolph (Tertium Quid): • Critic of any violation of KY, VA resolutions • Pro states rights • Hates gov assumption debts, land • And land sold from Yazoo Co to Gov (part of scandal) • Aaron Burr: • Disputed election of 1800 • Shooting of A Hamilton -04 • A H ruined chances for Gov NY • Scheme: • Separate ½ US: empire • Or: buffer state between LA & MX • Or: conquer MX for US (Hero)

  20. Yazoo Land Fraud • GA land scheme in Yazoo county • 1795- GA sold it to 4 land companies (Federal owned) • One GA legislature sold 5x available land in GA • 1789: S.C. Yazoo Co, VA Yazoo Co & TN Co formed, bought land from GA Assembly • 20 million acres: $207,000; deal fell through • 1794 new Yazoo Cos push bill through assembly to get double the land for $500,000. • Another bid for $800,000 w/ $40k deposit ignored • Angry voters turned out bill’s supporters • Next gov repealed land grant • Case drags  Ct

  21. Yazoo solution • Fletcher v. Peck: no matter how fraudulent, a contract is inviolate • Settlement goes to speculators • All disputed land goes to US in 1812 for 1.4 mill & Cherokee removal at fed expense • Part of 1812 Act of Cession provided “Orphan Strip” (pt of N.C.) go to GA • Didn’t want it; infested w/ outlaws • Led to Walton War; NC militia cleaned it up & claimed it • 2 engagements; GA trounced • In court until 1971

  22. Troubles at Sea • Barbary Pirates: (N coast Africa) • Pasha of Tripoli Demanding tribute • GW & JA pay • Pasha of Tripoli demands more of TJ • TJ won’t pay; Pasha has US flagpole chopped down (war decl) • TJ sent fleet- blockades Tripoli • Fighting sporadic 1801-05 • Stephen Decatur broke into Tripoli Harbor, set fire2 captured US frigate • Pasha settled for $60k ransom, released crew • Still tribute; but less than $300k & cheaper than war • No real victory; but respect earned, shipping protected

  23. More trouble at sea • French, English blockade • Seized neutral ships, confiscate cargo • Impressment mostly British • Chesapeake- Leopard Affair: 07, off VA • Leopard fired on Ches., boarded • Killed 3; captured 4

  24. 1806 • TJ bribed Spain $2 million to yield FL • Quids tried 3rd party campaign 1808; unsucessful

  25. War in Europe • We take advantage to pick up trade w/ WI • 1806-7 British “Orders in Council”: blockade of Europe • All vessels must get license & submit to inspection • Or subject to seizure

  26. How do we come to war? • Embargo Act 07: • Stopped our ships going 2 any 4n port • Hurt US econ • Repealed 05 • Non-Intercourse Act, 09: • (Madison) we trade w/ all BUT E & F • MACON’S BILL #2: • If either F or E agree to respect US trade • We resume trade w/ them • Embargo other guys

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