Triumphs & Travails of Jeffersonian Democracy 1800-1812

1. Triumphs & Travails of Jeffersonian Democracy1800-1812 The American Pageant Chapter 11

2. Fed/Repub. Mudslingers Fed weaknesses in 1800 election: • Hamilton wing of Fed party openly split with Adams. • War prep. (incl. new taxes) resulted in nothing, regarded as extravagant.

3. Fed/Repub. Mudslingers (2) • On defensive, Feds conducted early “whispering campaign” against Jefferson, incl. story of fathering children with slave, alleged atheism.

4. “Revolution of 1800” • Jefferson beats Adams 73-65, largely b/c New York switched due to influence of Burr. • Problem: Jefferson & Burr (VP running mate) both received 73 votes, therefore election decided by House of Reps.

5. “Revolution of 1800” (2) • House still controlled by lame duck Feds, who initially preferred Burr, but elected Jefferson after long deadlock. • Significance of election: peaceful transfer of power – “revolutionary” achievement.

6. Federalist Finale • Adams was to be last Federalist president, party faded. • Fed political & financial leaders had built solid foundations. • Fed diplomats had signed good treaties with England, Spain, France, kept US out of war.

7. Federalist Finale (2) • Feds preserved democratic gains, while fending off anarchy – “half-way house between European past & American future” (Henry Adams). • By 1800, Feds unable to appeal to common people, out of step.

8. Responsibility › Moderation • Jefferson integrated democratic principles into presidency, incl. walking, pell-mell dining, casual dress. • Set precedent of sending mes-sages to Congress to be read, rather than speaking himself.

9. Responsibility › Moderation (2) • Jefferson dismissed few Fed appointments, very little patronage, consistent with conciliatory inaugural address. • Jefferson as politician used personal charm to sway congressional reps.

10. Restraint Helps Revolution Jefferson axed a few Fed policies: • Pardoned those convicted under expired Sedition Act. • Reduced residency req. for citizenship back to 5 years. • Repealed hated excise tax. • Made efforts to eliminate debt.

11. Restraint Helps Revolution • Yet Jeff. showed restraint by leaving most of Fed program. • Did not attack tariff, Bank, funding at par, or assumption. • Helped 2-party system by showing that defeat (for Feds) doesn’t mean disaster.

12. “Dead Clutch” of Judiciary • “Deathbed” Judiciary Act of 1801 and resulting “midnight” appointments was regarded as attempt by Feds to pack courts with 16 Fed judges before leaving office, entrenching themselves in 1 branch of gov’t.

13. “Dead Clutch” of Judiciary (2) • New Republican Congress repealed it, eliminating 16 judges. • Also targeted Fed CJ John Marshall, who was appointed in the last days of Adams’ term.

14. “Dead Clutch” of Judiciary (3) • Marshall became committed Fed at Valley Forge, where lack of strong central gov’t caused suffering. • Dominated court for 34 years, long after Fed party died out.

15. “Dead Clutch” of Judiciary (4) • “Midnight judge” Marbury presented Marshall with opportunity to expand power of court. • When new Sec. of State Madison shelved his judicial appt., Marbury sued.

16. “Dead Clutch” of Judiciary (5) • Marshall dismissed suit, but in doing so struck down part of Judiciary Act of 1789. • Est. precedent of “judicial review”: SC, not states as Jeff. argued, had power to declare laws unconstitutional.

17. “Dead Clutch” of Judiciary (6) • Jeffersonians tried to retaliate by impeaching SC justice Chase. • However, no “high crimes and misdemeanors,” just arrogant partisanship. Senate would not convict.

18. Jefferson turns Warrior • Jefferson reduced sizes of army & navy (distrusted large standing armies). • Previous Fed administrations had been paying protection money to N. African pirates in Algiers.

19. Jefferson turns Warrior (2) • 1801: pasha of Tripoli was not happy with his share of $, informally declared war on US. • Pacifist Jefferson reluctantly dispatched navy, secured peace for $60,000 ransom for American sailors.

20. Jefferson turns Warrior (3) • Small gunboats used with some success in Tripoli: Jefferson interested in their cost savings. • “Mosquito fleet” of 200 constructed, one found 8 mi. inland after tidal wave. • War of 1812: boats ineffective.

21. Louisiana Godsend • 1800: Napoleon secretly con-vinced Spain to cede enormous Louisiana region to France. • 1st indication of agreement came when Spanish at New Orleans withdrew right of deposit from Americans.

22. Louisiana Godsend (2) • Pioneers wanted to take New Orleans by force, but would mean war with Spain & France. • Could have taken LA from Spain at any time, but Napoleon & France too strong, would need alliance with England.

23. Louisiana Godsend (3) • B/c pressure from west, Jefferson sent two envoys to Napoleon to buy New Orleans and as much to the east as they could get for $10M. • If sale fails, instructed to seek alliance with England.

24. Louisiana Godsend (4) • At same time, Napoleon suddenly decided to sell all LA, abandon New World empire. • 1st Reason: Failed to reconquer Santo Domingo, and LA was to be a provider of food for sugar island. Did not need LA.

25. Louisiana Godsend (5) • 2nd Reason: Napoleon ending conflict with Britain, afraid he would have to cede LA to them. By selling, he could get money, not force US/British alliance, and strengthen US to someday thwart England in New World.

26. Louisiana Godsend (6) • Envoy Livingston negotiates sale of all LA for $15M. • Jefferson shocked: wanted LA & land east, but got that plus all land west. • Struggled with constitutionality of purchase.

27. LA in the Long View • Jefferson purchased doubled size of US, avoided conflict with France & alliance with Britain. • Spring, 1804: Jefferson sends personal sec. Lewis and army officer Clark to explore north LA.

28. LA in the Long View (2) • Exploration yielded maps, knowledge of Indians, overland trail to Pacific. • LA Purchase also bolstered nat. unity, loyalty in west, as shown by Burr’s failed plot to separate western US from east.

29. A Nutcrackered Neutral • Jefferson reelected in 1804, 162-14, but new European conflicts threatened successful US overseas trade. • Napoleon renewed war with England: France controlled land, England ruled sea.

30. A Nutcrackered Neutral (2) • 1806: England closed ports under French control to foreign shipping (incl. US), seized US ships & impressed Americans. • Napoleon then ordered seizure of all merchant ships that entered British ports.

31. A Nutcrackered Neutral (3) • Britain also enraged US with Chesapeake incident. • Jefferson could have war if he wanted.

32. Jefferson’s Embargo • US not ready for war, but Europeans depended on US for raw materials & foodstuffs. • Jefferson tried to wield this weapon, passed Embargo Act (1807), prohibited exports from US.

33. Jefferson’s Embargo (2) • Economies of North, South & West devastated - New England talked of secession. • Congress repealed embargo in 1809, but still restricted trade with England & France.

34. Jefferson’s Embargo (3) • Jeff. admitted that embargo 3x more costly than war. • However, did result in revival of New England manufacturing. • 1812: pinched Britain finally suspended orders - embargo worked belatedly.

35. Jefferson’s Legacy • Jefferson retained popularity, despite embargo. • Did not want to run for 3rd term & set precedent for dictator-ship. • Encouraged election of Madison.

36. Dupe of Napoleon • 1808: Madison elected, but could not lead party like Jeff. • 1810: Macon’s Bill #2. Pemitted all trade, but said that if England or France repealed restrictions, US would boycott other country.

37. Dupe of Napoleon (2) • Aug., 1810: in response, Napoleon (lying) announced decrees had been repealed. • Nov., 1810: Madison announces nonimportation against Britain. • Results in political ties with France.

38. War Hawks • 12th Congress, meeting in 1811, saw large contingent of younger hotheads from South & West. • These “war hawks” gained control of House, elected Henry Clay (KY) as speaker.

39. War Hawks (2) • War hawks wanted strong America to protect rights of sailors, show world that democratic gov’t was viable. • Western hawks also wanted to wipe out renewed Indian threat.

40. War Hawks (3) • Indians Tecumseh & the Prophet formed union of tribes east of Miss. to fight white intrusion, led Indian cultural renewal. • 1811: Gen. William H. Harrison def. Tecumseh at Tippecanoe.

41. War Hawks (4) • 1814: In South, Andrew Jack-son crushed Creeks at Horse-shoe Bend. • Way now wide open for settle-ment of Ohio country & south-western frontier. • Hawks now want Canada, FL.

42. War Hawks (5) • June, 1812: Hawks engineer de-claration of war with England. • Landlocked West & Southwest forced coastal states into war, ironically for maritime rights. • Dangerous degree of disunity, East resented war.

43. “Mr. Madison’s War” • Why Britain, not France? Impressment, arming of Indians, desire for Canada. • Unfortunately, Congress was not aware than London repealed trade restrictions 2 days prior to war declaration.

44. “Mr. Madison’s War” (2) • New England opposed to war b/c (1) profits were still good, (2) impressment exaggerated, (3) traditional Fed alignment with Britain, (4) did not want addition of Canada to give agrarian states more power.

45. “Mr. Madison’s War” (3) • Result: New England treason-ous against US war effort: lent more $ to Britain than US, sent food to Canada, refused to allow militias to fight outside of states. • US goes to war vs. most power-ful nation hopelessly divided.