The Age of Jefferson
The Jefferson Presidency
Revolution
The New President’s Personality– walked to inauguration– ineffective public speaker– modern “Renaissance” man
Public Education– Limited success during Jefferson administration– women and minorities not given access to
education “Republican Mother”
Revolution Cont’d
Cultural Independence– Noah Webster – Washington Irving – Stories about American life
in New World
Religion– Skeptical Thinkers
Enlightenment deism and universalism Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin
Revolution Cont’d
Religion Cont’d– Second Great Awakening
Methodists + Presbyterians South grace attained through good deeds
Improvements in Technology – Jefferson believed in agrarian society, but also a scientist
understood technology was changing society– Industrial Revolution in England slowly came to United
States Modern factories Water powered factories
Revolution Cont’d
Improvements in Technology Cont’d– Cotton Gin
With invention “short-staple”, with big seeds, could now be mass produced inland
Steamboats Turnpikes
Marbury vs. Madison 1803
Reducing Federal Powers– Federalists moved to increase federal powers– Republicans attempted to reduce/forestall – Jefferson moved to repeal the Judiciary Act of
1801 / “midnight appointments”
Marbury was a midnight appointment who never got his letter,
Madison, refused to send it
Marbury vs. Madison 1803 Cont’d
Reduce your power to gain more power Federalists had long maintained that the Supreme
Court had the authority to nullify acts of Congress Original Judiciary Act of 1789 gave Supreme Court authority to order executive officials to such matters as the delivery of letters
Court rules that this act is Unconstitutional Rules that Madison does not have to send the letter
(but Marbury has a right to his post) John Marshall was chief Justice establishes precedent that Supreme Court can
overturn an act of Congress
Louisiana Purchase
Napoleon Eyes America– French land was lost east of the Mississippi in
1763– Secret treaty of San Ildefonso give New Orleans
back to French– of New Orleans refuses to allow American ships
Louisiana Purchase Cont’d
External Factors– Tousssaint L’Ouverture– Jefferson pledges support to French– yellow fever wipes of French forces in New
World– In Spring, Napoleon had to deal with a renewed
war in Europe
Thomas Jefferson's plan in 1805 to build on the Louisiana Purchase by buying West Florida from Spain is lampooned in this cartoon. Induced by the sting of the hornet Napoleon, Jefferson vomits gold coins before a dancing Spanish representative holding maps of East and West Florida and carrying French Minister Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand's instructions in his pocket. West Florida was captured by the United States during the War of 1812, and East Florida was acquired by treaty in 1819 during James Monroe's administration
Louisiana Purchase Cont’d
Sold!– Jefferson hints might form an alliance with the
British– Jefferson offers to buy New Orleans – $15 million
Pleased and Embarrassed– unsure that the United States had authority to
accept it– Constitution specified treaty-making power
Burr Conspiracy
Changing party– Burr almost cost Jefferson the Presidency in
1800– Jefferson held a grudge and Burr was outcast– Federalist North wants to secede from the Union– Hamilton disagrees– Federalists turn to Burr to run for governor of
New York– Burr looses election, blames Hamilton
Burr Conspiracy Cont’d
Burr challenges Hamilton to a duel Hamilton is mortally wounded and dies the next day forced to leave NY to avoid an indictment for
murder moved West friends with Wilkinson desire to capture Mexico
– Wilkinson turns against Burr – Jefferson orders Burr arrested for treason
Burr Conspiracy Cont’d
Trial– Jefferson manages the govt’s case from
Washington– Chief Justice Marshall defined the charge – Burr freed, political reputation destroyed
Symbolic– weak national govt. in a growing empire– ambitious leaders could circumvent normal
channels in their search for power– stability questioned
Caught up in it
Neutral rights– Napoleonic Wars between England and France caused
both sides to pass policies prohibiting other nations to trade with the enemy
– American ships were constantly raided– British considered worst offender
Impressment– British navy – GB passed a law allowing to reclaim navy deserters– British soldiers often did not differentiate between British
escapees and American merchants– Chesapeake-Leopard incident
Caught up in it Cont’d
Embargo– Jefferson-authored legislation passed by Congress– prohibited American ships from leaving the United States
for any foreign port– widely evaded, but still caused a depression – Madison wins 1808 election
Trade Chess– Madison puts pressure on Britain and France to repeal
laws by offering to assist the other if neither relent– Non-Intercourse Act + Macon’s Bill No.2– France first to withdrawal, Britain is penalized– limited embargo hurts Britain enough to withdraw
blockade, but too late
The Age of Jefferson
War of 1812
General Henry Harrison
committed advocate of Western expansion Helped pass Harrison Land Law Jefferson nominates him governor of
Indiana territory to administer solution to the “Indian Problem” which offered a choice
– become a part of white society– move west of Mississippi– either way, they had to give up their claims
General Henry Harrison Cont’d
Plan did not seem kind to Natives used trickery, threats, bribes, etc. by 1807 US had extracted lands in E.
Michigan, S. Indiana, most of Illinois in the North and lands in Georgia, Tennessee, and Mississippi from Natives
Britain had long been allies with Native tribes
fur trade potential military allies Battle of Fallen Timbers renewed after Chesapeake-Leopard
incident
Tecumseh and the Prophet (Tenskawatawa)
The Prophet– recovering alcoholic– spoke of visions and corruption of the white
world– inspired a religious revival and mobilization– his home at Tippecanoe Creek became a
sacred place to Native Tribes to visit and discuss spiritual as well as political unification
Tecumseh and the Prophet (Tenskawatawa) Cont’d
Tecumseh– The Prophet’s brother, chief of the Shawnees– understood that only through united action could the tribes
hope to resist the advance of white civilization– refused to sign the Treaty of Greenville– believed that Harrison and manipulating whites had no
title to land – set out to unite all Indians of the Mississippi North and
South (Great Lakes to Gulf of Mexico)– With Tecumseh gone, Harrison struck at Tippecanoe
(1811) and burned the village– Natives still hungry for battle and would be supplied by
British
Fever against Europe and Neighbors
From Spain– Florida, and parts of Alabama, Mississippi, and
Louisiana– Slaves escape– Indian raids– Access to the Gulf of Mexico
American Encroachment– 1810 American settlers seized Baton Rouge– Madison annexes the territory Florida became
another reason to battle England
Fever against Europe and Neighbors Cont’d
Rise of War Hawks– Election of 1810– Pro-War, Pro-Expansion representatives /
Henry Clay (Kentucky) John Calhoun (South Carolina)
– Madison hoped for peace, but losing control of Congress
War
Napoleon– British troops spread thin– not eager for another war abroad– USA war declaration ignored at first
Early Battles w. Tribes– Canada
USA surrender at Detroit USA surrender at Fort Dearborn
– At Sea success at first burning British boats in the British Isle post Napoleon blockade
War Cont’d
Great Lakes successes– Lake Ontario– Lake Erie– Thames– Tecumseh dies– Brigadier General in British army– Southwest
Creek Indians– supplied by Spanish– Tecumseh students– Lead raids on white settlers
War Cont’d
Andrew Jackson– wealthy Tennessee planter– general of state militia– abandon plans to invade Florida to attack Creeks
Battle of Horseshoe Bend– slaughtering of men, women and children– Creeks cede most of its land to the United States– Jackson nominated major general in United
States Army
War Cont’d
British Invasion– Central Coast
after surrender of Napoleon in 1814, England prepared to invade USA– Landed in Chesapeake Bay and disperse a poorly trained
army of American militiamen– British advance to Washington, and burn it!– Madison has to flee– Retaliation for US burning Canadian capital at York (Toronto)– British stopped at Fort McHenry– Star Spangled Banner (Francis Scott Key)
War Cont’d
British Invasion Cont’d North
– US forces repel a large British naval and land attack at Plattsburgh
South– New Orleans– Jackson’s troops consisted of Tennesseans, Kentuckians,
Creoles, blacks, pirates and regular army troops– US Behind fortifications
– British leave 700 dead / 1,400 wounded– US leaves 8 killed, 13 wounded– Peace treaty signed weeks before Battle of New Orleans
The End of the Federalists
Anger towards early battle failures– unpopular sentiment towards war as it dragged on– in NE, unpopularity was also directed towards
Republicans– talk of secession
Hartford, Connecticut– small majority against secession– approve seven amendment proposals to US Constitution
The “death blow”– Jackson’s victory– Negotiated peace with England– Federalists viewed as cowardly losers
The Peace Settlement
Ghent, Belgium– Americans abandon request for British to end
impressment– British abandon request for Indian buffer state in North
West English and United States
– contributed to long-term improvement in Anglo-American relations other treaties would follow that would give Americans right to trade freely with England and much
British empire Mutual disarmament in Great Lakes (Rush – Bagot Treaty) Eventually, Canadian-American boundary would become the
longest “unguarded frontier” in the world
The Peace Settlement Cont’d
Native Americans and The United States– Treaty required United States to restore lands
seized by white Americans in the fighting, but those provisions were never enforced
– Tecumseh, dead– British gone– Native alliance, gone