American Sphinx: Thomas Jefferson’s First Term as President [1800-1804]
Jefferson's first term brings electoral reform and major changes in
national policy that directly contradict his strict construction of the US Constitution.  

2016 Election Connections

 

 

 

Context: The election of 1800, however, was like no other in American history. It was the first time that parties mounted presidential campaigns, as domestic and foreign developments had divided Americans into two distinct partisan camps: the Federalists of President Adams and Alexander Hamilton—ideological ancestors of modern Republicans—versus the Republicans, or the future Democrats. Virtually every member of Congress had aligned himself with one party or the other.    

 

 

 

 

Elections that Made a Difference     

 

Under the United States Constitution a tie in the Electoral college could be broken only by a vote in the House of Representatives (See Article II, Section I, paragraph  2).  

 

 

#3 Impact of the Election of 1800

A peaceful transfer of power based on electoral results both parties is accepted. It took 6 days and 36 ballots to break the deadlock. 

 

Another outcome of the election is the ratification of the Constitution’s 12th Amendment (1804), which instructs electors to cast separate votes for President and Vice President.

 

President Obama post-election statement November 9, 2016  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8ceJNLbk6s

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jefferson in 60 Seconds

 

Source:  President Thomas Jefferson, first inaugural address, 1801

“Let us, then, with courage and confidence, pursue our own Federal and [Democratic-] Republican principles, our attachment to union and representative government. Kindly separated by nature and a wide ocean from the exterminating havoc of one quarter of the globe;

 

too high-minded to endure the degradations of the others; possessing a chosen country, with room enough for our descendants . . . ; entertaining a due sense of our equal right to the use of our own faculties, to the acquisitions of our own industry, to honor and confidence from our fellow citizens, resulting not from birth, but from our actions and their sense of them; enlightened by a benign religion . . . —with all these blessings, what more is necessary to make us a happy and a prosperous people? Still one thing more, fellow citizens—a wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government; and this is necessary to close the circle of our felicities.”

 

 

 

Presidency of Thomas Jefferson  (March 4, 1801 – March 4, 1809)

Man with a lot of experience, appointed James Madison his Secretary of State and Albert Gallatin his Secretary of the Treasury

 

Jefferson’s Goals

#1 Scale back government spending

#2 friendships but no alliances

# 3 strict interpretation of the Constitution

 

First Job – the spending!!!

Scale down Hamilton’s plan (reduced and eventually eliminated the excise tax) ; got more money from import duties (tariff)  and sale of western lands (price reduced to $1.25 an acre; minimum purchase 80 acres; created easy payment plans)

 

Cut spending HOW?  -Reduction in military and diplomatic spending

 

 

 

 

 

The Louisiana Godsend and The Empire of Liberty (2:59) 

 

 

 

 

 

TJ  asked for $2 million to buy the port - requested money in case we had to go to war over the river and/or the port gave– Robert Livingston and James Monroe – permission to ask France to sell us the port for $2 million

 

 

 

 

Louisiana in the Long View  The Corps of Discovery 

In the spring of 1804, Jefferson sent William Clark and Meriwether Lewis to explore this new territory. Along with a Shoshoni woman named, the Sacajawea the two spent 21/2 years exploring the land, 1804-1806 – this land was explored Lewis and Clark + 50 guys got to the Pacific in Dec. 1805

 

 

 

Napoleon

had hopes of regaining control of some land in the western hemisphere fighting against Toussaint L’Ouverture in the West Indies France lost because of a combination of yellow fever and slow reinforcements. The Louisiana Purchase was finalized on April 30, 1803.

Jefferson had a dilemma, since the Constitution said nothing about purchasing foreign land, but on the other hand, this deal was simply too good to pass up!

 

 After considering an amendment, Jefferson finally decided to go through with the deal anyway, even though nothing in the Constitution talked about land purchases. Jefferson had been a strict interpreter of the Constitution, but he was now using a loose interpretation.

 

Federalists, normally loose interpreters, took a strict interpretation and opposed the purchase. Federalist didn’t want the new lands because they correctly foresaw new lands meant new settlers and new states, which meant more farmers and more Republicans.

 

Thus, both parties made a full 180° turnaround from their previous philosophical beliefs about the Constitution simply because of the practical matters at hand.

 

The Senate quickly approved the purchase with Jefferson’s urging, and the Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States. This was the biggest bargain in history averaging 3 cents per acre. The purchase created a precedent of acquisition of foreign territory through purchase.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lewis and Clark (Clip)

 

 

Summary of Jefferson’s First Term

#1 doubled the size of the country

 

#2 increased our trade

 

#3 Eliminated a foreign threat (France) in North America

 

#4 Reduced debt and domestic taxes

 

#5 Increased the power of the executive office

 

 

 

 

Arguments for Democratic-Republicans (most support ratification)

 

• Western farmers are demanding war to secure free use of the Mississippi.

 

• The vast resources of Louisiana will make-up for the costs of the purchase.

 

• Napoleon may change his mind if the nation does not act quickly.

 

• There is not time to seek an amendment. Congress passed the 11th Amendment on March 4, 1794. It was not ratified until January 23, 1795 (over 11 months).

 

• Eliminating the French from North America will make the United States safer (especially noting Napoleon’s expansionist tendencies).

 

Arguments for Federalists (oppose ratification) • The Constitution contains no provision for purchasing land.

 

• Jefferson has always been against loose construction. • Jefferson has the option of seeking an amendment to the Constitution.

 

• Jefferson is adding to the national debt.

 

• States carved out of the territory will be Jeffersonian – Republicans will gain enormous power.

 

• The [frontier] expansion of the nation will “decivilize” the nation.

 

French and Spanish speaking people live in the territory and have not consented to being incorporated into the United States.

 

• When people move there they will be at a great distance from the nation’s capital. It will be impossible to control or meet the needs of these individuals and they will eventually want to separate.

 

• Knowing that Napoleon cannot maintain control over it and that he is afraid that England will take it, we should not have had to pay so much for