Jefferson as President
A New Direction for American Government
Republicans won control of Congress, state governments, and presidency
Jefferson Streamlines Government
Jefferson encourages Congress to abandon the Alien and Sedition Acts and other hated taxes. Jefferson intended to pay the national debt by paying it down and reduced it from $80M to $57M, making cuts to army and navy as well as the government. Customs revenue at this time also assisted with paying the debt
A Change in Style
Federalists believed that expensive displays taught the public to respect leaders, while Republicans disliked the Federalist displays of wealth as it was an aristocratic threat to the republic
John Marshal Shapes the Supreme Court
John Marshall becomes Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, however though Jefferson (Republican) and Marshall (Federalist) were cousins, there was a fierce rivalry.
The Power of the Judicial Branch
Marshal applied 4 of Hamilton’s principles
- Judicial Review: Supreme Court claimed the power to review the acts of Congress and President and determine whether they were constitutional
- Federal laws were superior to state laws
- Broad interpretation of the Constitution to find implied powers for the national government
- Sanctity of contracts: Limited the power of state governments to interfere with business
The Legacy of Judicial Review
Marbury v. Madison was the first case where Marshall asserted his power of judicial review. By doing so, Marshall gave the Democratic Republicans what they wanted by denying Marbury his appointment, but also claimed the power of the Supreme Court - establishing that the Supreme Court will review constitutionality of federal laws
The Marshall Court Sets Precedents
Marshall never rules a federal law unconstitutional and overruled state laws to defend businesses and interstate commerce from state interference, or strengthen judicial review
A Growing Nation Looks Westward
Jefferson believed that farm ownership was essential to the freedom of Americans - no expansion meant not enough farms for the population.
The Louisiana Territory
Jefferson ideally wanted the U.S to expand to the Pacific, however France’s military dictator Napoleon Bonaparte had ownership of the Louisiana Territory and had threatened to cut off American trade in New Orleans
The Louisiana Purchase
Jefferson reasoned that war between the French and U.S and offered to buy the territory - to which Napoleon agreed to. It helped Napoleon as it relived some of its military force from the U.S and helped France get money to pay for the war.
With the purchase, Jefferson obtained a vast territory extending from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains, doubling the size of the United States.
Though a good deal, the purchase itself contradicted constitutional principles - as he had long argued for a small federal government and the Constitution had not authorized him to purchase lands.
Jefferson sends Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the new territory, known as the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Foreign Difficulties Challenge Jefferson
Conflict in North Africa
The Barbary States of North Africa (Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli) were profiting by seizing American ships and sailors in the Mediterranean Sea. In the past, the president paid protection money, but Jefferson decided to send small American navy to blockade Tripoli winning favorable peace and ending the Barbary War