The Age of Jefferson, 1800-1808

I. The Rise of Cultural Nationalism

A. Virtuous Republic

1. Govt. gets its authority from the citizens.
2. A selfless, educated citizenry.
3. Elections should be frequent.
4. Govt. should guarantee individual rights & freedoms.
5. Govt.’s power should be limited [checks & balances].
6. The need for a written Constitution.
7. “E Pluribus Unum.” [“Out of many, one”]
8. An important role for women à raise good, virtuous citizens.
   [“Republican Womanhood”].

B. Patterns of Education

n  The Virtuous Citizen

n  Central to Republican vision of America

n  The goal à nationwide system of public schools

n  The reality à schooling primarily the responsibility of private institutions

n  Higher education remained very  limited

n  Republican Motherhood

n  education should serve to make better wives & mothers

n  Judith Sargent Murray pushed for women’s rights

n  The “noble savage”

n  Education would “civilize” and uplift Indians

C. Noah Webster

• Public schools embraced Webster’s blue-backed speller, which promoted patriotism
• Webster’s Dictionary described an “American” form of English

D. Establishing a National Culture

• Well-defined American literature began developing
  • Parson Mason Weems’ fictionalized bio of Washington
  • Washington Irving’s Legend of Sleepy Hallow and Rip van Winkle

E. Religious Skepticism

n  Deism

n  Originated among Enlightenment philosophers

n  God existed but was not directly involved with the human race and its sins

n  Thomas Jefferson & Ben Franklin followers

n  Unitarianism

n  Sometimes called “universalism”

n  First emerged as dissenting views within Congregationalist Churches

n  Rejected predestination & the Trinity

F. The 2^nd Great Awakening

What was it?

n  Religious revival that swept the U.S. in the early 1800s

n  Reaction against rationalism & religious skepticism of the Enlightenment

Message?

n  Individuals must readmit God and Christ into their daily lives

n  Must embrace fervent, active, piety, and reject skeptical rationalism

G. Rev. Timothy Dwight

n  Started 2^nd Great Awakening

n  President of Yale

n  His campus revivals motivated young men to become evangelical preachers

H. Cane Ridge, 1801

n  1^st “camp meeting” – attracted 25,000 people

n  Revivals became ways to gain new members

I. Peter Cartwright

n  Methodist circuit-riding preacher

Membership in churches embracing the revival flourished (Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians

J. Charles G. Finney

• Presbyterian minister
• Started a series of revivals in New York
• Appealed to peoples’ emotion and fear of damnation – all were free to be saved by faith & hard work
• “Soul-shaking” conversions

K. Effects of the Awakening

n  Will push reforms movements of antebellum era

n  Very popular with women

n  African Americans and Revival

n  Many attended revivals and embraced new religious fervor – substantial group of black preachers emerged

n  Stirred racial unrest  – did egalitarian religious message mean equality in real life?

n  Gabriel Prosser’s rebellion planned at revival meeting

n  Indians and the 2^nd Great Awakening

n  Very strong but drew heavily from earlier tribal experiences

n  Handsome Lake pushed for revival of traditional way – sort of

n  “Freethinkers” influence diminished

II. Stirrings of Industrialism

A. Samuel Slater

n  Built a spinning mill for Quaker merchant Moses Brown in Rhode Island

n  1^st modern factory in America

B. Eli Whitney

Interchangeable parts mean tasks could be divided among several workers

Cotton gin revolutionized life in the South-Slavery is here to stay!

C. Improvements in Transportation

n  1807 – Robert Fulton sailed first ship powered by steam engine up the Hudson

n  1792  – construction on  Lancaster Road began. Ran 60 miles fr. Lancaster to Philly.  Began “turnpike era”

III. Jefferson’s Presidency

A. “Revolution” of 1800

n  Much animosity and partisan feuding before and during the election

n  Jefferson sought to calm Federalist fears

n  Inaugural Address: “We are all Federalists, we are all Republicans”

n  Maintained national debt & continued Hamilton’s debt-repayment plan

n  Carried on neutrality policies of Jefferson & Adams.

B. Jefferson’s Republican Agenda

• Reduced the size of the military
  • Built up due to Quasi-War
  • Forced to increase size later b/c of Barbary Pirates
• Eliminated many federal jobs but dismissed few public servants for political reasons
• Repealed the excise taxes – including whiskey tax
  • Whiskey Rebellion was free speech
• Lowered the national debt

C. Barbary Pirates

n  1^st major challenge of Jefferson’s foreign policy

n  We had been protected from them when we were part of British Empire

n  Now, we’re too poor to bribe them & too weak to fight.

n   To protect U.S. merchants, Washington & Adams had paid tribute to the Barbary governments.

n  When Jefferson became president, the Pasha of Tripoli demanded more money.

n  Rather than pay, Jefferson sent a small fleet of U.S. naval vessels.

D. Tripolian Wars, 1801-1805

n  Sporadic fighting for 4 yrs.

n  No decisive victory but we did gain some respect and it did offer some protection to U.S. vessels in the Med.

E. Conflict with the Courts

n  Judiciary branch was the only one that remained largely in the hands of the federalists

n  Who was John Marshall?

n  Federalist appointed Chief Justice by Adams

n  Exerted a strong influence

n  Was a Federalist

n  His decisions strengthened the  national gov’t at the expense of                                        states’ rights

F. Marbury v. Madison, 1803

First major case to be decided by Marshall

Puts him in direct conflict w/ Jefferson

Jefferson wanted to block the appointment of “midnight judges.”

n  Ordered Sec. of State James Madison not to deliver the appointments.

n  One of those midnight judges, William Marbury, sued

n  Marshall knew his Jeffersonian rivals would never enforce a writ to deliver the commission to his fellow Federalist.

G. Establishing Judicial Review

• Court ruled had a right to his appointment under Judiciary Act of 1801
  • But also ruled that act was unconstitutional so Marbury really can’t have the appointment  
• Verdict
  • Marshall sacrificed a small Federalist victory for a more substantial victory for the judicial branch
  • Supreme Court now had power over the executive and judicial branches to decides the constitutionality of laws

H. Judicial Impeachments

n  One federal district court judge, John Pickering, found mentally unbalanced à impeached & removed

n  The House impeached Supreme Court justice, Samuel Chase, but Senate acquitted

n  Impeachment campaign largely a failure

n  Threat of impeachment made judges less partisan

IV. The Louisiana Purchase

A. Napoleon in America

n  1800 – Napoleon forced Spain to give Louisiana and New Orleans back to France

n  Wanted to restore the French Empire in the Americas

n  Ran into problems

B. Spanish officials, who were still in charge of New Orleans, closed the port to Americans.

• Revoked our right of deposit granted by Pinckney Treaty
• No more tax-free use of port for Americans
• People on the frontier clamor for gov’t action!
• Jefferson knew so long as a foreign power controlled the Miss. at New Orleans the U.S. risked entanglement in European affairs.

C. The Negotiations

Jefferson sent ministers to France to offer up to $10 mil. for both New Orleans & a strip of land extending from New Orleans east to Florida.

If the American ministers failed, they were instructed to begin discussions with Britain for a U.S.-British alliance.

D. Napoleon’s ministers need money for their war against Britain

n  They offer to sell not only New Orleans but the entire Louisiana Territory for $15 mil.

n  Surprised American ministers exceed their authority & accept the deal!

E. Jefferson’s Dilemma

n  Like most Americans, Jefferson approved of the Louisiana Purchase

n  BUT, he was a strict constructionist

n  Was the purchase constitutional?

n  He thought not.

For the good of the country, he put his idealism aside and accepted the bargain

Doubled Size of U.S!

F. Impact of the Purchase

• Removed a foreign presence from the nation’s border
• Guaranteed the extension of western frontier beyond the Mississippi

n  Acquisition of millions of acres of land strengthened Jefferson’s hopes that America would remain an agrarian society

n  Increased Jefferson’s popularity

n  Showed the Federalists to be a weak, sectionalist party

G. Exploring the West

n  Lewis & Clark Expedition, 1803

n  Incr. knowledge of the country (sci. & geog.)

n  Strengthened U.S. claims to Oregon

n  Improved relations w/Indians (Sacagawea)

n  Developed maps & land routes for trappers & settlers

n  Zebulon Pike Expedition, 1805

n  Described the land between Missouri River and the Rockies as uninhabitable

H. Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806

n  Increased knowledge of the country (science & geography)

n  Strengthened U.S. claims to Oregon

n  Improved relations with the Indians  (Sacagawea)

n  Developed maps & land routes for trappers & settlers.

V. Jefferson’s 2^nd Term

n  Jefferson was re-elected by an overwhelming margin in the Election of 1804 but he would face growing problems in his 2^nd term.

A. The Burr Conspiracy

n  Republicans decided not to nominate Burr for a 2^nd term

n  Essex Junto

n  Group of extreme Federalists

n  Angered by Louisiana Purchase

n  Wanted New England to secede but need New York & New Jersey as well

n  Hamilton would not support, they turned to Burr

n  Burr ran for NY Governor

n  Hamilton urged Federalists not to support Burr

n  Burr lost

B. Hamilton-Burr Duel, 1804

Hamilton was killed and America lost one of its greatest leaders.  Burr became a political outcast

C. Burr Trial for Treason, 1806

n  Burr plotted to take Mexico from Sp. & unite it with Louisiana under his rule.

n  Jefferson ordered Burr’s arrest & trial for treason

n  Chief Justice John Marshall presided over trial

n  Burr was acquitted b/c of Marshall’s narrow definition of treason and lack of witnesses to any “overt acts.”

D. Opposition from “Quids”

n  Jefferson also faced opposition from Old Republicans (“Quids”) who accused him of abandoning his Republican principles

VI. War and Expansion

A. Challenges to U.S. Neutrality During the Napoleonic Wars

n  Fr. & Br. used naval blockades

n  Seized ships fr. neutral nations

n  confiscated their cargoes

n  U.S. perspective: Brits are worst offenders

n  Had better navy

n  Impressment

n  White encroachment in West

n  Indians allied selves w/Brits & Spanish

n  Became interwined w/  European conflict on the seas

B. Chesapeake-Leopard Affair, 1807

n  Aroused American anger and almost led to war

n  Off coast of VA – Br. warship Leopard demanded Chesapeake captain hand over 4 alleged deserters.

n  U.S. captain refused à Br. open fire

n  3 killed & 4 impressed

C. Embargo Act, 1807-1809

n  Jefferson persuaded Congress to pass as an alternative to war

n  Prohibited American merchant ships from sailing to any foreign port.

n  Force Act passed to enforce embargo

n  USA is Br.’s largest trading partner, hoped this act would force them to stop their aggressive actions.

n  We underestimated British resolve.  Napoleonic Wars were a life or death struggle for them.

n  The embargo backfired, it brought much greater economic hardship to the USA than to Britain. 

D. More on the Embargo

n  The situation was especially bad in New England

n  Hardest hit were the merchants and shipowners, who happened to be Federalists

n  Political liability for Jefferson

n  Federalists did better in elections of 1808

n  Jefferson repealed embargo days before he left office in 1809.

n  The only good thing was the embargo forced our infant industries to develop more quickly