the jefferson presidency—1801-1809 “the splendid misery”

The Jefferson Presidency—1801-1809

“The Splendid Misery”

A Terrific Resume

• Delegate to Second Continental Congress

• Principal Author of the Declaration of Independence

• Wartime governor of Virginia

• Ambassador to France—Sally Hemmings accompanied him.

• Secretary of State under Washington

• Vice President under John Adams

The Irony of the Election of 1800

• Clearly the Republicans didn’t manage the Election well—73 electoral votes for Burr and for Jefferson—led to 12th Amendment

• The enigma of Aaron Burr• There would have been no controversy without the

3/5 clause—Adams would have won handily had only whites been counted for determining the Electoral Vote.

• Jefferson is the quintessential southern/American in matters of race and sex.

Election of 1800

Jefferson’s Stated Principles

• “We are all Republicans—we are all Federalists”

• “Equal and exact justice to all men”• “peace, commerce, and honest friendship

will all nations; entangling alliances with none”

• “Freedom of religion . . . Press . . . Of person”

Irony of Jefferson’s Presidency

• Rhetorical record of strict construction, but exigencies in office led him to support broad exercises of power

• Struggle with Federalists actually enlarged Federalists interpretation of national government

• Foreign policy imbroglios led him to acquiesce to suppression of civil liberties and the enlargement of governmental powers.

Jefferson’s Domestic Agenda

• Struggles with Federalist Judiciary

• With Albert Gallatin’s prodding, Jefferson kept most of Hamilton’s fiscal apparatus, but got rid of his excise tax on whiskey

• Cut military spending

• Burr Conspiracy

• “Tertium Quids”

Struggles with Federalist Judiciary

• Marbury v. Madison

• John Marshall and Judicial Nationalism

• Impeachment of John Pickering

• Impeachment of Samuel Chase

John Marshall, William Marbury & Samuel Chase

Maintenance of Hamilton’s Schemes

• National Bank charter ran until 1811

• Funding and national debt schemes could not be undone

• “Wise and Frugal” government led to retrenchment

• Jefferson signed bill ending international importation of slaves

Cut Military Spending

• Standing armies lead to tyranny

• Relied on militia

• Jeffersonian gunboat program

• Coastal forts—program resulted in Ft. McHenry (War of 1812) and Ft. Sumter (Civil War)

Fort McHenry

Burr Conspiracy

• Burr’s duel with Alexander Hamilton ended Burr’s electability

• Intrigued with James Wilkinson and others to create western sovereignty

• United States v. Aaron Burr—neither Jefferson or Marshall looked good but established high standard of proof for treason and precedent of executive privilege.

Aaron Burr (1756-1836)

Tertium Quids

• John Taylor of Caroline and John Randolph of Roanoke

• Not a real factor in national politics although they cast votes for James Monroe in 1808

• Yazoo land frauds—Fletcher v. Peck

• Florida Bribe scheme

John Taylor of Caroline

Foreign Policy

• Jeffersonian Manifest Destiny—Empire of Liberty (Louisiana Purchase and attempts to acquire Florida) L. P. led to Lewis and Clark Expedition

• Struggles with Barbary Pirates

• Struggles with European Powers during Napoleonic Wars

Jeffersonian Manifest Destiny

• Louisiana Purchase—Revolt in Haiti

• Lewis and Clark Expedition

• Filibustering in the Floridas

Louisiana Purchase

Barbary Pirates

• Bey of Tunis declared war in 1801

• Philadelphia crew held hostage

• Decatur burned Philadelphia

• Decatur a hero but Jefferson paid $60,000 for return of Philadelphia crew

Stephen Decatur & Burning of Philadelphia

Struggles with Britain and France

• Orders in Council; Berlin and Milan decrees• Led to Embargo Act—Make “Justice in their

interest”• How to enforce act—enforcement acts led to great

violations of the 4th amendment.• Issue left for Madison and led to War of 1812.• The difficulties here most likely led Jefferson to

think that presidency was “Splendid Misery.”

U. S. S. Chesapeake

Europe-1815

“Lessons” of Jefferson Presidency• Crowtherian thesis: All events are “sui generis”

and don’t lend themselves to “silly generalizations.”

• Challenge of ideology versus practicality and contingency

• Second Crowtherian thesis: Presidencies are defined by events that follow the election. Temperament, not resume or ideology, tends to define whether a President can cope with the continegency. (Yeah, I know my generalizing contradicts thesis number one!!!)