Transcript The Presidency of Thomas Jefferson (8.1-

The Presidency of Thomas
Jefferson (8.1-8.2)
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to
explain at least three major changes that resulted from
the presidency of Thomas Jefferson.
The Election of 1800
• Federalists John Adams and
Charles C. Pinckney vs.
Democratic Republicans
Thomas Jefferson and Aaron
Burr.
• Adams supporters claimed
Jefferson was pro-French, and
wanted to destroy religion.
• Jefferson supporters claimed
Adams wanted to be king, and
wanted to use the permanent
army to limit their rights.
Election Results…
Pinckney
Adams
Burr
Jefferson
58
60
62
64
66
68
70
72
What assumptions can be made from the data in this chart?
74
A Tie? What Now?
• At this point in history, the Constitution stated that the two
candidates with the most votes would become President,
and Vice President.
• In the event of a tie, the decision would be made by a vote
in the House of Representatives.
Deadlocked in the HOR
• The HOR was deadlocked,
and repeatedly voted in a tie.
• Many lawmakers became
exhausted, some fell asleep
at their desks, others slept
between votes.
• On the 36th vote, after 7
days, Thomas Jefferson
would be elected the third
President of the United
States.
• This election led to the
creation of the 12th
amendment.
Jefferson’s Policies
• Wanted to limit the powers of government.
• Believed that the primary functions of government should
be to protect the nation from foreign threats, deliver the
mail, and collect taxes.
• Reduced the size of the army and lowered military
spending.
• Eliminated many domestic taxes, such as the tax on
whiskey.
• Left the Bank of the United States intact, even though it was
created by the Federalist Party.
• Jefferson influenced Congress to allow the Alien and
Sedition Acts to expire.
Alien and Sedition Acts Recap
• Four bills that were passed
by Congress and signed into
law by President John
Adams.
• Increased the residency
requirement from 5 to 14
years for citizenship and
allowed the imprisonment or
deportation of any aliens
considered to be
“dangerous.”
• Restricted speech that was
critical of the federal
government.
Louisiana Purchase
• Many Americans had begun settling West, between the
Appalachians and the Mississippi River.
• They relied heavily on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers to
move their products to the East coast.
• New Orleans, located
at the mouth of the
Mississippi, was a very
important port. The
U.S. economy relied
heavily on the usage of
this port.
Louisiana Purchase (Continued)
• Just before handing over the
Louisiana Territory to
France in a treaty, Spain shut
down America’s access to
the port.
• Jefferson understood the
importance of the port, so he
asked the ambassador to
France, Robert R.
Livingston to attempt to
purchase the port from
France. He sent James
Monroe to aid Livingston.
Louisiana Territory (Green) on Modern Map
Napoleon Bonaparte
• During this time, the ruler of
France, Napoleon
Bonaparte, was at war with
Great Britain.
• He had hopes of rebuilding a
North American French
Empire.
• These hopes were crushed
by a slave revolt in the
French colony of Haiti.
What a Bargain!
• Since France was trying to
fund a war against Britain,
and had a need for money to
fuel their war, when
Livingston tried to buy New
Orleans, the French foreign
minister offered to sell
America the entire
Louisiana territory for 15
million dollars! Less than 3
cents per acre.
Jefferson’s Dilemma ;(
• This news was pleasing to Jefferson, but as a strict
constructionist, Jefferson had a difficult choice to make.
• Since the Constitution did not clearly state anything about
the acquisition of land, Jefferson would look hypocritical
moving forward with the Louisiana Purchase.
• Jefferson agreed to make the purchase under the belief that
it was what was best for the country.
America the…Bigger!
• On October 20th, 1803, the Senate approved the Louisiana
Purchase agreement, which almost doubled the size of the
United States.