Jefferson Administration Chapter 6 Section 3

Objectives Understand why some saw Jefferson’s election as a “republican revolution.” Explain the impact of John Marshall’s tenure as Chief Justice of the United States. Identify the importance of the Louisiana Purchase. Analyze Jefferson’s foreign policies.

Age of Thomas Jefferson Where the Federalists discouraged public criticism, Jefferson invited debate and discussion. Jefferson viewed his election as a revolution in the principles of government.

Reduced the national debt, government bureaucracy, and the size of the military Cut unpopular taxes on land and whiskey. He benefited from increased revenues from foreign trade and the sale of western lands.

John Marshall A last-minute Federalist appointee, John Marshall eventually served 35 years as chief justice and participated in over a thousand court decisions. Marshall wrote over half of those decisions himself, more than any other Supreme Court Justice.

Marshall’s Federalist Principles –The Court’s role is to determine if acts of Congress or the President are constitutional, a concept known as judicial review. –Federal laws are superior to state laws. –Loose construction –The Constitution should be strictly enforced.

Marshall established judicial review in Marbury v. Madison Marbury v. Madison In 1801, outgoing President John Adams appointed William Marbury (Federalist) to be a judge. Incoming Secretary of State James Madison (Democratic Republican) refused to give Marbury his appointment, so Marbury sued. In ruling against Marbury, Marshall also ruled that part of the Judiciary Act of 1789 was unconstitutional.

M vs M cont… Marshall’s decision set the precedent that the Supreme Court is the institution that determines the constitutionality of laws (judicial review).

Louisiana Purchase Jefferson saw farm ownership as an ideal that freed citizens from a landlord or employer. He wanted to expand the United States westward so more Americans could be free farmers. But, French Emperor Napoleon owned Louisiana and threatened to forbid American farmers from using the port of New Orleans.

Jefferson asked to buy New Orleans. To his surprise, Napoleon offered to sell the entire Louisiana Territory. The deal was so good that Jefferson decided to contradict his “strict construction” principles. (The power to purchase foreign territory is not specifically granted by the Constitution.) The Louisiana Purchase added 828,000 square miles and doubled the United States for only $15 million.

Lewis and Clark Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the territory. The corps was tasked with learning about the climate, plants, seeds, animals, and native people. Aided by Sacajawea, a Shoshone woman.

Foreign Affairs In 1805, the Barbary state of Tripoli raised their price for “protection” against pirates. Jefferson refused to pay, sending his small navy instead. They defeated the pirates. This Barbary War was America’s first overseas victory.

War between France and Britain brought profits for American merchants but also led to trouble. The British Navy began stopping American ships and confiscating their cargo. To meet a shortage of sailors, they also began to force or “press” American sailors to serve in the British Navy, a practice called impressment.

The embargo failed to hurt Britain, but American merchants and farmers suffered from unemployment, bankruptcy, and loss of profits. Despite the failure of the embargo, the United States expanded westward, grew economically, and reduced its debt. Jefferson asked Congress for an embargo, hoping a loss of American goods would change Britain’s policies.