Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)

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Jefferson the President

2. Jefferson
 Considered his election win a “revolution.”
Why?
 Had try to mend political wounds, “We are all
republicans, we are all federalists.”

3. Federal City
 Adams had moved into White House in November of
1800
 Previous capitals
 NYC 1785-1790
 Philadelphia 1790-1800
 Why was the capital re-located to Washington, D.C.?
 Swampy village in 1800
 Only 3,200 residents
 Viewed as a temporary place of work, but not home

4. Jefferson’s Image
 Man of wealth
 Owned large plantation (Monticello) & 100+ slaves
 Gifted conversationalist & writer
 Architect, inventor, philosopher, etc.
 Yet still seen as “People’s President”
 Why?

5. Election of 1804
Electoral Votes
Thomas Jefferson(Republican) 162
Charles Pinckney (Federalist) 14

6. Move to Cut Spending
 Government spending had tripled between 1793 &
1800
 Congress ended all internal taxes in 1802
 Revenue=tariffs & sale of lands
 Cut debt from $83 million to $45 million during
Jefferson’s presidency

7. Military Downsizing
 Army from 4,000 men to 2,500
 Navy from 25 ships to 7
 Yet he established the US Military Academy in West
Point, NY in 1802

8. Barbary War (1801-1805)
 Barbary states (North Africa) demanded payment for
protection from pirates
 Jefferson refused to make the payments
 “Why not build a navy and decide on war?”
 Jefferson began to rebuild the navy
 U.S. had to pay $60,000 ransom; but paying tributes
was over

9. Conflict with the Courts
 Republican members of Congress repealed the
Judiciary Act of 1801 & eliminated judges from
Adams’ “midnight appointments.”
 Marbury v. Madison (1803)—Leads to judicial
review
 Supreme Court can nullify a law passed by Congress
 Allows SC to rule whether a law is constitutional or not

10. John Marshall
 Chief Justice from 1801
to 1835
 Had been Adams’
Secretary of State
 Helped establish judicial
branch as equal to other
two
 Favored a strong central
government

11. Jefferson’s Response
 Jefferson feared the threats posed by a Federalist-
dominated judiciary
 Urged Congress to impeach obstructive judges
 Samuel Chase impeachment trial (1805)
 Didn’t get 2/3 vote from Senate in order to convict
 Political problems would not lead to removal from
office, only crimes