The document provides information about the Jefferson era, including his election in 1800 against the Federalists, his goals of limiting the size and scope of the federal government, and key events and policies of his presidency such as the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, conflicts with European powers like the Barbary States and Britain, and the controversial Embargo Act.

1. Bell Ringer
• Determine if each modern day example would be supported by Federalists
or Democratic-Republicans. If you believe the Federalists would have
supported the concept, write an “F” beside it. If you believe the Democratic-
Republicans would have supported it, write a “DR” next to the concept.
• Socialized Medicine (Obamacare)
• Common Core
• State speed limit laws

2. The Jefferson
Era
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
WHAT DID THE ELECTION OF 1800 SHOW ABOUT THE NATURE OF POLITICS?
WHAT DID JEFFERSON WANT TO ACCOMPLISH DURING HIS PRESIDENCY?

3. Election of 1800
• Federalists- John
Adams/Thomas Pinckney
• Democratic-Republicans-
Thomas Jefferson and Aaron
Burr
• Each side made personal
attacks against one another
• Federalists accused Jefferson
of being “godless”
• D-R’s said that Federalists
would bring back a monarchy

5. The Vote Is Tied
• Electoral College- Voters in a presidential election are really
electing a group of people called “electors.”
• At this time, electors casted two ballots: one for president and
one for vice president
• 73 electors cast their ballots for Jefferson and Burr
• This tie meant the House of Representatives had to decide
the election
• In the House, Federalists supported Burr to try and keep
Jefferson from becoming president
• In 1803, Congress passed the 12th Amendment to prevent a
future tie between a presidential and vice presidential
candidate.

6. Jefferson’s Inauguration
• Jefferson dressed in
everyday clothes
• Outlined his plan for “a
wise and frugal
government”
• He believed individual
states could protect
freedom better than a
powerful federal
government

7. Jefferson as President
• Reduced national debt and
military expenses
• Limited government workers
to a few hundred people
• Cut most federal taxes
• Collected customs duties-
taxes on imported goods
• Government’s income
would come from customs
duties and the sale of land
in the west

8. Judiciary Act of 1801
• Passed after the election, but
before Jefferson took office
• Adams used this act to make
hundreds of appointments
(Chief Justice John Marshall)
• Congress was controlled by
Federalists who would block
Jefferson’s appointments
• This made sure that
Federalists controlled the
courts
• “Midnight judges”- Judges
appointed by Adams just
before Jefferson took office

9. • Area west of the Mississippi
River
• Stretched from South of
New Orleans to west of the
Rocky Mountains
• Pioneers searched for land
and adventure
• Pioneers traveled in
Conestoga wagons
• Many pioneers set up farms
along the rivers that fed into
the Upper Mississippi River
The Louisiana Territory

10. • Spain had allowed Americans to
move through their territory
• In 1802, they changed their
policy
• Spain and France made a secret
agreement to transfer the
Louisiana Territory to France
• Napoleon Bonaparte planned to
use the territory to create an
empire
• Congress gave Robert
Livingston the authority to offer 2
million dollars for New Orleans
and West Florida in order to gain
control of the territory
The French Threat

11. • Napoleon needed money
for his war with Great
Britain
• He had lost the island of
Santo Domingo therefore
had little use for the
territory
• A French official told
Robert Livingston and
James Monroe that the
territory was for sale
An Expanding nation

13. Lewis and Clark
Expedition
• Americans knew little about the
west
• Jefferson persuaded Congress
to sponsor and expedition to
gather information about:
people, plants, animals, and
sites for future ports.
• Another goal: mapping the NW
passage (water route across N.
America)
• After 18 months, Lewis and
Clark reached the Pacific Ocean
• They had gathered lots of
information and inspired others
to move West.

14. American Ships on the
High Seas
• Empress of China went to
China to get profitable
items like tea and silk
• American ships sailed to
places like China, India,
South America, and the
Mediterranean
• American ships took
advantage of the
French/British war because
most of their ships stayed
at home to avoid being
captured

15. Piracy on the Seas
• “Piracy” means robbery
• The Barbary Pirates from
North Africa terrorized
European ships in the
Mediterranean
• Pirates demanded a “tribute”
or money for protection in
order to pass safely
• Jefferson refused to pay the
tribute, causing the ruler of
Tripoli (in North Africa) to
declare war on the U.S.

16. War with Tripoli
• Jefferson sent ships to blockade
Tripoli
• After seizing the warship,
Philadelphia, Stephen Decatur
(Navy captain) took action
• He slipped through the harbor
and burned the captured ship to
prevent Tripoli from using it
• The war ended in 1805
• Tripoli agreed to stop
demanding tributes
• U.S. had to pay for the release
prisoners

17. Violating Neutral Rights
• U.S. was trading with
both Great Britain and
France
• Great Britain was
using “impressment”
• By 1805, both Britain
and France were trying
to block the other from
trading with the U.S.

18. Leopard/Chesapeake
Incident
• British often boarded and
searched American ships
• British ship, Leopard
stopped American ship, the
Chesapeake
• Captain of the Chesapeake
refused to allow a search for
British deserters
• British responded by firing
and killing three crew
members
• Caused a lot of anti-British
feelings in America

19. Embargo Act
• Congress passed this
law which banned ALL
trade with other
countries
• Jefferson and Congress
did not want other
countries to be go-
betweens for trade with
Britain
• The economy crumbled
because of the act