Thomas Jefferson: CABLE
3. Thomas Jefferson was the first Democratic-Republican president, and he served 2 terms from 1801 – 1809. Jefferson undid many Federalist’s policies: He eliminated the unpopular whiskey tax; reduced all other internal federal taxes; and reduced the size of the navy, in spite of 1st Barbary War, saying it was unnecessary during peacetime. Before his presidency he wrote the Declaration of Independence.
Chesapeake-Leopard Affair was a naval engagement that occurred off the coast of VA between the American frigate USS Chesapeake and the British warship HMS Leopard. Britain did not recognize naturalized American citizenship, and treated anyone born a British subject as still “British”; as a result, the Royal Navy impressed (forced into their military service) over 9,000 sailors who claimed to be American citizens. In this conflict the British forcibly removed 4 crew members from the American vessel because they had deserted the Royal Navy, but 3 were American citizens. Trying to avoid war, Jefferson signed the Embargo Act of 1807, hoping to use economic coercion to punish Britain. An embargo is an official ban on trade with a particular country. This one made any and all exports from the US illegal. The goal was to force Britain and France to respect American rights during the Napoleonic Wars. The US wanted to remain neutral and trade with both sides, but neither side wanted the other to have American supplies. The policy was highly unpopular with shipping interests, and historians have judged it a failure because it only slowed American foreign trade. It was repealed as Jefferson left office. This affair caused serious diplomatic tension, turned American public opinion against Britain, and eventually contributed to the outbreak of the War of 1812.
Amendment 12 revised the method for presidential elections. Before the amendment the candidate receiving the most votes became president, and the one receiving the second highest number became VP. This became a problem after the Election of 1796 when Jefferson became Adam’s VP in spite of being in different political parties and having very different views. Both parties tried to solve this in the Election of 1800 by creating a party “ticket,” but then there was a tie between Jefferson and his “running mate, Aaron Burr. The election then had to be decided by the House of Representatives. With help from Alexander Hamilton, Jefferson finally won on the 36th ballot. This election, sometimes called the “Revolution of 1800”, was the first between two different parties and was a peaceful transfer of power. The Twelfth Amendment changed the procedure by requiring each member of the Electoral College to cast two separate votes: one for President and one for Vice President.
Barbary War was fought against pirates in the Mediterranean Sea (off the coast of Tripoli) to protect our shipping and trade industry. Before the Revolutionary War, American merchant ships were protected from pirates along the North African “Barbary Coast” by the British Royal Navy. But after independence, pirates often captured U.S. merchant ships, pillaged cargoes, and enslaved or held crew members for ransom. Jefferson opposed paying tribute, and after negotiations failed, he authorized a Navy fleet to make a show of force. It was the first American naval squadron to cross the Atlantic, and the First Barbary War was the first foreign war fought by the U.S. A treaty restored peace temporarily, but the Second Barbary War was fought in 1815. It ended with a treaty, and afterwards the U.S. and European nations stopped paying tribute to the pirate states which eventually led to the end of piracy in that region. The Marine Corps anthem refers to “…shores of Tripoli.”
Louisiana Purchase was bought from France which was in debt after fighting its latest wars. In order to raise money, Napoleon sold France’s possession in North America very cheaply. The US almost doubled in size! President Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to explore and map our new territory. Sacajawea was their guide.
End of slave importation, but slaves were still traded domestically. The law took effect in 1808, the earliest date permitted by Constitution.
After his presidency Jefferson founded the University of VA. He also reconciled with John Adams and they exchanged many letters. They both died on July 4th, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration! Jefferson is considered one of our best presidents, often ranked in the top five, and his image is 1 of 4 carved into Mt. Rushmore. (All from Wikipedia)
