Terms
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Thomas Jefferson
Republican simplicity Planter elite Marbury v. Madison judicial review Robert Livingston Napoleon Louisiana Purchase Lewis and Clark Sacagawea |
conspiracy
Burr Conspiracy Aaron Burr Non-Importation Act Impressment James Madison "Madison's Little War" War of 1812 Tecumseh William Henry Harrison |
Red Sticks
Dolly Madison Fort McHenry Francis Scott Key Star Spangled Banner Treaty of Ghent Battle of New Orleans Impact of the War of 1812 |
*** Assignment dates may change, if they due, I will let you know ahead of time, otherwise these are the dates they are due. To avoid after school detention make sure you have them completed and turned in the due date.
***Note about Crossword Puzzle - Will be the last name if a person, will not have any spaces if the answer is more than one word, and the answer will not have the word "the" at the beginning: Example: the answer will not be TheFederalFarmLoanAct, it will FederalFarmLoanAct
***Note about Crossword Puzzle - Will be the last name if a person, will not have any spaces if the answer is more than one word, and the answer will not have the word "the" at the beginning: Example: the answer will not be TheFederalFarmLoanAct, it will FederalFarmLoanAct
The Early Republic
The period of American history from Thomas Jefferson's presidency that began in 1801 until the end of the War of 1812 (which actually ended in 1815), the country saw a level of growth and expansion never before seen. The 19th century (1800s) began a transformation in America that continued for 100 years. In 1800 nine out of ten Americans worked on a farm, by the end of the century that number would be cut in half, new technology emerged during this period that allowed people to leave their farms and take up employment in other areas such as industry. Steam ships, railroads, and an expanding frontier led to growth and wealth during this time period.
In 1800 Americans owned 67,000 acres of land they bought from the government, in 1801 they bought 498,000 acres. Regardless of what the Native Americans thought, Americans were too concerned with their own desire for a better life to seriously concern themselves with the bad position Native Americans faced losing their lands.
In 1800 Americans owned 67,000 acres of land they bought from the government, in 1801 they bought 498,000 acres. Regardless of what the Native Americans thought, Americans were too concerned with their own desire for a better life to seriously concern themselves with the bad position Native Americans faced losing their lands.
The Jefferson Administration
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson officially became the third president of the United States on March 4, 1801. This marked a period of change in which Virginia (the largest Southern state at that time) dominated much in politics. Politics became increasingly sectional (the North was one section, the South was a section, and the West was another). Northern federalists (wanted a stronger central government) were overwhelmed by anti-federalist views of the South and West.
Jefferson was the first president inaugurated (official swearing in of the president) in the new national capital of Washington, District of Columbia (not to be confused with Washington state which was not a thing yet). Jefferson promoted ideas to the American people that made him appear as "plain and simple," or "common," like normal people. He did not arrive to the new capital with an elaborate uniform and ceremonial sword, rather, he arrived on foot dressed as if he was going to a church service. This simple manner became known as republican simplicity, Jefferson wanted to make sure that he was NOT viewed as a rich monarch (king) much in the way many federalists like to view themselves as royalty, he wanted to appear down to earth and simple, much like the Republicans tried to show. One example of this, is that he used to answer the door to the White House himself and often appeared in a robe and slippers to meet whomever called on him.
Jefferson was the first president inaugurated (official swearing in of the president) in the new national capital of Washington, District of Columbia (not to be confused with Washington state which was not a thing yet). Jefferson promoted ideas to the American people that made him appear as "plain and simple," or "common," like normal people. He did not arrive to the new capital with an elaborate uniform and ceremonial sword, rather, he arrived on foot dressed as if he was going to a church service. This simple manner became known as republican simplicity, Jefferson wanted to make sure that he was NOT viewed as a rich monarch (king) much in the way many federalists like to view themselves as royalty, he wanted to appear down to earth and simple, much like the Republicans tried to show. One example of this, is that he used to answer the door to the White House himself and often appeared in a robe and slippers to meet whomever called on him.
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Jefferson's presidency ushered in a more democratic political culture in which common people played a much larger role. This was reflected much throughout the South, with only one large group of people resisting this view point of common people as the center of what was important in the country. South Carolina resisted efforts to allow political power away from the rich slaveholding planter elite to the working poor. The planter elite were the richest people in the South that owned hundreds of slaves on large plantations with huge mansions. The planter elite often controlled all politics in their region and even their state, it was the closest thing that America ever came to having a "royal" class of people.
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Only planter elite owned large plantations like this.
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Jefferson's home, Monticello
The "common people's" party, the Republicans, controlled Congress in 1800, most were first-time legislators and were little known outside of their district. Federalist John Adams complained that even the poorest men "will demand an equal voice with any other." Adams believed that only the richest land owning in America were fit to lead it and have a say in its political business.
Ironically, although Jefferson sang the praises and emphasized the importance of the common people, he himself, was anything but common. He owned a huge farm, large specially designed home, and owned hundreds of slaves. He was complex and sometimes a hypocrite (someone who says one thing, but does another). He wrote in the Declaration of Independence that all men were created equal, yet owned slaves. He spoke of the evils of slavery, while being a slave owner, too dependent on their forced labor to free them. He enjoyed expensive tastes that would have never been available to "common people." He bought expensive food, wine, books, artwork, silverware, and furniture, all of which would one day bankrupt him (become so much in debt he had no money). He claimed he was the defender of states rights, but often used federal (national) power to bar states from trading with Europe. He preached against expanding the power of the presidency, yet expanded it when he bought the lands west of the Mississippi without the consent of Congress. His hypocrisy became so obvious, federalists tried to kick him out of office for hypocrisy in 1805.
Ironically, although Jefferson sang the praises and emphasized the importance of the common people, he himself, was anything but common. He owned a huge farm, large specially designed home, and owned hundreds of slaves. He was complex and sometimes a hypocrite (someone who says one thing, but does another). He wrote in the Declaration of Independence that all men were created equal, yet owned slaves. He spoke of the evils of slavery, while being a slave owner, too dependent on their forced labor to free them. He enjoyed expensive tastes that would have never been available to "common people." He bought expensive food, wine, books, artwork, silverware, and furniture, all of which would one day bankrupt him (become so much in debt he had no money). He claimed he was the defender of states rights, but often used federal (national) power to bar states from trading with Europe. He preached against expanding the power of the presidency, yet expanded it when he bought the lands west of the Mississippi without the consent of Congress. His hypocrisy became so obvious, federalists tried to kick him out of office for hypocrisy in 1805.
Marbury v. Madison
Chief Justice John Marshall
One of the first conflicts that Jefferson encountered was the judicial branch of government, which was controlled mainly by federalists. One of his first acts was to get Congress (controlled by Republicans) to repeal (means to reverse), the Judiciary Act of 1801. This act had been created by federalists just before Adams left office which ensured that federalists would control the judicial branch by creating sixteen federal circuit courts and appointing for life, federalist judges. Jefferson's efforts to reverse the act became a pathbreaking case, Marbury v. Madison. At the time, the Supreme Court was ran by Chief Justice John Marshall. The Marbury case involved the appointment of Maryland Federalist William Marbury, whose appointment as a judge had been signed by John Adams just two days before he left office. The problem was that it had not been delivered to Marbury yet and Jefferson ordered his secretary of state, James Madison, to withhold the appointment. Marbury sued for a court order that would make Madison deliver his appointment. Chief Justice John Marshall said that even though Marbury deserved the job, the Supreme Court could rule on the matter because the Federal Judiciary Act of 1789 which said the court had authority to rule on such matters, was UNCONSTITUTIONAL and therefore would not rule on the case. This decision granted the Supreme Court a power not mentioned in the Constitution: the right of what came to be called judicial review. Judicial Review is the power that the courts can decide whether acts of Congress and the President are constitutional.
Jefferson was angry because he realized it suddenly gave the federal courts the final authority in all cases that concern how the constitution is interpreted or read, he was afraid this would make the courts too powerful, but there was nothing he could do about it. It took fifty years for the courts to cancel out a law made by the legislatures, but ever since Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court has since struck down more than 150 acts of Congress and more than 1,100 "unconstitutional" acts of state legislatures, all in an effort to protect individual liberties and civil rights.
Jefferson was angry because he realized it suddenly gave the federal courts the final authority in all cases that concern how the constitution is interpreted or read, he was afraid this would make the courts too powerful, but there was nothing he could do about it. It took fifty years for the courts to cancel out a law made by the legislatures, but ever since Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court has since struck down more than 150 acts of Congress and more than 1,100 "unconstitutional" acts of state legislatures, all in an effort to protect individual liberties and civil rights.
Ending the Slave Trade
In 1807, President Jefferson signed a historic bill into law when he signed a bill to outlaw the importation of slaves to America (it did not outlaw slavery, just the bringing in of new slaves from Africa). However, states like South Carolina smuggled (snuck in) thousands of slaves into the country until 1861 when the Civil War began.
Westward Expansion
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In 1801, Jefferson got word that Spain sold its land west of the Mississippi River to Napoleon Bonaparte of France. Jefferson did not want France to have control of that land because he was afraid that Napoleon would try to expand French settlement there and threaten the U.S. He sent Robert Livingston to Paris in 1801 as an ambassador of the U.S. in order to at least acquire the port city of New Orleans for the United States. In 1803, Napoleon made a surprising proposal (offer), he offered to not only sell New Orleans, but all of the lands west of the Mississippi River controlled by France. Napoleon was needing funds to fight the massive European wars that he fought there in his quest to control a larger empire. On May 2, 1803, the U.S. agreed to pay $15 million for the entire Louisiana territory. Jefferson happily agreed to the purchase. Jefferson admitted that the purchase of new lands by the president was not authorized by the Constitution, but the desire to double the size of the United States trumped those concerns about an unconstitutional expansion of executive power.
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Robert Livingston
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The Louisiana Purchase was the most significant event of Jefferson's presidency and one of the most important events in American history. It spurred western exploration and expansion, and it expanded slavery into the southwestern territories of the U.S. like Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
To learn more about the geography, plants, and animals, and prospects of trade and agriculture, Jefferson ordered an expedition to explore and study the territory. He appointed two army officers from Virginia, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, to lead what became known as the Lewis and Clark expedition. Called the "Corps of Discovery" the fifty men of the expedition left St. Louis in a keelboat loaded with supplies and began traveling up the Missouri River. Six months later that stopped in present day North Dakota at a Mandan Indian village and built a fort where they stayed the winter. The would periodically send back boats filled with specimens of animals of plants never before seen by Americans. Before they restarted their journey in the spring of 1805, they hired two guides, one was a French trapper and his wife, a young Shoshone woman named Sacagawea. In appreciation for Lewis and Clark's help delivering her baby, she provided crucial assistance as a guide, translator, and negotiator, no doubt saving the group from tense encounters with hostile Native Americans. They continued west across the Rocky Mountains and reached the Pacific Ocean in present day Oregon in November 1805.
Lewis & Clark with Sacagawea
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Route taken by the Corps of Discovery
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The Burr Conspiracy
Aaron Burr
Conspiracy - a secret plan by a group to do something illegal or harmful.
In 1806, a failed politician named Aaron Burr created a plan (along with his friend and senior general of the U.S. Army, General James Wilkinson) to take control of the land gained by the Louisiana Purchase and create an independent country ruled by Burr with the capital in New Orleans. Burr was already famous by the time the plot was exposed (discovered), in 1804, he killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel in New Jersey. Ironically the site of the Burr-Alexander duel was the same site that Alexander's son had been killed in a duel years prior. Hamilton fired first intentionally missing Burr on purpose because of religious and moral principles, but Burr apparently did not share such principles and shot Hamilton in the hip which traveled through his liver and lodged in his spine killing him within 24 hours. Burr was accused of murder in New Jersey but fled (he was still vice president at the time) to his daughter's home in South Carolina.
When Burr and Wilkinson hatched their plot to overthrow U.S. control west of the Mississippi River, they were on the Spanish payroll as spies. When Jefferson found out about the plot, he ordered Burr arrested, which he was in 1807. Burr was taken to a prison in Richmond, Virginia tried for treason (to go against or encourage the active overthrow of the government) in August of that year before Chief Justice John Marshall. Marshall said that Burr could not be convicted of treason because there had to be an "act of war" against the U.S. confirmed by at least two witnesses. Jefferson was furious and said that there is no law, but only the will of judges. Burr eventually skipped town and went to England then France before returning to the U.S. in 1812 to practice law.
In 1806, a failed politician named Aaron Burr created a plan (along with his friend and senior general of the U.S. Army, General James Wilkinson) to take control of the land gained by the Louisiana Purchase and create an independent country ruled by Burr with the capital in New Orleans. Burr was already famous by the time the plot was exposed (discovered), in 1804, he killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel in New Jersey. Ironically the site of the Burr-Alexander duel was the same site that Alexander's son had been killed in a duel years prior. Hamilton fired first intentionally missing Burr on purpose because of religious and moral principles, but Burr apparently did not share such principles and shot Hamilton in the hip which traveled through his liver and lodged in his spine killing him within 24 hours. Burr was accused of murder in New Jersey but fled (he was still vice president at the time) to his daughter's home in South Carolina.
When Burr and Wilkinson hatched their plot to overthrow U.S. control west of the Mississippi River, they were on the Spanish payroll as spies. When Jefferson found out about the plot, he ordered Burr arrested, which he was in 1807. Burr was taken to a prison in Richmond, Virginia tried for treason (to go against or encourage the active overthrow of the government) in August of that year before Chief Justice John Marshall. Marshall said that Burr could not be convicted of treason because there had to be an "act of war" against the U.S. confirmed by at least two witnesses. Jefferson was furious and said that there is no law, but only the will of judges. Burr eventually skipped town and went to England then France before returning to the U.S. in 1812 to practice law.
Heading Toward War
In 1803, Napoleon declared war on Great Britain, this launched a massive 11 year war in Europe that America tried to stay out of, or at least neutral with trading. Since France controlled much of Europe and Great Britain controlled the waters around Europe, in 1805, Great Britain announced that it would no longer allow any ships from foreign nations to trade with France or even dock their ships there. British ships began to seize (means to take without permission) American ships and cargo bound for France. An angry Congress passed the Non-Importation Act, which banned the importation of British goods to the U.S. In 1807, Great Britain expanded their blockade when they announced that no ships were allowed to trade with the French colonies in the Caribbean. Soon British warships could be seen stationed off the coast of the U.S. where they searched and stopped U.S. merchant ships headed for the Caribbean. In yet another blow to the Americans, the British navy began the practice of impressment of U.S. merchant sailors. Impressment means the British would declare the American merchants as British citizens and make them serve on British ships.
Jefferson became tired of dealing with the powerful nations of Europe trying to intimidate and seize American property so he decided to create the Embargo Act, which stopped all exports of American goods from going anywhere outside of the U.S. Jefferson thought this would financially force France and Great Britain to quit messing with American ships, it didn't work. All that it did was hurt the American economy from the lost in profits from overseas trading. Americans became angry and the federalists began to gain power over the crippling impact the embargo made. Congress even overrode Jefferson's Embargo Act and ended it.
Jefferson became tired of dealing with the powerful nations of Europe trying to intimidate and seize American property so he decided to create the Embargo Act, which stopped all exports of American goods from going anywhere outside of the U.S. Jefferson thought this would financially force France and Great Britain to quit messing with American ships, it didn't work. All that it did was hurt the American economy from the lost in profits from overseas trading. Americans became angry and the federalists began to gain power over the crippling impact the embargo made. Congress even overrode Jefferson's Embargo Act and ended it.
Madison & the War of 1812
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In 1808, James Madison was elected President of the Untied States. Although Madison was one of the chief authors of the Constitution, he proved to be a weak president. When Congress challenged his cabinet appointments, he backed down and chose people that were not the best for the job. The best part of this presidency was his wife (17 years younger than them) Dolly Madison. Journalists called her the queen of the city because she was dignified and intelligent. Madison's advisors overestimated the power of America which when dealing with foreign affairs, usually ended up embarrassing Madison.
Madison wanted to ensure that American ships were not harmed or seized by European powers but too weak to create a Navy strong enough to enforce protection. Eventually France announced that it would begin to recognize America's neutrality, but Great Britain refused. With this Madison asked Congress for a declaration of war against Great Britain. Madison, as a Republican, hoped that it would unite federalists with the republicans to restore the reputation of America, he was wrong. Federalists were against what they called, "Madison's little war," and only about 80% of republicans supported it (mostly those that lived in the South and West). Madison further wanted to throw the British out of the Southern Canada because he believed they were supplying Indians that were attacking settlers along the Great Lakes region. |
James Madison
Dolly Madison
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War of 1812
The War of 1812 marked the first time that Congress had declared war. Great Britain did not expect or want a war with the US because it was preoccupied with Napoleon in Europe. In fact, on June 16, 1812, the British government promised to quit messing with American shipping, but Madison wasn't satisfied, only war he believed would put an end of British impressment of and British inspired Indian attacks on the Western Frontier.
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Native American conflicts along the Ohio River Valley had increased, Madison believed this was inspired by the British who supplied the Native Americans with weapons. One Native American, Tecumseh, believed that the fate of the Native Americans depended on them being unified. He wanted to create a single Indian nation powerful enough that with British help, could fend off further American expansion onto their land. In 1811, Tecumseh formed alliances with other Native American nations throughout the Ohio River Valley. Tecumseh began attacking American settlements, the governor of Indiana, William Henry Harrison, organized an army and began to hunt for the Native American leader and his warriors. Harrison was able to find Tecumseh's main camp and destroy the Native American army at the Battle of Tippecanoe, this stopped Tecumseh and his Indian Confederacy and they fled to Canada.
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Tecumseh
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The War of 1812 was a strange war, for one reason, it was fought on three separate fronts (three separate areas): The Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and Virginia (including Washington D.C.); a second theater (in this context, a theater is an area) in the South in Alabama, Mississippi, and parts of Florida; and the third front or theater was along the Canadian and American border. Several times small armies of Americans invaded various parts of Canada where they fought against Canadians, British, and Indians, only to be repulsed and pushed back into the U.S.
War of 1812 battles
In the South, Creek Indians in western Georgia and Alabama split in half with one half siding with the British and others siding with American commander in Western Tennessee, Andrew Jackson. Jackson had an army of 2,500 men, mostly militiamen and Indians, including David Crockett, a famous sharpshooter, and Sam Houston, who would one day lead the fight for Texas independence in the 1840s. Andrew Jackson was a gifted commander and known to be a ferocious fighter, nicknamed, "Old Hickory" because of his toughness that he had possessed since he was young. Jackson's army beat the pro-British Creek Indians known as "Red Sticks" in Alabama at the battle of Horseshoe Bend in March of 1814. This defeat forced the Creek Indians to quit fighting.
Fortunes turned against the Americans when the British Army in Europe was able to stop Napoleon's advances into Spain and Portugal, this freed up British soldiers to be sent to fight in America.
Fortunes turned against the Americans when the British Army in Europe was able to stop Napoleon's advances into Spain and Portugal, this freed up British soldiers to be sent to fight in America.
"By Dawn's Early Light"
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In 1814, British forces advanced along the Chesapeake Bay and captured Washington D.C., the American capital. On August 24, 1814, 4,000 British soldiers entered Washington D.C. only minutes after President Madison and his wife Dolly fled the city. Dolly Madison grabbed the portrait of George Washington and a copy of the Declaration of Independence before fleeing. British forces burned the capital building, the White House, and the Library of Congress before turning north to assault American forces at Baltimore, Maryland stationed in Fort McHenry. Up to this point it seemed that the American will was nearly broken. During the night of September 13, the British began bombarding Fort McHenry, all through the night the fort took a beating from large caliber artillery shells of the British Navy. On the morning of the 14th, much to the surprise of the British, the Americans again manned their cannons along the walls and began firing back at the British undeterred by the shelling they had received the night before. Frustrated, the British Navy sailed away.
Francis Scott Key, a lawyer and part time poet, watched the bombardment of the fort from a British ship where he had been trying to negotiate the release of a captured American. The sight of the U.S. flag flying atop Fort McHenry at dawn on the 14th meant that the city had survived another day. The scene inspired him to write what became the The Star Spangled Banner, the national anthem of the U.S. |
Francis Scott Key
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The End of War
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While fighting was raging in America, U.S. diplomats, Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams, began meeting with British officials in the city of Ghent in Belgium. The British weary of fighting decided it was time to end the war, it did not seem like the Americans intended to quit. The cost was becoming too much for the British. The two countries signed the Treaty of Ghent in 1814 and agreed to end the war. The terms agreed to make the boundary between the U.S. and the Canada the same as it had been before the war. The British also agreed to no longer support Indian attacks in the U.S.
Before news of the treaty reached America, Andrew Jackson's forces in Louisiana fought a decisive battle at New Orleans on Sunday, January 8, 1815. The Americans won the most lopsided victory of the entire months after the peace treaty had been signed to end the war. The British lost over 2,000 killed or wounded. Even though it occurred after the treaty had been signed, it was important because it gave the U.S. confidence and supported the claim that they could have kept fighting if they needed to. It also made Andrew Jackson a national hero and household name that would later help him on his rise to be president of the United States. |
Andrew Jackson
Jackson at the battle of New Orleans
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Impact of the War
There was no real winner of the War of 1812, but there were positives that came out of it. The war forced America to depend more on itself economically because of the embargo with other nations. This led to an expansion of industry and production in the U.S. While cotton was grown in the U.S., most of the clothing made from the cotton was made in Great Britain, but because of the war, clothing mills began to show up in the U.S.
Another impact was it taught the U.S. that it needed a stronger army and navy. I marked the beginning of America being recognized as a real independent nation that was becoming stronger instead of weaker as it grew. The war meant bad news for the Indians, many of whom had chosen sides with the British. Westward expansion after the war grew from 300,000 people living west of the Appalachian Mountains before the war, to more than 2 million that lived west of the Appalachian Mountains within a few years after the war.
Another impact was it taught the U.S. that it needed a stronger army and navy. I marked the beginning of America being recognized as a real independent nation that was becoming stronger instead of weaker as it grew. The war meant bad news for the Indians, many of whom had chosen sides with the British. Westward expansion after the war grew from 300,000 people living west of the Appalachian Mountains before the war, to more than 2 million that lived west of the Appalachian Mountains within a few years after the war.