Jefferson Alters the Nations Course

Identify the following terms and names as they relate to Thomas Jefferson’s Administration:

  1. Lewis and Clark
  2. Aaron Burr
  3. John Marshall
  4. Judiciary Act of 1801
  5. midnight judges
  6. Marbury vs. Madison
  7. judicial review
  8. Louisiana Purchase
  9. Sacajawea

Answer the following questions as they relate to the Jefferson Administration:

  1. How was the presidential election of 1800 decided?
  1. How did the outcome of the election of 1800 lead to the 12th Amendment?
  1. How did Jefferson simplify the presidency?
  1. What factors led to the decline of the Federalist Party?
  1. What was the principle of judicial review?
  1. How did America gain the Louisiana Purchase?
  1. Why did the Louisiana Purchase create a constitutional conflict for Thomas Jefferson?
  1. Look at the Map on page 200 and complete the following chart:

K- What did you know about the Lewis and Clark expedition before looking at the Map?
W- What more would you like to know about the Expedition?
L- What did you learn about the expedition that you did not already know?

  1. What/Whom does the “eye” represent? Why?
  1. Why is the Eagle holding the Constitution?
  1. Why is the Eagle showing Jefferson the claw?
  1. Does the artist like/dislike Jefferson? Why? Why not?

The presidential election of 1800 provided Alexander Hamilton, former secretary of the treasury, with a dilemma: a tie between Thomas Jefferson, a man whose principles were in direct opposition to Hamilton's own, and Aaron Burr, a man Hamilton believed to have no principles at all. As the House of Representatives prepared to vote to break the deadlock, Hamilton conducted a furious letter-writing campaign to urge fellow Federalists to vote for Jefferson. In this letter to Harrison Gray Otis, a Massachusetts Congressman, Hamilton writes that “In a choice of Evils let them take the least – Jefferson is in every view less dangerous than Burr.”

“Mr. Jefferson, though too revolutionary in his notions, is yet a lover of liberty and will be desirous of something like orderly Government – Mr. Burr loves nothing but himself – thinks of nothing but his own aggrandizement – and will be content with nothing short of permanent power [struck:and] in his own hands – No compact, that he should make with any [struck:other] passion in his [struck:own] breast except [struck:his] Ambition, could be relied upon by himself – How then should we be able to rely upon any agreement with him?”

  1. What is Hamilton’s Dilemma?
  2. How does this impact the election of 1800?
  3. What does this eventually lead to between Hamilton and Burr?