Jefferson Alters the Nation’s Course · John Marshall & the Supreme Court •Federalists dominated Supreme Court •John Marshall: chief justice of Supreme Court appointed by John

Jefferson Alters the Nation’s Course

Chapter 6.3

1800 Presidential Election

• Thomas Jefferson & John Adams ran bitter campaigns against each other for 1800 election• Jefferson defeats Adams, but ties with Aaron Burr

• House of Rep. voted to choose a winner; Jefferson becomes president, Burr vice president

• 12th Amendment: Should there be no majority vote for one person, House chooses the president and Senate chooses VP

• Burr challenges Hamilton to a duel; Hamilton is killed• End of Burr’s political career

The Jefferson Presidency

“We are all Democratic-Republicans; we are all Federalists.”

• Jefferson: small government works best for a republic• Reduced size of army

• Halted expansion of navy

• Eliminated tariffs• Reduced influence of national bank

• Southern influence rose• Federalist influence declined except in judicial branch

John Marshall & the Supreme Court

• Federalists dominated Supreme Court• John Marshall: chief justice of Supreme Court appointed by John Adams

• Judiciary Act of 1801: Increased number of federal judge positions by 16 which were filled with Federalists by John Adams• New judges were called midnight judges; Adams appointed them late on last

day as president• Jefferson argued these appointments were invalid

• Marbury v. Madison (1803): case in which the Supreme Court ruled that it had the power to abolish legislative acts by declaring them unconstitutional; this power became known as judicial review

Westward Expansion

• 1800, Napoleon persuaded Spain to return Louisiana Territory• Americans worried over French presence

• Louisiana Purchase: 1803 purchase by the U.S. of France’s Louisiana Territory for $15 million• Napoleon failed to reconquer its colony in Haiti; gave up on N. American

empire

• Purchase doubled U.S. territory

• 1803, Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to explore the new land• Recorded info about plants, animals, Native Americans

• Sacajawea helped guided and interpret

Amendment Activity

• As a group, you are to propose a new amendment(s) to the Constitution to better serve the U.S. in the 21st century

• Amendments may include:

• Rights deserving protection that aren’t currently contained in the Constitution

• Limits on the government’s power not currently contained in the Constitution

• Write down your formal amendment (make it sound formal and fancy!) and tape it to the whiteboard

• Briefly (60 seconds) read and explain your amendment and why it’s needed

• Class will vote to ratify; need 2/3 of the class