QUESTIONS
1. Describe the handicaps facing the Federalists entering the election of 1800. What difficulties did Thomas Jefferson and the Democratic Republicans face?
The Alien and Seditions Acts made a lot of people angry towards the Federalists. Along with this, John Adams ended up not allowing America to go to war with with Britain and France, causing all these war preparations to go to waste. The Democratic Republicans had to deal with mudslinging from the Federalists, especially with a lot aimed towards TJ.
2. Explain how geography played a role in the election of 1800. Some referred to TJ as the "Negro President." Explain.
Jefferson's ⅗ compromise worked really well in the South, so he got a lot of white southern voters to support him. Aaron Burr, Jefferson's partner for the election, focused efforts in regions where all man suffrage had just been passed. This allowed New York and other states in that area to be won by Jefferson.
3. Why was the election revolutionary?
The election represented a return to ideas and values of the Revolution. Jefferson saw that to him. It was his duty to return to a republic government that would be kept in check and deal with stuff the Federalists did. It was also a revolution in that, it peacefully allowed a drastic change in government that both parties accepted. It was amazing for their to be no conflict following the election, especially in a young country.
4. In his Inaugural Address Jefferson said that, "We are all Republicans, we are all Democrats." Why?
Jefferson (a Republican) declared that he wanted to keep the nation unified and avoid partisan conflicts.
5. Describe Jefferson and explain how his presidency changed the federal government.
TJ was a Democratic Republican that was against the ideas of the Federalists. TJ threw out the alien sedition as as well as the excise tax and gave more power to states.
6. The author of your text writes that there were two Thomas Jeffersons. Explain.
There was the scholarly TJ, who spent his time philosophising in his study and there was the other TJ that realized that the theories he would think of would not always perfectly apply in real life politics. Because of this, his beliefs were always inconsistent and you could easily use his quotes to go against other things he's said.
7. Jefferson repealed the excise tax. Why? Why did TJ leave most of the Federalist programs in tact?
TJ got rid of the excise tax because he believed that it created bureaucrats and was a hard tax on farmers, who made up a huge part of his following. TJ left most of those programs in tact because it was working well already and even eventually embraced parts of Federalism.
8. The Supreme Court Case of Marbury v Madison is one of the most important in US history. Describe the issues of the case. Explain the court's decision and its importance.
William Marbury was supposed to be a Federal Judge appointed by John Adams, but James Madison who worked for TJ did not allow it. Marbury got angry and demanded the Supreme Court enforce the judge commissions that Madison ignored. He loses the case and this establishes judicial review AKA the Supreme Court has the power to see if something is unconstitutional or not.
9. Why did TJ urge the impeachment of Samuel Chase? How did the case help strengthen the concept of separation of powers?
Jefferson disagreed with his rulings and had him impeached for publicly criticizing the Jefferson administration to the Maryland grand jury. Chase was acquitted by the Senate, and the impeachment failed. The case helped strengthen the concept of the independence of the judiciary and separation between the three branches.
10. Why did TJ shrink the US army and navy?
TJ shrank the army in hope that America might transcend bloody wars and the entanglements of alliances in Europe, as well as an example to others that peaceful coercion does work. Additionally, he believed that large armies led to distrust and invitations of dictatorships. TJ shrank the navy because he saw little point in a fleet that might only embroil the US in corrupted and costly wars far from the homeland.
