Does the President have the right to purchase land if it is not expressed in the

US Constitution?Jefferson used implied powers or loose

construction to justify his decision“It was for the best interest of the nation. It is the case of a

guardian, investing the money of his ward in purchasing an important adjacent territory; and saying to him when of age, I did this for your good; I pretend to no right to

bind you; you may disavow me, and I must get out of the scrape as I can: I thought it my duty to risk myself for

you.”Madison to Jefferson

“Mr. President, you are only extending this republic over a larger area of land.”

Does the President have the right to purchase land if it is not expressed in

the US Constitution?•Hamilton and Federalists were against this

purchase•Why? Population shift take Federalist

power away in Congress•Feared Jefferson’s vision of an “agrarian

society”•Jefferson referred to this as his “valley of

democracy”

Map 6 of 45

Expansion of the United States

Map 7 of 45

Expansion of the United Stateswith Louisiana Purchase 1803

•Spring, 1804: Jefferson sends personal secretary Meriwether

Lewis and army officer William Clark to explore north Louisiana

•Corp of Discovery: 28 men who accompanied Lewis/Clark.•Exploration yielded maps,

knowledge of Indians, overland trail to Pacific

•President Jefferson wanted to find the Northwest Passage

•United States’ claim to the Pacific Northwest

• Interpreter and guide for Lewis and Clark

• Her knowledge of trails and mountain passes helped with the success of the expedition.

• She was also a “diplomat” for Lewis and Clark. Many tribes

had never seen white men before.

• Her presence with a baby was looked upon as good and

Lewis and Clark were considered peaceful.

Angered by an insulting remark

attributed to Hamilton, Burr challenged the Federalist leader to a duel and fatally shot

him

Hamilton’s death in 1804 deprived the Federalists of their last great leader and earned

Burr the enmity of many

Secretly forming a political pact with some radical New

England Federalists. Burr planned to win the

governorship of New York in 1804.

Unite that state with the New England states, and then lead this group of states to secede

from the nation

Most Federalists followed Alexander Hamilton in opposing Burr, who was defeated in the New York election The conspiracy then disintegrated

In 1806, Burr planned to take Mexico from Spain

and possibly unite it with Louisiana under his

ruleJefferson learned of the

conspiracy and ordered Burr’s arrest and trial

for treason

A jury acquitted Burr, basing its decision on Marshall’s narrow definition of treason and the

lack of witnesses to any “overt act” by Burr

Barbary raids

1801: Pasha of Tripoli was not happy with his share of dollars Informally

declared war on US.

Pacifist Jefferson reluctantly dispatched navy, secured peace for

$60,000 ransom for American sailors.

Small gunboats used with some success in Tripoli Jefferson interested in their cost

savings. “Mosquito fleet” of 200 small

gunboats constructed. War of 1812: these boats would

prove to be ineffective.

Berlin Decree (1806), Milan Decree (1807):

These decrees issued by Napoleon dealt with shipping and led to the War of 1812. The Berlin Decree initiated

the Continental System, which closed European ports to ships which had docked in Britain. The Milan Decree

authorized French ships to seize neutral shipping vessels trying to trade at British ports. 

Orders-in-council British laws which led to the War of 1812. Orders-in-council passed in 1807 permitted the impressment of sailors and forbade neutral ships from visiting ports

from which Britain was excluded unless they first went to Britain and traded for British goods. 

1806: England closed ports under French control to foreign

shipping (incl. US), seized US ships &

impressed Americans. Napoleon ordered

seizure of all merchant ships that entered

British ports.

• 1806, Chesapeake was a US merchant ship 10 miles off the coast of Virginia. A British ship in the region ordered it to stop.

• British fired 3 shots at the Chesapeake before it surrendered• 3 Americans were killed, 18 wounded and 4 sailors impressed

Chesapeake affair

Most Americans were angered over this incident and public opinion was to go to war with the British.

Regarding the Chesapeake Affair, the Washington

Federalist reported,“We have never, on any

occasion, witnessed the spirit of the people excited to so

great a degree of indignation, or such a thirst for revenge,

as on hearing of the late unexampled outrage on the

Chesapeake. All parties, ranks and professions were

unanimous in their detestation of the dastardly

deed, and all cried aloud for vengeance.”

• Jefferson’s response to the

Chesapeake Affair was the Embargo

Act of 1807….• Short of war,

Jefferson attempted to defend our

neutrality by stopping all

American exports to the world.

• Reasoning: Since England and France were at war with one another and traded for most of their natural resources with U.S., if we cut off

our exports to them it would force them to respect our neutrality….THIS IS CALLED

ECONOMIC COERCION. • It would have the reverse effect……

• The Embargo Act not only hurt France and Britain but it also hurt U.S. trade which was

our economic survival as a nation. As a result, many Americans defied the law and began to

smuggle goods from these countries as well as others.

• Hurt American businesses• New Englander’s shift from trade to industry• U.S. smuggled• New England talked of secession…..• Lasted 15 months, repealed in March of 1809

• American people were hostile towards Jefferson

• Referred to the Embargo as “Dambargo, Mobrage,

Go Bar Em”….• Would be replaced by the

Non-Intercourse Act by President Madison which allowed U.S. exports and

trade but not with France and Great

Britain……

embargo2

“Our ships all in motion,Once whiten’d the ocean;

They sail’d and return’d with a Cargo;Now doom’d to decayThey are fallen a prey,

To Jefferson, worms and EMBARGO.”

A Federalist circular in Massachusetts against the embargo cried out,

“Let every man who holds the name of America dear to him , stretch forth his hands

and put this accursed thing, this Embargo from him. Be resolute, act like sons of liberty,

of God, and your country; nerve your arms with vengeance against the Despot (Jefferson)

who would wrest the inestimable germ of your Independence from you---and you shall

be Conquerors!!!”