First Party System [1789–1824] I

Question 1

Timeline - Growing Pains: The New Republic, 1790–1820

Answer 1

1791 - Congress passes ‘Bill of Rights’. 1794 - Western Pennsylvanians protest in ‘Whiskey Rebellion’; Jay’s Treaty ensures commerce between U.S. and Britain. 1798 - Congress passes ‘Alien and Sedition Acts’. 1803 - Thomas Jefferson brokers Louisiana Purchase. 1807 - Embargo attempts to end British practice of capturing American soldiers. 1812-1814 - ‘War of 1812’. 1814 - ‘Treaty of Ghent’ ends War of 1812.

Question 2

Timeline - A Nation on the Move: Westward Expansion, 1800-1860

Answer 2

1803 - Thomas Jefferson brokers ‘Louisiana Purchase’. 1805 - Lewis and Clark’s expedition reaches the Pacific Ocean. 1819 - U.S. acquires Florida under the Adams-Onis Treaty. 1820 - Missouri Compromise divides Louisiana Purchase into “slave” and “free” states. 1845 - United States annexes Texas. 1846 - U.S. declares war on Mexico; Great Britain cedes Oregon territory to U.S. 1848 - Mexican Cession adds vast new territory to U.S. 1848 - California Gold Rush begins. 1850 - Henry Clay brokers ‘Compromise of 1850’.

Question 3

Evolution of the Two-Party System Timeline

Answer 3

Political scientists and historians have divided the development of America’s two-party system into roughly six eras: (1) First Party System [1789–1824] between the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican Party; (2) Second Party System [1828–1854] between the Whig Party and Democratic Party; (3) Third Party System [1854–1890s] between the anti-slavery/discrimination Republican Party and pro-slavery/discrimination Democrats; (4) Fourth Party System [1896–1932] Republican and Democrats with Progressive Era and limited government; (5) Fifth Party System [1933–1972] Domination of New Deal Democrats; and (6) Sixth Party System [1972-Present] Liberal-Democrat and Conservative-Republican realignment.

Question 4

Evolution of the Two-Party System Timeline: First Party System (1789–1824)

Answer 4

Federalists: The Federalist Party grew from the national network of Washington’s Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, who favored a strong united central government, close ties to Britain, a centralized banking system, and close links between the government and men of wealth. Democratic-Republicans: Founded by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, who strongly opposed Hamilton’s agenda. They preferred a weaker national government and favored the interests of small farmers who wanted most matters left to the states. This era came to an end when the Federalists refused to support the War of 1812. The Era of Good Feelings under President James Monroe (1816–1824) marked the end of the First Party System and a brief period in which partisanship was minimal.

Question 5

U.S. Federalism - Dual federalism (1787-1930s)

Answer 5

Dual federalism (layer-cake federalism or divided sovereignty) means that the states have their responsibilities, and the national government has its responsibilities. It is largely based on the Tenth Amendment, which states that all powers not constitutionally given to the federal government are reserved to the states. The general consensus among scholars is that dual federalism ended during Franklin Roosevelt’s presidency in 1937 when the New Deal policies were decided constitutional by the Supreme Court.

Question 6

*Competing Visions: Federalists and Democratic-Republicans*

Answer 6

While they did not yet constitute distinct political parties, Federalists and Anti-Federalists, shortly after the Revolution, found themselves at odds over the Constitution and the power that it concentrated in the federal government. While many of the Anti-Federalists’ fears were assuaged by the adoption of the Bill of Rights in 1791, the early 1790s nevertheless witnessed the rise of two political parties: the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. These rival political factions began by defining themselves in relationship to Hamilton’s financial program, a debate that exposed contrasting views of the proper role of the federal government. By championing Hamilton’s bold financial program, Federalists, including President Washington, made clear their intent to use the federal government to stabilize the national economy and overcome the financial problems that had plagued it since the 1780s. Members of the Democratic-Republican opposition, however, deplored the expanded role of the new national government. They argued that the Constitution did not permit the treasury secretary’s expansive program and worried that the new national government had assumed powers it did not rightfully possess. Only on the question of citizenship was there broad agreement: Only free, white males who met taxpayer or property qualifications could cast ballots as full citizens of the republic.

Question 7

Explain the precedents George Washington set as president - Forms of Address

Answer 7

On April 30, 1789, Washington and Adams were inaugurated, or sworn in, as president and vice president. After much debate in congress for about a month, they finally settled on calling Washington “Mr. President”, opposed to “His Excellency” or “His Highness”.

Question 8

The Federal Judiciary Act of 1789 and John Jay

Answer 8

The Federal Judiciary Act of 1789 gave the court six justices - that’s five associates and one chief justice. Today, the court has been increased to nine justices. The act also established other lower federal courts. President Washington appointed John Jay as the court’s first Chief Justice.

Question 9

Explain the precedents George Washington set as president - Creation of a Cabinet

Answer 9

Congress had the job of creating departments to help the president lead the nation, but the president would be able to appoint the head of the departments. These department heads are to assist and advise the president with the nation’s problems. This group is called the president’s Cabinet. Congress established three departments: the War Department, the State Department, and the Treasury Department; along with an Attorney General.

Question 10

Explain the precedents George Washington set as president - Creation of a Cabinet - War Department

Answer 10

The first Secretary of War was Henry Knox. The War Department would oversee the defense of the nation.

Question 11

Explain the precedents George Washington set as president - Creation of a Cabinet - State Department

Answer 11

Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson; the State Department oversees relations between the U.S. and other nations.

Question 12

Explain the precedents George Washington set as president - Creation of a Cabinet - Treasury Department

Answer 12

The first Secretary of the Treasury was Alexander Hamilton. The Treasury Department manages the government’s money.

Question 13

Explain the precedents George Washington set as president - Creation of a Cabinet - Attorney General

Answer 13

Washington picked Edmund Randolph as the first Attorney General to advise the government on legal matters.

Question 14

Identify Alexander Hamilton and describe his plan to pay off the war debt and understand the controversy over his plan as it regards the Constitution.

Answer 14

The new government had to solve the economic problems of paying off war debts and creating a plan to handle other debt, and Congress had to agree on it. Hamilton’s plan arranged for a strong central government to pay off the states’ war debts, argued to raise revenue through tariffs, and supported a national bank. Southern states, such as Virginia and Georgia, had already paid their share of debt and didn’t like the idea of covering for the Northern states’ debt, so the North agreed to move the U.S. capital to the location today known as Washington D.C. Hamilton’s Federalists and Jefferson’s and Madison’s Democratic-Republicans fought on the constitutionality of creating a national bank, but the Federalist won in the end, claiming it was ‘necessary and proper’ according to Article I of the Constitution.

Question 15

Explain the precedents George Washington set as president - Term Limits

Answer 15

One amazing precedent set by President Washington is that he did not run for a third term. Washington was so respected, he could’ve won the presidency for the rest of his life, but he chose to step aside after eight years. A few tried, but no president had more than two terms until Franklin Roosevelt - and in 1947, the 22nd Amendment made Washington’s precedent the law. Today, no president may be elected to more than two terms.

Question 16

*The New American Republic*

Answer 16

Federalists and Democratic-Republicans interpreted the execution of the French monarch and the violent establishment of a French republic in very different ways. Revolutionaries’ excesses in France and the slaves’ revolt in the French colony of Haiti raised fears among Federalists of similar radicalism and slave uprisings on American shores. They looked to better relationships with Great Britain through Jay’s Treaty. Pinckney’s Treaty, which came about as a result of Jay’s Treaty, improved U.S. relations with the Spanish and opened the Spanish port of New Orleans to American commerce. Democratic-Republicans took a more positive view of the French Revolution and grew suspicious of the Federalists when they brokered Jay’s Treaty. Domestically, the partisan divide came to a dramatic head in western Pennsylvania when distillers of whiskey, many aligned with the Democratic-Republicans, took action against the federal tax on their product. Washington led a massive force to put down the uprising, demonstrating Federalist intolerance of mob action. Though divided on many issues, the majority of white citizens agreed on the necessity of eradicating the Indian presence on the frontier.

Question 17

French Revolution - Explain George Washington’s position on the French Revolution and how it differed from popular opinion.

Answer 17

Although a portion of Americans found the French Revolution (1789-1799) appealing and wanted to assist, Washington decided neutrality was America’s best choice. He knew the U.S. did not have the strength to get involved at this point as a young nation. It would stretch America’s resources too thin and antagonize its enemies. President Washington had also been advised that the French cause was not likely to result in the same way the American Revolution did. This proved true through the execution of Louis XVI and the Reign of Terror.

Question 18

French Revolution - Citizen Genêt Affair

Answer 18

Edmond-Charles Genêt (1763-1834), also known as Citizen Genêt, was the revolutionary French Government’s envoy to the United States during the French Revolution (1789-1799). His actions on arriving in the United States led to a major political and international incident, which was termed the Citizen Genêt Affair. He went on a PR tour in America to encourage support for France’s cause and opposition against Britain and Spain, but because of his actions, President George Washington asked the French government to recall him. Washington wanted the U.S. to remain neutral. During this time, the government in France changed and an arrest warrant was issued for Genêt. Fearing for his life, he asked for asylum in America, which was granted. Genêt stayed in the United States until his death. Historian Carol Berkin, argues that the Genet affair strengthened popular respect for the president and strengthened his role in dealing with in foreign affairs.

Question 19

Jay’s Treaty

Answer 19

On November 19, 1794 representatives of the United States, led by John Jay, and Great Britain signed Jay’s Treaty, which sought to settle outstanding issues between the two countries that had been left unresolved since American independence. The British had refused to leave their forts in the Northwest territory and kept seizing American ships and forcing American sailors into impressment (forced naval service). The Americans had been passing navigation laws that were damaging to British interests. The treaty got the British out of the Northwest territory within two years, established America’s claim for damages from British ship seizures, and provided America a right to trade in the West Indies. The treaty proved unpopular with the American public because it still didn’t resolve impressment of American sailors and didn’t handle the British interference in American trade to people’s satisfaction. However, it did accomplish the goal of maintaining peace between the two nations and preserving U.S. neutrality, for the time being.

Question 20

Pinckney’s Treaty (The Treaty of San Lorenzo)

Answer 20

Pinckney’s Treaty, also called Treaty of San Lorenzo, (Oct. 27, 1795), was an agreement between Spain and the United States, fixing the southern boundary of the United States at 31° N latitude (Spain recognized the southern and western boundaries of the U.S.) and establishing commercial arrangements favorable to the United States. U.S. citizens were accorded free navigation of the Mississippi River through Spanish territory. The treaty granted Americans the privilege of tax-free deposit (temporary storage of goods) at New Orleans. Each side agreed to restrain Indians within its borders from attacks on the other, and there were provisions respecting freedom of the seas. The treaty was negotiated by Thomas Pinckney for the United States and Manuel de Godoy for Spain.

Question 21

The Whiskey Rebellion

Answer 21

The Whiskey Rebellion was a 1794 uprising of farmers and distillers in western Pennsylvania in protest of a whiskey tax enacted by the federal government. Following years of aggression with tax collectors, the region finally exploded in a confrontation that had President Washington respond by leading ~12,000 troops himself to quell what some feared could become a full-blown revolution. The dispute ended without bloodshed and Washington pardoned the rebels to avoid ill feelings from the crisis toward the new government. Opposition to the whiskey tax and the rebellion itself built support for the Democrat-Republicans, which overtook Washington’s Federalist Party for power in 1802.

Question 22

The Battle of Fallen Timbers and General ‘Mad’ Anthony Wayne

Answer 22

The Battle of Timbers, on August 20, 1794, was the last major conflict of the Northwest Territory Indian War (1785–1795) between Native Americans and the United States. The British had signed deals with tribes guaranteeing their rights to lands in the NW Territory, but the new American government needed to sell government land to white settlers to pay off war debt. At the battle, near present-day Toledo, Ohio, General Anthony Wayne (1745-96) led U.S. troops to victory over a confederation of Indian warriors, called the Western Confederacy, whose leaders included Chief Blue Jacket of the Shawnees and Chief Little Turtle of the Miamis. The Treaty of Greenville, signed the following year, opened up much of present-day Ohio to white settlers.

Question 23

The 11th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Ratified

Answer 23

The 11th Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed by Congress on March 4, 1794, and ratified by the states on February 7, 1795. In short, states in America are not as sovereign as foreign countries, but they obviously have a high degree of autonomy nevertheless. Because states do not have full sovereignty, their immunity from suit is only partial.

Question 24

*Partisan Politics*

Answer 24

Partisan politics dominated the American political scene at the close of the eighteenth century. The Federalists’ and Democratic-Republicans’ views of the role of government were in direct opposition to each other, and the close elections of 1796 and 1801 show how the nation grappled with these opposing visions. The high tide of the Federalist Party came after the election of 1796, when the United States engaged in the Quasi-War (1798-1800) with France. The issues arising from the Quasi-War gave Adams and the Federalists license to expand the powers of the federal government. However, the tide turned with the close election of 1800, when Jefferson began an administration based on Democratic-Republican ideals. A major success of Jefferson’s administration was the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, which helped to fulfill his vision of the United States as an agrarian republic.

Question 25

XYZ Affair

Answer 25

XYZ Affair, diplomatic incident that, when made public in 1798, nearly involved the United States and France in war. Pres. John Adams dispatched three ministers to France in 1797 to negotiate a commercial agreement to protect U.S. shipping. In Paris the ministers were approached by three French agents who suggested a bribe of $250,000 to Talleyrand, the French foreign minister, and a loan of $10,000,000 to France as a prelude to negotiations. In April 1798 the machinations of the three French agents (called X, Y, and Z in the diplomatic correspondence) were made public in the United States. There was a great outcry over the bribe solicitation, followed by preparations for war. Although a period of undeclared naval warfare ensued between France and the United States formal war was avoided, and the incident was settled by the Convention of 1800.

Question 26

The Alien and Sedition Act

Answer 26

The Alien and Sedition Acts were four laws passed by the Federalist-dominated 5th United States Congress and signed into law by President John Adams in 1798. They made it harder for an immigrant to become a citizen (Naturalization Act), allowed the president to imprison and deport non-citizens who were deemed dangerous (Alien Friends Act of 1798) or who were from a hostile nation (Alien Enemy Act of 1798), and criminalized making false statements that were critical of the federal government (Sedition Act of 1798). The Federalists argued that the bills strengthened national security during the Quasi-War, an undeclared naval war with France from 1798 to 1800. Critics argued that they were primarily an attempt to suppress voters who disagreed with the Federalist party and its teachings, and violated the right of freedom of speech in the First Amendment. The acts were denounced by Democratic-Republicans and ultimately helped them to victory in the 1800 election, when Thomas Jefferson defeated the incumbent, President Adams. Every act expired, except for the Alien Enemy Act.

Question 27

The Midnight Appointments

Answer 27

The Midnight Appointments assured that Federalist ideas would have a legacy in the American government and set the U.S. judiciary on its future path. The power of the Federalists was annihilated in the election of 1800. They lost both houses of Congress, and Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican, won the presidency. In there lame duck phase they passed the Judiciary Act of 1801, which allowed Congress to pack the courts with Federalist judicial appointments during the final two months and up to the last days of his administration. These appointments would lead to the use of judicial review in the American political process and many other important advents of the development of the judicial system.

Question 28

Explain how the election process was different when Jefferson was elected than it is today, and why this created problems in Jefferson's election.

Answer 28

The presidential election of 1800 was the first to include political parties, with President John Adams being supported by the Federalist Party and Vice President Thomas Jefferson backed by the Democratic-Republican Party. In a procedural fluke, the election ended up in an electoral tie between Thomas Jefferson and his vice-presidential running mate, Aaron Burr. Though the popular vote and the electors had obviously chosen Jefferson, the office of president had to be decided by the Federalist-controlled House of Representatives.

Question 29

The 12th Ammendment to the U.S. Constitution Ratified

Answer 29

The 12th Amendment, ratified in 1803, introduced the system of presidential elections, the Electoral College, which is still in force today — at least in theory. It was intended as an emergency fix for the 1804 presidential election after the two previous elections, held in 1796 and 1800, had gone badly wrong.

Question 30

Identify Alexander Hamilton and explain his influence in the election of Thomas Jefferson in 1800.

Answer 30

On the verge of voting against Jefferson out of political rivalry in 1800, Federalist Alexander Hamilton convinced Congressmen to oppose Aaron Burr. An angry Burr later killed Hamilton in a duel just after the 12th amendment fixed the problem of the electoral procedure in 1804.

Question 31

Thomas Jefferson Presidency - Jeffersonian Democracy

Answer 31

Jeffersonian democracy, named after its advocate Thomas Jefferson, was one of two dominant political outlooks and movements in the United States from the 1790s to the 1820s. The term was commonly used to refer to the Democratic-Republican Party (formally named the "Republican Party"), which Jefferson founded in opposition to the Federalist Party of Alexander Hamilton. The Jeffersonians were deeply committed to American republicanism, which meant opposition to what they considered to be artificial aristocracy, big government, opposition to corruption, and insistence on virtue, with a priority for the "yeoman farmer", "planters", and the "plain folk".

Question 32

Thomas Jefferson Presidency - “Revolution of 1800"

Answer 32

President Jefferson referred to his election as the so-called 'Revolution of 1800’. He felt that the nation had strayed from the principles that he had penned in the Declaration of Independence and that the patriots had fought so hard to win. He had promised that if he were elected, the Democratic-Republican Party would restore the ideals of the American Revolution. His platform has come to be known as Jeffersonian Democracy. Americans must have agreed with the Democratic-Republicans, since Jefferson's first term kicked off 24 years of political dominance in the executive and legislative branches of federal government, and his party controlled most states except the Northeast.

Question 33

Thomas Jefferson (DR)

Answer 33

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), author of the Declaration of Independence and the third U.S. president, was a leading figure in America’s early development. During the American Revolutionary War (1775-83), Jefferson served in the Virginia legislature and the Continental Congress and was governor of Virginia. He later served as U.S. minister to France and U.S. secretary of state, and was vice president under John Adams (1735-1826). Jefferson, who thought the national government should have a limited role in citizens’ lives, was elected president in 1800. During his two terms in office (1801-1809), the U.S. purchased the Louisiana Territory and Lewis and Clark explored the vast new acquisition. Although Jefferson promoted individual liberty, he was also a slaveowner. After leaving office, he retired to his Virginia plantation, Monticello, and helped found the University of Virginia.

Question 34

Thomas Jefferson Presidency - Completing Washington D.C.

Answer 34

Jefferson was the first president to be inaugurated in the new permanent capital, Washington D.C., and lived in the completed White House. Jefferson claimed that he opposed grandeur and elitism, yet he immediately began designing additions to the White House (including the photogenic West Wing colonnade). In 1803, Jefferson approved to continue construction. Jefferson had campaigned on frugality, so this was controversial.

Question 35

Thomas Jefferson Presidency - Louisiana Purchase

Answer 35

The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 brought into the United States about 828,000 square miles of territory from France, thereby doubling the size of the young republic. It cost the U.S. $15 million dollars. What was known at the time as the Louisiana Territory stretched from the Mississippi River in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west and from the Gulf of Mexico in the south to the Canadian border in the north. Part or all of 15 states were eventually created from the land deal, which is considered one of the most important achievements of Thomas Jefferson’s presidency.

Question 36

Thomas Jefferson Presidency - Louisiana Purchase - Controversy

Answer 36

Congress was outraged by Jefferson’s purchase of the Louisiana Territory because it was an expansion of presidential power. Outrage over the purchase nearly split the country apart. Many Southerners approved because it doubled the size of the U.S. and opened up huge amounts of inexpensive farmland and access to the Mississippi River. Opposition came from the Federalists, Congress, and Northerners. Federalists thought it would lead to war with Spain. Democratic-Republicans opposed expanding the national debt and Congress bipartisanly agreed it was unconstitutional. Some Northerners thought it would expand slavery and reduce their political clout.

Question 37

Thomas Jefferson Presidency - Essex Junto

Answer 37

The Essex Junto was a group of wealthy, powerful Federalists up in New England who thought Jefferson had overreached the power of the presidency with the Louisiana Purchase. They hatched a plot to secede from the United States. The key to their success would depend on getting New York to agree by making Vice President Aaron Burr governor. Their plan was foiled by Alexander Hamilton who worked to secure his loss in the NY gubernatorial election. Burr was so angry he challenged Hamilton to a duel and killed him. Though murder charges against him were actually dropped, Burr's political career in the U.S. was, of course, over.

Question 38

Thomas Jefferson Presidency - Burr Conspiracy

Answer 38

After his political career was over, Aaron Burr went west and began planning what’s known as the ‘Burr Conspiracy’ (~1806). At that time, a lot of Americans thought that war with Spain was inevitable. Burr developed a plot to seize Spanish land in present-day Texas during the conflict and then create his own kingdom. Some evidence suggested that Burr was plotting to seize all of the Louisiana Territory, and Jefferson had him arrested for treason. Despite heavy pressure from Jefferson, the Supreme Court acquitted Burr on a couple of technicalities and a lack of hard evidence. The trial was a political and personal embarrassment for President Jefferson.

Question 39

\*Lewis and Clark\*

Answer 39

In 1803, Thomas Jefferson appointed Meriwether Lewis to organize an expedition into the Louisiana Territory to explore and map the area, but also to find an all-water route from the Missouri River to the Pacific Coast. The Louisiana Purchase and the journey of Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery captured the imagination of many, who dedicated themselves to the economic exploitation of the western lands and the expansion of American influence and power. In the South, the Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 legally secured Florida for the United States, though it did nothing to end the resistance of the Seminoles against American expansionists. At the same time, the treaty frustrated those Americans who considered Texas a part of the Louisiana Purchase. Taking matters into their own hands, some American settlers tried to take Texas by force.

Question 40

Thomas Jefferson Presidency - Lewis and Clark Expedition

Answer 40

The Lewis and Clark Expedition began in 1804 (and ended in 1806), when President Thomas Jefferson tasked Meriwether Lewis with exploring lands west of the Mississippi River that comprised the Louisiana Purchase. Lewis chose William Clark as his co-leader for the mission. The excursion lasted over two years: Along the way they confronted harsh weather, unforgiving terrain, treacherous waters, injuries, starvation, disease, and both friendly and hostile Native Americans. Nevertheless, the approximately 8,000-mile journey was deemed a huge success and provided new geographic, ecological, and social information about previously uncharted areas of North America.

Question 41

Thomas Jefferson Presidency - Captain Zebulon Pike

Answer 41

In what was likely a secret military intelligence mission, Jefferson approved a second expedition (1806-1807) to the Lewis and Clark expedition led by Captain Zebulon Pike. His team first traveled the southwestern edge of the Louisiana Territory, then built a fort inside Spanish territory near the Rio Grande. They were arrested by the Spanish, charged as spies, and marched to Chihuahua. During his time in captivity, he was able to observe the size and locations of Spanish military installations, learn that the people were agitated by Spanish rule, and saw maps of the land. His valuable military intelligence proved Spain did not pose a serious threat to the U.S.

Question 42

Thomas Jefferson Presidency - Slave Trade

Answer 42

President Jefferson signed into law the 'Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves of 1807' that banned the importation of slaves into the U.S. beginning in 1808.

Question 43

Napoleonic Wars

Answer 43

Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815), series of wars between Napoleonic France and shifting alliances of other European powers that produced a brief French hegemony over most of Europe. Along with the French Revolutionary wars, the Napoleonic Wars comprise a 23-year period of recurrent conflict that concluded only with the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon’s second abdication on June 22, 1815.

Question 44

Understand how the Napoleonic Wars affected the United States.

Answer 44

After the French Revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte seized control of France, and from 1799 to 1815, a series of wars erupted as Napoleon extended his empire to include most of Europe. Britain’s objective was to bring this French dominance to an end. After Britain and France started to restrict each others’ commerce by sea, American took advantage of this opportunity to expand its role in transatlantic commerce. Between 1792 and 1807 American exports increased by ~585%. Jefferson also took advantage of Napoleon’s financial problems to purchase the Louisiana Territory.

Question 45

Describe the ‘First Barbary War’ and the precedent Jefferson set by engaging in it.

Answer 45

Four North African states on the Barbary Coast, known collectively as the "Barbary States” took notice of Americas increase in commercial trade during the Napoleonic Wars and demanded increased tribute payments in exchange for safe passage through the Mediterranean. Jefferson refused. In the First Barbary War (1801-1805), Navy ships and Marines defended the merchants, a move that was successful, but controversial since it expanded presidential power. The First Barbary War set the precedent that military force could be used, even without a formal declaration of war.

Question 46

Explain the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair and Jefferson’s response to it.

Answer 46

Britain and France wanted American to take a side during the Napoleonic Wars. They harassed American ships, stole cargo, and the British forced American sailors into impressment. In the ‘Chesapeake-Leopard Affair’ (1807) the British warship Leopard attacked the American Navy ship Chesapeake and four men, three of which were Americans, were forced into impressment. American citizens demanded a declaration of war, noting that it wasn’t just an attack on American commerce or a violation of neutrality, but an act of war on a military installation. Jefferson responded with the Embargo Act of 1807.

Question 47

Define the Embargo Act of 1807 and understand the effect it had.

Answer 47

Many Americans demanded war in response to the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair. Instead, President Jefferson tried economic sanctions, by first boycotting British goods, then by passing the Embargo Act of 1807, which prohibited American ships from sailing for foreign harbors. The goal was to create enough financial hardship for warring nations that they would accept U.S. neutrality and leave American ships and sailors alone. The result was a depression in the U.S., from exports dropping by ~80%, with no effect on Britain and France, because goods they wanted were smuggled through Canada. Britain and France also continued to attack American ships. The depression ended in 1809 when the embargo was eased.