Thomas Jefferson

Birth-Death: (1743 - 1826 ) Term: (1801-1809 )

As the Third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson recognized the need for avoiding European affairs. The Napoleonic wars were the focus of Europe, and Jefferson sought to avoid U.S. involvement. At home, the nation was still developing and adjusting to its new independence. The American people would not feel completely free from British influence until after the War of 1812.

Major Events with Thomas Jefferson

1803 - Marbury v. Madison

    In order to keep Federalists in power even after the election of a Democratic-Republican president, John Adams appointed Federalists to judicial positions. Many of these were signed close to midnight of Adams' last day in power, and thus they were given the name Midnight Judges. Some of the commissions for judgeship, although properly signed, had not been delivered because Adams ran out of time. Since Jefferson did not want the Federalists to obtain control of the judiciary branch of the government, he ordered these commissions not to be delivered. One of the people who did not receive his commission was William Marbury. Marbury asked for an order from the Supreme Court to deliver the commissions, however Jefferson instructed Madison to disregard the order. Marbury appealed to the Supreme Court again, and Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that Marbury was entitled to his commission, the president must see that the commission be delivered, however, the Supreme Court cannot order (issue a mandamus) that the commission be delivered because a clause in the Judiciary Act of 1789 authorizing the court to do that was unconstitutional.

    The case established an important principle of Judicial Review, whereby the Supreme Court can overturn a Congress law if the latter is unconstitutional. The decision showed the power of the Court as the third branch of government.

1803 - Louisiana Purchase

    The United States was looking to establish a port on the Gulf of Mexico. Although the Pinckney treaty gave the U.S. the right of deposit in New Orleans, since then the territory has been transferred to the French. Because the U.S. had no official agreement with the French about the use of the port and the navigation of the Mississippi, Jefferson sent Robert Livingston and James Monroe to France to buy the New Orleans area for five million. When the two envoys arrived, Napoleon offered to sell the whole Louisiana territory for fifteen million.

    Both Monroe and Livingston recognized the offer as great for the nation and accepted it. Napoleon was eager to sell the territory because he had just lost Haiti, his primary point of access to the Americas; and he needed money to fight the ongoing war with England and the rest of Europe. Jefferson and the envoys were ready to accept the territory not only because it doubled the area of the United States, giving it more farmland, but also because it assured the U.S. of the full control of the Mississippi where annual trade totaled about one million dollars.

    Jefferson had to put national necessity above all else, and interpret the constitution liberally in order to accept the purchase and make it constitutional. The treaty passed in the senate by a 24:7 margin.

1804, 1809 - Embargo and Non-Intercourse Acts

    A war raged in Europe, and as part of war efforts both sides blockaded the opposition. Napoleon issued the Milan and Berlin decrees, and the British issued Orders in Council. Jefferson made it his policy not to get involved in the war and the Embargo and the Non-Intercourse Acts were passed to do just that.

    The Embargo Act prohibited any trade between the United States and foreign nations. The government tried to enforce it, but many ships smuggled contraband in and out of US seaports. The act was repealed and replaced by the Non-Intercourse Act in 1809.

    The latter prohibited any United States trade with the belligerent nations in Europe. Although this act was not as stringent as the Embargo Act, it was still very unpopular in the Federalist northeast, and many merchants refused to obey it. As a result a total of 1500 ships was seized before 1812 by the warring nations in Europe.