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French Threat
Spain secretly transferred the Louisiana Territory to France, which put American trade along the Mississippi River at risk. -
Tie of 1800
Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr were tied. One federalist didn't vote for Burr, making Jefferson win. No one wanted to see another tie, so the 12th amendment was created. -
John Adams using Judiciary Act
Right before Jefferson took office, John Adams used the judiciary act to make hundreds of appointments resulting in Jefferson being blocked from making any more. He was probably angry. -
War with Tripoli
When Jefferson refused to pay tribute, Tripoli declared war on the United States. The war ended with a treaty. Tripoli stopped demanding tribute, but the U.S. had to pay $60,000 for the release of the prisoners. -
Jefferson's Inauguration
At his inauguration, he dressed in his normal clothes, and John Adams didn't attend. During his speech, he outlined some of the goals he had, and talked about his beliefs on the government. -
The Louisiana Purchase
The United States and France agreed on the price of $15 million for the Louisiana territory. Jefferson worried it wasn't legal to buy for such a large price, but later did, doubling the size of the U.S. -
Napoleon and Saint Domingue
Napoleon's dreams of an empire in Saint Domingue was ended by a rebellion of enslaved people. Led by Toussaint L'Ouverture, they declared the colony independent and named it Haiti. -
Federalists Plan Secession
People from the Northeast feared that the western expansion would weaken their power. Therefore, they planned to withdraw from the union and become the "Northern Confederacy." They then t -
Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark went 4000 miles up the Missouri River and back after 18 months. They collected valuable information about the west. -
Hamilton and Burr Duel
Alexander Hamilton accepted Aaron Burr's duel, most likely because he thought Burr was committing treason. Burr shot Hamilton, and fled to avoid arrest. -
Neutral Rights
American ships were trading with the two countries Britain and France when they were at war. That is, until the British blockaded French shores, and France seized ships that were trading with Britain. -
Pike's Expedition
He traveled through the upper Mississippi River. On his journey, he learned about the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. -
Chesapeake Destruction
Britain waited for ships on the American harbor, so they could search them and impress deserters, and sometimes even American citizens. When the captain of Chesapeake refused a search, they crippled his ship, also killing 3 crew members. -
Bad Trade Acts
Congress passed the Embargo Act, but it led to unemployment, so it was soon repealed. It's replacement, the Nonintercourse Act, which only prohibited trade with France and Britain, was also a bad idea. -
Election of 1808
Jefferson followed Washington's precedent and didn't run for a third term. James Madison, who had 122 electoral votes, beat Charles Pinckney with only 47.
