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The Election of 1800
The Election of 1800 was the third presidential election of the United States. Candidates Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were up against each other, making harsh and personal attacks against each other for the campaign. Jefferson had a running mate, Aaron Burr, so that the Democratic-Republican party could take up both president and vice president if they win. However, while their party won, there had been a tie between both. The House had voted to break the tie, and Jefferson won by a vote. -
Judiciary Act of 1801
Before John Adams had left office, he had made hundreds of appointments in order to prevent Jefferson from making the appointments. When Jefferson had taken office, not all of the appointees had received their commissions yet. The missing commissions were never delivered under Jefferson's instructions. -
Revolt in Saint Dominigue
Napoleon had taken Saint Dominigue to have a naval base for his dream of a North American Empire. However, a group of slaves led by Tossaint L'Ouverture was successful in driving out the French and they managed to regain their land. News of this spread to the US and the slave owners became so scared of their slaves revolting, so they put more restrictions on them. The French loss at Saint Dominigue would also lead to another important event for the US, the Louisiana Purchase. -
The French Take Over Louisiana
In 1802, the Spanish had suddenly prohibited Americans from using the Mississippi and from depositing goods at New Orleans. After the incident, Jefferson found out that Spain had given France the Louisiana Territory in secret. This alarmed him, and Congress sent Robert Livingston to France to offer up to two million dollars to buy the territory, as the French may cause trouble for domestic trade in the US. -
Marbury vs. Madison Court Case (Establishment of Judicial Review)
After Secretary of State James Madison did not deliver commissions to appointees, one of them, William Marbury, got angry and took the matter to court. Marbury had wanted to force the delivery of his commission. However, the court ruled in Madison's favor as the act would have been unconstitutional. This court case would also establish the power of judicial review, in which the Supreme Court can declare laws unconstitutional. -
The Louisiana Purchase
After Napoleon had needed money to hold off against Britain and found no use out of the Louisiana Territory at the current time, he put the territory up for sale to the Americans. Buying the land would give the United States control over the Mississippi, provide cheap land for farmers, and protect domestic shipping interests. Livingston and Monroe saw that it was too good to pass up, so they had made the purchase. However, it was not US Territory until the Senate approved it on October of 1803. -
Congress Passes the Twelfth Amendment
In order to prevent any further ties for president and vice president, Congress passes the Twelfth Amendment to the Constitution. It states that electors had to cast a ballot for both the president and the vice president. -
Burr-Hamilton Duel
Since the Louisiana Purchase, the Federalists had been worried that New England would lose lots of power. Lead by Aaron Burr, a group of Federalists in Massachusetts planned to secede from the Union. Former Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton had seen this as treason and had ended Burr's political influence. Blaming all of his political setbacks on Hamilton, Burr challenged him to a duel in New Jersey. The duel ended in Hamilton getting shot and losing his life the day after. -
Lewis and Clark Expedition Begins
On the Spring of 1804, a group led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark departed St. Louis and traveled up the Mississippi into the Louisiana Territory to go on an expedition to research the land. They were tasked with recording data of new animal and plant species native to the land, making maps of the area, and taking note of the Native people. -
The Election of 1804
President Jefferson is up for re-election for a second term. He runs against Federalist Charles Pickney. Jefferson had won the election. -
US Blockade on Tripoli
The United States, after deciding not to pay a tribute to the pirates at Tripoli for their merchant ships to be safe, decided to blockade Tripoli. The pirates had captured the warship named, "Philadelphia," and had thrown its crew into prison. In an attempt to save the crew, a small raiding party lead by US Navy captain Stephen Decatur had sneaked into the harbor. They had also burned the captured ship so that the pirates could not use it. After the event Decatur became a national hero. -
Pike Sets Off
Lewis and Clark were not the only ones tasked with leading an expedition into the Louisiana Territory. Lieutenant Zebulon Pike set off on his first expedition on July 15, 1806. Pike would soon help America learn about the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains. -
The Embargo Act
After Britain violated America's neutral rights, President Jefferson had banned some trade with the British. However, after the attack on the Chesapeake, Congress passed the Embargo Act, which banned all international trade. However, the law had proved to be a failure after it had caused a depression in the trading market in New England. -
The Chesapeake-Leonard Affair
Three deserters of the British naval crew of the HMS Melampus enlist on the USS Chesapeake. They were to be discovered to be Americans who were impressed by the Royal Navy. Admiral Berkely had ordered that the Chesapeake be searched if it were spotted in sea. The HMS Leopard had met up with the Chesapeake at the coast of Norfolk, Virginia. The commander of the Leopard requested to search the ship, but the crew said no. The Leopard fired shots at the ship and arrested all the deserters. -
The Election of 1808
After two terms, Jefferson had decided to not run for a third term to follow Washington's precedent. The candidates running were James Madison and Charles Pickney. Madison had won with 122 electoral votes.
