Jeffersonian Era Part One

Which of the following best summarizes the results of the Election of 1800?

• Thomas Jefferson won the presidency in a landslide.

• Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied in the Electoral College; the House of Representatives broke the tie and elected Thomas Jefferson.

• Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied in the Electoral College; the House of Representatives broke the tie and elected Aaron Burr.

• Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied in the popular vote, so the Electoral College had to be created to break the tie and eventually elect Thomas Jefferson.

Answer explanation

It took 36 ballots in the House of Representatives to break the Electoral College tie between Jefferson and Burr. In the end, Alexander Hamilton was able to convince a Federalist Burr supporter to break ranks and abstain from the final vote, tipping the numbers in favor of Jefferson.

How did the Twelfth Amendment change the presidential election process?

• If there was a tie in the Electoral College, the popular vote would be used to break the tie instead of deferring to the House of Representatives.

• BIt abolished the Electoral College.

• It put a limit on the number of terms someone could be president.

• It changed the way vice presidents were elected

Answer explanation

Prior to the Twelfth Amendment, the vice presidency was awarded to the second place finisher in the presidential election. By giving the vice presidency its own spot on the ballot, it reduced the likelihood of conflicts in the executive branch and partisan Electoral College face-offs.

Which of the following best describes the tone and message of President Thomas Jefferson’s Inaugural Address?

• Jefferson sought to mend divisions between the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans while also pushing for a smaller, weaker federal government.

• Jefferson attacked Federalist ideology and boasted about his plans to dismantle the opposition party.

• Breaking from the Democratic-Republican ideals he campaigned on, Jefferson laid out a plan to expand the power of the federal government.

• Jefferson made it clear that creating stronger foreign relations was the number one priority of his administration.

Answer explanation

Despite a divisive and hard-fought campaign, Jefferson used his address to try and build some solidarity that spanned party lines. His policy themes, however, were focused almost exclusively on ideas and plans to shrink the federal government’s size and limit its power.

How did Jefferson deal with the national debt he inherited from the Federalist presidents before him?

• Jefferson added to the national debt by increasing government spending.

• Jefferson reduced the national debt by reducing the number of military personnel and other federal employees.

• Jefferson reduced the national debt by increasing taxation on US citizens.

• Jefferson took no actions that changed the national debt.

Answer explanation

Shrinking the federal government was a key part of the Democratic-Republican party’s platform, and Jefferson wasted no time in putting the plan into action as President. The entire military saw major cuts and the number of federal employees was cut down to a few hundred people. Jefferson also repealed the federal taxes put in place by previous administrations.

What was the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Marbury v. Madison?

• It established the principle of judicial review.

• It made James Madison the chief justice of the Supreme Court.

• It affirmed that federal laws have supremacy over state laws.

• It showed that the Supreme Court could not stop Congress from passing laws that are contrary to the Constitution.

Answer explanation

This was a landmark ruling stating that Congress cannot pass laws that are contrary to the Constitution and that it is the role of the Judicial system to interpret what the Constitution permits.

The court's role in reviewing legislation and deciding whether it violates the Constitution is known as judicial review. Marbury v. Madison established a very important precedent because nothing in the text of the Constitution explicitly authorizes the power of judicial review.

Which of the following best describes the result of the Louisiana Purchase?

• The United States purchased a small plot of land at the mouth of the Mississippi River from French settlers.

• Thomas Jefferson negotiated to purchase the Louisiana Territory from the French but was blocked by Congress.

• The United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from the Spanish for $15 million.

• The United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from the French for $15 million.

Answer explanation

Though the constitutional legality of the purchase was questionable, Jefferson doubled the size of the United States overnight with this purchase. The Louisiana Territory included land from fifteen present U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. The deal was a bargain for the United States, with Jefferson paying less than 3 cents per acre.

Why was Napoleon so eager to sell off the Louisiana Territory?

• Napoleon wanted to build a friendly relationship with the United States and President Jefferson.

• Napoleon was luring America into a trap.

• Napoleon failed to put down a slave revolution in Haiti and was likely facing a war with Great Britain.

• Napoleon was unable to deal with Native American revolts in the territory.

Answer explanation

Napoleon was gearing up for war with Britain and saw the Louisiana Territory as an asset he could turn into much-needed funds. When Saint-Domingue fell in the Haitian Revolution, Napoleon’s interests in the Western Hemisphere dwindled. As a result, Napoleon chose to sell the territory to the bordering United States.

What was the objective of the Lewis and Clark expedition?

• To make contact and establish relations with the Native Americans living in the Louisiana Territory.

• To survey the land America acquired in the Louisiana Purchase.

• To gather information about the plants, wildlife, and natural resources in the Louisiana Territory.

• All of the above.

Answer explanation

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were chosen by President Jefferson to get a better picture of the land and resources he had acquired from the French in the Louisiana Purchase. Both men had backgrounds in science and experience with Native Americans, which allowed them to create a fairly complete picture of not only the land of the American west, but also what that land contained. This would provide a valuable foundation for future westward expansion.

Which of the following people provided support to Lewis and Clark that was instrumental in helping them navigate and survive the western territories?

• Zebulon Pike

• Sacagawea

• Squanto

• Pontiac

Answer explanation

Sacagawea, a teenage Shoshone woman, joined up with the Lewis and Clark expedition in the winter of 1804. Her assistance as a guide and interpreter would prove invaluable to the success of the mission.

How did Zebulon Pike’s expedition into the Rocky Mountains end?

• Pike was forced to return from his journey before achieving his given objectives due to a supply shortage.

• Pike met up with Lewis and Clark and helped them complete their journey towards the Pacific Ocean.

• Pike died from an illness shortly after summiting the mountain that now bears his name.

• Pike was captured by the Spanish who feared he was acting as a spy.

Answer explanation

Pike and his men were taken prisoner by the Spanish in early 1807 as they were returning home through the Spanish-controlled New Mexico territory. The Spanish believed Pike was scouting their land for a possible American invasion. Ironically, while it had not been a primary goal for the trip, Pike’s expedition was a key component in stoking the fire for American westward expansion towards the very same Spanish territories.